Don't waste your money on a follow focus.

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mastiboulance

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Si I purchased a Redrock follow focus. I looks great. Yet it is totally useless. The fact is with a zoom lens the follow focus just gets in the way and needs constant adjusting. With a prime lens, you constantly have to take it off or pull it back to change lenses. Moreover the thing weighs a ton and makes the camera even heavier. Bottom line, it stays in the bag. I paid 700 euros for it. I would not recommend to anybody to get a follow focus. It truly gets in the way. When one is actually on location one never uses it. I think thee things are totally unecessary. The matt box is an equally sensitive issue. Do you need one? Not really. It mostly stays in the bag anyways. Only on very rare occasions does one have flares or does one require filters. Yet I suppose, unlike the follow focus, the mattbox is useful some of the time.
 
So when you need another person to pull focus and hit marks what do you do?
That extra 10 seconds to slide the follow focus out of the way is a really killer. And then the other 10 seconds to slide it back into place once the lens has changed? That's money down the drain right there. I think you might be onto something.
 
what are you shooting?

I'm guessing you are a run&gun style shooter so that's why.
it becomes handy when your shots are more critical
 
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mastiboulance said:
I shootf films for world distribution.
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so you shoot film without a follow focus?

I don't think I never heard anyone who shoots film without a follow focus.
specially in 35mm or biger format. (unless you shoot 16mm or 8 maybe)

well if it works for you, that's good!
 
Well, I have to totally dissagree.

Since using a FF on a 35mm adapter, mid-format adapter, and even with the bare camera lens, I am spoiled. I wouldn't want to go back to focusing the lens by hand. I can understand the frustration with zoom lenses that have the zoom and focus rings combined. I happen to have a zoom lens that has a separate focus ring. Even that still has a lot of travel so you need a wide FF gear to stay attached.

As for prime lenses, that 20secs spent sliding the FF back and forth when changing lenses absolutely worth it, IMO.
 
You were askin for it with this post. LoL.

Follow Focuses follow a standard in which zoom lenses constructed for Cinema use adhere too. You're using SLR lenses, different horse.

If your zoom lens doesn't work with the follow focus, it's not the fault of the follow focus but your choice of zoom lens.

Same thing with your primes. Throw that RR on with some pro glass and tell me how many times you have to scoot it back and forth. It's a tool you must have if someone else is pulling focus for you. I don't need a follow focus when I'm shooting and pulling focus myself unless I'm on a dolly or tripod. If I'm handheld I go without it or use it as a handle.
 
FF's are useful if you have a 1st AC. Or just generally repeating focus marks...

Definitely not necessary for run and gun stuff and probably get in the way a lot of the time if you just shoot on your own but if you are on an actual set they will save you time and get you accurate focus more often

I personally A.C. a lot of projects and i've had to go without an FF, i prefer having one for sure.
 
In most cases you don't need the ff, but there are shots where it is very handy to have.
Focus shifting and dolly shots
 
The first time I rented a letus, I didn't get a follow focus. My AC had a hell of a time pulling focus. The second time I rented one with a follow focus, and pulling was a delight. If your shooting 100% static shots, with no movement, maybe documentary interviews, I can see why a FF would be unnecessary. But for any shots with movement (camera or subject), pulling focus without a FF Is a pain, and will add time to your production.

A Mattebox on the other hand, I can argue that it's unnecessary. For a film camera, it does function as a filter holder. But for an on an HVX, where color balance filters are obsolete due to white balance, and screw on ND filters are available for SLR lenses, $1,000+ is a lot of money to spend on something that blocks a little light and makes actors more serious. Don't get me wrong, they look great, and I will probably even buy one one day. But a FF serves a very important and necessary purpose, and can be purchased for about $600 (worth the money), where as a mattebox serves a few purposes than can be served by other equipment, and runs at least $1,000.
 
try doing a smooth (non handheld) camera move on a dolly or slider and you need not only a follow focus but a whip, and probably a helper.

doing hand held work, try snapping to the same two focus points every time without hard stops on a follow focus
 
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
try doing a smooth (non handheld) camera move on a dolly or slider and you need not only a follow focus but a whip, and probably a helper.

doing hand held work, try snapping to the same two focus points every time without hard stops on a follow focus
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Neither of those are difficult. Honestly, if I've got someone else pushing the dolly and I don't have to tilt the camera or anything, I prefer using the lens barrel and my fingers because of the immediate feedback. I can dampen a lot easier.

Same thing with handheld. It just takes a lot of practice.
 
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