Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: BernardLanguillier on February 01, 2014, 09:59:19 pm

Title: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: BernardLanguillier on February 01, 2014, 09:59:19 pm
Team,

I am looking for a device I could fix in the hotshoe located on the front standard of my 4x5 camera that would be able to hold a laser pointer.

It should be easier to orient and should stay in position when force stops to be applied.

In a way, it should act like a gorilla pod leg (http://joby.com/gorillapod/), but have a hotshoe plate on one end and a holder able to grap a cylindrical object on the other.

Any idea?

thank.

Cheers,
Bernard
Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: DanielStone on February 01, 2014, 10:57:40 pm
Take a look at the Dinkum line of products:
http://www.dinkumsystems.com/compact-lens-shade/

And instead of it holding a flag, snap on a clamp:
http://www.dinkumsystems.com/clamp-1/
Or the cantilever clamp(as talked about in the video below):
http://www.dinkumsystems.com/cantilever-clamp/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0EQDwQrWsU&sns=em



Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: bill t. on February 02, 2014, 01:20:05 am
A laser pointer on a 4x5.  Now there's something you don't see every day.

You're up to something, right?  A lot of people want a center-of-field laser built into their GoPro cameras, but that's the other end of the spectrum.
Title: Re:
Post by: Torbjörn Tapani on February 02, 2014, 05:10:00 am
You could use a gorilla pod.

Apparently the joints just snap together so you can take it apart and modify them.

http://makrofokus.se/blogg/2012/7/3/gorillazilla.html
Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: Fine_Art on February 02, 2014, 02:10:50 pm
Team,

I am looking for a device I could fix in the hotshoe located on the front standard of my 4x5 camera that would be able to hold a laser pointer.

It should be easier to orient and should stay in position when force stops to be applied.

In a way, it should act like a gorilla pod leg (http://joby.com/gorillapod/), but have a hotshoe plate on one end and a holder able to grap a cylindrical object on the other.

Any idea?

thank.

Cheers,
Bernard


For adaptive optics?

You could always attach a plate with 1 1/4" hole to your front standard the use a collimation laser rather than laser pointer. Advantages:
The beam should be square to the front standard.
The beam strength is adjustable
The battery lasts much longer (bigger)

Wouldn't it suck to drag this setup up a mountain to have the battery die?

http://www.telescope.com/Orion-LaserMate-Deluxe-II-Telescope-Laser-Collimator/p/102109.uts?keyword=collimation%20laser (http://www.telescope.com/Orion-LaserMate-Deluxe-II-Telescope-Laser-Collimator/p/102109.uts?keyword=collimation%20laser)
Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: BernardLanguillier on February 02, 2014, 05:40:42 pm
Thanks a lot for your help! The purpose is focusing yes!

Cheers,
Bernard
Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: Ellis Vener on February 02, 2014, 05:40:52 pm
http://www.cardelliniclamp.com/mini_clamp_accessories
Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: EricWHiss on February 02, 2014, 09:51:43 pm
Both my Linhof 4x5 and 5x7 Technika's have an opening to accept a rangespot light - I fit a laser pointer into them so that I could use the rangefinder backwards with the laser …. just focus until the dots come together on your subject.  This is pretty neat - but anyhow back to your need… the laser I bought off of amazon was designed to fit on a rifle for spotting/targeting and it came with a mount  that I could easily see a cold shoe fitting onto as it was about the exact right size.   You have to imagine gluing or screwing the cold shoe foot onto the mount it comes with…     Mine was red but it's something like this - http://www.amazon.com/NcStar-Weaver-Pressure-Switch-APRLSG/dp/B0012SNQVY/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1391395704&sr=8-14&keywords=laser+pointer+rifle

The other cool thing was it came with a pressure switch you could activate with your thumb to turn on momentarily.   Seemed perfect for focusing work on a camera to me.
Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: torger on February 03, 2014, 08:42:48 am
I have a laser pointer and a "high end" sports led headlamp as focus aids for my view camera when focusing in dim conditions. The headlamp doubles as safety equipment when I'm out in the field, and a modern sports led headlamp can be both lightweight and powerful. Actually the headlamp is usually good enough so I rarely use the laser pointer, haven't yet bothered to get a clamp for it. If the lamp is bright enough it's usually easier to focus as you lit up an object and some surroundings and get something more "3D" to focus on than just a point.
Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: Ellis Vener on February 03, 2014, 11:32:47 am
As a view camera focus target I found a barebulb mini-Maglite to be a better tool than a laser mounted on a camera, especially  in situations where I could walk over to where I wanted my near and far focus points. Along with that, using the depth of field and swing/tilt calculators on  the rear function carrier of a Sinar C or P series camera were terrific aids.
Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: greyscale on February 05, 2014, 12:40:23 pm
Bernard, found this:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/752863-REG/Vello_SE_10_SE_10_Hot_Shoe_Extension.html

May work for your setup.
John
Title: Re: Looking for a laser pointer "holder"
Post by: BernardLanguillier on February 06, 2014, 09:47:15 am
Interesting, thanks for the feedback.

Cheers,
Bernard