Tutorials

For firmware version 12368. 

In this video, we are going to show you an easy way to level the upper rail of your panoramic head using the C2 controller buttons. 

Before powering on MECHA, level your tripod, then check that the upper rail is in the Parked position. 

Next, power on MECHA as usual, watching the OLED display. 

When the OLED display shows "AP, STA, AP+STA", press the up arrow button. 

As a result, after "READY" is shown on the OLED display, MECHA will rotate the upper rail 90° by default. 

This is the most common position for launching a preset. 

After that, the display will show the LEVEL AMOUNT option in the Config menu. 

The difference from 90, if any, might be because the initial position was not perfectly vertical, due to a heavy, unballanced camera and lens, or other reasons. 

If necessary, adjust the LEVEL AMOUNT, with the plus and minus buttons of the controller, so that the rail is in a horizontal position. 

The value is not important, only the position of the rail is important.

Let's adjust the LEVEL AMOUNT one more time, to see the upper rail in motion.

This operation can be confirmed in two ways: 

1) either press the center button to store this position in MECHA's memory and use it next time (meaning a 90.5° rotation next time), 

2) or press the power button to exit. 

It is normal to see the battery percentage when you press power, so press it one more time.

In the Config menu, there is a setting that matters if the upper rotator (or rotator 2) is E2 or P1, as these rotators are equipped with a position sensor. 

If the ROTATOR 2 SENSOR is enabled, the sensor is used as an absolute reference, and the positioning is more accurate. By default, it is enabled. If for some reason you want to disable it, use the center button. 

We will talk more about this setting in the last part of the video. At the moment, our upper rotator (or rotator 2) is E1, so this setting has no effect. 

Now let's see another simple way to rotate the upper rail from one position to another, our upper rotator being E1.

In SIMPLE ROTATIONS, or whenever the display shows "Set POSITION", you can use the combination of up arrow button and center button for a 90° counterclockwise rotation. 

Use the down arrow button and center button for a 90° clockwise rotation of the upper rail. 

This is useful for positioning in Raised, Level, and Parked positions, in addition to the usual rotations, which we call Simple Rotations.

If the upper rotator is E2 or P1, assuming the position is Level, or somewhere in the green area in the image, and ROTATOR 2 SENSOR is enabled, then in SIMPLE ROTATIONS when you press the up arrow button and the center button, it is possible that MECHA will perform a leveling movement (we will see an example in a moment). This depends on some previous operations, and if it happens, you need to press the two buttons again for a 90° counterclockwise rotation. 

For simplicity, you can instead use the up arrow button and plus button, which is an equivalent Simple Rotation. 

The angle of rotation is given by the value of Interval 2 in this case, which can be set in the Config menu, and it is 90° by default. 

The plus character suggests that the plus button of the controller should be used. 

This is the leveling movement we have mentioned earlier. It consists of a downward rotation, followed by a return to the horizontal position, while the OLED display shows "Leveling". At the second press of the buttons, the upper rail rotates to the Raised position. 

Clockwise rotation by 90° is performed with the combination of down arrow button and center button, just as with the E1 as upper rotator. 

The combination of up arrow button and plus button can be used for a Simple Rotation, as mentioned.