This post was last modified: 2023-07-16, 07:40 by storm303.

Hi all,

4 years, and my NMX controller died. I am in the midst of a project with lots of motion timelapse and have to find a solution fast, that hopefully is not a whole system replacement. Dynamic Perception is out of business without a word. Cannot find used NMX Pro controller (easiest and cheapest fix). Next would be replace controller only.

I have searched the forums and learned some things, but grateful for anyone providing any experience using a DP system with BFM Pine 2 Controller.

1) With correct cables, are the DP motors reliable with no skipping, or odd behavior? On NMX controller, you could set speed up to 5000 units and this would position slider and axes faster, but skip gears during timelapse. During timelapse had to use a super slow motor speed and still maybe 1 out of 20 timelapse there seemed to be a glitch (could be a motor issue). Is there any oddities like this with Pine Controller and DP motors anyone has seen, or is it pretty straigh forward?

2) I tried the demo of Pine App, still learning. It looks very powerful but also tiny text and not simple to use like the NMX app. Can it support holy grail slave mode with non native motors? I will also be reaching out to BFM for more detail, just hoping someone knows from an experience case if everything is simple and smooth to integrate.

3) Is BFM as a company doing well enough that we could assume they will stay in business and is this controller a good foundation to gradually switch to BFM hardware? Is there really any reason to switch if my mechanicals stay together from DP? Major form factor advantages over DP system beyond the 4th motor?

4) Is a complete BFM 3 axis slider system comparable in weight to DP Sapphire pro? I searched their website and am having problems figuring a total weight. It does look like the axes for pan and tilt come apart and store as well or better than the DP Sapphire.

5) Is there a better alternative slider and controller system for 3 axis out that I may not heard of that is packable like the DP and BFS, that I should consider?

Anything else anyone can comment on integrating BFS and DP with gradual changeover of components? For anyone that has used both, do you prefer one system over the other (regardless of availablity)?

Sincere thanks for your patience and time; even a partial answer to any of this would be a great help. Trying to solve an urgent problem and get back to capability fast with as little surprises as possible while also maybe future proofing a little.

This post was last modified: 2023-07-16, 11:01 by Gunther.

Personally (I'm talking here as a user), I've worked with a lot of Motion Control gear in the past including Dynamic Perception. I never had a system so stable and a support that is so responsive as with BFM. You can easily start with the Pine II and connect your old DP motors without problems. The motor drivers are highly configurable. After some practicing you will master the Pine app, it's quite powerful but still easy to operate in the field. The most important for me is that the whole system is really reliable, which it is.
I'm currently using a setup of a 60cm slider, the new NT Mini PT Heads, a USB-C PD Powerbank. This weighs only 5 KG including all required cables and hardware and it fits all in my slider bag, which is perfect for hiking.
I've made a video about this (it's in German, sorry, but at least you can see the setup: https://youtu.be/XCtMJREXzOU ).
I will ask the guys from BFM to answer to your more detailed questions here.

Thank you Gunther, I am very grateful for your time and the information. My German is rather poor but I was able to translate subtitles and many of my questions are answered after watching the video!

Hi,

so to answer some question from Black Forest Motion directly, I can tell you that the best would be to just buy the PINE II Controller. We have a dedicated bundle to this.
I don't know where you are located.
If you are in the US or Canada, our PINE II Controller and the cables for Dynamic Perception are available on Amazon US.
If you are in any other country, you can buy it in our online store.

To answer your Questions in Detail:

1) We have 3 different speed modes. Silent, Regular and Highspeed. If you choose Highspeed, then it can quickly get to the point where it also skips steps. But this is because it is an experimental mode. And with this you are trying out the limits of your system. In the end it's just physics.
But when you stick to the Regular Mode for Timelapse, you will not have any problems. (Unless you'r motors make problems).

2) Yes our app is way more powerful than the NMX App - So this will be a great update for you. Not only do you keep the unit working, but also you will gain a lot of features. And yes, we can support Holy Grail via our Aux Input. It doesn't matter what motors you are using.

3) I hope so

4) Gunther already answered this Question. So our system is very modular. That is why it is hard to really say what the final weight will be.

5) if you are satisfied with the mechanics of your Slider System then why don't you just keep it? And only Update the controller.
This will be the fastest way possible. And also the cheapest.

If you have any further questions, we are are happy to help.
You can also contact us directly every time.

All the best,
Moritz

Thank you Moritz for the response. Based on all the help here and seeing positive press from trustworthy people I have decided to get a Pine II. I have found one with the correct cables on Amazon and it is on the way to me soon!

Two more questions if I may impose on your time:

1) Will your controller be damaged by slight inadvertent movement of a motor while powered, or a cable connection while powered? While I was almost always very careful to avoid these scenarios, after enough shoots accidents can happen. I believe one or both scenarios is what cooked my NMX controller, so hoping yours has more protection.

2) Any updates on when NT Mini single axis motors would be in stock and available for normal shipping rather than pre-orders with estimated shipping? Will those also be on Amazon eventually as the best option for purchase in North America?

I really like your modular setup a bit more than the DP as it looks to come apart into single axes much faster with Arca Swiss built in. I also love the manual knob for resetting orientation of the axis for storage. Excited to see what comes next!

Best,
D.