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Follow Focus For The 18-50, 50-150 Red Lenses?

F

FELIPE.AGUILAR

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Does Anyone Recommend A Follow Focus Kit With Rings And Everything For The 18-50 And 50-150 Red Lenses,one That Fits 19mm Rods?
Thanks
F
 
You have essentially two tiers of follow focus units (and as such, pricing) to choose from, with different approaches and feature sets to match. The good news is that with all of this technology keeping things more affordable than ever, there is a lot of competition (and thus, choices) for the consumer as far as camera accessories go.

FreshDV did a great run-down of five or six different follow focus units here:

http://www.freshdv.com/2007/10/freshdv-reviews-five-follow-focus-systems.html

These are more or less the "indie" options - set up for 15mm studio support - priced between $400 and $1,700.

The bigger, more established units (like the Arri FF4) can cost up to $4,000 or more. That's a rugged, industry-standard workhorse, but obviously heavy on your wallet. A lot of your choice will likely depend on how much you are willing to spend. You can Google that model for lots of information on the web.

A third option is a wireless follow focus device - not only are they great for steadicam or remote/jib/crane work, but they allow the AC to step away from the camera and face the actor(s) as they pull. Some actually like this method much better as they don't have to consistently look back and forth between the action and the focus grip, and a total package runs no more than the cost of the Arri unit... a great bargain, IMO.

The two more-or-less "standard" wireless FF units on the market are the Bartech BFD and the Preston FIZ. The Bartech runs about $4,000 (with motor), while the Preston is significantly more expensive and varies depending on the accessories and options you choose. I first rented a Bartech system for a short feature I did four years ago because we had a lot of Steadicam shots and a wireless FF option was a must. I was initially very skeptical on how well a remote unit could operate; would there be any perceptible lag, how much range do we have, how precise could a wireless unit really be?, etc... but after having attached it to the rig on day one, it never left the camera. I now own one and it is my primary FF device for my red and all of my PL lenses. Aside from the amazing performance, Jim Bartell (designer of the Bartech device) is probably the nicest guy I've dealt with in this business and has gone way above and beyond the call of duty for me on several occasions when dealing with his product. If you go this route, you'll need the transmitter/receiver (available at bartechengineering.com), as well as the motor to connect to your lenses (http://www.palomarengineering.net/). This is the direction I recommend most as it is extremely precise and handy, though it may be out of your budget if you need something simple and inexpensive.

Hope some of those resources are a help.
 
I can vouch for the Arri FF5 (I prefer it to the FF4, but keep in mind that some complain the FF5's longer arm doesn't fit some prime lenses, I haven't had any problems but there are many lenses I haven't tested it with yet).

Haakon,

Do you have any experience with the Viewfactor wireless FF unit? Just wondered how it stacked up against the more expensive models.
 
We were sufficiently impressed by ViewFactor's offerings to order three motors, two controllers and the remote start/stop from their laptop on the NAB show floor.
 
Erik, my concern with the viewfactor motors is whether it is quiet enough...although I have no idea how quiet or loud other motors are. Do you think it is possible to use the viewfactor even on a quiet set?
 
I wouldn't presume to answer that question definitively based only upon fiddling with a pre-production unit for a few minutes in the middle of a convention attended by 100,000+ people ... but 'noisy' isn't a word that leaps to mind ... :biggrin:
 
Nils J. Nesse said:
I believe these are all 15mm lightweight (60mm).
Click to expand...
Yes, they are... that's why I indicated as such. :bleh: They do work just fine using RED's 15mm adapter ($95), however, so they are certainly viable options.

Harky said:
Haakon,

Do you have any experience with the Viewfactor wireless FF unit? Just wondered how it stacked up against the more expensive models.
Click to expand...
I have not - but I checked out the YouTube video today and it does look very cool. The auto-calibration thing in particular is way cool. Some things I like about the M-One motor better (coupled with the Bartech) is that the gear distance from the rod clamp is adjustable (very handy) and the power connector rotates so that you can swing it out of the way once you plug it in. The dual cables coming off the VF model seem a bit unwieldy. That being said, the option to have a turnable unit right on the rods like a standard FF may be reassuring to ACs not used to working with a wireless model, and the price is about half of the Bartech - something anyone can appreciate. The M-One motor can be a bit noisy at full torque as well, but you are rarely doing a fast move from one extreme end of a lens to the other. The VF did seem much noisier in the video I saw, though I believe that was a prototype unit and that was one issue they were aiming to address. It looks like it could be a very solid choice for a FF, and although I have not used one so can't make a personal endorsement for it, I've used a wireless FF nearly exclusively since I took possession of my RED and wouldn't want to be without one. So if the Bartech is out of your budget, the VF may very well be a fantastic alternative.
 
Do any of you have comments on Arri's wireless follow focus equipment?

No point in buying manual if most are going with wireless, but with bucks involved, I can't afford to make a mistake and there aren't any to rent in my area.
 
What is the pricing for viewfactor FF system. Sorry but it is complicated for me to make it out from their website.
 
Erik Bien said:
We were sufficiently impressed by ViewFactor's offerings to order three motors, two controllers and the remote start/stop from their laptop on the NAB show floor.
Click to expand...

We went with the CAVision FF and are not impressed at all- Been looking in to view factor and they look good- any noise (video or audio) from the motors?
 
We've been using the Zacuto unit for a couple of weeks now - it's as good as any major (read arri) I've used. It comes with a 15mm set-up, but they have a 19mm adapter custom for their ff.

Nick.
 
solecize said:
We went with the CAVision FF and are not impressed at all- Been looking in to view factor and they look good- any noise (video or audio) from the motors?
Click to expand...

I have not been impressed by anything Cavision produces. I would steer clear of their stuff

Suede said:
We've been using the Zacuto unit for a couple of weeks now - it's as good as any major (read arri) I've used. It comes with a 15mm set-up, but they have a 19mm adapter custom for their ff.

Nick.
Click to expand...

The Zacuto does not hold a candle to an ARRI FF. I would take a beat to shit ARRI FF 2 that was built in the 70's over a brand new out of the package Zacuto FF.
 
The Cinetech FF rod mount can be swapped for a 19mm rod setup. It works quite well on the Red Lens. And it's simple to go from 15mm to 19mm ... one set screw.

Jason
 
FF reviews updated with ARRI units

FF reviews updated with ARRI units

Häakon said:
You have essentially two tiers of follow focus units (and as such, pricing) to choose from, with different approaches and feature sets to match. The good news is that with all of this technology keeping things more affordable than ever, there is a lot of competition (and thus, choices) for the consumer as far as camera accessories go.

FreshDV did a great run-down of five or six different follow focus units here:

http://www.freshdv.com/2007/10/freshdv-reviews-five-follow-focus-systems.html

These are more or less the "indie" options - set up for 15mm studio support - priced between $400 and $1,700.
Click to expand...

FYI FreshDV has updated our follow focus review series lately, first with the SGPro SGFollow Focus unit, and today with two units from ARRI; the production-proven ARRI FF4 and the brand-spankin' new ARRI MFF-1 HD camera lightweight follow focus. You can watch both in the video playlist here: http://tinyurl.com/ffreviews

We'll have the Zacuto flippable Z-Focus review added early next week.
 
So is the general opinion that the Viewfactor FF equipment is robust and capable of performing up to the rigours of professional use. Would it be suitable as a hire item ?

thanks

Dave
 
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