2010Arms forum
Spring canister combinations and adjustment characteristics for camera support arms
16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Four blue canisters provide a jerky feel while two black canisters at high tension can deliver more precise landings on target for light payloads.
- Two black and two blue canisters mixed offers flexibility for adjusting to different camera weights without requiring complete spring changes.
- Black canisters require fewer physical turns to achieve the same spring tension adjustment as blue canisters, enabling faster fine-tuning while wearing the rig.
- When springs are arranged in series, adjusting either spring in a mixed blue-black combination produces the same total effect on arm balance, with only the adjustment increments per turn differing.
- One complete rotation of an adjustment screw on a black canister produces a different magnitude of tension change compared to one rotation on a blue canister, due to different thread pitch or spring rates.
Depends on
- Observations are based on practical field use rather than manufacturer specifications.
- The exact relationship between thread pitch and spring rate in different canister types was not definitively resolved in the discussion.
- Individual perception of feel differences between canister combinations may vary.
- Specific payload weights and arm model details were not provided.