Gear your lenses, cheap!!!

[cheezweezl]

Here's a little tidbit for you.

Zacuto has these cool gears (http://store.zacuto.com/zipgear-universal-any-lens-1-16-inch-adjustable-gear.html) for your lenses.

The problem is they are really expensive!!!! But like all Zacuto stuff, they are made well and do what they are designed to do.

What I discovered is that you can buy the gear strips without the little metal bracket (http://store.zacuto.com/zip-gear-replacement.html) for just 12 bucks. This gear is 16" long and can in some cases cover two lenses.

So skip the little metal bracket and get yourself some servo tape from the hobby store (http://hobbyshack.com/Duratrax-Servo-Tape-Wide-1x36/M/B0015H6DU8.htm). This tape is two sided, just thick enough to be good for rough surfaces such as focus rings, and extremely strong. Cut the servo tape into thin strips, the same width as the gear strips and stick the gears on your lenses. If you ever want to get rid of them, pull them off and use goo gone or alcohol to remove the servo tape.

Works great and costs you $12 per lens plus the cost of the tape. Plus it looks like your lenses have been professionally geared. Even the cool Zacuto bracket looks like an add-on. This doesn't.

Enjoy....

[FreshStep]

Thats a pretty cool idea. Do you have any pics of your lens with the gears?

[MitchLewis]

Good idea!

In addition, Chrosziel released some new flexible gear rings that are a nice design. They are similar to Zacuto's, but have a built-in thumb so they are less fidgety.

http://www.chrosziel.com/data/chrosziel/media/doc/InfoPage-DSLR_english.pdf

I really like most of the Chrosziel stuff. Anyone have any experience actually using it?

[dmc]

Great find Cheezweezl,

I was trying to think of a way to use the screw style tightener that you would find on hose clamps (without the metal band of course). Any idea how wide the replacement gear strips are?


thanks,


dmc

[hunter richards]

I have done this before as too! It works pretty well if you take your time installing them.

[cordvision]

cool idea but it has some limitations. It's not really going to be a true 360 degree gear ring. It is unlikely that the beginning and the end of the zip gear will line up perfectly. Therefore, you can't switch a single sided FF to the other side for focusing. This no problem if you can just slide the gear, but if you tape it down, you obviously can't....

[cheezweezl]

cool idea but it has some limitations. It's not really going to be a true 360 degree gear ring. It is unlikely that the beginning and the end of the zip gear will line up perfectly. Therefore, you can't switch a single sided FF to the other side for focusing. This no problem if you can just slide the gear, but if you tape it down, you obviously can't....

Good point. However, since we are talking about 35mm adapters, I think it would be quicker and easier to just rotate the lens mount 180deg. to accomodate the flipped follow focus than to move the gear ring on every one of your lenses.

[cheezweezl]

Great find Cheezweezl,

I was trying to think of a way to use the screw style tightener that you would find on hose clamps (without the metal band of course). Any idea how wide the replacement gear strips are?


thanks,


dmc


I don't have one in front of me but they are roughly 1/4" wide.

[hoarp001]

A slightly less destructive way to do this is to drill a small slot inbetween two teeth at the end. If you have a milling machine, you can stick a 1mm mill in and wind it across to give you a slot.

Then you can use a small wire tie through each end to tigthen onto the lens. It works really well.

[Ryanwar7]

Just ordered 3 sets. Thanks for the tip. I will post pics or video of the install when I am done if people would like.

[DEPTH OF PHIL]

Here's a little tidbit for you.

Zacuto has these cool gears (http://store.zacuto.com/zipgear-universal-any-lens-1-16-inch-adjustable-gear.html) for your lenses.

The problem is they are really expensive!!!! But like all Zacuto stuff, they are made well and do what they are designed to do.

Enjoy....

Great idea, The Zacuto are very well crafted. I sent back a set , my REDROCK focus needed the large gears when mounted wth the Cinemek G35.

Any ideas where i can pick up the larger gears? Just the standard 35mm size. They are $45.00 a pop at REDROCK. Or, I could always upgrade to a mini Follow Focus like the Petroff or Zacuto. Cheers

[cheezweezl]

dunno phil. i am using the redrock ff (newer one) with the zacuto gears and i dig it. the focus is a little faster than usual but i like it that way. if you wanted larger gears you could figure out some sort of donut to go around the lens then attach the gears to that.... but at $45 ea for the rr gears, i would prob just go that way. i had a set of those before. they are solid.

[cheezweezl]

now that i think about it, doesn't rr offer a smaller main gear for their ff? that would gear you down while still being able to use smaller lens gears. i know they have a fuji eng lens gear...

[dlee_ultra]

Hey Ryanwar7,

Yes, I'd like to know how fastening these gears work out for you. Thanks.