SG Pro R3 + HVX200 + Vinten rig pictures

[Phill Mason]

Hi guys, I've been itching to get some additional bits n bobs for my HVX200 and over the last month I've added some important parts to my rig. Thought I'd share them with you as I'm chuffed to bits with it so far

Here's my new Vinten Pro 6 HDV tripod I got a couple weeks ago:
Really pleased with this purchase.

And now with the addition of the SGPro 35mm adapter on a set of rails with the SG Follow Focus:

I'll post some test footage as soon as I shot something when my new lenses arrive, the one I'm using now is off my Canon 350D - the 18mm-55mm one that came with it. Its like working ina dark tunnel all the time, but not for long

Thanks for looking.

 

[Tim Naylor]

What's the scoop on the SG FF. How much play? Dampened? Can it easily mount to the right side with mattebox? Also, what's the verdict on the gears?

 

[Avenger007]

Just got mine in. Heres my .02:

Pros:
-Good build. Machined well. Tight fit. Overall clean design.
-Single knob for adjusting/tightening
-Good marking indicator (solid unlike the thin one on redrock)
-Good grip
-Marking disc is good quality
-works with my chrosziel and cinevate mattebox. Depends on the lens but it has worked with all my primes and zooms.

Cons:
-Single tightening knob is reluctant to tighten on my cinevate and other CF rods versus other single knob models such as my chrosziel.
-Marking disc is removable but requires 3 screws to be removed. Should be magnetic
-NO accessory port. Wayne says an adapter is coming soon to fix this.
-Not dampened. Slightly better sliding and adjusting than redrock but not as smooth as chrosziel.
-Single sided/fixed wheel. But of course who DOES have double sided option in this price range.
-Drive gear is thinner (not as wide) as redrock, but similar size to chrosziel.

Neutral:
-Large drive gear and large wheel. Depending on how you look at it, this is pos or neg. Both are larger than the redrock FF.

Improvements:
-Thicker/wider drive gear
-Removable marking disc (add magnets)
-Extend the pointer indicator slightly more over marking disc (being nitpicky)
-Improve tightening system to require less torque/fewer turns by adding washers ect
-Get that accessory adapter RELEASED
-Replace the plastic part covering the gear box with something more substantial (harder plastic or machined cover). Simply for better looks/build.

As for the actual gear box, it is difficult for me to comment on it. Mine seemed tight and free of play when I unpacked it but upon installation I noticed that when the drive gear has torque against it, I can slightly turn the wheel back and forth without affecting the gear (basically a decent amount of play). I have seen some members mention that the gear box can be adjusted but I'm not sure how to do so. It seems like a good box, perhaps mine was damaged/loosened in shipping?

For the lens gears, I have the type 2 which are a 360* design. Heres the lowdown:

Pros:
-360* rotation
-Metal construction. Machined well.
-2 sizes of set screws for different sized lenses.
-Large enough to accommodate large lenses.

Cons:
-slow setup
-set screws can damage focus ring rubber/finish
-more care needed to avoid mounting twisted (not perfectly perpendicular to lens) but not much of an issue typically.

Improvements:
-Need to add "feet" to the set screws to fix the issues with damaging lens ring.

I find the rings great permanently mounted on the lenses, storing them in the case with the rings. Then I use a set of redrock rings for those sets which aren't using my lenses or for adding rings to a zoom/iris. The type 1 lenses are likely much faster but I have yet to find anything as fast and intuitive as the redrock.

Overall, if the FF had the accessory port out and does indeed have a tight gearbox (mine could be a dud) I would prefer it over the Redrock due to price, slightly better build quality, and faster install with single knob. If wayne did a package deal for $500-525 with 3 rings and the accessory adapter it would be a fantastic deal.

Hope that helps.

For reference, I compared this to my indifocus, redrock, and chrosziel FF units. Chrosziel is the typical DV unit. I find comparing the SG to anything more is worthless considering pricepoint. My Arri units are far better but cost over 4x the amount so I have to be fair.

 

[ecking]

Nice write up avenger, which indifocus do you have the new or old and how does it stack up to the sg and rr in your opinion?

 

[Avenger007]

I have the new version. Its less than a week old.

I will be returning it for quite a few issues which I will not list here at this time, however compared to the SG and RR, its no comparison. They are in a different category.

Indifocus is $360, the RR is $650 and the SG is $550 (each with 3 lens rings). You truly get what you pay for. In my opinion, even if film making is a hobby, it is better to save up and buy the proper equipment within reason than to cut corners and let your work suffer. I own 2 follow focus units that cost over $1k and I still use my RR unit quite a bit. I think that with some gearbox improvements/change my SG will be a nice unit as well.

I will decide whether or not to give a full indifocus review depending on how their return policy works out for me.

 

[Tim Naylor]

I have the new version. Its less than a week old.

New version of what?

 

[Avenger007]

The indifocus

 

[ecking]

I have the new version. Its less than a week old.

I will be returning it for quite a few issues which I will not list here at this time, however compared to the SG and RR, its no comparison. They are in a different category.

Indifocus is $360, the RR is $650 and the SG is $550 (each with 3 lens rings). You truly get what you pay for. In my opinion, even if film making is a hobby, it is better to save up and buy the proper equipment within reason than to cut corners and let your work suffer. I own 2 follow focus units that cost over $1k and I still use my RR unit quite a bit. I think that with some gearbox improvements/change my SG will be a nice unit as well.

I will decide whether or not to give a full indifocus review depending on how their return policy works out for me.

Could you maybe pm me a short review to tell me what issues you found if you don't want to post publicly? I wouldn't share it'd just help me make some decisions. :happy: