varizoom focus control rocks

smelni

smelni

Veteran
I just purchased the varizoom focus/iris/zoom control for the hvx and i have to give it a huge thumbs up.

Focus is really what i purchased it for - it reacts instantly - you can rack from 00-99 in far less then one second. I was amazed because i thought the mechanics of the camera would take longer to make the focus adjustment.

And it is repeatable especially if looking at a monitor with the focus number.

Only thing i would way is that varizoom should make something to put over the focus know to be able to make marks and hard stops - then it would completely replace a follow focus.
 
I had the same idea for the Varizoom (to add a ring so you can mark focus points). I e-mailed the company and they said they weren't interested in changing their product. Perhaps you could e-mail them and tell them your feelings on this subject (maybe they will listen to a group of us). I don't have the Varizoom but you do. Do you think we could modify it ourselves? Can you pull off the focus control and add something underneath. Maybe that's the place to start if we decide to modify on our own.
 
Do you have a volt meter? Can you check to see if they are using resitance for the focus control?

Thanks Much
Ben

smelni said:
I just purchased the varizoom focus/iris/zoom control for the hvx and i have to give it a huge thumbs up.

Focus is really what i purchased it for - it reacts instantly - you can rack from 00-99 in far less then one second. I was amazed because i thought the mechanics of the camera would take longer to make the focus adjustment.

And it is repeatable especially if looking at a monitor with the focus number.

Only thing i would way is that varizoom should make something to put over the focus know to be able to make marks and hard stops - then it would completely replace a follow focus.
Click to expand...
 
smelini, do you know if they make an extension cord for the varizoom? I'm asking because were looking to setup that Dell you've got with a focus puller behind it using the Varizoom, but need more length than the 40" cord provides.
 
I spoke with a rep. from varizoom today and it turns out they don't offer an extension cable for the rockpzfi yet.

He said that they should in about a month though.
 
I realize this is an old post but i'm intriged at coming up with a way to make the varizoom into a decent focus puller. I'm a poor film student doin his best to get the equipment he needs or figure ways to get results i want without said equipment. To have a single unit that would allow me to control everything for only $300 is much more appealing than say a manua focus puller which start at $300, or say a foxi which only controls focus and iris but cost $500! I don't see many instances where i'll be using zoom and focus at the same time, usually in that instance i would dolly in instead of zoom. If i was to zoom i deff wouldn't be handheld and most likely would be tripod mounted allowing myself a free hand to work focus. So coming up with a way to have an assistant pull focus with this would be wonderful for dolly shots etc.

Would it be possible to say glue a large thin flat ring to the body of the varizoom with the focus dial sticking through, upon this ring would be a markable surface for focus points. Then onto the focus dial knob would be mounted something of a rubber donut (not sure how to describe this, picture a thick rubber wheel with a hole in the center which the focus knob could fit into). This will give the diameter of the focus more adjustment room as a bigger diameter knob would have greater travel and allow finer adjustments. A notch on the rubber wheel could be used to line up with the markable ring and wala a decent electronic focus puller. There would still be no manual stops but with a larger ring and visible focus points it would be easier to hit the stops. Opinons on this idea?
 
:) Zarizoom has just realised an up grade for the Rock PZFI zoom, focus, iris,control - a much larger focus wheel to replace the old one ($29.99) which i'm sure makes life alittle easyer and it has a ring on it to mark positions !!! Too easy eh... check thier site, i think i need to place an order.
 
I have a voltmeter and know just enough to get into trouble with it. I'd be happy to make some measurments if you'd be specific and tell me what you're looking for. It would be a much better focuser if I could set a start and end point and I don't see why we couldn't mod it to do so. I have ther Stealth PZFI for our purposes. It's good but could be much better. The new larger and markable focus knob should be arriving any day now and is a cheap way of giving us "close" to what we want.

Don Wilson
AmericanaMediaInc.com
 
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