I want to see what others have found works best to mount the m15 to something more rugged then the current stand adapter. I want to hard mount it to a stand or Tripod so I can start doing time-lapeses without it swaying in the wind when it sits in its cradle stand adapter. I used some Gaffers tape to just lock it in place on the stand adapter, however that just seems weird, I would like some kind of quick release system ready to snap on the toad in the hole or something. Im trying to avoid big setups like a ubangy to mitchel to star adapter yada yada.. Because ultimately I would like to be able to go out by myself hike up a trail a bit and carry everything myself. Anyways any suggestions would be awesome
Hi Trevor, I use a Toad in the Hole on a Ninja Star, and put a Manfrotto quick release sliding plate on the bottom of the Ninja Star. That's a quick way to mount it on to my Manfrotto 501 HDV head\Tripod for a time lapse. I also use the Ninja Star with screw-in Baby Pins to mount the M15 to C-Clamps\Gobo Heads in the rafters of warehouses (remote pan and tilt shots from up high). I also found on a Mitchell tripod, I can take the Tie-down screw from an O-Connor 2575 head and that will lock the Ninja Star onto a Mitchell Mount, same way it does the O'Connor head. If I get a chance to take some pics, I'll post them. I keep forgetting to take pics.
Trevor, We used a setup similar to what Graham mentions: Ninja star - toad-in-the-hole - tripod plate. The timelapses looked great, client loved the content. For the actual project we used a couple DSLRs, but this picture shows the setup when we were testing.
So I would need a male toad in the hole adapter correct? Seems like it could be a lot of weight for a 504 head.. But sounds like the star plate will let me attach to anything really huh?
Yes -- Ninja Star + one Male Toad. Really useful device. My little 501 Manfrotto head held the weight for a panning timelapse shot, but we only put a 5D Mark 3 on there because it was timelapse. The weight isn't so much the issue with that head, though, since it's just a lock-off. You could easily use the Ninja Star to mount to a C-Stand or Combo Stand with a gobo head, if you get a baby-pin with 1/4-20 or 3/8 bolt. I keep a couple of Baby Pin options in my kit.
Agreed, from our testing and from the timelapse+MoVI project we did, we found the setup to work really well.
i use this and it works awesome sachtler plate lives on movi direct and "sandwich plate catcher qr" (whatever its called) lives on handles, i can go from handle to sachtler tripod in seconds http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876,92051677442,&A=details&Q=
I guess I don't really see how your mounting that? So the sachlter plate screws onto the part the handles go on? I was looking at just getting the star ninja plate or whatever it's called and a toad like they said above. But I am wondering how yours works. Is it easier then the road with ninja star?
i think mine is alot more secure than the toad setup and it doesn't make it taller like adding toad, so now to attach to whatever i want i just have sachtler touch and go. this make sense if you use sachter already So you unscrew the handles with the four allen key screws and then screw the the tripod plate to that, this involves drilling 4 countersunk holes in the tripod plate to screw allen key screws back in http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876,92051677682,&Q=&A=details for the handle side: you open up the touch and go QR mechanism and screw that on with another 4 allen screws