Canada's Simmod Lens has a new NATO ring for 80-85mm O.D. lenses that allows cine lens owners to attach a variety of lightweight accessories via NATO rails to the barrel.
The new NATO ring from Simmod is a clear idea. Once attached it provides an easy way to mount focus motors to a lens. On larger lenses it can even be used to mount multiple motors simultaneously for full focus, iris and zoom control if required.
It's also an easy way to add a DJI LiDAR rangefinder unit. A groove and threaded hole pattern in one of the NATO rail sections ensures that it can be positioned perfectly every time it is mounted. This also prevents the LiDAR unit from rotating out of alignment.
So, why the NATO ring? Simmod explains that lens motor misalignment and slipping are problems familiar to anyone who has tried to rig a follow focus to smaller camera systems. Any slight movement between camera rig parts can cause chaos and ruin shots with lens motor wobble, and potentially even cause damage to the lenses. The NATO lens ring is deigned to prevent this by mounting the motor as close as possible to the lens itself, eliminating wobble and ensuring that everything is perfectly aligned.
It's a neat, compact design, that allows you to hang a lightweight camera off the back of the lens setup. It's built from high-grade aluminum, while a custom rubber insert ring ensures a secure and damage-free clamping of the NATO ring to the lens. This helps it be easily mounted to or removed from a lens in moments, allowing you to change lenses without additional aggravation.
1/4-20 and 3/8 threaded sockets also enable the mounting of an even wider range of accessories, and importantly, can be used to mount the ring to a lens support if using larger lenses or heavier accessories.
A multi-NATO ring hard case will also be available, allowing users to carry a complete set.
Pricing and availability
The Simmod NATO ring is priced at $149 plus taxes and is available to order from B&H or the Simmod Lens website. A larger 95mm O.D. version of the NATO ring is in development and should be available in the near future.