Follow Focus on shoulder mount
- Thread starter djkarn105
- Start date
PerroneFord
Deals in Lead
Use a shoulder rig with two grips... then you can hold it with one hand, and focus with the other hand.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Im not really allowed to talk my rails system here because Im not a sponsor, (yet) but gears will come in time or can be modded for you
BTW I think 'letting go' just doesnt work for focussing 'in shot'
What lenses do you use ?
S
BTW I think 'letting go' just doesnt work for focussing 'in shot'
What lenses do you use ?
S
djkarn105
Well-known member
The problem with letting go of the left grip is it throws your center of gravity off. If you put the follow focus on the right side it's not as bad (your shoulder is still supporting it somewhat on that side) but then you have to grope blindly for the knob.
The strap solution seems fine (even an improvement) for manually focusing auto focus lenses but with my Zeiss primes I don't think I'll have the range to travel the whole distance or the torque necessary.
A friend suggested rigging something keeping the whip by my left hand.
The strap solution seems fine (even an improvement) for manually focusing auto focus lenses but with my Zeiss primes I don't think I'll have the range to travel the whole distance or the torque necessary.
A friend suggested rigging something keeping the whip by my left hand.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
I agree that my system is good for short throw lenses, and not ideally suited to zeiss metal barelled lenses
Im just saying that I have other stuff in the pipeline
On balance my wheel position is indeed very good (IMO) for creating stable HH shots where you pull focus - which is IMO nearly every interesting shot
I agree a whip and sensibly placed wheel is the best plan for operators in a higher budget than my strap system which adds minimally to the cost of the whole rig
That is exactly the sort of thing I have in the pipeline
my latest effort .. a handeld quickie (5d 24-105 IS) http://vimeo.com/8409835
S
Im just saying that I have other stuff in the pipeline
On balance my wheel position is indeed very good (IMO) for creating stable HH shots where you pull focus - which is IMO nearly every interesting shot
I agree a whip and sensibly placed wheel is the best plan for operators in a higher budget than my strap system which adds minimally to the cost of the whole rig
That is exactly the sort of thing I have in the pipeline
my latest effort .. a handeld quickie (5d 24-105 IS) http://vimeo.com/8409835
S
natxbrotha
Well-known member
Using a whip with a balanced rig is how I would do it. Are you using a rig similar to the redrock eyespy balance? You can put the hand grip where the most weight is to keep it balanced better and use your other hand on the whip/follow focus.
Jean Dodge
Active member
I wish there was a HH rig with two pistol-style grips that had geared, mechanical (ratcheting?) triggers, almost like a squirt gun plunger or something that drove the focus gear in either direction. Then getting focus would be a function of using your index fingers in opposition to one another - squeeze left trigger, the focus is closer, squeeze right, and the focus moves towards infinity.
The old novoflex system is something similar to what I mean.... only with fingers instead of your whole grip.
Then there is the idea of using a motorcycle throttle as a right hand grip and having the cable somehow connect to a FF unit. Some enterprising DIYer is welcome to that idea. Send me the royalty checks if it makes millions.
If you work with motion picture zoom lenses then you may be familiar with the microforce zoom controls, which are electronic - a pistol grip is held in the hand (and can be mounted as a HH grip if needed) and the thumb exerts pressure against a barely moving button to drive the motor - but the control is never as fast or slow as you need it to be for focus - which needs to sometimes move fast and sometimes slow in the same shot. To me this points to the fact that the best solution will not be electronic. Those things are industry gold standard for zooming but never got adapted to focus control.
In the end, the best solution may be something quite simple. I configured a HH rig with a small monitor and use the "israeli arm" as a left hand grip which I grasped with my last three fingers, leaving my thumb and index finger free for reaching out and turning a geared FF with prime lenses. It isn't ideal but it did seem to have it's place. With just the two fingers you can't rack from close focus to infinity, but for following a subject moving around a room and keeping your close up, or medium shot, etc in focus it works well with prime lenses.
Of course what works even better is an assistant who is experienced at pulling focus.
The old novoflex system is something similar to what I mean.... only with fingers instead of your whole grip.
Then there is the idea of using a motorcycle throttle as a right hand grip and having the cable somehow connect to a FF unit. Some enterprising DIYer is welcome to that idea. Send me the royalty checks if it makes millions.
If you work with motion picture zoom lenses then you may be familiar with the microforce zoom controls, which are electronic - a pistol grip is held in the hand (and can be mounted as a HH grip if needed) and the thumb exerts pressure against a barely moving button to drive the motor - but the control is never as fast or slow as you need it to be for focus - which needs to sometimes move fast and sometimes slow in the same shot. To me this points to the fact that the best solution will not be electronic. Those things are industry gold standard for zooming but never got adapted to focus control.
In the end, the best solution may be something quite simple. I configured a HH rig with a small monitor and use the "israeli arm" as a left hand grip which I grasped with my last three fingers, leaving my thumb and index finger free for reaching out and turning a geared FF with prime lenses. It isn't ideal but it did seem to have it's place. With just the two fingers you can't rack from close focus to infinity, but for following a subject moving around a room and keeping your close up, or medium shot, etc in focus it works well with prime lenses.
Of course what works even better is an assistant who is experienced at pulling focus.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Someone seems to think the strap works..
http://hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2010/02/12/the-power-of-focus/
note the comments
S
http://hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2010/02/12/the-power-of-focus/
note the comments
S
Jean Dodge
Active member
sam, i have to say... all of my instincts go against the way you shoot, but I can't argue with the results you get. I'm looking forward to trying out your HIR system soon.... The points you make about simplicity are too hard to ignore. These vDSLRs are made for shooting with a less-is-more philosophy. You seem to understand that very well and think time will prove a lot of your innovations are going to become commonplace.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Thanks a lot for the engcouragement
I take it your instincts are made in a movie making profession of some nature - my backround is shooting stills
I have much experience over my (stills) career for keeping it simple light and tough- things like climbing Kilimanjaro with camera and all my kit - no porters - and Im not a hard man
ps pistol grips works really well - I had a system for that but with no method of gearing up I could not get enough 'throw'
S
I take it your instincts are made in a movie making profession of some nature - my backround is shooting stills
I have much experience over my (stills) career for keeping it simple light and tough- things like climbing Kilimanjaro with camera and all my kit - no porters - and Im not a hard man
ps pistol grips works really well - I had a system for that but with no method of gearing up I could not get enough 'throw'
S
Martti Ekstrand
Veteran
I've solved this with my GH1 handheld rig by placing the left handle just outside the follow focus wheel, see attached image. That way I can rest the weight into the palm and still have thumb, index and middle finger free to pull focus. I don't use a shouldersupport at all, mostly I just hold the entire rig just like a still camera, elbows tucked into my torso, sometimes I add a chestbrace but mainly my third point of contact is the viewfinder.
