Bebob Foxi follow focus for HVX200. How it works.

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Filip Staresinic

Active member
Hello, everyone.
I am a new member digital an amateur digital movie maker from Croatia.
I would like to know how good is Bebob Foxi follow focus for HVX200. How it works? How fast it is? If it is a manual control of focus I do not understand how it works when there is no mechanical contact with focus ring on the camera. In manual mode you need to adjust focus by turning the focus ring by your hand and this Foxi is just connected with cable in to a back of camera.
Please if someone knows something about this?
 
Hello Filip. HVX focusing as well as many other camcorders is 'fly by wire', meaning that turning the focus knob controls a stepping motor which then changes the focal distance (focus). Because of this, devices like the Foxi can interact with this motor and turn it remotely. The foxi is very smooth, to an almost incredible degree, and it also controls the iris.

The zoom is an actual mechanical ring, meaning that when you turn it, you are directly interacting with the camera's gears. You are not going through a motor first. However there is a servo motor there that you can engage and disengage with the slider switch under the lens barrel. Engaging the servo motor allows the zoom to be controlled remotely through a zoom controller, which is a different device than the Foxi.
 
Thanks for that Rush. I understand that now, so there is actualy no diference betwen manualy moving focus ring to adjust it and Foxi. Manevars from both sources first pass trough the inside motor that then actualy adjusts focus .
 
I just put in an order for a VariZoom controller and an upgrade focus wheel (Rocker Zoom), so I guess I can still cancel it by leaving a message on their answering machine or calling early tomorrow.

I am quite concerned with money, but I am also thinking ahead... The Foxi sounds like the actual tool for the job that these sorts of controllers are most important for: FOCUSING. Barry Green did mention a while back that he was happy with controller VariZoom Rocker, others coincide, I just found more guys sayig it is quite the tool for the money and it does an acceptable job, good-enough, get and other adjectives have also een used, and it is 1/3 of the price if you get the separate zoom controller, or a difference of $450 to $300 for the Foxi vs. the zoom focus and iris VariZoom...
And then thought to myself: if I am going to have a hand on the tripod arm using the VariZoom and the other on the lens wheels, which one should I choose to control on the lens? I first thought I'd do the zoom on the lens, especially knowing what you pointed out about the lens being an actual mechanical control wheel as supposed to an input to a motor, BUT... then remembered how jumpy the manual zoom controlling can get! Some/most of you might have mastered this skill, but so far, with just a week and 1/2 of having my HVX I am getting some nasty jumps in the zoom, and just plain having a hard time getting a slow zoom similar to the first zoom speed manually so I can later speed up the zoom rate, etc... so I wonder... Will I be able to get these moves manually with time? Are they near impossible or too inconsistent period?

THEN... if I get a second controller: I could get the Foxi, which can be used as a wired un-mounted remote much more easily than the Varizoom with the smaller wheel... Also, the Foxi could also be mounted on rails for the 1st Cam Assistant to control in the widely used positioning where the focus knob turns parallel to the lens orientation... The Varizoom might not fit right under the lens and on top of the rail, position in which it would have to be mounted to leave the focus wheel in the desired position...

Of course I might go into an M2 before I get a second stock-lens controller and then choose to save my money and use it towards the follow focus...
 
Do not purchase a big wheel upgrade if you are getting a Varizoom now... the big wheel comes standard... if you do you'll be stuck with a replacement for a part that won't need to be replaced, they should change the page.
 
good info. I too am going with the Foxi over the varizoom as it's more similar.. but not exactly to the film style focus controls... I remember I think Evinsky.. and others saying that it does a really sweet job in the field as a focus assist and that you can go through the entire focus range in less than a second.. That's awesome. I also think it's going to be more useful and more a part of what I do than a mechanical follow focus. I just wonder though.. is it possible to use the foxi in conjunction with an M2? I know on the stock lens.. but not sure on that one..

It is pricey but it looks and does a great job... I'm hoping to get one soon and then bye a zoom controller.. monitor and I already have a two arm tripod.. Quite a studio rig there!
 
The Foxi is an electronic control, not mechanical. It wouldn't do a thing for an M2. It's for controlling the HVX's internal lens focus only.
 
You could probably use any mechanical-based focus puller that fits your budget. Luckily there are 2 that are very affordable, one from Redrock.
 
Rush said:
You could probably use any mechanical-based focus puller that fits your budget. Luckily there are 2 that are very affordable, one from Redrock.
Click to expand...

wow! you're not kiddin' $645?!

thx!
 
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