Victor Nhat Nguyen
Well-known member
I'm thinking of buying a follow focus. But who here have justified the cost of buying one?
Are follow focus necessary?
- Thread starter Victor Nhat Nguyen
- Start date
KINOKS
Well-known member
Can't agree 100% with this one. Even if it has some play it's still a follow focus. And if it's urgent to have one it's still better than having none. You can get by with having some play.
I bought this one.
It has some play but it's perfectly acceptable. For 100€ I'm not complaining.
Anyway to answer the OP I guess it depends on what kind of camera you have and what and how you are shooting. It's nice to have a FF but it's not necessary. But once you get used to it you'll get spoiled and won't want to shoot with out it. It will make all your focusing transitions between subjects or what ever more smooth.
Egg Born Son
Veteran
It's not necessary, but it is handy sometimes. If you're a lone cameraman, the main benefit is that you don't have to reach around or under if you're standing behind the camera.
That said it can make a rack focus movement smoother if you're hamfisted like me (I introduce some lens wobble due to uneven pressure as I twist a lightweight lens) and is more precise with lenses such as Nikon AI-s which have a short throw (where I often overshoot my mark). A crank would be useful for longer throw lenses. If I want to go from one extreme to the other on my 85mm AI it is painful, my wrist just doesn't have that much turn in it. But that's a rare scenario. I'm very much an amateur behind the camera so the FF also helps live the semi-pro fantasy. Once I get a matte box I'll need to stay by the phone in case Spielberg calls.
I have a cheap RJ with double stops that I bought for less than $150 (like Kinok's - search ebay "RJ hard stops"). It does have a little bit of play but the double hardstops make it less of an issue. Just have to take a little more time when setting them, make sure that the FF doesn't settle back before you lock them in place. Once set I can repeat a focus move over and over, no worries. That was the main reason I bought it.
It's a good unit to buy to decide whether it's worth getting a more expensive one. You're only out of pocket a little and you can recover some money towards an upgrade the same day if you pop it back on ebay at half price. It'll go. So far it's done for me but I've yet to use it on a significant project. Will be using it in a couple of weeks on a short.
That said it can make a rack focus movement smoother if you're hamfisted like me (I introduce some lens wobble due to uneven pressure as I twist a lightweight lens) and is more precise with lenses such as Nikon AI-s which have a short throw (where I often overshoot my mark). A crank would be useful for longer throw lenses. If I want to go from one extreme to the other on my 85mm AI it is painful, my wrist just doesn't have that much turn in it. But that's a rare scenario. I'm very much an amateur behind the camera so the FF also helps live the semi-pro fantasy. Once I get a matte box I'll need to stay by the phone in case Spielberg calls.
I have a cheap RJ with double stops that I bought for less than $150 (like Kinok's - search ebay "RJ hard stops"). It does have a little bit of play but the double hardstops make it less of an issue. Just have to take a little more time when setting them, make sure that the FF doesn't settle back before you lock them in place. Once set I can repeat a focus move over and over, no worries. That was the main reason I bought it.
It's a good unit to buy to decide whether it's worth getting a more expensive one. You're only out of pocket a little and you can recover some money towards an upgrade the same day if you pop it back on ebay at half price. It'll go. So far it's done for me but I've yet to use it on a significant project. Will be using it in a couple of weeks on a short.
It depends. What are you shooting, on what format, and with what crew?
If you're on your lonesome, you may like to have it simply to make focusing a bit easier, and allow you to get your hand off the lens itself. If you've got a crew and a Focus Puller pulling your focus, then yes you'll need an FF.
I'd also agree that an FF with play is better than no FF - I tend to remember my distances as much as possible anyway, and you can always mark on the lens if need be. It's not an ideal situation, especially as large amounts of play can make it more difficult to get the timing of the pull right, but it's still better than pulling off a lens.
If you're on your lonesome, you may like to have it simply to make focusing a bit easier, and allow you to get your hand off the lens itself. If you've got a crew and a Focus Puller pulling your focus, then yes you'll need an FF.
I'd also agree that an FF with play is better than no FF - I tend to remember my distances as much as possible anyway, and you can always mark on the lens if need be. It's not an ideal situation, especially as large amounts of play can make it more difficult to get the timing of the pull right, but it's still better than pulling off a lens.
Victor Nhat Nguyen
Well-known member
okay so the consensus is that follow focus are great. But right now I think I need to spend it on what's more important, which is audio. BTW, my parent is starting to find out I'm spending too much money on equipment :shocked:
legrevedotcom
Veteran
I have to agree on the play part... I've tried cheap ones and expensive ones and the cheap one with play is awful. If it's particularly bad, the play will even make a slight click when the wheel catches up with the spokes. I'm looking at Tilta for my next one or a used Chrosziel or Arri. It really does matter.
Egg Born Son
Veteran
In that case you've got to focus on small things you can sneak in! And I'll give you this one for free to use in your next fight: "at least I'm not spending it on drugs..."
But on a more serious note gear addiction can get in the way of simply getting out there and doing. We've all been there, many of us still are. A grown man still has to sneak stuff passed the missus. If you're selling stuff on then you can at least have the appearance of self funding your hobby!
sonofaresiii
Well-known member
"See, I just sold this lens for $200!" "But you bought a new one for $350." "Yeah but... but..."
Been there.
Been there.
Egg Born Son
Veteran
Yeah, it sucks now everyone can use the internet. They can look the prices up. "But it was half price, I had to buy it" doesn't work so much when they know half price is still 500 smackaroonies...
maranfilms
Veteran
It depends on the throw of the lens, some have so much difference between infinity and close focus, that you need a follow focus to rack, otherwise it's tough to get your hand to go from one point to the other without re gripping the lens. I would say it's a must for me and my glass (which I find to be a good thing), but if your comfy with pulling focus and can hit your marks then why bother.
starcentral
Veteran
I agree with RyanT and maranFilms.
I own an expensive follow focus unit, a matte box, and even 5.66" x 4" ND filters yet I pull focus myself on the lens barrel, and ues screw on ND filters 95% of the time. It mostly has to do with the type of shoots I'm doing, as often I am DOP and doing camera so there is not a lot of need for all that extra stuff.
On film productions where I work with more people and larger crew then this stuff tends to come out more often.
Last reason to own it is it looks cool and people think you are more serious than you already are
I own an expensive follow focus unit, a matte box, and even 5.66" x 4" ND filters yet I pull focus myself on the lens barrel, and ues screw on ND filters 95% of the time. It mostly has to do with the type of shoots I'm doing, as often I am DOP and doing camera so there is not a lot of need for all that extra stuff.
On film productions where I work with more people and larger crew then this stuff tends to come out more often.
Last reason to own it is it looks cool and people think you are more serious than you already are
Victor Nhat Nguyen
Well-known member
Interesting how you like screw on ND filter. I don't like them because I have to switch for each lens and the one I have now degrade the image.I agree with RyanT and maranFilms.
I own an expensive follow focus unit, a matte box, and even 5.66" x 4" ND filters yet I pull focus myself on the lens barrel, and ues screw on ND filters 95% of the time. It mostly has to do with the type of shoots I'm doing, as often I am DOP and doing camera so there is not a lot of need for all that extra stuff.
On film productions where I work with more people and larger crew then this stuff tends to come out more often.
Last reason to own it is it looks cool and people think you are more serious than you already are
starcentral
Veteran
I don't love it, but its easier to do then setup matte box and use square filters. It is fast to unscrew and screw on different lens. Lucky me most of my lenses have similar thread size. I use stepping rings so my large ND filter can work on all the lenses I own.
I use high quality nd glass so I don't get any color effects, or degradation.
I use high quality nd glass so I don't get any color effects, or degradation.