TrusMT T2 Follow Focus
Hello again everybody! So here it is: My review on TrusMT´s Follow Focus Unit.
First off, I hereby declare that I am in no way connected to this Chinese corporation other than being a customer.
Then, to help you evaluate how much or less you should and could care about what I have to say about Follow Focusses, a little about me:
I live in Germany where I studied film & video design. During and after that I started shooting different stuff mostly on HVX200s or Sony Z1 with 35mm adapters until I learned about the GH1 coming out. So that´s what I am shooting on today. I started to build my own FF, got tired of the project and ordered a ProAim from India. That unit was very crude and not precisely built and had a lot of lash … but worked actually fine once I got to know it. Up until just recently, when I dropped my whole rig right on the focus knob bending everything. So I started looking and found the TrusMT on ebay.
As no one had any experience to share with this company and their products I just went ahead and bought it.
IMPORTANT: I actually got two different units. One at first with issues and then a new one. For easy understanding and readability I will only talk about the new unit.
The issues with the first unit were (both have been addressed):
I already wrote a little about the first unit I received, so I´ll just re-use that in major parts here when they apply. But pictures first!
Build quality:
I am really impressed! Everything metal is nicely CNCed, massive and solid. And basically everything is made of metal or to be precise aluminum. My biggest concern (after being victim of an Indian FF for quite a while now) was the sliding mechanism to adjust the FF sideways to different lens diameters. This one works super smoothly! It´s tightened by one screw that is embedded into the lower end of the rail mount. As it stands out front and back for about half a cm you can really easily loosen it and adjust it to your need.
As practically everything can be taken apart (with the exception of the gearbox) you can also turn the mounting disc for the marker disc around (top, bottom, front and back). That one has the index on it so focusing from behind the camera can be done even without the hard stops (index + 3d marking disc). Very good!
Now to the FF itself:
It´s really solid. Beneath the 3d marking disc is a second blue anodized disc on which the hard stops slide.
Rack focusing goes like this: You focus on your point A then take one hardstop slider and bring it up to the indicator until they touch, now tighten the screw. Now turn the FF to focus on your point B and bring the second hardstop slider up to the indicator (the other way around of course) and tighten the screw again. You can now turn your focus wheel only between your two points of interest.
That is VERY clever and I haven´t even seen that idea on any other FF unit I looked at.
You do need to concentrate when setting them but once they sit where they should you can “focus” on what´s on your screen, you won´t miss you markers! Just great.
But as there´s no such thing as a one-sided medal: If the hard stops are attached you can´t turn the knob infinitely. The end is just below 340-360°. If you need more degrees you´ll have to take them off (two screws each).
Adjustment for height and/or angle:
I´ve read that this design resembles a new Letus unit and in their mails the TrustMT employees called it Arri type. I really don´t know either, so… Anyways, it works. You unscrew the finger friendly one-winged screw a bit and now can adjust the FF to your need. Tighten it up again and you´re ready.
One thing I came across though, and I tried it quite a few times now: When you tighten it up real good, which I tend to do, the whole non railmount part moves a tiny bit away from the lens or gearing, just by my sheer turning force I guess. :smile:
Don´t get me wrong: I´m talking about only 1 or 2mm here. When your´re rigged up on a tripod you can simply hold your other hand against it and it won´t even happen. If not, it is best compensated by quickly loosening the sideways slider and push the unit in for those 1-2mm. As mentioned already, this works super smoothly and fast. Although it doesn´t bother me, I will try to reverse that part of the FF so tightening this screw will bring the unit closer to the lens, if anything.
The rail mount (railmount or rail mount?):
One-srew-only. One less screw is better obviously, so that´s a good thing. When the screw is un-tightened the mount has a little vertical play and when tightening it up you need to gently press it upwards at first or you will tighten the unit slightly misaligned. Again it´s only a few milimeters and due to the height and angle adjuster not at all important.
The marker disc:
There are 4 tiny magnets to hold it but unlike on the previous version there now is a little pin on the knob that fits right into a little notch on the marker disc. Thanks to that unwanted turning of the marker disc is no longer possible.
The gearbox:
Now to the most important change: New grease in the gearbox. Well, now it runs without having to apply force. It doesn´t turn all by itself. But as soon as you want to turn it, it turns easily and smoothly and gives the feeling of a well designed piece of machinery.
It has a bit of lash, maybe 1°. On the old version of the FF I couldn´t detect it due to this super heavy grease but now I can. It´s hard to even realize it and compared to the ProAim it´s nothing. In regards to lash I find it more important, that at the end of the lash (so to speak) there´s no sudden change in resistance or sudden move on the gear. Here all is good and still smooth. But to be 100% here I surely wanted to point it out.
A great thing is the reversible gear. So even the 20mm pancake could be driven if one has a matching timing belt for it. A normal gear ring won´t work as it would hit the camera body. To reverse it there´s just one allen screw to be unscrewed. Those are no US inch screws by the way but M-screws. I needed a longer one to attach my custom made gear as shown in the pictures.
I guess that sums it up. I´d like to add that my contact with TrustMT was very kind and forthcoming on their side. I find it remarkable that they considered my critiques so entirely and in this short period of time.
I like this unit and I´ll probably see how much they charge for a gearbox only to get some use out of the first unit, although with the crank it wasn´t so bad...
If you have further questions, just go ahead and post them here or pm me!
Regards
Patrick
Hello again everybody! So here it is: My review on TrusMT´s Follow Focus Unit.
First off, I hereby declare that I am in no way connected to this Chinese corporation other than being a customer.
Then, to help you evaluate how much or less you should and could care about what I have to say about Follow Focusses, a little about me:
I live in Germany where I studied film & video design. During and after that I started shooting different stuff mostly on HVX200s or Sony Z1 with 35mm adapters until I learned about the GH1 coming out. So that´s what I am shooting on today. I started to build my own FF, got tired of the project and ordered a ProAim from India. That unit was very crude and not precisely built and had a lot of lash … but worked actually fine once I got to know it. Up until just recently, when I dropped my whole rig right on the focus knob bending everything. So I started looking and found the TrusMT on ebay.
As no one had any experience to share with this company and their products I just went ahead and bought it.
IMPORTANT: I actually got two different units. One at first with issues and then a new one. For easy understanding and readability I will only talk about the new unit.
The issues with the first unit were (both have been addressed):
- Danger of accidental turning of the marker disc
- Super tough grease in the gearbox, only usable with a cine crank
I already wrote a little about the first unit I received, so I´ll just re-use that in major parts here when they apply. But pictures first!
Build quality:
I am really impressed! Everything metal is nicely CNCed, massive and solid. And basically everything is made of metal or to be precise aluminum. My biggest concern (after being victim of an Indian FF for quite a while now) was the sliding mechanism to adjust the FF sideways to different lens diameters. This one works super smoothly! It´s tightened by one screw that is embedded into the lower end of the rail mount. As it stands out front and back for about half a cm you can really easily loosen it and adjust it to your need.
As practically everything can be taken apart (with the exception of the gearbox) you can also turn the mounting disc for the marker disc around (top, bottom, front and back). That one has the index on it so focusing from behind the camera can be done even without the hard stops (index + 3d marking disc). Very good!
Now to the FF itself:
It´s really solid. Beneath the 3d marking disc is a second blue anodized disc on which the hard stops slide.
Rack focusing goes like this: You focus on your point A then take one hardstop slider and bring it up to the indicator until they touch, now tighten the screw. Now turn the FF to focus on your point B and bring the second hardstop slider up to the indicator (the other way around of course) and tighten the screw again. You can now turn your focus wheel only between your two points of interest.
That is VERY clever and I haven´t even seen that idea on any other FF unit I looked at.
You do need to concentrate when setting them but once they sit where they should you can “focus” on what´s on your screen, you won´t miss you markers! Just great.
But as there´s no such thing as a one-sided medal: If the hard stops are attached you can´t turn the knob infinitely. The end is just below 340-360°. If you need more degrees you´ll have to take them off (two screws each).
Adjustment for height and/or angle:
I´ve read that this design resembles a new Letus unit and in their mails the TrustMT employees called it Arri type. I really don´t know either, so… Anyways, it works. You unscrew the finger friendly one-winged screw a bit and now can adjust the FF to your need. Tighten it up again and you´re ready.
One thing I came across though, and I tried it quite a few times now: When you tighten it up real good, which I tend to do, the whole non railmount part moves a tiny bit away from the lens or gearing, just by my sheer turning force I guess. :smile:
Don´t get me wrong: I´m talking about only 1 or 2mm here. When your´re rigged up on a tripod you can simply hold your other hand against it and it won´t even happen. If not, it is best compensated by quickly loosening the sideways slider and push the unit in for those 1-2mm. As mentioned already, this works super smoothly and fast. Although it doesn´t bother me, I will try to reverse that part of the FF so tightening this screw will bring the unit closer to the lens, if anything.
The rail mount (railmount or rail mount?):
One-srew-only. One less screw is better obviously, so that´s a good thing. When the screw is un-tightened the mount has a little vertical play and when tightening it up you need to gently press it upwards at first or you will tighten the unit slightly misaligned. Again it´s only a few milimeters and due to the height and angle adjuster not at all important.
The marker disc:
There are 4 tiny magnets to hold it but unlike on the previous version there now is a little pin on the knob that fits right into a little notch on the marker disc. Thanks to that unwanted turning of the marker disc is no longer possible.
The gearbox:
Now to the most important change: New grease in the gearbox. Well, now it runs without having to apply force. It doesn´t turn all by itself. But as soon as you want to turn it, it turns easily and smoothly and gives the feeling of a well designed piece of machinery.
It has a bit of lash, maybe 1°. On the old version of the FF I couldn´t detect it due to this super heavy grease but now I can. It´s hard to even realize it and compared to the ProAim it´s nothing. In regards to lash I find it more important, that at the end of the lash (so to speak) there´s no sudden change in resistance or sudden move on the gear. Here all is good and still smooth. But to be 100% here I surely wanted to point it out.
A great thing is the reversible gear. So even the 20mm pancake could be driven if one has a matching timing belt for it. A normal gear ring won´t work as it would hit the camera body. To reverse it there´s just one allen screw to be unscrewed. Those are no US inch screws by the way but M-screws. I needed a longer one to attach my custom made gear as shown in the pictures.
I guess that sums it up. I´d like to add that my contact with TrustMT was very kind and forthcoming on their side. I find it remarkable that they considered my critiques so entirely and in this short period of time.
I like this unit and I´ll probably see how much they charge for a gearbox only to get some use out of the first unit, although with the crank it wasn´t so bad...
If you have further questions, just go ahead and post them here or pm me!
Regards
Patrick
Last edited:
fYBNgzfRGcMQ~~_12.JPG)