GH2 Servo zoom? Can we fake it?

[HotConductor]

I remember a while back reading how someone took a rubber can opener from Bed Bath & Beyond and turned it into a zoom lever of sorts. Many of us went out and gave it a shot, but ultimately I found it to be a nice idea, but unrealistic in practice. Now that the new Lumix G X Vario Power OIS lenses are out (in particular the 14-42mm F/3.5-5.6), is there a way to build a servo zoom remote that would actually work?

For example... I frequently shoot concerts and as such I am running around either completely hand-held, or with a Halo rig suited up with a field recorder, light, so forth... One of the things I LOVED about my HMC150 was having a nice zoom remote.. Any thoughts on how to make it a reality? I have actually begun drawing up some diagrams for a home-engineered pulley system of sorts.

I would love to develop an elegant solution. GH2 + servo zoom + less jello + 48fps = my dream come true.

 

[brunerww]

H.C. - here is a solution about to be introduced at NAB (for Canon DSLRs only) - Viztools' Handizoom, which advertises "DSLR Video - ENG style":

Pretty funny that this would be introduced for Canon, where the shooter will need to jockey the focus while he or she power zooms. Maybe you can mount a follow focus on the left side of the lens while you 'Handi-zoom' on the right? That's not "ENG style"

Would have made more sense to make it available for cameras with autofocus in video mode, like Panasonic, Sony Alpha/NEX or even Nikon.

Cheers,

Bill

 

[ed_lee83]

Well, they say only initial release supports Canon. So maybe eventually they'll cover other brands.
If you really crave servo zoom you can look into the B4 mount ENG lenses. There is a B4 to m4/3 mount. But can only control zoom, nothing else.
Notice how the guy needs to wear the external battery on his waist to power it.
You really need to have a lot of accessories to use it effectively: Rig, external battery, loupe...

 

[David W. Jones]

Probably not what you are after, but... http://www.rtmotion.com

 

[izoneguy]

Probably not what you are after, but... http://www.rtmotion.com

Those prices are crazy - those are made for guys who can afford $40K lenses - LOL

Panasonic is coming out with what they call "Power Zoom Lens"
http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/lens/g_x_vario_14_42.html

http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/lens/g_x_vario_45_175.html

 

[Cory Braun]

Those prices are crazy - those are made for guys who can afford $40K lenses - LOL

Panasonic is coming out with what they call "Power Zoom Lens"
http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/lens/g_x_vario_14_42.html

http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/lens/g_x_vario_45_175.html

They're already out. I have the 14-42 and it works great for documentary work.

 

[nothing]

Those prices are crazy - those are made for guys who can afford $40K lenses - LOL

That's actually quite inexpensive compared to industry standard: http://www.prestoncinema.com/

 

[HotConductor]

Thank you all for the links. I am still interested in the X lenses (14-42) but was looking for a solution similar to the ones posted above.

All of this cracks me up as I'm drawn back to the traditional video camera format just for servo zoom. If Panasonic had made the AF100 a servo-zoom DSLR variant, it would have stood out in my mind.

Thank you all for your feedback. In the words of Ash from Alien, "I'm still collating."