VariZoom VZCS5LK - Manual (Page 2)

2
VZ-MC50
Pan and Tilt Head - Set-Up and Operating
Instructions
PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY BEFORE STARTING! SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: *Keep fingers
and loose clothing away from gears and moving parts. *Always unplug VZ-MC50 Pan and
Tilt Head when not in use. *Mount only on stable surfaces.
***TURN OFF YOUR CAMERA’S OPTICAL IMAGE STABILIZER (OIS) WHILE IT IS MOUNTED TO THE PAN/TILT
HEAD. OIS DOES NOT REACT WELL TO PAN/TILT SYSTEMS.***
SETTING UP YOUR NEW PAN AND TILT HEAD
– In addition to the parts shown on the first
page, the MC50 comes with a 20’ video cable, 20’ extension for LANC controls, and mounting
screws/washers for the head and camera.
1. Bolt the base plate of the VZ-MC50 head securely to jib or tripod mount. The base is
designed to mount on a flat surface or 100mm bowl, so an adapter may be necessary for
other sizes (consult jib or tripod maker). The mounting plate on the MC50 has a threaded
hole, but it should never be used without the included nut and washer to ensure that the head does not fall!
Pan and Tilt Motor Attachment
2. There are two motors included, one for Panning left/right (to place
at the base of the MC50), and one for Tilting up/down (to place at
the top). The motor w/ larger gear will turn the head faster, so
use the larger gear on the axis that needs more speed. The
motors are easily attached by a.) connecting the male stereo plug from the motor to the
female plug on MC50 head and b.) loosening the clamp lever and sliding the clamp onto the stainless steel post
adjacent to the large black arm gears. For initial setup, leave the motors disengaged (the small brass motor gears
should be pulled away from the large black gears).
HORIZONTAL CAMERA BALANCING
3. Securely attach the camera to the mounting plate with bolt and
washer. After tightening the bolt, slightly loosen it again so
that the camera may slide forward and backward on the
mounting plate. Move the camera so that gravity allows it to
rest on the plate without tilting up or down, balancing the
camera horizontally. The tilt arm that holds the adjustable
mounting plate should be exactly parallel to the main arm
(straight up). Now you can thoroughly tighten the camera
mounting bolt(s) so that the camera doesn’t slide when tilting
(you may want to use multiple bolts for large cameras with tripod mounting plates).
CAMERA MUST BE PROPERLY BALANCED FOR OPERATION.
VERTICAL CAMERA BALANCING
4. With the camera horizontally balanced, rotate the tilt arm so the camera is exactly vertical.
Be sure to keep the gears disengaged. If the camera stays vertical, it may be nearly
balanced, but if it swings up or down, you need to adjust the position of the mounting plate
on the tilt arm. To adjust, loosen the lever under the mounting plate. This will allow the
mounting plate to slide freely back and forth.
-Slide the mounting plate in either direction until the camera is balanced vertically. If the tilt arm
swings down, slide the mounting plate upward; if the tilt arm swings up, slide the mounting
plate downward. Adjust until the camera stays perfectly vertical (see picture right). Tighten the
lever. NOW TILT THE CAMERA AT VARIOUS ANGLES ALL THE WAY AROUND
– IT
SHOULD HOLD ANY POSITION IF PROPERLY BALANCED. YOU MAY NEED TO TWEAK
THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL POSITIONS TO GET IT EXACTLY RIGHT. THE
CAMERA MUST BE THOROUGHLY BALANCED FOR PROPER OPERATION.