Follow Focus question...

Re: Follow Focus question...

Phil, here are some links to various follow focus devices I could find (the expensive ones you know about, but in case others were wondering):

Cavision's Follow Focus should be around $700 for this unit if not mistaken. They also make a carbon rods support system for $198.

Chrosziel's DV Follow Focus can be purchased from several vendors, usually from $1199 from AbelCineTech to $1349.95 at EVS Online. Give Rush a call, maybe he'll provide a price match for us DVX Users ???

Wondering if Chrosziel's follow focus is for you? Check out this Chrosziel DV Follow Focus Review over at Videosystems.

Other follow focus manufacturers include JBK Cinequipt with their cheapest follow focus listed at $750 (scroll down a bit - yes, their webpage is in dire need of a makeover). I believe this is the same company that outfitted the AG-DVX100 for November, the movie with Courtney Cox that won the Sundance Cinematography Award.

Accessories for follow focus devices include 15mm rods support systems, which you'll need, along with the appropriate drive gear for your lens; speed cranks; and whips, which are all pretty expensive (longer whips can cost more than $100 but allow you that much space to pull focus from)

Beyond DV, and you're talking very expensive follow focus devices, in the $2000 to $3000 range with real wood grip knobs, etc.

We could definitely benefit from having our own machinist.
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

Really? Thanks for letting me know.

Oz thanks for the links, I remember reading that review of the Chrosziel and thus began my saving!

Hey Jarred, You were right about how much it costs for R&D plus trying to balance the supply and demand of a product. You do always get what you pay for!

Thanks for everyone's help.

If anyone has any reviews on them, I'd love to hear!
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

Just one thing to keep in mind with a follow focus system. DO NOT FOCUS BY THE MONITOR. I bad habbit that will bite you in the ass. Focus by distance, or at the least focus by critical focus marks from the camera. the monitor is a nice feature to have, to see what is in frame. But up until a few years ago, a majority of focus pullers never used any type of monitor system.
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

Prairieboy,

True for film, false for video.

Both marks and monitors are (and have been) used for video shoots.

You can't focus pull film shoots, as there is no way to "see" the shot.
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

Pookie - That is why they make video taps for the Arri's and Panavisions, so that the pullers can see too.
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

Guys I have been tinkering with a remote/follow focus design.

Question... is there a way to view on an external monitor the Focus Number... Is there a way to have the camera output the info overlay to a monitor?

Do you need more than 50 focus units in range? As I understand our camera goes from 50 to about 93 for normal focus, which would be 43 Focus units. Of course the range could be adjusted so if you need say 5 to 55 that would also be doable.

Do you want the ability to set stops for 2 end points?
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

Bena - If you have the bucks - Panavision makes a Panatape that has a continous digital readout of the focal distance. I wish there was something like that for a DVX.
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

With the Cavision FF does the gear they send you fit the DVX or do you have to get the century one?
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

They send you a ring with the FF that wraps around the focus collar of the DVX. And it comes with a gear on the FF, in other words it comes with everything you need to use it right away.
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

So here's my question, as I'm still VERY new to camera work, specifically to the DVX, etc.

WHAT IS PULL FOCUS?? What's a whip, and everything else that's been mentioned in here, and WHAT do they do?

I think this would be a opportune moment to educate us newbies in a few short paragraphs about what each particular part is, what it does, and how it's used. I know I'm dying to know ... I think I have an idea on a couple, but they're simply educated guesses. Someone please help ... Thanks!
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

To pull focus is to get the image into focus. The person who does this is called a "focus puller".

On a large crew, there is a camera man and a focus puller, if the area around the camera is too small and getting crowded a focus puller can buy a "whip" a small flexible handle that can let the focus puller stand further away...

A follow focus is a multi geared machine which lets you measure and mark where your subject is in focus, and if you want to "rack focus" you can mark two spots and change from one to another, one in the foreground and one in the background, This look is done a lot in film and videographers like to do this to make their shots look more film-like...
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

To be more accurate, the item in the foreground is a whip:

ff3.jpg
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

ok i have the chrosziel mattebox and the pana anamorphic, i had hoped i wouldn't need to do any fancy focus pulling while the camera was moving but now i'm doing shorts where it will be a big plus...

i was thinking that maybe you could get away with an oversized focus wheel like the century and either put marks on it for the start focus position and the end position, or maybe the focus puller could look at the lcd turned around and the camera set so both the evf and the lcd work simultaneously?

it will get a little bit tricky as it will be on a dolly but i did this in a pinch on some test shots and it worked ok.

matthew
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

Thanks Pookie, much better picture, i only had seconds to find one...
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

THANK YOU Phil & Pookie for taking the time to explain, as well as getting some pics!

Okay, so I understand the Whip is used to have the focus puller (second person) standing farther from the camera, but what benefit really is the whole contraption if the camera itself is supposed to have barrel stops, etc., which I assume are markings for your focus.

Can't I just as easily, if the camera is on a tripod, just adjust the focus on the camera to have the same effect as film (i.e. have the foreground come into focus as the background blurs, etc.)?

I've told my wife the only two additional things I need to buy now for a little venture I've created is a wide angle lens and a good Libec tripod ... down the road I want to get the mini-jib (skycrane) as well, but this focus puller stuff costs even more than the crane!  Boy, she's gonna be ticked when she sees how much more money I want to spend eventually.
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

Based on all the research I've done recently, and I've talked to guys who have been using cameras for like 40 years...

They say the Number System Z45 on our LCD screens is plenty enough to use as a rack focus. I'm going to buy more lenses, filters, or a professional dolly instead. Those things I can truly use, rather than such an expensive piece of equipment, that I can pretty much (almost) do on my own...

But if I land a good gig, and get a good paycheck, I will be buying one one day...

Good luck Envision
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

..i would completely agree with what youve been told. on any manual focus cam, i usually just use simple muscle memory, visuals, and a couple practise pulls all in about 10-20 secs to learn the start and final positions to do accurate rack focusing. on the dvx i find it to be very easy. i dont even usually look at the focus numbers, and i have no problem hitting focus quickly and accurately multiple times. (an example of quick rack focusing like this would be in the end of my "recent commercial" in the screen grabs section) of course that wont work for everyone, but the numers are more than enough to pull off accuracy doing a focus pull. a follow focus does have a much more natural hand position -smooth movement, and rotation direction for doing it though, and having one would only be alot nicer to do the same thing.
 
Re: Follow Focus question...

[quote author=iamloser link=board=Links;num=1100153636;start=30#38 date=11/17/04 at 08:42:14]..i would completely agree with what youve been told. on any manual focus cam, i usually just use simple muscle memory, visuals, and a couple practise pulls all in about 10-20 secs to learn the start and final positions to do accurate rack focusing. on the dvx i find it to be very easy. i dont even usually look at the focus numbers, and i have no problem hitting focus quickly and accurately multiple times. (an example of quick rack focusing like this would be in the end of my "recent commercial" in the screen grabs section) of course that wont work for everyone, but the numers are more than enough to pull off accuracy doing a focus pull. a follow focus does have a much more natural hand position -smooth movement, and rotation direction for doing it though, and having one would only be alot nicer to do the same thing.[/quote]

Ditto. Use the cash to buy a nice light setup, a dolly, or some filters and lenses, all of which will can improve the final product. The Follow Focus device won't give you better image quality, it'll simply make it a tad easier to achieve the same thing: pulling focus. Is it nice? Sure. Is it worth the price? Not for me it ain't.
 
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