Follow focus- I am new to the game

npm

npm

Well-known member
Hey all,

I am an action sports filmmaker, and just acquired the set of Veydra Mini Primes to use with my GH4. I typically shoot on tripod or Glidecam, and am looking into getting a follow focus to really dial in those rack focuses. I really need a system that is easy to setup and switch between lenses; think run and gun on skis pretty much all the time. Where do I start?

I assume I need:

-a baseplate with 2 support rods
-follow focus

Honestly I'm a total noob to the FF game so any help would be greatly appreciated. My budget is limited to the $200-300 range so I was looking at some of these:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/757857-REG/Ikan_ELE_FGK_ELE_FGK_Follow_Focus_Cine_Kit.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/626618-REG/Cavision_RFD15BM_RFD15BM_Basic_Mini.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/875118-REG/IndiPRO_Tools_indi_ff_Friction_Follow_Focus.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1016665-REG/edelkrone_80408_focusone_pro.html

Thanks a ton for any help!

Best,
Nick
 
Of those I would go with the Edelkrone or google Shoot 35 out of the UK. They are a little more expensive but in a different quality category.
 
Will check it out thanks Lochness! So for any follow focus I will need some sort of rod mount? I'm unfamiliar with how that works as I've always worked directly to tripod QR plates.
 
npm said:
I am an action sports filmmaker, and just acquired the set of Veydra Mini Primes to use with my GH4. I typically shoot on tripod or Glidecam, and am looking into getting a follow focus to really dial in those rack focuses. I really need a system that is easy to setup and switch between lenses; think run and gun on skis pretty much all the time. Where do I start?

I assume I need:

-a baseplate with 2 support rods
-follow focus

Honestly I'm a total noob to the FF game so any help would be greatly appreciated. My budget is limited to the $200-300 range so I was looking at some of these:


Best,
Nick
Click to expand...


My thoughts.... Nick, Your budget may be a little low for a quality baseplate/rods/follow focus.

I'm also guessing your technique may be a little different than mine. Because I would almost always choose a fast zoom over a set of primes/rods/follow focus for doing the fast action sports run-n-gun Glidecam work on skis type thing. Nothing worse than having to carry a set of primes, and change them in the cold while trying to work quickly. Let alone trying to quickly achieve focus while dealing with 300° barrel rotation. Don't get me wrong. They are a nice set of lenses, just not what I would choose for that type work.

All the best!

Dave
 
Hi David,

Maybe I can up my budget a little bit! I think my technique is a little different than yours, because typically for Glidecam stuff I would only use a wide lens, 16mm in this case. On certain days perhaps 25 or 35 but I would commit to the lens for the day. I would rather move myself and get creative--I tend to get lazy with a zoom. Worked with one for a long while and just wasn't satisfied with the results it gave me. I totally agree that lugging them around may not be super practical but I think it will help me make good creative choices and force me to improve my technique.

Anyways in relation to the 300 degree barrel rotation, do the above FF's allow quick focus with these? Maybe some sort of high gear?
 
Fotga 500 2s has a choice of three gears, if you are pulling focus by yourself, the 90 degree crank might be useful.
 
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I'm really impressed with the Fotga for the $$ - Amazon sells it (they also sell a spare parts kit).

For lens gears, go to ebay - there are chinese sellers doing Redrock ($45) style gears for $11 or so - takes a week or two to get to the US.

For rails, the biggest issue is really the tripod-to-rails-to-baseplate setup. A DSLR with a 2.8 zoom can make the cheaper ones flex - especially when focusing. For a GH4 that may not be an issue.

My rails setups have been evolved over time with various parts, for different cameras… but my two main rigs can quickly have shoulder and hand mounts attached, and they are setup so the shoulder gear can stay on for tripod shots and the camera be pulled off quickly for shoulder shots (just for events). But for follow-focused, thought-out, narrative look - everything from the tripod QR up to the camera and lens has to be rock solid, no sag, no sway. If touching the knob makes everything jump, you're hosed. A focus whip does help absorb vibrations though.

There are "DSLR" ff units made that mount to the tripod screw. Some of them use friction against the lens barrel rubber grip (I saw one that used a roller skate wheel!) Do some googling??

Biggest issue may be actually seeing what's in focus. I don't own a GH so I don't know how good their peaking is… you may find you need a loupe. A great cheat is keeping a pair of drugstore reading glasses with you - great at magnifying things just in front of your face (like an LCD). Next time you're at a store, try a few pairs on, read the packaging and see what distance and power works for you (if any). I freaking love the reader glasses, but I'm in my 50's!
 
Thanks Michael! On the Veydras, I'm not sure I need the lens gears, or do I? They have them built in I thought: http://www.4kshooters.net/wp-conten...ra-12mm-Mini-Prime-T2.2-Micro-Four-Thirds.jpg

Here's what I'm looking at for something quick to move between tripod and glidecam. I will be mainly using the FF to simply have a more ergonomic focus control on the fly. This rig: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...Tools_indi_base_DSLR_Baseplate_15mm_Rods.html

With either the Fotga or this Lensse: http://www.lensse.com/lensse-s5-dual-follow-focus/

A few questions: What is the difference between dampened and hard stops? And with that Lensse, do I need the "big wheel" addition? I didn't see any info on their site. It also seems exceptionally heavy?
 
Since I'm a bottom feeder, my stuff is all cheap:

rods - cheap direct from China are exactly what you think, cheap. The rods that came with my Fotga matte box were much better and still pretty stinking cheap. I'm sure there is room to grow with better (more expensive) rods.

Follow Focus - damping is a function of the gearset to help slow the turning down a touch, consider it similar to the sticky grease used on lens focus helicals to help make them smooth. The DP500 IIs also has backlash adjustment on the gears which is important. Not sure how well it works, but this is the FF I'm going to order. For single user I don't see the point of a double sided FF, pick a hand and use it all the time. I do see value in having a quick release rod mount, SLR lenses don't leave a lot of room between matte box and camera body, being able to get the FF out of the way seems like a good choice.

Gears - the ones we are talking about go on the FF and have different diameters to speed up or slow down the focus. Big gear equals less rotation of your hand, small gear equals more rotation.

Hard stops - some people like them, some do not. They are not really to stop the hand rotation for a lens that does not have a stop built in (modern focus by wire lenses like EF), they are really for marking near to far points in your focus pull. Useful if pulling by yourself, just don't hit them too hard or it will cause a vibration. You can remove the stopping pins if you don't want to use that function and just rely on marks on the disk. But they can't be added later so it might be more cost effective to buy one with the stops.

90 degree crank - when pulling focus for yourself, this should translate the motion into a front to back motion (or back to front), should be helpful but I'm not sure.

Flexible whip - allows the vibration from the focus puller (person) to be damped out in the flex drive, probably more important with tripod work and 2+ person crews so it is last on my list of things to acquire. I'd probably build an electric drive before I went to a whip, it's not that hard to build (for me).

What I see as extremely important is the camera base plate and a lens bridge to really hold the lens from moving. Most of the cheapo plates are JUNK and will let the camera move around and not be square to the rails. The lens bridge is needed because most of the adapters that we end up using allow small rotations so when you rack focus one way or another, the lens could shift. Strap the lens down to prevent this. Might not be an issue with the Veydra lenses if they are made properly. Need to look at my lenses and figure out how to build a bridge for them, the medium format lenses are "easy", the Canon FD not so much due to their much more compact size.

That Indie Pro base and rods look a lot like the cheapo junk rods and base that I got on ebay from China, it cost me about $20 including shipping. I haven't used that one (indie pro), but it seems like you could get much better for $100.
 
Thanks Greg, that Fotga baseplate looks nice. Maybe that with the Fotga 500 2S may be the best budget option
 
I saw that one too, but I'm not sure how well it will keep the baseplate from moving. The lens bridge might be a nice addition. I looked at a couple of the cheaper DP3000 series plates and didn't see anything I was willing to recommend.

But the DP3000 swing away matte box is actually pretty decent if you need something for the front of the lenses. It needs a mod because they built it so it won't go low enough to hit spec. for the 15mm LWS rod system, but that may not matter to most people. I need to make one more mod on mine and then it will be good enough.
 
I've tried both the linked rail setups. The 2nd one has bits and pieces in my current setup.

I don't know about a GH4 - a Nikon with, say, a 28-70 2.8? My belief is you need two risers from the tripod plate to the rails, and two from the rails to the camera plate. Or a solid block with rails running through it.

I use one of these for my big video camera - it's a little low for the DSLR though.

ebay.jpg
 
@Greg I am using Xume adapters for filters so no need for a mattebox. I am pretty set on getting the Lensse S5, and now am just looking for a baseplate setup that will work well the GH4, Veydras and Lensse.
 
It looks well made and may last you for a long time, but I'm not sure about the weight and bulk. That and the extra $100. I haven't checked on the reviews of that FF but I assume it is pretty decent.
 
Hmmm it is a good FF but I had forgotten about how heavy it is. Currently reconsidering. These are hard decisions haha!
 
Right, I don't think I will mind the bulk around the lens, as much as the extra weight in my pack. But I think it will be worth it in the long run, the lensse just seems really burly and high quality.
 
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