After waiting for the Zeiss LensGears for almost 5 months (they were announced for immediate shipment in April!) I came across Cool-Lux "custom" gears the other day. The few reviews online seemed to give the gears two thumbs up so I've ordered a set. These are available in pretty much any diameter you'd want, and they even sell a "kit" of 3 (sized 62-63) specifically for Loxias. They have similar kits for Milvus, etc. At about $25 per gear, I consider these a really good value.
The set arrived today - these gears are absolutely FANTASTIC! Ideal sizing for Loxias, just enough friction/tension when you pull them over the focus ring. Quality appears to be top notch and the gears look like they perfectly belong on the rig. Even small details like a bit of texture makes them appear like a professional product.
Pros:
Here is the Cool-Lux gear next to my other (now obsolete) solutions The orange gear is one I've custom made using on-line 3D printing services (dirt cheap at about $6-7 shipped) and the typical rubber belt one-size-fit-all contraption. The 3D printed ones worked great but because they are hard plastic, that ended up not being very durable, they ended up slipping and also had teeth wear out after some use. The adjustable rubber belt one was a pain in the rear as it would get in the way and also get really stiff and shrink when temps dropped and caused slippage - I hated it. No more of any of this nonsense with the Cool-Lux.
The Zeiss LensGear Mini got delivered today too... As expected it's on a whole other level of quality - just like the Zeiss glass, everything is "top notch" both in appearance and functionality. Once mounted and centered it's working flawlessly so far - I agree that it's the closest thing you can get to a full cine mechanism. I've opted to not invest in any true cine prime kits yet as I want to keep this system as a hybrid for both stills and video along with keeping the weight and size down.
The interesting thing is... I also might permanently keep the gears on! There are times when I find the smooth Loxia focus ring a bit "too" smooth and too small, especially when rack focus while handheld. The gear provides a much nice grip, and it's as fat as the Batis, which I find to be ideal diameter for my hands.
Anyhow, I have 2 more of these on the way... two thumbs up for sure. Other than the typical Zeiss price sticker, I'd consider these a must for anyone looking to "mod" their primes for follow focus work. Few shots below, just mind the perspective distortion given that I took these with B25...
Are the Zeiss LensGears worth x7 as much as Cool-Lux? That depends on your application of either... Zeiss offers a better overall package, but Cool-Lux might actually be a bit smoother with certain follow focus systems as the softer rubber (vs. Zeiss's all metal construction) is more forgiving if things aren't perfectly aligned/tightened, etc.
Hope this is helpful for anyone looking to "mod" their glass on a budget.
The set arrived today - these gears are absolutely FANTASTIC! Ideal sizing for Loxias, just enough friction/tension when you pull them over the focus ring. Quality appears to be top notch and the gears look like they perfectly belong on the rig. Even small details like a bit of texture makes them appear like a professional product.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Appear to be durable
- Perfect fit and finish
- Perfectly smooth with metal drive gear (I use Edelkrone follow focus)
- 0 slip, 0 play
- 360 rotation
- Cheap-ish, with lifetime warranty
- Removable/reusable
- None I can find so far - only question is whether or not these shrink/expand and harden/soften with temperature changes that I've experienced with other rubber/plastic gears that causes slippage.
Here is the Cool-Lux gear next to my other (now obsolete) solutions The orange gear is one I've custom made using on-line 3D printing services (dirt cheap at about $6-7 shipped) and the typical rubber belt one-size-fit-all contraption. The 3D printed ones worked great but because they are hard plastic, that ended up not being very durable, they ended up slipping and also had teeth wear out after some use. The adjustable rubber belt one was a pain in the rear as it would get in the way and also get really stiff and shrink when temps dropped and caused slippage - I hated it. No more of any of this nonsense with the Cool-Lux.
The Zeiss LensGear Mini got delivered today too... As expected it's on a whole other level of quality - just like the Zeiss glass, everything is "top notch" both in appearance and functionality. Once mounted and centered it's working flawlessly so far - I agree that it's the closest thing you can get to a full cine mechanism. I've opted to not invest in any true cine prime kits yet as I want to keep this system as a hybrid for both stills and video along with keeping the weight and size down.
The interesting thing is... I also might permanently keep the gears on! There are times when I find the smooth Loxia focus ring a bit "too" smooth and too small, especially when rack focus while handheld. The gear provides a much nice grip, and it's as fat as the Batis, which I find to be ideal diameter for my hands.
Anyhow, I have 2 more of these on the way... two thumbs up for sure. Other than the typical Zeiss price sticker, I'd consider these a must for anyone looking to "mod" their primes for follow focus work. Few shots below, just mind the perspective distortion given that I took these with B25...
Are the Zeiss LensGears worth x7 as much as Cool-Lux? That depends on your application of either... Zeiss offers a better overall package, but Cool-Lux might actually be a bit smoother with certain follow focus systems as the softer rubber (vs. Zeiss's all metal construction) is more forgiving if things aren't perfectly aligned/tightened, etc.
Hope this is helpful for anyone looking to "mod" their glass on a budget.