Custom Firewire Requests

[NickT]

Hi guys
We have just been joined by Rick from www.usbfirewire.com and I thought I'd start this thread where we can collate requests/suggestions for firewire cables. I'm specifically thinking of a right angle FW800 cable that drops down from the back port, perhaps terminating in a female FW800 (with lock!) that we can attach longer cables to. Thoughts?
Cheers
Nick-T

[David Grover]

Indeed!  Like Magsafe Firewire. 

[David Grover]

Nick's idea also makes sense.  It may cost a bit for the tooling, unless Rick can work something out?

[Jonno101]

Suggested it to the main customer service man in Denmark over a year ago when having lots & lots of firewire problems. He didnt seem too into the idea?
So I just use my own double plug system. So hopefully any accidental trips plug pops out of connecting adapter, not expensive, but badly designed back??
jon

[mauro risch]

Nick,
I'd buy 2 of the angle male to female firewire cable.
If there's a list, consider me in.
I've beenn using the tetherlock in the studio and it is pretty stable.
Cheers,
Mauro

[markgqs]

I purchased two short extensions from USBFirewire.com (Riz Husami). One, a right angle (turns down) that works well with the surface mounted firewire port on a CF-MS22 and one with a straight male plug that had to have the insulator or grip shaved down to connect to the recessed port in the H3D-39. It is a tight connection but at the female end it releases from the longer cable with a slight pull, protecting the camera's port. It is also working with a 24 foot 800-800 cable from a MacPro reliably but not from a MacBook Pro, for that I have to use a 14 foot 800-800.

Tetherlock is great except when using it with a RRS L bracket, I have to keep switching from one side to the other. It would be great to have one more tripod socket on the back or body for accessories like this.

Mark

[www_usbfirewire_com]

Hi Folks!

Thanks for the interest so far in the FireWire designs.  We're looking at a few ideas.

Since tooling is quite expensive, we're going to want help in hashing out a "perfect as possible" scenario, while also keeping it reasonable, and then we're going to produce it.

So, if you've ever heard that a company listens to it's customers, you have it now.

OK, so the ideas I've seen so far are:
Cable #1) FW800 angled male (angling towards the ground) to FW800 female extension cable, with some type of locking mechanism on the female side.
Cable #2) Some type of quick disconnect cable that easily disconnects if tugged.
Cable #3) Back Angle with clips - We can angle the cable towards the back of the camera (towards the person).  A local customer thought this may help for shooting portrait and landscape with their camera, depending on the angle they're wanting to shoot at.  They also suggested some type of clip to clip to their collar, and then possibly another clip for the leg.  Give some feedback on this idea, please.

Here are the questions that I have about them.
Cable #1 -
     a.) We are going to have to redesign our FW800 connector to be thinner and longer, so that it fits into cameras.  We had a local customer bring in a Hasselblad camera, and I noticed that it had a "door" on it, and the cable seemed to stick in quite a way into the camera, almost a 1/2 inch.  Is this standard on Hasselblad cameras? 
     b.) I think this would be similar to a current cable that we have,  http://www.usbfirewire.com/Parts/rr-9r9fp-xxg.html except that it needs some modification of the tooling, and a locking mechanism on the female side, am I correct?

Cable #2)
     a.) Magsafe style - the only problem that I see with this, is that if you pull too hard while you're shooting, you will disconnect it, and possibly get quite frustrated with it.  I'd like to get some further input on this if I'm wrong..

I look forward to all of your replies.

Thanks!
-Rick
www.USBFireWire.com

[brendanlekan]

interested in the angled 800 firewire as well. I have also had problems with the 24ft cable working with the Macbook Pro. Any explanations for that?

[NickT]

Hi Brendan (and welcome)
Probably best if you start another thread on this (perhaps on the "computers" board, but in the mean time have a quick look at a post I made on my blog on tethering here:

http://www.nick-t.com/blog/2010/03/best-practice-or-how-to-tether-in-style/

Cheers
Nick-T

[NickT]

Hey Rick glad to have you here!
Have a look at my blog post linked above to see how I tether. I think a right angle plug heading down and terminating in a female after approx 20 centimetres would be great. I have seen cables with a snap over locking system that holds them together, something that only lightly holds would be ideal I think, so that point becomes the sacrificial one should the cable be yanked (and not the back's FW port). Be good if the cord was long enough to work with a tetherlock type system for those who use it.

I'm not sure what design challenges the RRS brackets pose perhaps someone who uses one could elaborate.

Once again thanks for taking the time to listen Rick.
Cheers
Nick-T

[Ennio Fazer]

I really like the ideas which have been put forward so far in this discussion and am finding it hard to better them. There is one thing I might add however and that concerns the "mag-safe" cable type. I like the idea very much, but would point out that sometimes when the connection between Phocus and camera fails, the camera will have to be restarted and in some cases, so will Phocus, simply because both may be left hanging in a "waiting for reply" sort of mode from which they will not be released until restarted. Obviously this may be a minor concern as normal FireWire disconnection does not cause such hangups. I just thought I should mention it anyway, so now I've put in my 2¢.

[Monty Rakusen]

I have to say that I'm not so concerned about the camera end of the cable. Its the Macbook Pro i7 end that worries me (see life with the 50). I've bought an 800 rt angle male to 800female and I'm going to tape the plug in and fix the spare cable under the laptop so that I'm only using the cable's female port. I'm hoping that this will preserve the very vulnerable mac port and give a bit more stability. We will see. Of course you can do the same at the other end. Monty

[MarkRobertHalper]

Here's my fantasy cable:
A 40-50 foot firewire 800 cable with a repeater or two built into into it that has a right angle plug going down specific to the H3D cameras (for a snug fit that will wear on the connection as little as possible).  With this kind of length, I can get it above my set and not need the mag-safe feature.  I'd like to have a plug on the other end that fits as snugly as possible into my computer (A Mac, of course).  Perhaps having it as angled plug would allow me to gaffers tape it on and keep it from wiggling, as 800's tend to do.

[jimgolden]

i'm interested in right angle and mag safe. I use H3 w/ RRS bracket, can we develop solutions that work with RRS as well?

[NickT]

Monty I have seen people using a cut off ethernet cable attached to a firewire cable to secure it as the posts are right next to each other.
Nick-T