Follow Focus with Stock Lens

[NorBro]

Can someone please recommend me (if there is one) a follow focus system that will work with the GH1 stock lens?

I have read that because of the way the ring around the lens is made, it gives various products trouble. In other words, the turning of the lens is jumpy and not fluid, and feels as if it's locking up.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[0100]

IMO don't even bother, buy some manual lenses.

 

[designbydave]

The problem is that the focus ring on the kit lens is rather flimsy. If you squeeze it, it will deform out of round and bind up on the plastic underneath it. This pretty much eliminates the option of putting a lens gear on that lens.

A friction drive wheel, instead of a gear on the follow focus will work

 

[D90GH1_eric]

In some cases, with the stock lens, you may want to leave the AF mode in "Face detection." In this mode, the camera will lock on to the face of your subject, if the face is not detectable, it will switch to 51-area mode, in which the camera looks for the nearest object to focus. This works quite well for some cases.

 

[aknaton]

A rubber ring will make it work, at least it did for me.

 

[NorBro]

aknaton, recommendations??

 

[Abe]

I use this one (New Rubber Jar & Bottle Opener Multi Purpose Easy Twist)

for cheap:

(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B002DQGXDW/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=284507&s=kitchen)

I got it from the nearby China Town for $1.99.

 

[MR Fanny]

I use this one (New Rubber Jar & Bottle Opener Multi Purpose Easy Twist)

for cheap:

(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B002DQGXDW/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=284507&s=kitchen)

I got it from the nearby China Town for $1.99.

Ha thats gold! Do you still find yourself rotating too much because of how the focus ring is geared/ratio'ed?

 

[NorBro]

Wow!

Abe, you use that straight on the stock lens and it works good??

 

[Abe]

Yes, it works just fine if you watch the end points. Quick and easy.

 

[NorBro]

Sorry to be annoying...what do you mean watch the end points?

 

[Abe]

From where you start to where you end. I normally use it when the camera is on the tripod.

I also use a focusing ring from the Hasselblad or Mamiya medium format camera, depending on the lens barrel size. This is helpful in the run and gun situation on the shoulder mount.

 

[NorBro]

Ah, got ya!

Thanks!

 

[Mike@AF]

I had Duclos put a gear on my stock lens. The focus ring is not a uniform diameter. So the more you push the gear on the tighter it is and sometimes you can't even turn it. It's a simple fix by just pushing it off slightly. It works very well otherwise. That said, I haven't even been using the stock lens for any of my shoots where I use the follow focus.

 

[chinkster]

Can someone please recommend me (if there is one) a follow focus system that will work with the GH1 stock lens?

I have read that because of the way the ring around the lens is made, it gives various products trouble. In other words, the turning of the lens is jumpy and not fluid, and feels as if it's locking up.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks.

I think most follow focus systems will work. The one I chose was the IndiFocus20 from IndiSystems. The problem, as you say, is with the fly-by-wire method of doing focusing Panasonic has chosen to implement.

From Wikipedia:

"To make matters worse, most autofocus lenses with a focus ring (such as those on most consumer and prosumer camcorders) are not "true" manual focus lenses, meaning that turning the ring does not directly adjust the elements inside the lens but rather actuates the electronics inside the camera which predict how the focus should go depending on how fast or far the ring was turned. These lenses make precise and repeatable focus pulls difficult, and use of a follow focus impractical. They are sometimes called "servo" focus lenses or "focus by wire" cameras."

See my post on this in another thread:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1938775&postcount=8