Universal FF?

C

carryon

New member
Is there a follow focus that will allow you to use focus gear rings on SLR lenses but also function with industry standard film/video lenses?
 
Carryon,
Yes there is, it's called the indiFOCUSgear. It has a gear module that mates up with lens gears---it comes with 3 lens gears, and a friction wheel to use with stock lenses of dv cameras--they're servo driven so very easy to turn. If you need to use pre-geared lenses, there is a cine-pitch module to drive these, and there is a fuji pitched gear for use with the JVC fujinon lenses.
Cost is $389 for the indiFOCUSgear, and the cinepitch and fuji pitched gear modules are $22 each.
www.followfocus.com. We're a banner sponsor here on DVXuser, the indiFOCUS/ Universal Follow Focus
 
carryon said:
Is there a follow focus that will allow you to use focus gear rings on SLR lenses but also function with industry standard film/video lenses?
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If you are talking about just using the focus ring on an SLR and on film & video lenses, without any modification- then no there is not. A SLR lens was never designed to work with a follow focus, so it does not have the pitch (The teeth) that a film lens has, and that the follow focus has.

However, many of the people who make follow focuses have made a way to use an SLR lens with a folllow focus. What they do is include a ring that attached to the outside of an SLR lens- right over the focus ring on the lens, and then the follow focus can be used to pull focus on the SLR lens.

The requirements for a follow focus to work with with a film lens are that it be able to mount to the industry standard 15mm rods, and that the gear pitch be 32.

However- I would HIGHLY recomend that if you are using a film lens- say like the Zeiss superspeeds - that you invest in, or at least rent a follow focus like one from Arri. They cost thousands of dollars, but they are worth it, as there is no play / slop in them at all. When you turn the focus wheel the lens turns. It has been my experience that even the best of the more affordable follow focuses have at least 1/32" of an inch of slop / play in them. (Which is not bad considering the price point- but it is nothing like the high end stuff.)
 
I actually recomend the new indiFOCUSgear as well. I had my reservations about it but the new and improved model works really good with both 35mm adpaters and stock lenses. It has no noticable backlash and is suprisingly very precise.
Tim, which model was reviewed by DV mag? Because the one I bought works wonderfully (unlike the one they reviewed).
The only thing I would change is make the gear and lens gears standards 8/32 pitch by default (and not as an option) and make the whip hole aslo a standard size. Other than that it's a great product for a great price! I highly recomend it.
 
I'm down the indiFOCUS!! I've had one for a year now and Tim got in touch to let me know about the new gearbox upgrade with hardly noticable backlash. My new gearbox should be through any day now and should work a treat! I can't wait.

Tim's keen to support and see what the users want so not only is it a great product at a great price, but its also got great support.

3xm, I spoke to Tim about the DV review. They used an older model even though he supplied the new one. Pain in the proverbial...

Thanks,
Richard M.
The Major
 
majormorgan said:
3xm, I spoke to Tim about the DV review. They used an older model even though he supplied the new one. Pain in the proverbial...
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Richard, that is simply not true.

FreshDV was supplied with a single IndiFocus unit. It arrived with a non-standard IndiFocus gear pitch that would not work with our lenses (this is noted in our video review). I immediately contacted Tim on the phone, and he was kind enough to overnight us a standard cine pitch lens gear, which we installed on the unit. (All product concerns aside, Tim's service is excellent!) Now that we had a lens gear that matched all our lenses and other ff units, we proceeded to test the unit in the same fashion as the other brands.

Furthermore, neither Kendal or I own or have access to another IndiFocus. Nor do we have an axe to grind. We test gear as if we would be the ones buying it (as we often are)...we're filmmakers and shooters too, and understand the need for reliable equipment. If something doesn't perform, we will say so. This is something that we take very seriously.

In summary, IndiFocus provided us with a single Follow Focus unit, and we used that specific unit in our tests. I don't know how you can simplify that process any further.
 
Carryon

I definitely recommend you check out our microFollowFocus (just to go our home page and click on the link). As you can see from the review it's a top-notch performer and for $645 you get lens gears as well. It's the industry-standard film pitch which works with both still and motion picture lenses. Also works great with the Red lenses (just finished testing those)

http://www.redrockmicro.com/mff_product.htm

Cheers

Brian
 
I had a lot of concerns with my indiFOCUS, primarily that it didn't seem to be built carefully. It was slanted, not straight, and the pieces didn't seem to fit together well. The slanted nature of my unit made the gears not line up perfectly so I was forced to use the friction wheel. With the friction wheel the indiFOCUS was very functional, although it was somewhat tricky to get it positioned just where I wanted it (it just about bumps into the AWB button on the HVX if you are controlling the HVX focus ring.

Another thing that bothered me was that the whip doesn't hold itself into the follow focus. You have to hold it up yourself by pushing it against the follow focus wheel; if you don't, it will drop. And it's a non-standard connector so you're stuck with a fairly inadequate whip that builds tension when you twist it and only transfers part of your force it since it's made of a springly metal coil.

Ultimately I was forced to upgrade to a Petroff which cost me around $1k but is far less tricky to deal with.
 
I recently have a Redrock FF. It is a good product. I also used to have the Chrosziel F.F that was feature in the DV review. The Chrosziel justifies the extra if you can afford it.But for the price of the Redrock, you can't beat it. It feels very solid. if you take away the price of the rings the price of the Redrock F.F is actually even lesser

You want to get something that you can use with other industry standard assocessories for follow focus. The indie focus doesn't comes with that feature. the whip and the gear pitch that is shipped with the unit are not industry standard , you have to order the extra gear if you are using other standard lens gear. But it is a low cost solution if you don't have the budget.
 
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Matt Jeppsen,

It would seem then that I am wrong and if so I am sorry. Not wanting to be in the middle of something right orwrong, consider me corrected.

I did find the videos interesting and look forward to watching the 'Art of focus pulling' series.

The new gearbox that is arriving is going to have less than half a degree of play. Tim has worked hard on improving what was done before and I am confident on what he says. I will see first hand in the next day or two.

There are other improvements that he's talked about which he has either announced in a thread recently or will be announcing soon. I'll wait for him to tell you all about those as its his baby and they will solve what people may have had issues with.

I am really impressed by what he's done before and what he has planned now for future revisions is just great!

Thanks,
Richard M
The Major
 
I like to hear feed-back from our customers and potential customers. With that in mind let me thank Matt for his review in the DV Mag.
First off, we have been shipping the indiFOCUS with reduced backlash gearbox since since summer. There will be an exchange program for those that would like to upgrade the older model of gearbox with the newer one...this will be on the web-site soon.
Secondly, changes in the rod mount and extension bracket as per suggestions from some customers and th feed-back from the shoot-out.
Have redesigned the knob for an industry standard whip. And will be selling a lighted knob upgrade for $99. It is backward compatible with all indiFOCUS systems.
Having the web-site redone to reflect the changes in the product mix as well as introduce new products. This thread goes into more detail:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=110563

All this for the same price of $389 with gears and the friction wheel.
 
Matt Jeppsen,

Nice reviews of the FF units!

We are shipping the first 30 SGfollow focus units at the end of this month, it's a shame we did not have them ready for your review :)

Here is a 3D render of the SGfollow focus unit. The measurements are exact, so the unit will look exactly like this:

SGfollow%20focus02.jpg
 
majormorgan said:
It would seem then that I am wrong and if so I am sorry. Not wanting to be in the middle of something right orwrong, consider me corrected.
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No worries, Major. :-)

majormorgan said:
The new gearbox that is arriving is going to have less than half a degree of play. Tim has worked hard on improving what was done before and I am confident on what he says. I will see first hand in the next day or two.

There are other improvements that he's talked about which he has either announced in a thread recently or will be announcing soon. I'll wait for him to tell you all about those as its his baby and they will solve what people may have had issues with.
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That is great news, I look forward to hearing your feedback on the new changes! If you get a chance to do some in-depth testing, can you tape a printed paper millimeter scale to the top edge of the focus marker wheel, and report back how much play is in the new gears?

Focus This! said:
First off, we have been shipping the indiFOCUS with reduced backlash gearbox since since summer. There will be an exchange program for those that would like to upgrade the older model of gearbox with the newer one...this will be on the web-site soon.
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Sounds like good updates, I'm happy to hear that. Particularly the industry-standard accessory port, that should prove to be a very useful addition. Appreciate the update.
 
bwest said:
Any word Wayne when the next batch will be up...maybe November?
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Yes, as on the order page, the next batch goes on sale in January.

I know this is a long time, but we needed to check the first ever batch of 30 before we could commit to ordering a new batch. There will be 50 available in the next batch :)
 
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