Thursday, April 26, 2012

Long Lens Support

Nikon D23s, Nikon 600 f4 with Borden Accuracy Long Lens Support

I have been trying to determine the factors in improving crispness of images while using long lenses.  there are a number of articles out there describing how to hold lenses to get best performance.  Looking at the long lens it often intrigued me why they are built with such a cantilevered load.  The very design is prone to rapidly transmitting vibrations.  Some other manufacturers have support bars and wheel support shysters.  However, they entail a number of clamps, bars and layers of clamping.  It significantly increases height as well as weight.  The increased height is not conducive to getting crisp images.  My friend bob Adamowicz and I spent a considerable amount of time last year analyzing the situation.  I built some prototype units for he and I to use to debug the system.  As a result of that prototyping, I was able to design and manufacture a low design foot with support bar for the Nikon 600 and the Canon 600.  I am still working on the details of the Canon 500 and Nikon 500.  The units are built with direct replacement feet so no multiple layering of plates is required. 

Testing the units with the FoCal software has revealed that reduced IQ variability is achieved using the support. The above unit is not yet anodized.  The final production models will be anodized black.  We expect to be ready to take orders by the end of May.

Jim Borden

Update: The units are in production and sales are being handled by naturescape.net 


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