Looking for cheap follow focus unit?

F

filmfan222

Well-known member
I'm looking around for a cheap follow focus unit for my DVX. Ive seen 16x9Inc, and Chroziel both sell extremely expensive rigs, but I noticed that Cavision apparently sells one for much cheaper, but it does not have the gears to work with the DVX yet? Anyone know of others who sell cheap follow focus units?

Charles
 
Re: Looking for cheap follow focus unit?

I was wondering what exactly a follow focus unit is? My school really doesnt have **** for film making, so I have purchased all the stuff myself, and am wondering if this is something I should purchase before I shoot this new short?
 
Re: Looking for cheap follow focus unit?

A follow focus rig is a gear drive mechanism that relocates your focus control to the side of the camera, instead of having to grab the barrel of the lens everytime. It's what you see on cinema cameras, (that big black knob sticking out the side with the white ring around it)...

It also provides markable "focus marks", which allows you to repeat focus moves. If you add the Century Optics manual focus ring, you get hard stops as well. This keeps the focus ring on the dvx from just spinning freely. I like that feature quite a bit, as it's more like a traditional lens.

...very handy to have, but you definitely pay for it.
 
Re: Looking for cheap follow focus unit?

Taylor, the Century Optics Cine Style Ring can be purchased for $319.95 at B&H Photo. Century's website can be found here: Cine Style Ring.

filmfan, I wonder if the Cavision follow focus would work with Century's ring? Is that what they mean by not having a gear for it yet? The Century Optics Cine Style Ring is compatible with all standard follow focus units.
 
Re: Looking for cheap follow focus unit?

[quote author=goober542 link=board=Links;num=1074187413;start=0#1 date=01/15/04 at 11:44:06]I was wondering what exactly a follow focus unit is?  My school really doesnt have **** for film making, so I have purchased all the stuff myself, and am wondering if this is something I should purchase before I shoot this new short?[/quote]

Picture a shot where the camera is pushing forward and stopping several times along the way. When you block the scene, you can MARK on the actual lens (grease pencil? is that right?) where you need to FOCUS and you also MARK the floor (maybe the camera is on a track or stabilizer?) so when the talent hits their MARK and the camera hits ITS MARK, the assistant can focus accordingly.
 
Re: Looking for cheap follow focus unit?

Bingo Hudson. Good example.

[quote author=Oz link=board=Links;num=1074187413;start=0#4 date=01/15/04 at 21:43:26]filmfan, I wonder if the Cavision follow focus would work with Century's ring? Is that what they mean by not having a gear for it yet? [/quote]

The gear drive tooth pattern on the chrosziel unit is a "0.8", (i'm assuming this is mm?). So if Cavision has a gear drive in that capacity, you could in theory mate it up with the century ring. (By "gear drive" i'm referring to the small gear on the actual follow focus unit, not the big ring on the lens...)
 
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