Reverse follow focus for nikon lenses

[Julio Quintana]

Hey guys. I'm sure that this has been covered, but I can't seem to find it. I'm using Nikon lenses on my Red, and I need a follow focus unit that I can reverse to make it turn the right way. I want to get the RedRock Micro for budget reasons, but does anyone know how to reverse it? Someone mentioned online that you can flip the gear box. Is that true?

Any advice from someone who has done this is very much appreciated.

 

[HD Hildebrand]

I think there are a few posts in this forum on the subject, perhaps someone can chime in.

Here's a posting on it:
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=16972&highlight=follow+focus+reverse

I'm hoping to go with view factors unit, but first I need to find gears for it. I assume you will need gears for your Nikon lenses as well - anyone have feedback on gears and pitch they've been using.

 

[Michael Ragen]

That new lightweight Arri FF unit is reversible. Definitely not as cheap as the Redrock, but its probably much better.

 

[Julio Quintana]

Planet earth,
Thanks for the quick response, but that thread seems to be addressing a different problem. Maybe the link is wrong.

And I really can't afford an Arri right now. MAYBE I can go for the Zacuto if someone knows how to reverse it.

 

[Julio Quintana]

With all the people shooting with Nikons, is there really nobody who has solved this follow focus issue?

 

[Giancarlo Bianchi]

http://www.abelcine.com/store/product.php?productid=1001193

I really dont think it is that expensive for an ARRI, and you can adjust the stop limit.

 

[Julio Quintana]

Eisenstein,
That unit is $2000 with the 19mm adaptor. There is no WAY I can pay that right now. It does look like exactly what I need though.

Someone on this forum has figured out how to make the Redrock FF work. I'm sure of it...Anyone?

 

[Andrew Martin]

Don give me a sec i found something on here a while ago that could help.

Andrew.

 

[Andrew Martin]

Hey Don. These aren't mine, someone posted these pics on here a while back so i cant take credit for these and i am sorry the name has escaped me and ive tried to find the thread with no luck -- doh!

So. These look like they could help you. Its a second gear right next to the other one t make it go the opposite way its pretty simple, so it would be the price of a second gear basically and a few piece of metal to mount it with a few bearings.

The poster of these originally can explain more if he or she reads this.

Andrew.

 

[Julio Quintana]

Andrew,
That's exactly what I need. Does anyone have any idea who posted this? I need to know where to get those spare parts.

 

[Andrew Martin]

I thought that might be what you are looking for. Those spare parts are from Redrockmicro, i know he got a spare drive gear and the gearbox - took that apart and used one of the shafts for the extra drive gear and mounted it on the metal plate.

Andrew.

BTW im making this at the moment its my DIY FF. (its a lot further along than this now, its cast and painted im just waiting on my 0.8pitch film gears to arrive so i can use it.) $400 so far. I have 2 versions one for cine lenses and one for Nikons this is the Nikon version.

 

[M.Halsell]

http://www.abelcine.com/articles/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=289&Itemid=34

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Andrew,
That's exactly what I need. Does anyone have any idea who posted this? I need to know where to get those spare parts.

Yep, that was me. in total it cost me under $10 in extra parts.

I had the tutorial on how to make it up on my web site, however I recently switched over to a new design, and that post did not make it. I'll see if I can get it back up. (www.ryanewalters.com)

In the mean time you can download this quick and dirty PDF:
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/IdlerGear-DIY-FromREW.pdf

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

BTW- my 1st AC (Jerry Turner) designed an universal follow focus that mounts to 15mm rods. I'll see if he can post some info about it.

 

[Jerry Turner]

Thanks for plug Ryan!

As Ryan mentioned, I have designed a universal idler gear that mounts to 15mm rods. I designed this piece of hardware specifically because I work with several different brands of follow focus, so a manufacturer specific solution wouldn't work for me.

I have posted a tutorial on the build process over on my blog: http://jerry-turner.com/blog/idler-gear/

Julio, Redrock has announced that they are working on an idler gear for their follow focus. That might be a good solution for you, although I'm not sure if it has a scheduled release date yet.

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Thanks for plug Ryan!

No problem. That is a great idler gear that you have made.

Also, I've updated my blog and updated it with the original post that is mentioned earlier in this thread. You can view it here: Idler Gear - DIY

 

[hunterrichards]

I just sold my "natively" reversed follow focus. But here are the pictures from the "advertisement". Its actually pretty easy to do.

 

[Ryan E. Walters]

Yep, Hunter does have a very creative and affordable solution for reversing the Redrock Follow Focus!

And this may suit your budget- the only thing to be aware of is that the gear box of the follow focus is big and for smaller lenses it will get in the way of your matte box. (At least I found this to be the case with the Zeiss ZF lenses- the 35mm was ok, but the 50mm and 85mm were too short to allow the reversed FF and the mattebox.)