Servo Zoom?!

I owned/used 2 of thse Chroiszel rings on my old 16mm film Angeniux lenses . I doubt they could be used on any other lenses since they were specifically designed for those lenses. They worked great with either the short or long zoom stick and the drag was adjustable. However I recall they would periodcically fail when the little rubber nubbies would fall out and require an expensive trip to Abel for service.
Chroiszel replaced the rings with the newer current offset rig that you referenced above. It is a superior system that could be user-adjusted to work on various lenses and works really well. Not sure how well it will work on my Olympus zooms. I think that B&H photo does not show the geared cylindrical knob that remains attached to your lens and meshes with the pictured assembly.

chris

Ticheli said:
I found the original fluid dampening rig; dirt cheap, but don't know if it will fit any lens that works on the AF100: http://www.visualproducts.com/storeProductDetail02.asp?productID=699&Cat=3&Cat2=45

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo
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why would you want to use a shallow-DOF camcorder for event work?.
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Because it's the expected look when you're trying to sell a "cinematic" product. Having the entire frame always in focus is very "video". The 2/3" models are all shoulder mount and over my budget. The ideal event camera will be handheld, have a very large sensor for shallow DoF, and less than $5Gs. The AF100 was looking to fit that bill until this lack of servo zoom cropped up.

Oh well. Folks seem to be producing pretty nice images with the HMC 150, I guess. It just sucks that my next camera will still be stuck with a tiny 1/3" chip. (Unless JJ comes through with his Scarlet idea. I already know the fixed lens has a servo zoom. Here's hoping that idea caries over to every model in his lineup.)
 
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Jim Simon said:
Because it's the expected look when you're trying to sell a "cinematic" product. Having the entire frame always in focus is very "video". The 2/3" models are all shoulder mount and over my budget. The ideal event camera will be handheld, have a very large sensor for shallow DoF, and less than $5Gs. The AF100 was looking to fit that bill until this lack of servo zoom cropped up.
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And the guys I know that are delivering this look to their customers already have been using DSLRs, and no servo zoom. And of course they generally have two cameras because one does not know when the first one overheats and stops recording. I know stringers for the networks that have been shooting with 5Ds and they too are looking at the AF100. And they too would like a servo zoom, but readily admit that they have been able to work around it.

So think about altering how you shoot and think about the Varifocal length lenses for changing the framing.

Best,

Jan
 
Jan-
If you've been following the "Micro 4/3 with Canon B4..." thread it seems there's a possibility that a Canon 2/3" lens with 2x and a Ciecio7 adapter WILL work with the AF. All we need is a way to power the servo. Do you know of a third party (or Panasonic for that matter) that would build a side grip that has a battery compartment and a servo tap?
 
The Usual Suspects has a ton of zooming in it, as do a lot of other great films. I get tired of hearing NEVER ZOOM YOUR CAMERA! Yes, there are bad looking zoom shots...but used well it can be a very compelling technique.
 
Zooming can be used horribly and it can be used brilliantly. For me Leone is as good as it gets. I will never come close to his greatness, but I will spend the rest of my life trying. For shooting a film, I'd use a PL cine zoom for zoom shots. The 14-140 update has helped its ability to zoom without iris chatter. It still has to refocus and adjust iris on fast zoom shots, but on short zoom shots or slow zoom shots, it is vastly improved.

Leone's planned intro shot for Leningrad would have been simply amazing. Helicopter plus zoom. If he had pulled it off, it would have been his greatest single shot.
 
I plan to make my own servo for the zoom on the Panasonic 14-140mm. I am making a jib and I will want to have remote control over both zoom and focus. I'm assuming it will be easy enough to make a remote for the electronic focus as well. No need for a servo there. You just need a controller connected to the focus plug.
 
BerkeleyBob said:
Jan-
If you've been following the "Micro 4/3 with Canon B4..." thread it seems there's a possibility that a Canon 2/3" lens with 2x and a Ciecio7 adapter WILL work with the AF. All we need is a way to power the servo. Do you know of a third party (or Panasonic for that matter) that would build a side grip that has a battery compartment and a servo tap?
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When I had my HPX500's, I purchased a couple of lenses that I had to convert from 6 pin to 12 pin. I believe the servo on the lenses take a 12 volt ? (might want to check that before connecting), but it may be fairly easy to convert a lens and get power from the powertap. If it is something less, like 6 volts or something that the lens needs, you can probably have some sort of inline transformer or something to step down and not fry your lens. I am thinking some sort of 2 way splitter, one goes to the connector on the camera (I assume for viewfinder information) and one feeds the power for the servo, then both go down to 1 connector to the lens. Because even if you had only a correct power source hooked to the lens, and even if the lens is not attached to the camera, the power alone should make the servo function. Just an idea but may work if someone knows more about it.
 
plasmasmp said:
Zooming can be used horribly and it can be used brilliantly. For me Leone is as good as it gets. I will never come close to his greatness, but I will spend the rest of my life trying. For shooting a film, I'd use a PL cine zoom for zoom shots. The 14-140 update has helped its ability to zoom without iris chatter. It still has to refocus and adjust iris on fast zoom shots, but on short zoom shots or slow zoom shots, it is vastly improved.

Leone's planned intro shot for Leningrad would have been simply amazing. Helicopter plus zoom. If he had pulled it off, it would have been his greatest single shot.
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Yea i noticed the 14-140 did some odd bluring during quick zooms, as if it was defocused, then snapped back into focus.
 
Jan_Crittenden said:
So think about altering how you shoot and think about the Varifocal length lenses for changing the framing.
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I appreciate the input, Jan. But for the kind of shooting I do, the servo zoom really is a MUST have. Like I said in a previous post, working with the camera in a studio config, or sliding around the dance floor of a wedding reception, or holding the camera 3 feet overhead, it's just not possible to do well and easily without a servo zoom. And those are both requirements for me, well AND easily. "Working around" this is just not something I'm willing to pay for.

But thank you for being here and listening to my gripe. It's nice to know the company is listening.
 
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Event shooting is a whole different world... and those who are good at it, earn their dough. I never did weddings but I did shoot a ton of conventions when I lived in Vegas, and it will totally put the hair on your chest.

I know exactly what Jim's asking for, and that's why I say -- I don't think the AF100 is ideally suited for it. Maybe an HMC150 for the main camera, and a GH2 for the occasional beauty shot?
 
Jim Simon said:
I appreciate the input, Jan. But for the kind of shooting I do, the servo zoom really is a MUST have. Like I said in a previous post, working with the camera in a studio config, or sliding around the dance floor of a wedding reception, or holding the camera 3 feet overhead, it's just not possible to do well and easily without a servo zoom. And those are both requirements for me, well AND easily. "Working around" this is just not something I'm willing to pay for.

But thank you for being here and listening to my gripe. It's nice to know the company is listening.
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It doesn't seem like this camera is for you. If they make a fixed lens version it would be better suited to that sort of thing.
 
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