Fotga dp500 Follow Focus or RJ Follow Focus
- Thread starter emweb
- Start date
KRONSTADT films
Member
This is a useful thread!
As a no-budget filmmaker I need to decide between purchasing RJ or FOTGA for £75, or spending roughly £50 on my own DIY follow focus based on Huco L-box (which might turn out to be as good as a Redrock, or might turn out to be a complete waste). So please... if anyone has used RJ or FOTGA, please tell us, which one would you get if you were someone like me who cannot afford anything more than £75 for a follow focus.
Thanks in advance !
As a no-budget filmmaker I need to decide between purchasing RJ or FOTGA for £75, or spending roughly £50 on my own DIY follow focus based on Huco L-box (which might turn out to be as good as a Redrock, or might turn out to be a complete waste). So please... if anyone has used RJ or FOTGA, please tell us, which one would you get if you were someone like me who cannot afford anything more than £75 for a follow focus.
Thanks in advance !
eiker_ir
Well-known member
i just got the RJ from Amazon (rebranded as Opteka) for $125, i choose that one because i needed 2 units and for a total of $250 it sounded like a great choice.
The build quality is excellent, waaaay better that what i expected for the price, it's a really solid unit, also the knob is huge, a lot bigger than what it looks like in the pics. I've read reviews of people having different amount of backlash on their units but in both of mine it was almost nonexistent, half a mm tops.
The only negative would be the included flexible lens gear, it's pretty useless because it always slips and never sits tight on the lens, i ordered some RedRock knock offs from ebay (about $15 each) and problem solved.
Also, the actual block that connects to the 15mm rods is a bit to loose for the rods, it needs to be tightened way too much so i added two metal washers and solved that problem too.
For the price i couldn't be more satisfied, like i said the cheapest price i could find was trough Amazon, search for Opteka Follow focus and it's $125 currently.
The build quality is excellent, waaaay better that what i expected for the price, it's a really solid unit, also the knob is huge, a lot bigger than what it looks like in the pics. I've read reviews of people having different amount of backlash on their units but in both of mine it was almost nonexistent, half a mm tops.
The only negative would be the included flexible lens gear, it's pretty useless because it always slips and never sits tight on the lens, i ordered some RedRock knock offs from ebay (about $15 each) and problem solved.
Also, the actual block that connects to the 15mm rods is a bit to loose for the rods, it needs to be tightened way too much so i added two metal washers and solved that problem too.
For the price i couldn't be more satisfied, like i said the cheapest price i could find was trough Amazon, search for Opteka Follow focus and it's $125 currently.
NextupMedia
Member
For shure, i have à RJ and i am not that pleased, although i think its the best option. Cheap ff always have some play in the weel and although you might thing " small sacrifice ", some play in à ff makes à sound on the lens ( and your mic will pic This up ).
I have tried RJ follow focus, Shoot35, and Gini i-focus. To be honest, the i-focus is beyond my expectation for what you have to pay it for. I can get one for you if you have difficulties in ordering from the seller himself (since he is not so good with English). The link for the i-focus where you can get with the rig installation is here:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/gini778/m.h...858&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&_trksid=p4340.l2562
Please ignore the high price "Buy It Now" that he is advertising as the complete rig + i-focus price is way cheaper.
Hope this help.
P.s. I still have my Shoot35 CINEfocus (v2) and will never sell it for some reason...heheehe... and Wayne customer service is beyond your imagination too!!
http://www.ebay.com/sch/gini778/m.h...858&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&_trksid=p4340.l2562
Please ignore the high price "Buy It Now" that he is advertising as the complete rig + i-focus price is way cheaper.
Hope this help.
P.s. I still have my Shoot35 CINEfocus (v2) and will never sell it for some reason...heheehe... and Wayne customer service is beyond your imagination too!!