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O'Connor 100 old head

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Medavoym

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Hi!

Any opinions on the older O'Connor 100 fluid head? Anybody has any experience with it? It used to be pretty good. Can we use it with RED with no problems? Does it hold up its own in comparison with the newer/more expensive modern heads?

Thanks!
 
Medavoym said:
Hi!

Any opinions on the older O'Connor 100 fluid head? Anybody has any experience with it? It used to be pretty good. Can we use it with RED with no problems? Does it hold up its own in comparison with the newer/more expensive modern heads?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Those are pretty old school. I would leave it alone unless you are really short on cash. A Nice head will make a difference on screen and also be much more pleasant to use.

Matt Uhry
www.mattuhry.com
 
Hello Matt,

Thanks for the prompt answer!

Are the O'Connor 100s so bad? Yes, I am trying to save cash whenever I can... but without incurring any negative effects on the picture that I get onto the screen...

Do you really think you can tell the difference as far as titlts and pans with the 100 are concerned?

Thanks!
 
I love my O'Connor heads, the 2575 is really terrific, but the old 100 is a beast.

Of course it will work, but more limited range and not so smooth.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo
 
Hmmm... Would the "limited range" and "not so smooth" apply to a vintage O'Connor 50 as well? A bit less of a "beast", I would guess. I was hoping to get by with the 50 as an interim solution.
 
I got an O'Connor model 30 head & sticks on ebay and the motion had a "gritty" feel to it. I took it apart, cleaned it out (had a few loose metal pieces floating inside!) and reassembled it and it works perfectly smoothly as far as I can tell. It looks pretty old-school, which is ok. After reassembly it has a very slow fluid leak, which is annoying. Rebuilding it was very tedious. If you have the money, I'd recommend buying new.

A few photos during disassembly:
http://www.bealecorner.com/fx1/OConnor30/index.htm
 
100

100

I have a 100 and a 2060. They support the camera about the same and both are smooth. The big change in technology is the dial in counter balance. Put on the camera, slide it back and forth to find balance, then tilt down. If the camera does not stay put, dial in counter balance. When properly counter balanced you can tilt up and down and the camera stays where you stop even when you take your hand away from the handle. This is so fabulous compared to the 100. I also have 2 50d's and they are way to light weight for the Red system. The 2060 is a lot of money but is so great.
 
I picked up a 50d and a couple of 30s. The 30s aren't up to the task of a kit'd out Red with hard drive/bat/matte box etc. I felt it was at the top end of the range, maybe a little over. I weighed in the camera at 33 lbs. But the 50d held up just fine in it's top end. The right balance held the tilt position no problem. I couldn't fully engage the safety locking mech on the underside of the ET dovetail (or any dovetail for that matter). It still holds it just as well, but it would be nice to have that extra little assurance.

That being said, I'm looking at a new O'connor system to integrate with the ET dovetail, probably a 2060 -- I'm hearing the 1030 HDS isn't up to the task either -- to make sure it can take the weight all day and reduce the opportunity for mishap. Plus, this was with the Red 18-50mm, so I may run into trouble with my Canon K35 25-120mm weighing in at 11lbs. (The K35 looks great on the Red BTW.)

I'll keep the 50 for a backup and the 30s have nice action on everything else.

Jason
 
Oconnor heads

Oconnor heads

If you are trying to save money look at the area under the plate on 50s for the LEAK They are pretty good if you can find one that doesn't leak 50D I think is the newest of the series which has a little more fore aft adjustment of the plate.

30 is just too light

100 the B camera bease weighs a ton but often comes with mitchell base so is easy to put on dolly. The return from tilt up or down is not adjustable so they only work well if the camera is pretty fully kitted out or it will be too light. Don't get this head if your work involves carrying any distance!!!
 
I bought a 50d to use while my Cartoni C20 was off being serviced. It was kept in a case, has two pan handles, and works great. Overall, not bad heads if they are in good shape. Lot of bang for the buck Any body wants it, make me an offer.

Nick
 
We have an old 50 and a 100 that were recently rebuilt and the motion on the 50 really smooth. I don't have anything heavy enough to really try out the 100 yet.

Does anyone know which ET Red dovetails will fit these heads best? Will the 2060/2575, 2060, or 1030 work? I'd like to get the Arri/Red 19mm base plate and one of the Arri/Oconnor dovetails, I'm just not sure if the ones built for the newer heads are compatible with the older o'connors.
 
Hello guys,

I'm reviving this old post because I found this head here http://www.visualproducts.com/storeProductDetail02.asp?productID=878&Cat=48&Cat2=49 and at a first look the price seems like a bargain.

Wnated to ask you what is the difference between this model and newer ones in terms of adjustability and counterbalance settings. Does it even have a counterbalance and do you know how many fluid drag positions it has for tilt and pan ? Are they stepless like in the newer heads ?

One user said that when used with a dovetail " I couldn't fully engage the safety locking mech on the underside of the ET dovetail (or any dovetail for that matter). It still holds it just as well, but it would be nice to have that extra little assurance. " What is this underside thing for ? Why do you need it if you laready secure the dovetail to the tripod with 2 screws ? that comment was for a 50D head does the 100 have the same issue ?

Another user said " Of course it will work, but more limited range and not so smooth. " What does limited range stand for ? Fewer drag positions ?

I've also read that it is pretty heavy. Can you five me an estimate on it's weight ?

And finally and probably most important. Can it withstand the rigours of today's proffesional productions (cmmercials, music videos etc.) ? Or should I just save up and buy a newer head ?

Thanks,
Mike
 
hello
I'm using the 50D.

tilt range have not +-90 degrees. still between +45 to -45. pan was not limit.
and
this ball is not 100mm & 150mm, I installed a 100mm of Manfrotto.

Oconnor 100 can't adjustment of the weight balance. 50D is fixed

best regards
pen
 
I used a 100, it can't tilt all the way, it has a hard stop (limited range) so you can't tilt all the way vertical.

Also, not sure if this is normal, but there was a spring type of feel to it!?! This made it pull back hard whenever you tilted... that made it basically suck.

But it wasn't that rough if you weren't tilting too much... I would get something smaller and new if at all possible. For sure.
 
I have an O'Connor 100 rebuilt by Sachtler. The biggest issue ist the strong spring for the counter balance. I am trying to have it replaced with a weaker one. Maybe 1/3 the force of the current one.
 
We've got a 100 and it's been a workhorse - got it from Visual Products and they prep them right - absolutely no complaints - 48lb Red Rig setup.
 
The O'Connor 50C, 50D and 100 are incredible values if they can be found in good working order. Give them a bit of a tune-up and they should run smooth and handle the camera well. The old 50 is a better fit for most RED configurations, but the 100 is good if you tend to use a lot of heavier glass like the Optimo 12X -- that counterbalance can be a bit strong as Simon mentions above and they're not adjustable as on the newer heads. The old 100 isn't really designed for loads under 45lbs. It works, but it's a beast.
 
It should be noted that O'Connor does not support the 30,50,100,200 models anymore. So unless you know someone who is making parts and servicing them independently you may be at a dead-end if it breaks down. I know this because I took a friends 30 into their office in Burbank and talk to the head guys (pun).
 
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