Sony PC Question...

[JohnnyZ 0]

I'm interested in buying a new PC-style camera. There are so many out there and many of them have very similar features. I was wondering which of them are the lightest and smallest while still providing the important features (LANC port, good picture quality, etc.). Any info will be appreciated.
JZ

[AggieDave 6]

PC-105 is a good one, that's what I'm using.

PC-109 is the newest one.

If you do a search you'll find the scoop on both of them, they have both been talked about in length before.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[BGill 0]

unfortunately, the pc-105 is discontinued so if you want to get one you better act fast. there are quite a few places out there offering them but in actuality are scams. i would recommend checking ratings from

www.resellerratings.com
www.bbb.org <-- hit the "business" button at the top

after lots of research, i finally purchased mine today from www.ebuyer.com. i know NOT to buy from digitalliquidators.com or bigondigital.com or a bunch of others that are really the same company. check ratings, but act quick if you want it.

this has a good comparison of prices, but again, make sure you check their ratings first.

good luck!

[mr2mk1g 10]

Think hard before going down the PC109 route - it has only a 25mm lens (although it is the smallest and lightest of the PC series yet). Most camcorders use a 30mm or 37mm lens and so stepping down the wide angle lens to the 25mm thread will be a pain in the arse.

Also a smaller lens means less light which means poorer footage.

Just anther factor to consider I'm affraid.

[michaelschwery 0]

I went down the PC109 route...
And as AggieDave said, it is hard to find lens with 25mm diameter.
Does anybody now a provider who sells 25mm fish eye lens??

[mr2mk1g 10]

I don't see any 25mm step rings out there in cyber space, but that was only a cursory search. There must be some - at least orriginating from Sony as they've brought out a camera with that damn fitting.

Your best bet would be to find a mate with some precision milling tools and simply make one, it's not too hard given the right equipment - my housemate's made some. Or approach a local highschool or collage and see if any of their students is stuck for a project idea.

I keep meaning to ask my local collage if they have anyone who would like to make some nylon or acrylic step rings so a riser strike would only take off the lens as opposed to front of the whole damn camera (ie the step ring is a sacrificial weak point in the system).

[JohnnyZ 0]

Thanks for all of the replies. PC-105 is what I've been looking for. I'm sure I'll find a decent deal on one somewhere.

[Grumpy 5]

Waycool industries do a 25mm stepdown ring as far as I know.
Have a look at http://www.waycool.com.au

[AggieDave 6]

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And as AggieDave said, it is hard to find lens with 25mm diameter.

Sorry, wasn't me that said that, it was someone else that has much more then my fairly limited knowledge of camera gear.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[lister55 0]

I keep meaning to ask my local collage if they have anyone who would like to make some nylon or acrylic step rings so a riser strike would only take off the lens as opposed to front of the whole damn camera (ie the step ring is a sacrificial weak point in the system).

Quote

I like this idea. Especially now that this exact situation has happened to me. Luckily I have been able to tape the lense back on and keep going. But I do need to get it fixed.

• Quote

[mr2mk1g 10]

Don't steal it... least not without letting me know how it goes.

I imagine it would have to be some students engineering project or something - testing shear forces, breaking strengths etc to determine the right material to make the ring from. Strong enough to prevent it coming off on a hard opening but weak enough to break on a riser strike. The actual milling of it would be relatively simple unless they conclude its nessasery to engineer in a weak point in the design.

[freakfly24 0]

Mike,
I just purchased a 25mm to 30mm step ring from a guy in Austrailia. His company is called Way Cool Industries. He is the only person producing the PC 109 step ring right now. He also has some kick ass low profile wide angle lenses. Here's the site:

http://www.waycool.com.au/html/home.htm

I just bought a PC109. I got the step ring and a really nice "blue eye" lens form this guy. I hope this helps.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"Strong enough to prevent it coming off on a hard opening but weak enough to break on a riser strike"

This would be difficult to do, due to the wide variety of available lenses, and their individual geometries and weights. Compare the nice slim 0.3s from Royal Lens etc, and some of the other wide angle lenses.
Estimating the impact energy of a riser strike would be difficult to do with any meaningful accuracy, as would estimating the deceleration forces of a hard opening, as would estimating the 'damage load' on the lens barrel of the camera itself.

The roll cages by Tom Saunders (Aerial Focus) had, if I remember correctly a 'tube' which protected the lens barrel, and I'm guesing, as one who masquerades as a loss prevention engineer, that this would be a better way of protecting the front lens elements.
You would need to leave a finger access slot so you could still access the focus ring though.
The tube would require a frame to support it and absorb some of the strike impact, adding weight and complexity to the mount design

By the way its turning (making round things) that is involved in the manufacture of stepping rings as opposed to milling.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[mr2mk1g 10]

re: stong enough/weak enough

Good points. How about just getting hold of an old camera body and measuring how much force is required to rip the front of the camera off via the lens attachement point. So long as the step ring is manufactured to that it fails close to, but at a lower force than would do damage, the step ring would have done its job correctly.

It doesn’t matter if that force is generated by a hard opening, a massive lens or a riser strike as regardless of the source, it would have been enough to do damage to the camera.

I know there are other methods of protecting the lens - I make use of one myself - but there are a significant number of people out there who simply bolt a camera to the side of their head and risk this kind of damage.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"How about just getting hold of an old camera body and measuring how much force is required to rip the front of the camera off via the lens attachement point."

That would work, but its going to vary from camera to camera.
Its not just video cams you might want to consider.
See the attached from some unhappy chums (Brent Finley, Henny Wiggers, and Simon Ward) in Thailand from '99. This damage was caused during bigway exits from Hercs, jumpers colliding with camerafliers. If it can happen to these well respected fliers, it can happen to you.

Personally, I think that this is just one of those risks one has to accept when strapping a cam on. But I'm always open to making things better.

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[riggerrob 558]

D-boxes and roll cages provide far better protection than any "engineered to fail at a specific loading" adapter ring.
Yesterday one of our videographers lost a viewfinder to a riser slap. Mind you he just L-bracketed his camera to the side of his helmet with no protection.