Best cheap Follow Focus for small m43 lenses?

[fuzzybabybunny]

I'm looking for a small cheap follow focus for use on these small m43 lenses. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Follow-Focus-...&qid=1368048644&sr=1-22&keywords=follow+focus

I'm wary of buying these ones because I'm afraid that some will not lock properly due to the small diameter of m43 lenses.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Nothing?

 

[Paul Hudson]

No such thing. Cheap means sloppy IMO.

 

[vtwiz]

I wouldn't really call that amazon link you posted a Follow focus. It's just a grab point for your hand to turn the ring a little easier. Be aware though that if you use it with a lens that has a long focus throw, it could interfere with the rotation if using on a rig (will catch the rails).

I bought a GiniRigs iFocus. It was really cheap (maybe $100 from memory) and is smooooooth! Zero play in the gears either. It's not small or light though.........

 

[STYLZ]

It's lightyears in price from that, but I'm very happy with the Fotga Dp500 II I got for $127.

 

[Darren Levine]

cheap doesn't always mean crap, this one kind of started the whole low price decent quality follow focus craze:

The new cheapest one, which i've no clue if anyone's tried to see if it's decent, is this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Quick-R...306?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43b3ada84a

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I wouldn't really call that amazon link you posted a Follow focus. It's just a grab point for your hand to turn the ring a little easier. Be aware though that if you use it with a lens that has a long focus throw, it could interfere with the rotation if using on a rig (will catch the rails).

I bought a GiniRigs iFocus. It was really cheap (maybe $100 from memory) and is smooooooth! Zero play in the gears either. It's not small or light though.........

I guess what I'm looking for really is just a grab point that sticks out. It's for static shots with the camera on a ballhead. Right now we turn the focus ring but because the lens that we use needs more rotation to get the focus that we want, there's a lot of shake in the footage from our hand rotating the ring.

 

[vtwiz]

I think you would be better off with a proper follow focus like that RJ posted above. It will make focusing the long throw lens you are using much smoother.

EDIT: and I would go with the $125 version in the video rather than the $65 one.

 

[joker454]

I just recently bought this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ERZVX0

It does cost a bit more at $179 but it's very solid, dampened, has two stop points you can set, and the quick release is cool because you can more easily remove it from a rig without first having to remove other stuff in front of it.

 

[Thomas Smet]

I use the one from Kamerar that connects to rails but only one rod. The advantage of this follow focus is how it can be setup to reach tiny lenses. I even used it with the 20mm f1.7 pancake which is about as small as you will ever get for a M4/3 lens.

It is made out of metal however and very heavy. Some would consider that a good thing but it weighs more than my GH3 and rails.

I also find the rubber gear ring that attaches to the lens focus ring to also get in the way of lenses with a long focus throw. There is just too much of the rubber ring left dangling around. I suggest buying some extra ones and cutting off the tails to fit some of the M4/3 lenses.