Trusmt Follow focus - Thumbs up or down? Owners weigh in, please!

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dtzfilms

Well-known member
Please share your experience with the Trusmt follow focus if you've used one or own one.
I don't want to buy something cheap only to have to replace it 20 jobs down the road.
It's half the price of the Redrock plus it comes with gears. Anyone care to share their
experience? I'm planning to use it with the http://www.indisystem.com/indirailspro-xvsm/ at $269.

If you have experience with that as well, chime in, please. I'm planning to use the onboard LCD/EVF so I'm in the market
for an offset similar to the pictured one.

I'm not in the market for a $999 Matte box either. I'd rather pay less than half for something
that does the same job, French flags and all.

Appreciate all the advice!
 

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Same as RedRock second gen. in quality, but more features. Hard stops are very usefull for still zoom lenses. It has the play from day one. Than again, I tried new Redrock Blue here in Toronto at the local retailer (demo unit, from the shelf) only to get disappointed with amount of play it had... I will use my until it comes at the top of the list to be replaced. Bottom line, I would not buy trustmt again.
 
I'm using a Red Rock Blue, much improved from the V2 I was using before it. The amount of play is completely adjustable with an allen key. Very happy with it.
 
Tata Steva said:
Than again, I tried new Redrock Blue here in Toronto at the local retailer (demo unit, from the shelf) only to get disappointed with amount of play it had
Click to expand...

Hey Tata,

Which Reseller was it? Sounds like it wasn't set up properly. The Blue has the ability to adjust for backlash so I haven't run into a single unit with play once fine tuned.

StephenM said:
I'm using a Red Rock Blue, much improved from the V2 I was using before it. The amount of play is completely adjustable with an allen key. Very happy with it.
Click to expand...

Stephen,

Always glad to hear from professionals using the microFollowFocus Blue, it's really my favorite product we have right now.
 
I don't want to buy something cheap only to have to replace it 20 jobs down the road.
Click to expand...

I am kind of wondering if that where you are heading on all this.

Much of what you want is about asking for high end ...but at a low end price.

I'm not in the market for a $999 Matte box either. I'd rather pay less than half for something
that does the same job, French flags and all.
Click to expand...

History and experience tells us this is is going to end in tears at bed time.

On a helpful note... do you really, really need all this stuff right now... instead of saving for the better stuff?
 
Loren Simons said:
Hey Tata,

Which Reseller was it? Sounds like it wasn't set up properly. The Blue has the ability to adjust for backlash so I haven't run into a single unit with play once fine tuned.



Stephen,

Always glad to hear from professionals using the microFollowFocus Blue, it's really my favorite product we have right now.
Click to expand...



Vistek.
Associate behind the counter tried to "fix it" with the Allen key with no success... Again, I was really surprised as it was on my short list (after using first version for several years of location shoots...).
 
i had the indifocus pro before the trusmt. at the time the indifocus pro was the best option for me price/performance. bought the trusmt when i saw what it was capable of for the price. zero backlash. quick release , adjustable hardstops.


never tried any of the high end gear but to me theres no need to now. Im happy with it.


I did keep the indisystem snap gears. thats another great engineered product , and also own indisystem compact which i modified alot to suit my needs.

Indisystem gear is great stuff for the money. and their customer service is awsome. Tim gave me his new revised shoulder pad for free , that was nice of him
 
I've used the TrusMT Follow Focus for the last four months on a compact Gini rig with Nikon-mount Tokina zooms and Samyang/Rokinon primes. Here are my observations:

1. The Follow Focus comes with a second gear, allowing you to have identical gears mounted on both ends of the gear shaft at the same time. This makes it more flexible in accommodating both long and short lenses.

2. The Follow Focus knob can be mounted on either side of the 15mm rails, and rotates in the same direction regardless. I like mine mounted on the right side of the lens.

3. The two focus-stop screws are quick to adjust and work very well. Even when you want to use the full focus range, the focus-stops prevent the gears from binding when you hit the rotation limits of the focus ring.

4. The four plastic focus ring gears work well, but they each fit only a limited range of lens diameters. If your lenses are close to the same outer diameter, you may want to ask the vendor if you can get a custom set of four ring gears with your order.

5. The magnet that holds the white witness-mark ring on the knob is weak and the ring can be inadvertantly knocked off.

6. The weakest point of the design is the single thumbscrew that clamps down the double-jointed lever arm the knob is mounted on. While it's precisely machined, there's inevitably a slight difference in the pressure the thumbscrew applies to the two joints. As a result, the knob can be pulled away from the lens no matter how hard you tighten the thumbscrew. To ameliorate this problem, I put thin lock washers in the joints of the lever arm - there was just enough room to make them fit. This improves the reliability of the unit, though it's still not possible to fully tighten the knob mount with your fingers alone.

After fixing the lever arm problem, I find the TrusMT works well in practice. The adjustable focus-stop screws are an invaluable feature that makes it well worth the reasonable price.
 
Can the TrusMT Follow Focus work with cine lenses like a Zeiss CP.2? or better for smaller still lenses with added gears.
 
lpowell said:
I've used the TrusMT Follow Focus for the last four months on a compact Gini rig with Nikon-mount Tokina zooms and Samyang/Rokinon primes. Here are my observations:

1. The Follow Focus comes with a second gear, allowing you to have identical gears mounted on both ends of the gear shaft at the same time. This makes it more flexible in accommodating both long and short lenses.

2. The Follow Focus knob can be mounted on either side of the 15mm rails, and rotates in the same direction regardless. I like mine mounted on the right side of the lens.

3. The two focus-stop screws are quick to adjust and work very well. Even when you want to use the full focus range, the focus-stops prevent the gears from binding when you hit the rotation limits of the focus ring.

4. The four plastic focus ring gears work well, but they each fit only a limited range of lens diameters. If your lenses are close to the same outer diameter, you may want to ask the vendor if you can get a custom set of four ring gears with your order.

5. The magnet that holds the white witness-mark ring on the knob is weak and the ring can be inadvertantly knocked off.

6. The weakest point of the design is the single thumbscrew that clamps down the double-jointed lever arm the knob is mounted on. While it's precisely machined, there's inevitably a slight difference in the pressure the thumbscrew applies to the two joints. As a result, the knob can be pulled away from the lens no matter how hard you tighten the thumbscrew. To ameliorate this problem, I put thin lock washers in the joints of the lever arm - there was just enough room to make them fit. This improves the reliability of the unit, though it's still not possible to fully tighten the knob mount with your fingers alone.

After fixing the lever arm problem, I find the TrusMT works well in practice. The adjustable focus-stop screws are an invaluable feature that makes it well worth the reasonable price.
Click to expand...

Which model TrusMT do you own?
 
I went ahead and ordered a Trusmt NF4. We'll see. I've seen enough to take a splash.
Given the history of China, I think Trusmt "hybidized" Letus and the Redrock Blue whom they might have done R&D for.
If I had a product, I'd keep the jobs here because while I may save on cheap labor in the short term, in the long run an unscrupulous Chinese
company and former partner might just become my competitor. None of the offshore savings corporations make are passed onto the average Westerner.
They went to the East for cheap labor so I guess I justify buying this, not as a punitive response, but as dictated by cost-cutting(like the corporations).
There was no loyalty when jobs were shipped overseas, no reason why I should pay double or triple for products that may be top notch but not necessarily be twice as good.

I also ordered the Indisystem Ultra compact rig with complimentary carbon fiber 18" rods. $299 Ohio-based, yah! All in all I've spent $782!
I don't really need a matte box right now, never really budgeted for one - but it's now within reach. I budgeted $1500 for Shoulder rig and followfocus and was going to
wait till I amortized the products to get a matte box, but Trustmt apparently also makes a swing-away matte box with carbon fiber
french flags that's looking pretty sweet for $400 and change. Bottom line - can I shoot my short and my feature with these products?

I think so, even if it breaks down afterwards - which I doubt it would - I'll have a feature in the can. I'll simply write this purchase off.
If I get extended use out of it - well so be it. I never really bought my AF100 so I could make money with it. The gigs I got with it are
a bonus, as it will be with this purchase. Wow, now I'm almost human like most of the folks on here. One matte box away from immortality!!!

Thank you very much for your opinions, advice and recommendation. Saved my bacon once again. I'll let you know how this works out for me when the
order arrives. I have one of those rare gigs on Sunday, so I'll be putting it to use there first.
 
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Loren Simons said:
DTZfilms,

I can assure you all the aspects of our products R&D and the production itself is done in USA like we've always said.
Click to expand...
Okay. I wouldn't put it past corporate espionage, even Apple isn't immune.
Whatever the case may be, I've saved a grip of cash in my filmmaking infancy here.
I had $1500 with Redrock's name on it, (painfully). Only with spartan-like abnegation was I able to afford to
put that away, but the forum saved me again. Cheers! I think Western companies will be inundated with this sort of
scenario but then again, Redrock probably does just fine without the likes of me.

I'm simply of the impecunious hobbyist category with little disposable income. Nonetheless, what competitive response
do you think companies will make as Chinese companies gnaw away at market shares? This Ohio-based company
Indisystems, for instance is selling at prices that compete with China's best. Is Redrock going to obdurately stick to
its Lexus/Benz prices? I really wanted a Redrock, really, really wanted one. I saved for 9 months.

Once I can afford an Arri Alexa, I won't be going to China, (I'd opt for a lifetime warranty Redrock) but who knows when that's going to be?
Meanwhile, I need to shoot now.
 
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+1 on the trusmt FF - I've been using mine for a few months now - lpowel's breakdown is perfect - no backlash, great hard stops, but the lever arm slips. I used his trick and put the locking washers on, and it helps...if trusmt could design the lever differently, it would be a grand slam
 
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