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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

***The OConnor O-Focus DM Cine and Photo Sets***OFFICIAL THREAD!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eric J. Johnston
  • Start date Start date
Alexey Datsenko said:
Thanks Trevor!
Really I am thinking now or take Redrock micro blue for 1200 (because almost double less price which I have now) but maybe it would be better wait a few month and take Ofocus.
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The Redrock Blue is a piece of crap compared to the OFocus. You'll get a ton more flexibility and durability with the OConnor, not to mention interchangeable gears, hand wheels, etc etc. The OConnor makes the Redrock feel like a toy. After owning two Redrock FFs and renting the Blue and OFocus, I settled on the OFocus. Doesn't mean you have to, but I certainly believe in buying a better product that will last longer instead of wasting money on cheap crap ;)

Best of luck, man!
 
Trevor Meeks said:
The Redrock Blue is a piece of crap compared to the OFocus. You'll get a ton more flexibility and durability with the OConnor, not to mention interchangeable gears, hand wheels, etc etc. The OConnor makes the Redrock feel like a toy. After owning two Redrock FFs and renting the Blue and OFocus, I settled on the OFocus. Doesn't mean you have to, but I certainly believe in buying a better product that will last longer instead of wasting money on cheap crap ;)

Best of luck, man!
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Thank you Trevor, I see!
Money is important but I think the most important thing is to be sure in your decision I just want to be sure)
 
I very much agree. I encourage you to try both if you can.

The OFocus cine just feels right in my hand. The photo wheel is too small, doesn't provide enough rotation per turn on cine lenses... same goes for the Follow Focus Blue. The best thing the FF Blue has going for it is the rubber hand wheel... whoopieeee. It's still under-sized and the drive gear is bulky and is not swappable. OConnor gives you two .8 pitch gears to further customize your gearing preference, and you can quickly swap a gear from one side of the bridge to the other, which I find really neat and useful. Also, a ton of marking discs including one glow in the dark... Redrock nickle-and-dimes you for their "optional flares" to light up your follow focus... with the OFocus just snap the included glow in the dark marking disc on and you're good to go.
 
Ofocus DM vs CFF-1

Ofocus DM vs CFF-1

One thing I am very curious about is the quality of the Ofocuds DM compared to the CFF-1. Is only versatility we are talking about or different performance on both? Forget the gear ratio, the swing arm and please stick to the smoothness and transmission...are the DM and CFF-1 completely different?

Thank you
 
That's a great question Augusto. I cant imagine that it's completely different, but perhaps the CFF-1 is held to slightly higher standards, or at least one would hope if you're paying that much more for that FF. That's purely speculation on my part.

Honestly, the big difference looks to be that it's based on a main bridge that attaches to studio 15mm or 19mm rod standards, as opposed to 15mm LWS like the OFocus DM, and it has the swing arm. Maybe a slightly different gearing ratio in the main bridge. I really have no idea! You should PM Eric J. Johnston (the OConnor guy who started this thread) and ask him.
 
Thank you for your answer Trevor...The thing is I have a DM cine for testing and I love it. My policy of accessories is buying the best there is so I don´t spend money twice..I contacted Abel CIne, B&H and actually Vitec but their answer was "try them both". I need just a yes or no answer... Is the CFF-1 so much better than the DM cine? Both have similar frames gearing is the same etc...what they keep saying is that the gear ratio is different. i don´t care about it because the gear ratio can always be altered externally not only on the gears but also the handwheel. I don´t think the swing arm is worth "double the price they charge for the DM. I wish I could have a straight answer only regarding precision and smoothness. Or are they affraid of running out of customers for the CFF-1? I don´t care how much the CFF-1 costs I will pay whatever price I just want to know is it worth the difference? Are both equally precise and robust? If I wanted a cheap one (in terms of quality) I would get other brands...
 
I haven't used the cf1 but I own the DM. It is smooth with zero backlash and very solid.
 
I've had great experiences with the DM. Nice piece of kit.

Augusto, if you have deep pockets the CFF-1 will provide more flexibility both in attaching to a broader range of lenses across both 15mm and 19mm systems (I do find the need for a bridge adapter a bit fiddly but not a deal breaker). I cannot imagine that the actual action on the CFF-1 is much better than the DM because the DM is so solid.

A nice problem to have!
 
Hi Ed:

The reason I am asking this is because I hate spending money twice...for example I will never buy more Leica lenses as I have a great kit...the same goes for the zeiss and the Duclos 11-16mm zoom. I get very attached to certain accessories that also need some getting used to...I have the DM with me to try out and I loved it. Compared with the Vocas and RRmicro is not even in the same league it´s like a professional accesory compared with toys. But when I see such a difference in prices I wondered how much better the CFF-1 is. We cam buy 2 DM´s for the price of a CFF-1. If it is so much better I am glad to pay for it...if not I will stick to the DM-Cineset.
I don´t have deep pockets...if I had I would buy the DM straight away and if I prefered the CFF I would get it afterwards... :-) WHen we don´t have much money we can´t afford to make mistakes...
 
I totally understand your reasoning, I am the same way with buying gear, Augusto. Like I said, try sending a PM to the O-Connor guy who started this thread. His name is Eric J. Johnston and he created this thread. :)

If you get some info from him I'd be very interested to hear about it. Thanks!
 
DM vs CFF-1

DM vs CFF-1

Hi Trevor:

Apparently the DM has the same smoothness and precision as the CFF-1. I can´t confirm until I tried by I will let you know. The base is the same the mechanics too so the smoothness and movement should be the same. At least is what technical people told me. CFF-1 has more options but the rest should be the same.
 
Could you tell me please who use Ofocus DM How do you connect focus gear and small Lense and lenses which high from rods I see at many rigs and I see that focus gear of Ofocus just too low and the lense too high up and focus gear in many cases just can't get Lense? Is it need to use some additional plate or bridge to raise gear? Or use Lens gears for still lenses? And cine lenses is enough big to get it? For example how connect focus gear to such small lens like Leica?

 
Alexey Datsenko said:
Could you tell me please who use Ofocus DM How do you connect focus gear and small Lense and lenses which high from rods I see at many rigs and I see that focus gear of Ofocus just too low and the lense too high up and focus gear in many cases just can't get Lense? Is it need to use some additional plate or bridge to raise gear? Or use Lens gears for still lenses? And cine lenses is enough big to get it? For example how connect focus gear to such small lens like Leica?
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There are a few ways to use the OFocus with small lenses like Leica M primes, none of them are really ideal.

1. Put a large diameter 0.8 pitch gear on the lens.
2. Use a riser of some sort. I believe Letus makes a LW15 to LW15 riser. If you're using Studio 15/19 rods, you'll definitely need a Studio to LW15 adapter like the Chrosziel and not the OConnor Studio bracket that comes with the CFF1.
3. If your lens has a rubber focus ring, then you should contact Eric J and see if OConnor has a larger diameter friction gear in production yet. I know they were working on it a while ago. But this will reduce the throw of the focus wheel, making for a shorter focus pull.
 
Satsuki Murashige said:
There are a few ways to use the OFocus with small lenses like Leica M primes, none of them are really ideal.

1. Put a large diameter 0.8 pitch gear on the lens.
2. Use a riser of some sort. I believe Letus makes a LW15 to LW15 riser. If you're using Studio 15/19 rods, you'll definitely need a Studio to LW15 adapter like the Chrosziel and not the OConnor Studio bracket that comes with the CFF1.
3. If your lens has a rubber focus ring, then you should contact Eric J and see if OConnor has a larger diameter friction gear in production yet. I know they were working on it a while ago. But this will reduce the throw of the focus wheel, making for a shorter focus pull.
Click to expand...

Ok I see, thanks, but riser it is not good idea, I think that it is not well to buy Ofocus (but 2K it is the cheapest price among the top models: CFF1, FF5, Chrosziel stidio ) if using follow focus you need additionally use the riser to connect follow focus to lens. In FF5, CFF-1, Crosziel studio there is swing arm and there is no any problems for focus gear to get the Lense but in this design of Ofocus it is very low and very at the left side it is seems like there are could be some problems with it? isn't it? Ok it is with Leica it is really small and What about Zeiss ZE, Canon maybe some other? For example at this photo I see the Ofocus wouldn't get the Lense in this case and it is a big cinema lens or get it at the very bottom but if it is possible to movie focus gear on the photo to the right? And focus gear is too on the left side and I can't get it closer to the right to the lens, so is there no any problems with it? Too low and too at the left side?
 
I just got my ofocus dm photo. What a great piece of engineering...except for the bridge tightening mechanism. Is it just my unit or is the bridge tightening mechanism very hard to tight? I really have to apply force to tight the bridge, I can do it but it's definitely not easy. When using a matte box it's even more difficult with the limited space available. Let me know if this is normal.
 
That's normal. The sliding mechanism only locks with the last half turn of the ratcheting knob. I keep it flipped down to camera right against the smart side rod and flip up to tighten, using my left thumb on the bridge for leverage. You really have to crank it down.

Alexey, when using small photo lenses with the OFocus you need to use LW15 rods or use a Studio to LW15 adapter, not the OConnor Studio bridge like the CFF1 pic you posted. Otherwise the OFocus will sit too low. As for the hand wheel sliding too far into the lens, what I do is flip the bridge so that the gear is on the dumb side. Then the hand wheel will sit further out on the smart side.

You might want to look at the Arri MFF2. It can reach up to small lenses without a problem. I was not a fan of the MFF1 but version 2 has interchangeable hand wheels so you can use FF3 and FF4 wheels. No friction gear for still lenses though :(
 
Just use some lens gears that clamp around the lens and add some extra diameter, like Redrock Micro's. As much as I can't stand many of their products, their lens gears are decent for exactly this purpose.
 
Hi Alexey:

The DM was designed to work with small lenses. They supply with the FF 4 gears different in size and pitch to work with most lenses. It work very well with most small lenses just by sliding the gear horizontally underneath the lens. All yhe lenses I tested worked perfectly.
 
All the photo lenses will work great with it unless your baseplate and rods are not of standard height.
 
Augusto Alves da Silva said:
Hi Alexey:

The DM was designed to work with small lenses. They supply with the FF 4 gears different in size and pitch to work with most lenses. It work very well with most small lenses just by sliding the gear horizontally underneath the lens. All yhe lenses I tested worked perfectly.
Click to expand...

The Oconnor comes with a bunch of different gears as well.
 
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