2006Brackets/Widgets forum
Motorizing polarizer rotation on cinema camera support equipment
20 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- A rotating polarizer can be motorized by attaching an iris motor to the adjustment knob of a modified clip-on bracket, with the motor gears gripping the rubber-covered knob without slipping.
- The LMB-5 clip-on was modified to accept 138mm round polarizers and then flipped upside down to position the adjustment knob underneath where the motor could be mounted.
- Manual limit stops were set on the motor control to define the rotation range needed for the specific shot.
- Similar motorization techniques have been applied to other camera support accessories including intensity dials on lighting fixtures and shift/tilt adjustments on specialized lenses.
Depends on
- This was a specific modification for one shoot with particular lighting and rotation requirements.
- The success depended on the rubber covering of the knob being soft enough to provide grip without slipping, which may vary by equipment age or condition.
- The setup required custom bracket modifications and specialized motor control equipment.
- Detailed implementation specifics for some mentioned applications remain undocumented in this discussion.