Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
Tough decision between the Shoot35 and RR v2 but I just pulled the trigger on the Shoot35 FF.
Thanks for all the input, everyone! :thumbsup:
Thanks for all the input, everyone! :thumbsup:
Mid-Price Range Follow Focus units
- Thread starter Terry_Lasater
- Start date
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
I'm trying to understand this. Would you elaborate, please?
bgundu
Veteran
Jarek Zabczynski
Veteran
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
Yes, that video has already been posted and discussed in this very thread. :cheesy:
The Durus Follow Focus:
Quick video of the Cinevate setup on an AF100: http://gallery.me.com/eleven_eleven#100206/Durus no audio
The Durus is a solid and burly chunk of equipment. Everything from the knob to the gearbox is aluminum, the only plastic being the marking ring and interface gear. While it makes the unit a hefty sucker, this is a good thing. Cinevate has succeeded in designing a single-clamp follow focus, and this is due to the completely ground-up design and choice of materials. That video you’ve seen of Dennis holding an entire rig by the Durus is no joke: this thing clamps on solidly, and I haven’t yet encountered a situation where the design has failed me. The lack of a second rail-clamp also makes the FF more versatile. You can slide the unit in closer to your tripod head without interference from a bridge, you can quickly flip it over to the camera’s dumb side, and you can easily rotate it out of the way for lens changes, and re-engage with a single action. Pretty neat.
Functionally, the Durus is spot-on. It is verrrry smooth, and the heaviness of the knob feels right when pulling. My unit has absolutely zero lash (haven’t heard of any that do), and the 0.8 pitch drive gear connects perfectly with the matching Cinevate rings. As far as I can tell, both are a reinforced plastic, which makes for silent operation. Many other follow focus units on the market utilize metal drive gears, but I see no shortfalls of Cinevate’s design. Additionally, this gear is easily replaceable with a larger one for extra reach, allowing the unit to sit further from the lens and camera body if your setup requires additional clearance.
This FF is quite versatile. The single clamp design allows a variety of mounting options, which are further multiplied by the ability to flip the focus unit within the clamp. This design allows the operator to maintain proper focus direction no matter where the unit is mounted. This also allows for proper focusing regardless of focus-throw direction. The angle of the knob and drive gear is also adjustable, as the entire gearbox and functioning end of the Durus sits in a rotating base at the top of the clamping piece. To further increase versatility, the Durus has a full 360-degree rotating marking point, allowing you to reposition your marks to wherever is most visible around the marking disc. This point also functions as the hard-stop point, enabling you to add hard-stops to your infinity-throw SLR lenses. However in order to use the optional hard stops you must remove the marking ring, making multiple-mark pulls difficult with stops.
The Durus comes with three standard-size lens gears and spoke sets. They allow full rotation of the focus ring. The gears themselves are solid, but have some issues. First, the spokes are a less than perfect design. Gear rings require perfect alignment around the lens, with even spacing from the barrel at every point. Imperfections in barrel to gear distance result in the ring either applying excess pressure on the FF (and often pushing the lens and of course the frame), or pulling away from the FF and disengaging gear teeth. Designs like Zacuto or Red Rock rings overcome this easily: the Zacuto sits directly on the lens, and the Red Rock has a standardized width all the way around. However because the Cinevate has six adjustment points, a ton of tinkering is required. For my setup I’ve had trouble getting proper alignment at all, which I suspect may be the result of a non-circular ring. This is only a conjecture as I do not have accurate enough tools to measure the outer diameter of these rings, but I have yet to achieve perfect alignment. And unfortunately unless tightened down to an extreme degree (which ends up locking the lens ring), the spokes like to walk themselves around the lens and leave the ring loose and off-kilter. I have since purchased Red Rock gears for some of my lenses and the simpler design will likely replace the remainder of my Cinevate gears.
It’s got a few small flaws. The marking ring is made out of a fairly cheap plastic, and mine seems to have a warp that prevents it from sitting fully flat against the base. It is attached to the unit with two small magnets, one of which pulled out of the ring when I first removed it. It’s nice to have the angle of the knob adjustable, but it’s fairly time consuming to do so due to the positioning of the allen bolts. In order to adjust them you need to poke an allen key through the holes in the knob. This means you’re limited by the angle of your allen key, as when you adjust the knob by more than a few degrees the bolts are inaccessible. I’m not sure why they didn’t reverse the design to put the bolts on the lens-side of the unit, as access would be very straightforward.
All-in-all I’m very happy with the Durus. Operation is precise and comfortable, and build quality is very good. Backed by a lifetime warranty I’m confident this will be in my kit for many years to come.
Single Clamp Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nice Large Knob and Marking Disc
Quick video of the Cinevate setup on an AF100: http://gallery.me.com/eleven_eleven#100206/Durus no audio
The Durus is a solid and burly chunk of equipment. Everything from the knob to the gearbox is aluminum, the only plastic being the marking ring and interface gear. While it makes the unit a hefty sucker, this is a good thing. Cinevate has succeeded in designing a single-clamp follow focus, and this is due to the completely ground-up design and choice of materials. That video you’ve seen of Dennis holding an entire rig by the Durus is no joke: this thing clamps on solidly, and I haven’t yet encountered a situation where the design has failed me. The lack of a second rail-clamp also makes the FF more versatile. You can slide the unit in closer to your tripod head without interference from a bridge, you can quickly flip it over to the camera’s dumb side, and you can easily rotate it out of the way for lens changes, and re-engage with a single action. Pretty neat.
Solid Gear Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plastic Drive Gear
Functionally, the Durus is spot-on. It is verrrry smooth, and the heaviness of the knob feels right when pulling. My unit has absolutely zero lash (haven’t heard of any that do), and the 0.8 pitch drive gear connects perfectly with the matching Cinevate rings. As far as I can tell, both are a reinforced plastic, which makes for silent operation. Many other follow focus units on the market utilize metal drive gears, but I see no shortfalls of Cinevate’s design. Additionally, this gear is easily replaceable with a larger one for extra reach, allowing the unit to sit further from the lens and camera body if your setup requires additional clearance.
Entire Unit Angle, Gearbox/Knob Angle, and Marking Point All Fully Adjustable.
This FF is quite versatile. The single clamp design allows a variety of mounting options, which are further multiplied by the ability to flip the focus unit within the clamp. This design allows the operator to maintain proper focus direction no matter where the unit is mounted. This also allows for proper focusing regardless of focus-throw direction. The angle of the knob and drive gear is also adjustable, as the entire gearbox and functioning end of the Durus sits in a rotating base at the top of the clamping piece. To further increase versatility, the Durus has a full 360-degree rotating marking point, allowing you to reposition your marks to wherever is most visible around the marking disc. This point also functions as the hard-stop point, enabling you to add hard-stops to your infinity-throw SLR lenses. However in order to use the optional hard stops you must remove the marking ring, making multiple-mark pulls difficult with stops.
The Durus comes with three standard-size lens gears and spoke sets. They allow full rotation of the focus ring. The gears themselves are solid, but have some issues. First, the spokes are a less than perfect design. Gear rings require perfect alignment around the lens, with even spacing from the barrel at every point. Imperfections in barrel to gear distance result in the ring either applying excess pressure on the FF (and often pushing the lens and of course the frame), or pulling away from the FF and disengaging gear teeth. Designs like Zacuto or Red Rock rings overcome this easily: the Zacuto sits directly on the lens, and the Red Rock has a standardized width all the way around. However because the Cinevate has six adjustment points, a ton of tinkering is required. For my setup I’ve had trouble getting proper alignment at all, which I suspect may be the result of a non-circular ring. This is only a conjecture as I do not have accurate enough tools to measure the outer diameter of these rings, but I have yet to achieve perfect alignment. And unfortunately unless tightened down to an extreme degree (which ends up locking the lens ring), the spokes like to walk themselves around the lens and leave the ring loose and off-kilter. I have since purchased Red Rock gears for some of my lenses and the simpler design will likely replace the remainder of my Cinevate gears.
It’s got a few small flaws. The marking ring is made out of a fairly cheap plastic, and mine seems to have a warp that prevents it from sitting fully flat against the base. It is attached to the unit with two small magnets, one of which pulled out of the ring when I first removed it. It’s nice to have the angle of the knob adjustable, but it’s fairly time consuming to do so due to the positioning of the allen bolts. In order to adjust them you need to poke an allen key through the holes in the knob. This means you’re limited by the angle of your allen key, as when you adjust the knob by more than a few degrees the bolts are inaccessible. I’m not sure why they didn’t reverse the design to put the bolts on the lens-side of the unit, as access would be very straightforward.
Rugged Aluminum Body
All-in-all I’m very happy with the Durus. Operation is precise and comfortable, and build quality is very good. Backed by a lifetime warranty I’m confident this will be in my kit for many years to come.
Last edited:
Justyn
Veteran
I just inherited the Cavision Follow focus and it looks pretty good so far... but theirs an annoying small little washer that they say not to lose and I lost it the first time I used it.... and also they nickle and dime you on all of the cogs and want too much for the lens gears... I think I also want the magnetic lens gears anyway...
One things for sure, their shoulder brace is a complete piece of crap. Either way... I love that I got all of this for free so hey, now I have a follow focus and I just have to get the cogs and then the clamps for the lens and we'll see how it is. Sometimes when it's free, that's the way I'll end up going.
So does anyone have any recommendations on the magnetic lens gears? Also anyone know where and what I'd need to get for the FF cogs? I think they are universal on their models but I can check and see which one I have.... cheers.
One things for sure, their shoulder brace is a complete piece of crap. Either way... I love that I got all of this for free so hey, now I have a follow focus and I just have to get the cogs and then the clamps for the lens and we'll see how it is. Sometimes when it's free, that's the way I'll end up going.
So does anyone have any recommendations on the magnetic lens gears? Also anyone know where and what I'd need to get for the FF cogs? I think they are universal on their models but I can check and see which one I have.... cheers.
Robert Sharpe
Active member
So alot of people seem to be trying to decide between RR and shoot35. I am one of those and would like to know if the shoot35 can "reverse" so you can pull focus on photo lens (Nikon for me) just like you would with cine lenses. Mike had said that the RR reverse option was poorly designed and not worth it. So can the shoot35 and is it well made?