Follow Focus for GH1?

E

Exact

Veteran
I've tried searching - but the search function gives me errors and nothing of use whatsoever....

So, what follow focus systems are out there that work on the GH1 and are known to work well?

Do you have a follow focus from any of the vendors? If so what's your experience with it?

Do any of them work with the 20mm f1.7?
 
The Proaim follow w/rails is decent, there is the redrock follow focus but it will cost a lot more $, there are others that I will leave up to other members that have some experience with to talk about.
 
Vitaliy Kiselev said:
First thing is to understang if you really need FF.
Most people don't need them.
Click to expand...

Of course they need them...

How else will they look like cool filmmakers then?

___


I quoted this on another thread:

Zissou said:
I know its not exactly the same products, but i have a brief review of some indisystem gear.

i got my indiRAILSpro XV sm and indiFOCUSpro thursday, after a small shipping delay, which was resolved with a quick 2 minute phone call. I had also received a DVcity mattebox (with adj std rail mounts and side flags) the day before, and only 2 days before a critical shoot, for my XH-A1.

I must say, for the cost, the quality is tops, and i absolutely LOVE the SNAP gears; so easy to use and interchange. I was given extra foam to ensure a snug fit of focus gear to lens, and i have all the focus rings on my lenses wrapped in color coded hockey tape (i use both Canon and Nikon gear as well as some Panasonic stuff, so i try to keep things easy for the laypersons and interns we use).

Frankly, for the money, i love em; i have no real complaints, and the follow focus works just fine with the D300s on the rails. I have yet to encounter any lash issues with the follow focus, i made sure its fairly snug against the lens gear, and ensure that the snap gear is aligned properly; its not hard to misalign it and get it to gyrate a bit, same with any follow focus gears.

the snap gears are a great feature, because i can swap lenses in seconds and reuse the same ring gear, meaning less stuff to haul around, and a quicker lens swap and therefor quicker shot to shot interchange.

i dont have the budget for expensive equipment, and everything thus far has been great quality. One of my cameramen has played around with the rails and follow focus attached to his 5D mkII, and absolutely loves it too.

I shot my first wedding and first 'big break' event these last 2 weekends, and the Indisystem gear allowed me to use my 35mm adapter with confidence, as well as look much more professional than i had felt just winging the XH-A1 around (it was all on tripod, im exaggerating but you get the idea), as well as achieve the look i wanted, and most importantly, the clients LOVED the pre-edited content.

In 3 weeks, i invested almost $5000 on equipment, some new, some used, some rented, some borrowed, and have managed to get my money back out of it, and now have begun building a bigger portfolio, as well as building the skills for this business.

Im not shooting an indie film, nor a big budget or even small budget feature, or even anything mildly close to what i intend to work with, but thus far, for the investment, the indisystem gear has paid off in spades, and its pretty damn sturdy.

I have a background in photography; ive had almost a dozen DSLR's, and dropped or bonked them all rather severely at different times, whether it be above the portcullis of some french fortress, running sideways to catch a drift car sliding in perfect form 5 feet from me inches from a wall, dangling over a sheer cliff drop in santorini, or rock climbing for that perfect sunset shot. I try to take care of my gear, but im no portrait shooter; and my bodies and lenses show the scars. The indisystem gear seems pretty damn solid; frankly i would be MUCH more afraid of damaging the XH-A1 itself, or crunching a lens; the indisystem stuff i doubt ill worry about much, beyond wrapping with some canvas or thin foam strips.

I also have quite a passion for automotive modifications, and very little faith in carbon fiber based brace components as ive had a few pieces give out on me, which when you are doing 85 on the tarmac skiding sideways, is NOT a very fun moment. I was actually rather wary of 'discount' carbon fiber rods; i even bought some aluminum ones to use instead of the carbon fiber in case they flexed to seemed stressed, but after checking them out, they seem pretty solid, so the aluminum ones stay at home. The DVcity mattebox i bought because it was cheaper than the indisystem mattebox, and because where i plan on using it, i guarantee it will not come back in anything near 'like new' shape, so its basically a 10-20 uses item.

I'm sure ill be buying some more indisystem stuff in the near future, because for the price, there really is no better deal. AT WORST its repleaceable for less than half the cost of other setups; and i HIGHLY doubt most the people on this forum take as many risks with their gear as i do. I used to make PVC components and rigs for photoshoots, by melting the plastic and 'welding' it together and bracing it with bolts etc; forget that.

I use my talents to fund my travels, and i am not a 'gear whore', whatever gets the job done with no need to worry is exactly what i need, and nothing more. I see no reason to pay hundreds for a tripod or monopod, or thousands for a lens or rail system that i would feel bad to marr or scrape up, and frankly i would feel foolish spending more on a support system than i did on a camera system. I could never justify spending thousands on a mattebox; and i wouldnt care if it were made my Enzo Ferrari himself; its still just a mattebox, rails are just rails, etc. Whats important is the shot and the sound; to me the rest is all excessive vainity.
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nickybee said:
Since I have a bunch of Tim's Indifocus gear - and my GH1 finally arrived - I thought I'd post pictures of the outdoor handheld configuration (I say outdoor because of the Hoodman on the flipout screen (and because it's always sunny where I live ;)

indigh1rig.jpg


It's mostly the indislider basic parts (with modified quick-releases on everything but the camera riser)

indigh1rig2.jpg


I thought about cutting the carbon fiber rods short but it started to feel a little cramped - this way the flip out screen is right where I want it when the camera is on my right shoulder. The lens in the photo is an 50mm Canon FD - but the kit lens fits also. SD card slot and battery compartment both accessible.

Changing from this configuration into tripod/slider/car mount is very fast.

Overall still a little front heavy (fixable with longer rods and weights at back of rods) but I'm fine with it for now - of course in comparison to zacuto etc this is dirt cheap ;)

Nick
Click to expand...
 
Vitaliy Kiselev said:
First thing is to understang if you really need FF.
Most people don't need them.
Click to expand...

Interesting point - but this is a regular shoot and I know some one is going to be walking towards me or away from me over a pre-known distance (say 75 feet) and I can't trust AF. They may do it all in one go - or may stop and start.

If I don't need follow focus - then what else would I need? Turning the focus ring on the lens manually is not working - too much shake and not smooth enough.

I don't actually want to look like a cool film maker - I'm just looking to get the job done ;)
 
Using Nikon primes myself, I can't deal with not having a follow focus. Having to hand it with the focus ring used to screw up my shots most of the time. Of course considering application is always a question for anyone making an equipment purchase. Based off of your inquiry it sounds like you probably need/want one. Do some research and consider how much you will use it because they are not cheap.

Exact said:
Interesting point - but this is a regular shoot and I know some one is going to be walking towards me or away from me over a pre-known distance (say 75 feet) and I can't trust AF. They may do it all in one go - or may stop and start.

If I don't need follow focus - then what else would I need? Turning the focus ring on the lens manually is not working - too much shake and not smooth enough.

I don't actually want to look like a cool film maker - I'm just looking to get the job done ;)
Click to expand...
 
Just a quick heads up on the pancake lens...The Redrock gears that I have with my RR Micro FF are too large to use with this lens. They will not clear the body. You could probably configure something like a barrel around the lens that extended far enough away from the lens that you would get the gear on as long as it didn't get in the shot.
This is a great little lens, but I didn't even think about this when I got it, because I really planned on mainly using it more run and gun and utilizing the autofocus. One of the known problems with this lens is that the autofocus hunts quite a bit and you can lose some good shots because of it. On the plus side this is one sharp little lens.
There are some other follow focus units out there that use a wheel against the barrel of the lens and they may work. Can't remember the brand.
Some people have used things like filter wrenches to make a manual focus handle.
Hope this helps.
 
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Follow focus

Follow focus

What types of lenses are you using? The DFocus is a great value @ $140, it works great for the price. With the Pancake or the kit lens, or C mount lenses, it has worked well for me. I have an Indifocuspro as well and honestly don't think it's worth the price (twice as much as DFocus.) It works no better. The next step up would be a RedRock which you're looking at ~$500+, I wouldn't go there unless you're going to be making consistent money off your camera + follow focus in combination.

And those who say follow focus are for people who want to "look cool" probably aren't professional filmmakers. Because an FF is an essential tool for professionals, unless you want a) the actor to go in and out of focus b) your actor to be in focus and the camera to shake from you pulling the lens. Even tho The DFocus is technically not a piece of "professional" equipment (technically, neither are DSLRs) ,it replicates 90% of the functionality of far more expensive FFs and if you do a lot of racks and pulls, will make your work look pro, and that's all that counts: the quality of your final film, not how much the gear you made it with cost.
 
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I didn't know the DFocus...

How does the DFocus compare to the Indifocus Mini? Build quality, play, sturdiness, etc?

The Indifocus Mini only costs $10 more and comes with a set of snap gears, if they are more or less the same I'd go for the Indifocus.
 
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