How can I determine the Nikon D5200 sensor-center height from the camera base for an off-camera lens support?
Asked 7/9/2018
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I’m building a support to hold a lens off the camera body with a gap between the camera and lens, so alignment along the optical axis matters. For a Nikon D5200, how can I find or measure the height of the sensor center from the bottom of the camera body? Also, is designing around that fixed measurement a good idea, or should the support be adjustable instead?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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I am using a D5200 and wish to find the height of the centre of the sensor from the base of the body.
I don't know the number, but you should be able to measure the distance easily enough. It's a good bet that the sensor is centered within the lens mounting flange, so you really only need to measure from the inside edge of the flange to the bottom of the body, and also measure the inside diameter of the flange. You can take both measurements very accurately with a vernier caliper. Add the radius of the flange (half the diameter) to the flange to base measurement, and you should have the distance to the center of the sensor.
Originally by user4262. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4262
8y ago
0
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The sensor center is effectively aligned with the center of the lens mount, so you can determine the height from the camera base by measuring the mount rather than the sensor directly.
A practical method is to use a vernier caliper to measure:
- the distance from the camera base to the inner edge of the lens mount, and
- the inner diameter of the mount.
Add half the mount diameter (its radius) to the base-to-mount-edge measurement to estimate the sensor-center height.
You can also use the camera’s focal-plane mark (the circle with a line through it) as a reference for the sensor plane position.
That said, for a lens support or rail system, a fixed-height design is usually not ideal. Different cameras, battery grips, cages, lenses, and accessories change the required height, so most practical lens-support setups use an adjustable support attached to rails. If your goal is a usable support rather than a one-camera custom fixture, make the vertical position adjustable.
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