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« on: August 28, 2021, 11:44:11 PM »
Update after shooting with this rig all spring and summer. In addition to the Camvate rail system, I bought a different brand of lens adapter - a Vello (first one was the Fotodiox). The two brands are very similar.
Sadly, even with all of the bracing from the rail system, the simple act of repeatedly setting the camera down on the passenger seat of the car over months of use was enough to start loosening things up again. The Vello adapter screws now require re-tightening after a day or two of use, and the camera's lens mount actually has started rotating slightly. With the wide-open aperture (and associated narrow depth of field) required to get useable exposures in outdoor daylight, these even very slight movements often require refocusing the lens - a task very difficult without very bright daytime lighting conditions. The loose lens adapter screws often allow the lens to wobble on its axis, meaning one half of the image is in focus, the other out of focus.
I have added a zip tie to further secure the lens to the rail's y-support, but this is only a stopgap. My next measure will be to install a tripod head in my car to perma-mount the rig, so that the lens never encounters *any* lateral force. It appears just the weight of the camera resting on its side is enough to work it loose over time. It certainly appears that a native mount is going to be the only long-term stable solution.
Again, I usually need to set focus during the day and rely on that setting for the evening and nighttime. Getting a good focus set in the dark, even when the camera is set to 30fps, is many times impossible.