Squashing a GH3 into the GH2 Zenmuse with a Secraft conversion - will it balance?

[MombasaFlash]

Like an idiot I went and sold my spare GH2 before the GH3 arrived. I have had the Secraft GH3 conversion kit sitting around for a while whilst I ummed and ahhed over whether to bother with the GH3 at all. There are only two reasons why I ordered the GH3: the ridiculous HDMI issue on the GH2 and 50 mbps .mov files. 1080p50 is also pretty nice and because the files are .mov they will not present the same incompatible Final Cut hassles as 1080p50 AVCHD.

But now, as I hold it up to the Z15 with the GH2 mounted it is quite clear that the GH3 lens is going to have to sit way off-centre, just to squash its fat a$$ into the hole. That means Roll compensations are going to involve up and down movement of the lens because it will no longer be rotating about the centre of the lens - which is how it should be.

However, if the Tilt tray is slid to the right on the horizontal arm behind the camera, the lens can then be brought back to centre. BUT at what cost to the overall balance? The camera will be so far to the right that it may well be impossible to achieve Roll balance - without adding lead weights somewhere!

SO, the question is, has anyone else who has made the GH3 change on a Zenmuse managed to balance the gimbal AND keep the lens at the centre of Roll rotation?

 

[BorisS]

mombassa I have my own mod for the GH3 and i had the secraft ones at my house helping a fried with them.

Can you post a pic what going on.

One thing i can tell you from the beginning the secraft won't work with the standard pancake 14mm for the GH2/Gh3.

Boris

 

[MombasaFlash]

Is the standard 14mm pancake too light? Does it need the 14-42 power zoom for tilt balance?

 

[BorisS]

Japp the 14mm is too light the cam will tilt back !

 

[MombasaFlash]

Have you tried the 14-42 compact power zoom lens? I wonder if it is heavy enough to bring the gimbal back in balance.

Apart from the lens weight/balance issue, I do not like the fact that the GH3 has to sit with its lens off-centre to the centre of rotation of the Roll axis. The GH2 lens sits smack dab in the centre of the roll axis rotation - hardly surprising as the gimbal designed specifically for the GH2.

I have not been able to find any clear photos of the Zenmuse EVO to see whether DJI has simply re-jigged the top crossmember, leaving the GH3 lens off-centre, or redesigned it completely so that the lens is central. Has anyone else found any photos? The NAB show photos were not taken at the right angle to determine this.