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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Introducing the RED 3-axis Lens Control System

Isaac Marchionna said:
Oh, yeah that'd be goofy. We just want to be able to power the thing off a D-tap output from say a battery plate. My gut is that I'd like Lemo-to-Lemo on MY personal setup, but have that D-Tap to Lemo cable in the case just as a backup for older setups.

Compatibility = good. Sounds like there's already a solution.
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There are D-tap to Lemo pigtails out there that you can buy if you need to power of a battery plate.

I know some of you love the D or P Tap... but it is a flawed design. Any connector that you can plug in backwards and blow shit up is not a good idea to have, specially if you rent your stuff out. Its nice to think that all external devices have fuses in them but we have had dozens and dozens of reports of monitors being fried, motor drivers being blown and battery belts melting from someone plugging in the D tap upside down. And when you short out that many amps, even at 12 volts and even with a fuse, can cause sensitive electronics to never be the same again.

So yeah... I admit.. we wanna kill the D-tap. Kill it dead....
 
How do you get a D-Tap in backwards? With a hammer?

I understand your point of view but every powered camera accessory that attaches to the camera has to have D-tap as power cable option on set. It's very common connector and has been around for a long time.

I prefer 19mm rods, they're stronger than 15mm rods but most of Toronto is on the 15mm standard so I need to have thousands of dollars worth of 15mm supports and rods as backup to the 19mm system I usually use.
 
Paul J Steinberg said:
How do you get a D-Tap in backwards? With a hammer?

I understand your point of view but every powered camera accessory that attaches to the camera has to have D-tap as power cable option on set. It's very common connector and has been around for a long time.

I prefer 19mm rods, they're stronger than 15mm rods but most of Toronto is on the 15mm standard so I need to have thousands of dollars worth of 15mm supports and rods as backup to the 19mm system I usually use.
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Paul its pretty easy.. even though D-taps are keyed by their shape, most are made of plastic that can quite easily be pushed in backwards. To make things even worse.. some batteries with built in D-taps switch the polarity of the port which nets the same problem.. https://vimeo.com/27456258

For what its worth.. I prefer 19mm as well.
 
Jarred Land said:
Paul its pretty easy.. even though D-taps are keyed by their shape, most are made of plastic that can quite easily be pushed in backwards. To make things even worse.. some batteries with built in D-taps switch the polarity of the port which nets the same problem.. https://vimeo.com/27456258

For what its worth.. I prefer 19mm as well.
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I've got to agree with Jarred here. While D-Tap is a standard, I have seen some horrific things happen on set because of that connection. LEMO is literally a military grade connection. It locks. It's secure. It's good for handheld, steadicam, jib/crane, etc... D-Taps can ruin a piece of kit and put you down for a day. I've seen guys with 20+ years of experience bitten by that snake.
 
Again, would rather have D-Taps and not need them then to need them and not have them. I consider a FIZ to be a universal production tool, meaning it's camera agnostic (hence why I'm eager for the ET branded version) just so that I can go out on a job and not be caught in a situation where it's, "sorry guys we're not pulling focus on that handheld shot because you don't have LEMO outs."

So while I understand the thinking, much of the video world is grandfathered in technology, and it's good to be prepared for as many eventualities as possible.
 
Will these motors work with other systems, like a digital bartech setup?
 
Slop

Slop

Its worth noting that when all the D-tap connectors were actually to Anton-Bauer spec it really was a decent option. Now that off brand D-tap plugs made to sloppy tolerances have proliferated it has become a bad scene. Of course we now live in a world where mini-USB is a common power connector...

Cheers - #19
 
Considering our application for this connector, the D-tap is a complete brain fart of an invention. It must die.
 
Jared,

Any chance you can share more information about the mini mags with us? Making some end of year purchases and wanted to know if i should hold on to some for mini mag option :-).

Thanks,

Jacob Schwarz
 
Doesn't matter, it's out there, and if the WMD/ET-FIZ only lives on your specific setup then run all LEMO. But Prestons are the dirty dirty slut of the camera accessory world: they rent for a good price and work on practically any camera.

No one is saying D-tap is amazing, but it is out there on a majority of camera systems.
 
This really isn't a debate about the merits of the D-tap connector. My point, and the point others are trying to make is that it is a common connector that you are likely to find on set. When it turns out that the only way to power something up is a D-tap you can't say "sorry but that is an inferior connector and I don't believe in its use."

We're talking practicality not ideology. Any professional kit that requires power, be it a FIZ, Wireless video, cinetape or monitor will always have a D-tap option as well as lemo. That's all, we are just trying to be prepared for a situation that we are very likely to be faced with.
 
You guys really know how to create some really sexy pieces of metal.. any plans for a Movi-like device in the near future?
 
Just demoed this setup in the Red Store yesterday. I was very impressed with the responsiveness, ease of setup, and super smooth feeling of the THC ,and the motors do look world class, no reason they can't compete with the best from Preston/Heden. I'm about 5 seconds away from ordering one of these, I just really really wish someone would confirm or deny that the WMD can also drive the motors on the Fujinon Cabrio line of lenses. That glass is everywhere now and it would be a killer combo. I know preston and c-motion are supporting it, hopefully it wouldn't be too difficult to implement here? If not at release maybe with a future update? Anyone in an official capacity care to chime in?
 
I am also very interested to know if we will be able to run a cable from the WMD to the servo drive unit on the Cabrio when desired instead of to rod mounted motors. This could be a very elegant setup and presumably just requires the right cables with the right pin assignments. Like Travis, I'd sure like to know the scoop before committing $15K...

BTW Travis, glad to hear you liked the "super smooth feeling of the THC" ;-) (Yes, we may be reaching the expiration date on such humor, I just couldn't resist)

Cheers - #19
 
Blair S. Paulsen said:
BTW Travis, glad to hear you liked the "super smooth feeling of the THC" ;-) (Yes, we may be reaching the expiration date on such humor, I just couldn't resist)
Cheers - #19
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I have no idea what you mean Blair ;)
 
Fuji Cabrio is on the list.. the WMD is compatible with it.. it was a supported lens for the ET 3D rigs. So just gotta get to a firmware update along the line.
 
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