P3D Re: XA2 rig variations

[Mike&Dianne Watters <mdwatters@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dennis Selwa asks:
>I have Mike Watters book and want to twin a couple XA2's. I want to
axpand
>his idea by putting  small connectors on the cameras for linking the
>electrical release so I can use different lengths of wire. Does anyone
know
>of a suitable tiny connector that can be mounted on the XA2 body? I
also
>want to install a pc connector on the body of the A-11 flash so I can
fire
>my Vivitar 283. Are there any chassis mount pc connectors? I can drill
>suitable holes for mounting the connector(S).

>Mikes twin camera bar doesn't include means of mounting a vivitar
flash.
>Any ideas for a well balanced system that will join the two bodies and
also
>hold the vivitar?

You can find body-mount PC connectors on a lot of older cameras.  Try
looking around at the next camera flea market in the boxes of junk
broken cameras.  A lot of cameras from the 60's will have one or two
mounted on the side of the camera.  However, if you have a broken A11,
you can just gut it and install a hotshoe on the top.  That also takes
care of your problem of mounting the flash.  If you make a bar with some
extra space in the middle (enough to fit the A11-based adapter with shoe
on top), you can attach it to the right-eye camera so that the A11 is
sitting between the two cameras.  Shove the flash on top and your rig is
still well balanced.  Of course the flash will probably weigh more than
the rest of the rig combined.  :)

For using different lengths of wire - For short distances, I'd buy a
piece of telephone cord (the coiled kind) and use that for the
connecting wire.  Not as durable as something like speaker wire, but
will expand as needed over a range of short distances.  For long
distances (3+ feet), use a connector with a 1/8th inch jack/plug set in
the middle.  Then you can use an off-the-shelf headphone extension cord
to make the connection.  I used to build the rigs using externally
mounted 3/32" jacks, but the darn things kept breaking off on people, so
I abandoned that approach.  Whatever approach you decide to use, I'd
reccomend using some sort of thicker wire for better durability.  I'd
also suggest using some sort of off-the-shelf connector (like - from
Radio Shack).  If/When the rig breaks down, you'll have a much easier
time fixing it if you can get the parts anywhere.  Fixing a rig while on
vacation is a LOT easier if all you have to do is find the nearest
Rat-Shack and pick up a few common items.

If you are thinking of doing the wireless version of the rig, doing
variable distances is considerably easier.  Just use slots instead of
holes for mounting the cameras.

Mike
Watters


------------------------------