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An interesting possibility has occurred to me. The Panasonic BGG9 battery grip is almost the correct height to act as the necessary riser. Give or take an odd millimetre here or there. I already have a spare battery which I charge and recycle through the G9. That way both batteries are regularly exercised. Far better than leaving one untouched and constantly recharging only one.
The BGG9 has a tripod mounting hole underneath ready for the bracket retaining screw. If I need to make up height more over the BGG9 I can easily add Teflon spacers to support the camera base.
This will ensure the camera base can slide effortlessly on the CF plate. While allowing me to easily add more height if the lens needs more upwards bias to help unload the weight of the camera on the pancake lens mechanism.
I was already
considering the battery grip to extend my digiscoping sessions with the
reserve battery. Though changing batteries is hardly a chore, it does
require access to the underside of the camera. Such fiddling, while
standing in knee length grass is not ideal. Luckily I have found a
dealer offering a heavily discounted example online. It should be here
tomorrow.Next day: The battery grip has arrived thanks to the dealer and the Danish postal service. I have arrowed the new image with the battery grip in place. On the left, the telescope foot is tipped up at the front. The camera is obviously too low, relative to the telescope and must be lifted slightly.
I now realize that it might be possible to fix the camera firmly. Then have the lens trombone [or telescope] inside the DA-10 adapter. The linear lens movement [when focusing] is about 4mm. [Arrowed]
The DA-10 provides a wide, internal groove for this potential but only if the camera is properly supported. No doubt this is how the rigid, PS1 arm/bracket was supposed to function in combination with the DA-10 adapter.
The lens must obviously be placed a certain distance within the DA-10. This will avoid "hitting the buffers" during focusing. Only then can the camera be safely clamped to the supporting bracket. For the rest of this [supporting bracket] project I shall proceed with the fixed camera arrangement unless it proves unworkable in practice. Now I just need to find the height of enough packing under the camera to unload the lens from most of the weight of the camera.
See new image [above right] with the telescope foot now level thanks to the 4mm packing under the battery grip. Until I can clamp the new [longer] camera plate to the CF and the telescope foot, I shan't know how much packing I really need. I have used a strip of 4mm, self-adhesive rubber for packing. Ideal for ensuring a slip free hold on the camera [grip] base.
It is fortunate that the CF [carbon fibre] plate is just the right length to reach from the telescope's foot to the camera base. Until I receive the longer camera plate [on order] I cannot determine where the holes need to be drilled in the carbon fibre. Nor have I yet decided how wide to cut a suitable strip from the CF plate. I can always epoxy laminate two layers of CF together if need be. Though the CF is amazingly stiff and very unlikely to need be any thicker.
Perhaps I ought to proceed with a trial bracket using the present camera plate. I'm trying to think how I can use my platform digital scales to measure the weight compensation. How can I measure the upward spring effect of the carbon fibre plate by changing the packing thickness under the camera base? I could try clamping the strip of CF to see.
Whoops! The camera shop has just this moment confirmed despatch of the longer camera plate. What a strange coincidence! 😊
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