Like a gifted grasp artist residing the lifetime of a hermit, Chrosziel has been quietly innovating, designing, and constructing among the trade’s finest skilled digital camera and lens testing gear. They hardly ever make a splash, however once they do, professionals in broadcast and cinema all the time take the time to pay attention. With the introduction of the Chrosziel Zoomer, a common zoom servo, this nearly half-century-old firm goals to deliver a special mindset to zoom workflow.
Chrosziel has had nice success with their CDM Zoom Servo Drives made for Zeiss, Fujinon, and Angenieux lenses. The Zoomer builds on this success and supplies motorized zoom performance to each lens through a 15mm rod connection. It received’t matter if it’s that latest glass available on the market or some dusty classic zoom you present in your grandad’s attic. At first look, it might be straightforward to mistake the Chrosziel Zoomer for a wi-fi observe focus-style system. However there may be extra underneath the hood that makes this unit stand out.
What’s a Zoomer?
Other than sharing the nickname used for members of Technology Z, Chrosziel’s Zoomer is a well-built unit with a full set of options to assist its supposed function. Powered by a 5-pin Lemo connector, the unit can deal with between 10 and 30 volts and supplies 0.5Nm of torque. A 2.5mm socket offers management command In and a 3.5mm socket offers you management command In & Out. The one different enter is a USB port is used for firmware updates. Chrosziel even supplies native assist for the camera-specific management protocols constructed into the Sony FX line, in addition to the well-known LANC protocol. The latter additionally having been developed by Sony.
By utilizing these management protocols, the Zoomer integrates with the handles of the Sony FX line or any LANC compatible handle. Utilizing the zoom rocker controls the zoom perform, whereas the deal with itself supplies strong assist for the digital camera operators. With this, Chrosziel brings a broadcast and documentary mentality to the on a regular basis shooter. An awesome match for a skeleton crew looking for a technique to enhance effectivity.
Lastly, the facility provide of the Zoomer has reverse polarity safety to stop customers from frying their electronics when the D-Faucet cable is plugged in incorrectly. It is a welcome function, particularly for dyslexic digital camera operators like myself who’ve burned a couple of too many circuit boards. The LANC socket on the servo has additionally been optically decoupled. That is executed to guard the sign line from undesirable voltage transitions to the digital camera.
Okay, boomer. What else does it do?
The Zoomer calibrates itself routinely when powered on. Which permits the unit to have superb zoom accuracy and supply safety to the mechanical elements of the lens. For Nikon homeowners like me who prefer to zoom within the fallacious path, the Zoomer might be positioned on the other aspect so as to flip the path. There are 5 taking pictures modes that can be utilized.
- EB/Documentary Mode: Provides sluggish zoom journey in addition to quick focal size adjustment, excellent for documentary work. Zoom actions are routinely slowed down on the finish of the mechanically given zoom vary and provides the motion a pleasing transition to standstill.
- Silent Mode: Spreads the response of the zoom rocker within the low vary and permits steady sluggish zoom actions. The utmost zoom pace is lowered.
- Stay/Handcut Mode: Permits quick focal size adjustment when working with mounted picture angles.
- Direct/Uncooked Mode: Transfers the operation of the zoom rocker on to the digital motor with out program intervention.
- Photograph Mode: Helps using guide picture zooms by mitigating the uneven stiffness of the mechanical zoomring and applies a better minimal pace.
Every taking pictures mode might be chosen by urgent the zoom rocker swap for 10 seconds within the TELE finish place. An LED on the servo housing signifies the development from one mode to the following. When powering on, the unit begins with the final chosen mode.
So, do you want it?
Opposite to the common nature of the unit, the Chrosziel Zoomer is a really particular piece of equipment. It does one factor and it does it nicely. So nicely, the truth is, it has a value to match. A whopping €1,750! You can in all probability get away with grabbing a Nucleus-Nano motor from Tilta at a fraction of the worth and use it to zoom your lens. However you don’t see Nascar driving together with F1, do you? If it’s important to ask, you in all probability don’t want the Chrosziel Zoomer. However when you do want it, you in all probability already ordered one.
The Chrosziel Zoomer Common Zoom Servo is at the moment available from Chrosziel’s website.
What do you consider the brand new providing from Chrosziel? Do you’ve gotten their different merchandise? Would purchase this zoom servo in your digital camera equipment? Tell us within the feedback!
