D90 + Redrock...Recommendations?

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fotobywes

Active member
I'm ready to invest in a rail system for manual/remote follow focus. I've looked at the various systems out there, including IndiSYSTEM, Arri, Cinevate and Zacuto, but I've settled on Redrock as offering the best value and flexibility. I also like that they're catering to the DSLR market.

When I'm shooting with my D90, it's either on my GlideCam, atop a tripod, or bolted onto a bicycle frame. Most of my follow-focus work will be done on a tripod.

Given that scenario, is it worth it to invest in Redrock's "Captain Stubling" package?


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With the two handgrips it seems geared towards handheld shooting. I can see the utility of the left grip, as it would place your hand very close to the focus knob, and provide a steady foundation so that you didn't jerk the focus while panning the camera. But I'm not so sure about the utility of the right grip with a tripod.

I'd appreciate some feedback from other D90/Redrock users. Are 2 grips better than 1?


I find myself pulling focus more with my Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens than with any other. Is it possible to mount the rails to the lens, via the lens foot, rather than to the camera body?

nikkor-70-200.jpg

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The Nikkor 70-200mm is almost 9 inches long itself, and the Captain Stubling ships with 9" rails. If the rails can only be mounted to the camera body, then I may need to invest in the 12" rails.


Finally, has anybody set up a DSLR to pull both focus and zoom simultaneously? I have my eyes on the Hocus Focus system, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to use it alongside the Redrock MicroFollowFocus.
 
wow thats a lot of cheddar. is this really better than that setup that guy made with lego's that works pretty much the same?

jon!
 
I've been thinking the same, and have been tempted to invest in a quality FF system.

@jon, what lego system are you talking about? Links?
 
meridionalmedia said:
What about shooting with a fast 50mm 1.4 lens? It's so short, the ff will bump into the camera body. As far as I see, only Chrosziel DV studio rig, and maybe the zacuto/petroff ff
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/301595-REG/Chrosziel_20601S_20601S_DV_Studio_Rig.html
If anybody got other solutions for all lens size please write them
Click to expand...

The Follow focus will not bump into the camera body with a 50mm 1.4. I wouldn't recommend that studio focus either. On first glance it does seem like a good choice but the focus gear sits flush with that upright arm that holds it. The Arm that holds the FF gear doesn't move either it slides via a rail. it's much easier to move the gear to the lens via a typical follow focus arm setup then shift the whole unit via a rail to the lens. I know I would want better especially for 1600 bucks. This is my particular set up. It adds the right amount of weight and bulk to make it feel more like a cinema camera. I only wish I had the shorter DSLR Zacuto Baseplate. I was fortunate to piece this set up from other setups I already had.

1245892583.jpg
 
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Captain Stubling on Order

Captain Stubling on Order

I ordered my Redrock Captain Stubling earlier this week. I'll post some pix, footage & a review after I've had a week or two to play with it.

Wes
 
fotobywes said:
I ordered my Redrock Captain Stubling earlier this week. I'll post some pix, footage & a review after I've had a week or two to play with it.
Click to expand...

That would be awesome. I'm very tempted to get the Stubling for my Panasonic GH1.

I'd be very interested to hear how well the Stubling ballances with a matte box like the Red Rock Matte box on the front loaded with a couple of filters.
 
Captain Stubling & Matte Boxes

Captain Stubling & Matte Boxes

I don't tend to use matte boxes very often- generally I stick to the Nikkor lens shades and a polarizing filter. At least with still work, it's pretty rare for me to use a graduated filter in conjunction with a Matte Box- coming from the Still Side, I'm used to shooting RAW, then tweaking in Photoshop, and thus use graduated filters very rarely. But the D90 video has all the dynamic range of a JPG, so I guess I'll have to get used to doing everything "in-camera."
 
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