New Geared Head at $1900 (Gearnex Clone)

[M.Halsell]

A motorized version with wireless+app would make things interesting.

 

[Jamon Lewis]

For $600, I am willing to roll the dice. I just placed an order for one. I will post pics and info once I have received it. I was looking for a precision head to use for a custom 7' x 4' test chart I am building for lens / camera evaluation.

Stacey, how's that geared head working out for you?

 

[Brett Harrison]

this is all very sad. Nothing more to say....

Seconded.

 

[charles lim yi yong]

ANYWAY REAL WORLD test on these heads?

 

[Nick Gardner]

If you are actually looking for a gear head and not an third world piece of garbage, there is also this -

http://www.space-instruments.org/in...&product_id=69&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Nick

 

[Paul Kalbach]

The last time I talked to the guys at GearNex they were intending to develop programmable motion control for their head, but I'm afraid they've gone inactive. It's a shame because I love my GearNex head and tilt-plate. Very smooth...

 

[Stephen Lovett]

Hi All,

I spoke to Joe Mendoza last week. He's a good guy and finds himself in a tough position. He's gone dark because his designs have been ripped off and he's being very secretive about what is coming for NAB. I've got a V1 head that I've been looking to upgrade for a couple of years but was waiting for v 3.0. Personally I think Joe made a mistake by going completely dark, a lot of people think he's out of business and it's not an unreasonable conclusion given the total lack of presence from CineToys for several years.

We'll see what NAB holds.

I'm also going to offer an opinion here about buying equipment from companies who steal intellectual property. I think that it is wrong to do so, and I think such enterprises should not be supported with your money.

The above is a personal opinion, we are all entitled to one. This is not a condemnation of people who disagree with me. Also I want to be super clear that this isn't a shot at Stacey. I know Stacy pretty well, he's a good guy. I think well enough of him that I humped 80+ pounds of epic and support gear to Mono Lake for him gratis a coupe of years back to help him make his 3D calibration disk. Further he purchased a differing design that to my knowledge is unrelated to the CineToys litigation. I state that to underscore that this is a confusing situation and that good and reasonable people can differ on such matters.

Do what you think is right, but just please factor in that according to Joe Mendoza the manufacturer of the low cost head has stolen his design.

FWIW Joe does answer email and phone calls, but he's done pretty much nothing else to clarify the situation. According to our conversation some of that is due to the litigation.

Constantine summed it up very well...

Hope this helps clarify things a bit.

I have no relationship or interest in CineToys other that I bought a v1 head from them long long ago in a galaxy very far away,

Steve

 

[Jim Hoffman]

I have a V1 I'd like upgraded too.

 

[bob dodd]

Proaim pulled the webpage listing for the Orion. I was waiting on the motion control module that Gearnex teased a couple years back. I hope Gearnex has something at NAB. Looking forward to it.

 

[John Brawley]

I used the V1 gearnex head.

I've also used many other geared heads including Panaheads, Arri Heads and I also own a CP mini-worral geared head.

I love using gear heads and try to always have one on my jobs.

I really really wanted the Gearnex head to be awesome, but I found it had some serious limitations.

Firstly any camera that builds a bit long will very quickly foul on the rear tilt wheel..

Have a look at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbrawley/4136829743/

You'll notice that within a couple of turns the back of the camera jams onto the tilt wheel.

You'll also notice the pan wheel is an awfully long way away from the back of the camera. The wheels should be close together, but with the gearnex you have to really reach your left hand forward of the focal plane to pan the camera. I don't know of any other geared head that does this.

Not a great picture to illustrate but here's a panahead and you can see the pan wheel is right at the back.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbrawley/14383766750/in/album-72157644563566426/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbrawley/14067975190/in/album-72157644563566426/

And here's an Arri head.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbrawley/3436723271/in/album-72157594566402764/

I also found the direct drive "feel" of the Gearnex to be very lacking in tactile response. It just felt a lot like you were grinding away. From what I understand with the way the drive system works on other geared heads, they aren't actually gear driven, but they're driven through a "GEAR" box. That then drives another mechanism. So belts on a panahead, chain on an arri head and wire on my CP Mini Worral.

The gear nex is just direct worm gears (i think) and so they just feel very kind of gritty.

A well setup geared head is fluid and feels like it really separates your operating from the camera in space. The gearnex just felt rather kind of clumsy in comparison, not very well laid out, and not very flexible. I struggled to get any finesse in operating, i didn't like the hand wheel positions. It's a great price and I wanted it to be awesome, but it also was a disappointment to someone that's done a lot of time on wheels. It's great to hear they may be back and I'd really really love for them to get back into the ring. I'd love for them to have the kinds of features that other geared heads have like, more than one gear speed for the tilt and pan, and a built in cheese plate....

JB

 

[Martin Stevens]

Awesome review and post, John.

THANKS!

 

[John Brawley]

Awesome review and post, John.

THANKS!

Thanks Martin.

I would also add that looking at those links, those clone- heads look like garbage.

JB.

 

[Brett Harrison]

Thanks for the info John!

I've been looking closely at geared heads to pair with the Freefly Mimic and I had singled out the v2 or v3 of the Gearnex for this purpose, but I'm starting to think a Worrall from Visual Products might be the better bet. I recently had a go of the ARRIHead 2 so I'm basically screwed now for comparison haha.

Now to find a fish tank ;-)

 

[John Brawley]

Thanks for the info John!

I've been looking closely at geared heads to pair with the Freefly Mimic and I had singled out the v2 or v3 of the Gearnex for this purpose, but I'm starting to think a Worrall from Visual Products might be the better bet. I recently had a go of the ARRIHead 2 so I'm basically screwed now for comparison haha.

Now to find a fish tank ;-)

Hi Brett !

Long time.

So, there's a gigantic world of difference between a WORRALL and a CP Mini WORRALL. They are totally different. The WORRAL is a beast of a head, and not very practical. The CP Mini Worrall is a more modern design, and functions with all the more mod cons. It's also much smaller and lighter and has a built in cheese wedge. It's action is usually much nicer too. A Worrall is a good head for learning on but you don't probably want to bring it out on set. A Mini Worrall could more easily be used on set today.

I haven't looked for a while but Worralls go for about 2-3K US and the CP Mini Worrall's are more like 5-7K. A MK 1 Arri head is like 10-15K and an Arri Head 2 is more like 15-20k.

And yes, I taught myself top operate wheels by strapping a TRV900 to my CP Mini Worrall, zooming in and then framing up shots of fish in an aquarium. I'd track them around and then try keep up as they changed direction left to right and up and down...just trying to keep the shot going. Then I'd start to trade off to other fish as they came into range, trying to make the transitions.

I think this type of practice makes a lot more sense than the old laser pointer writing your name on a wall or following a maze drawn on a white board. That doesn't connect framing and composition with what you're doing with your hands, it only teaches you the direction and velocity of how to turn the wheels.


JB ( my handwriting was always terrible too)

 

[Brett Harrison]

Hehe yeah it's been ages!

Again, thanks for the info, saved me a lot of foot work. I'm heading to NAB this year and I believe the GearNex guys are planing on showing something new, so let's see. I've also heard that the feel of the V2 is much closer to pro heads so I'm still optimistic (sans location of the pan wheel).

I've found this http://www.visualproducts.com/storeProductDetail02.asp?productID=946&Cat=48&Cat2=50#bigPic

Which seems to be in wonderful condition. How would you compare the feel of this to the ARRIHead 2?

Heh yeah, I'm always using the digital whiteout.

Cheers.

 

[John Brawley]

I've found this http://www.visualproducts.com/storeProductDetail02.asp?productID=946&Cat=48&Cat2=50#bigPic

Which seems to be in wonderful condition. How would you compare the feel of this to the ARRIHead 2?

Heh yeah, I'm always using the digital whiteout.

That's the same head that I have. I've used it on many jobs and it's the best value "good" geared head you can get.

There's no doubt an Arrihead 2 is a great head. It's action is smoother, and it has a slightly different gear ratio. The higher speed gears spin faster. Also, the tilt wheel can swing away too, making it more adjustable. Also, with the way their gearbox works, when you tilt the camera, if the camera is correctly balanced then it will stay in the tilted position if you take your hand off the wheel. On The CP it will slowly want to return to horizontal if you take your hands of the wheel, so it always requires a little pressure.

These are small things, and you pay more than double the price of course.

That seems to be a pretty good price for one of those heads.

JB

 

[Brett Harrison]

Thanks again John, great to get your take on it.

That's the same head that I have. I've used it on many jobs and it's the best value "good" geared head you can get.

There's no doubt an Arrihead 2 is a great head. It's action is smoother, and it has a slightly different gear ratio. The higher speed gears spin faster. Also, the tilt wheel can swing away too, making it more adjustable. Also, with the way their gearbox works, when you tilt the camera, if the camera is correctly balanced then it will stay in the tilted position if you take your hand off the wheel. On The CP it will slowly want to return to horizontal if you take your hands of the wheel, so it always requires a little pressure.

These are small things, and you pay more than double the price of course.

That seems to be a pretty good price for one of those heads.

JB

 

[Nick Gardner]

Just a note, I also have a miniworall and have used plenty of arri heads. The CP head when well adjusted and maintained can be on par with an arrihead and a poorly maintained arrihead can be worse than a CP. Both great heads.
Nick