Remote focus/iris controllers with the Panasonic 14-140 lens

Hi Jan- while you're on this thread, could you speak to the iris control I've been on about? Is this something that can or will be changed with a firmware update? If not, what was the reasoning behind going with a stepped rather than a smooth control on the iris? And could the auto-iris at least be changed to a smooth control even if the iris wheel and/ or remote port can not? DSLRs have stepped iris control when used manually, but on them you can at least work around it by using auto-iris or auto-ISO on shots where the exposure needs to change mid-clip. With the AF100 that can't be done currently as the auto-iris is stepped like the manual control, and there is no auto ISO.
 
I am researching the lens portion of this as I think it is the lens and not so much the camera. And am also working with Varizoom on the controls. The lens does not get any better than it is out of the box, so as an example the numbers for the focus change when i move in to the same object. In talking with the engineer from our consumer side he said that it was a feature he wanted in the GH2 but the factory told him that it, the lens, did not have the smarts for that. So I am not sure how good it can get but am working on it.

Thanks,

Jan
 
Hi Jan, Sorry it is the other H Preston site 101crew.co.uk In fact it is now posted on the HD Warrior site as well.
 
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FYI I will be talking to a BeBob engineer in the morning and will get the lo down on the second calibration pot below the focus calibration pot, will keep you posted.
 
Okay, an update on this -- I've just followed the procedure as laid out on the 101crew.co.uk website, and now my FoXi reaches infinity on both my 14-140 and 100-300 lenses. Previously it would only reach infinity on the 7-14. Now it easily reaches infinity on all of them.

I don't know exactly what that potentiometer is doing, but I had to turn it a lot ... like, I don't recall, six or eight full turns, to get it to reach infinity.

I decided to try the FoXi on my HMC40 and HMC150 to see if it still works, and yes, it does. It seems like it reaches infinity a bit sooner now, and there's more play before the hard stop kicks in, but ... hey, it still works, and now it works across the full rante of all my Lumix lenses too... so, unless Philip reports back that the Bebob engineer says "don't do that!", then, it sure looks like this is a simple no-cost solution that works.
 
Barry_Green said:
.......

I don't know exactly what that potentiometer is doing, but I had to turn it a lot ... like, I don't recall, six or eight full turns, to get it to reach infinity.

.......
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Trim pots often are multi-turn (often 10 turns) pots. So the fact that you had to keep turning it is not unusual.
 
Barry,

Very glad that tweaking the 'focus' multiturn pot did the job for you. As I said before, adjusting it it only took my 14-140 from a 9 metre limit out to 15 metres, so didn't get to infinity.
The circuit boards inside have the two multiturn pots labelled 'focus' and 'iris', as I guess you'd suspect. I believe that there's a basic probably pot with a value of perhaps 15-20k, that adjusts the focus and the multiturn pot adds some further resistance to that to 'fine adjust' it. It would appear that close focus is the zero resistance end....if I short out the big pot, the camera closes to 0.5 metre focus.
Jan implies that the lenses may still be further adjustable and that would obviously please me since I still can't use a remote on the lens I have.

David T
 
Postfade said:
Barry,
Jan implies that the lenses may still be further adjustable and that would obviously please me since I still can't use a remote on the lens I have.
Click to expand...

That wasn't my implication at all, sorry if it sounded that way. When I saidI was investigating the lens, it is the lens, that is the different part of the equation. All of the manufacturers of the remotes, did not change the protocol, we didn't change the protocol, what is different is the lens. That said, the likelyhood that this small group of purchasers might influence the Lumix factory to change the lens is remote, no pun intended. But the remote guys might be able to adjust. HD warrior is checking with the Bebob guys and I am checking with Varizoom and am sending them a camera. So hold tight.

Best,

Jan
 
Engineer did not call me :{

Engineer did not call me :{

Yip I waited all morning for Mr BeBob to call me but I think he must have forgot I will email him and see if we can find out what the 2nd pot is for.
 
Philip, I've opened my FOXI up and the two multi-turn pots are labelled 'focus' and iris'...which is I guess what you'd expect. They obviously add fine resistance to the main pots.

David
 
Anton...I think the BeBob FOXI came first, being designed for the earlier cameras when the Panasonic remote protocol came out to rival Sony's LANC. I guess pricing is a case of 'what can we sell this for?' isn't it?
The home made ones shown on another thread here show what really goes into these!

DT
 
Contact me regarding AF100 pre-purchase

Contact me regarding AF100 pre-purchase

Jan, didn't have an email for you but wanted to talk possibilities for AF100 in a studio situation.
If you get a chance, please email me :

dmathias
at
unl.edu
 
Just to recap: when I started this thread I was disappointed that my BeBob FOXI wasn't controlling the focus right through the full focal range when my 14-140 lens was at infinity. HDWarrior showed that there were tweaks that could make the FOXI adjust for this...but despite that my lens still wouldn't get to infinity when zoomed to 140mm.
Eventually I've gone and bought another remote controller, the Manfrotto 521PFI and it works a treat! It's a perfect remote controller, having a big focus wheel, a different but equally useful iris controller and a whole set of switches to allow manual or auto of both focus and iris, to allow rotation of the pots in either direction and also it can set 'fore' and 'after' focus points for throwing focus.
A great unit and cheaper than the BeBob as well.
Now I can use my old rails mounted manual follow-focus unit to be a 'zoom adjuster' instead, which makes the 14-140mm a really good video lens easily controlled on the AF-100 without using the 'notchy lens barrel' or the awkwardly placed camera iris wheel.
David T
 
Postfade said:
Just to recap: when I started this thread I was disappointed that my BeBob FOXI wasn't controlling the focus right through the full focal range when my 14-140 lens was at infinity. HDWarrior showed that there were tweaks that could make the FOXI adjust for this...but despite that my lens still wouldn't get to infinity when zoomed to 140mm.
Eventually I've gone and bought another remote controller, the Manfrotto 521PFI and it works a treat! It's a perfect remote controller, having a big focus wheel, a different but equally useful iris controller and a whole set of switches to allow manual or auto of both focus and iris, to allow rotation of the pots in either direction and also it can set 'fore' and 'after' focus points for throwing focus.
A great unit and cheaper than the BeBob as well.
Now I can use my old rails mounted manual follow-focus unit to be a 'zoom adjuster' instead, which makes the 14-140mm a really good video lens easily controlled on the AF-100 without using the 'notchy lens barrel' or the awkwardly placed camera iris wheel.
David T
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Whoa...that is goog to hear!!! I ordered the manfrotto 521PFI some days ago and I was worried if it will be worth the bill ! Can you give your first impression - is it comparable to a mechnical follow focus unit?
 
Yes it's comparable with my mechanical follow focus, but the amount of throw, ie wheel turning is smaller I believe. That suits the thumb-wheel operation where you, the cameraman, have it mounted on your tripods pan-bar. That's how I need to work as I don't ever have the luxury of a focus-puller.
The BeBob had a follow-focus type marking ring around the wheel, which the Manfrotto hasn't got, but as I said I'm thrilled to have such a well designed remote on the AF100.
I found it fairly awkward to use a mechanical f-f unit when it was mounted on my Canon 5D2's 70-200 lens and in the end I mounted a second f-f on the otherside to allow me also to do zooming without having to use the lens barrel. This remote is just so much easier and I can still use the mechanical zoom f-f if I want.
I just hope it works with the Birger adaptor when it's available.
I think I'll now make a simple remote stop-start switch as that'll stop the 'wobble' when I start and stop recording.
 
Postfade said:
Yes it's comparable with my mechanical follow focus, but the amount of throw, ie wheel turning is smaller I believe. That suits the thumb-wheel operation where you, the cameraman, have it mounted on your tripods pan-bar. That's how I need to work as I don't ever have the luxury of a focus-puller.
The BeBob had a follow-focus type marking ring around the wheel, which the Manfrotto hasn't got, but as I said I'm thrilled to have such a well designed remote on the AF100.
I found it fairly awkward to use a mechanical f-f unit when it was mounted on my Canon 5D2's 70-200 lens and in the end I mounted a second f-f on the otherside to allow me also to do zooming without having to use the lens barrel. This remote is just so much easier and I can still use the mechanical zoom f-f if I want.
I just hope it works with the Birger adaptor when it's available.
I think I'll now make a simple remote stop-start switch as that'll stop the 'wobble' when I start and stop recording.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Postfade!

Didn´t you get a remote with your Camera? If yes....then you already have a start/stop button to prevent the wobble.

THX!
 
<<Didn´t you get a remote with your Camera? If yes....then you already have a start/stop button to prevent the wobble.>>
Oh I want it to be a button on the pan-bar alongside the 521PFI, not a DVD type remote.
D
 
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