VARIZOOM FLOWCAM GT Instruction Manual - page 3
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First, insert the battery into its housing, making sure the
electrical contacts are firm, and tighten the screws. To
prepare the camera for attachment to the sled you should
first find the center of gravity (CG) of the camera. The CG
is the point at which the camera will balance best, and it can
be determined by using a rounded object such as a pencil.
Set the camera lengthwise on top of the pencil so that it is
balanced to find the lateral center (side-to-side), and then
set it on top of the pencil in a perpendicular orientation to
find the longitudinal center (front-to-back). The spot where
the lateral and longitudinal centers intersect is the CG – you
may want to mark it with a grease pencil or marker
(depending on how pristine you want to keep your camera).
Once the CG is determined, you must mount the camera to
the dovetail (mounting plate) using a hole that will put the
CG closest to the center of the mounting platform. Look at
the bottom of the dovetail, and on one side you will see a
row of metal teeth (the ‘rack’) and on the other side a pair of
sloped end stops. When you attach the dovetail to the
camera, you want the rack to be on the same side as the
LCD panel/viewfinder so that it will line up with the brass
pinion gear in the dovetail channel of the stage.
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You can also fine-tune the horizontal and vertical balance
by adjusting the position of the battery housing. On the
underside of the base of the sled, directly beneath the
battery housing, you will find a thumbscrew. When
loosened, the battery housing will slide down and back.
This will affect both the vertical and horizontal balance.
Special Note: Cameras near the top of the GT’s weight capacity may
need additional counterweight to achieve proper vertical balance. If you
cannot achieve vertical balance by adjusting the gimbal position upward
and extending the lower sled and battery housing fully, you may need
the lower sled side weights. If these were not included with your new
unit, they are available at no charge (see below).
The next step is to set the “float point”. This is essentially
the ideal point of arm spring tension, the state in which the
sled rises and falls with slight force. At the end of the arm
you will find a thumbscrew for adjusting the spring tension.
Clockwise turning increases tension while counter-clockwise
turning decreases tension. You should adjust the tension
until the camera base floats at a level below your
collarbone, but the arm should not feel “mushy”.
The float point is not necessarily an exact setting, and you
may find that what works for you may be slightly different
than another person’s preferred float point. The important
thing is the end result: you have a sled that rises and falls
with slight force and absorbs most of the shock imparted by
walking.
Dovetail lock
Locking
Pin
Longitudinal adjustment
Lateral adjustment