WTB cheap follow focus

[Mitch Gross]

I haven't used it. But if, as stated earlier in the thread, it really has 1/4 to 1/2" of play then yes, that is absolutely substandard.

I believe that was in reference to a sub-standard knockoff of the Chrosziel ff from India that is sold via eBay.

 

[Zakaree Sandberg]

Where do you recommend to get the best deal on an Arri FF? Been looking around a bit, but would rather get some good spots to shop.

talk to Mitch. He has good prices.
Id recommend the mff-1, unless you need a larger studio piece.
in which case you cant go wrong with a used ff-2.. I picked mine up for 1500.00

 

[Tonaci Tran]

The Arri ff4 rocks..the mff-1 gets a thumbs down from me.

You can sometimes find good deals in 1200-2000 range on used chrosziel FF's like the one above..if properly maintained has zero play. If it has play, the bearing might be worn out. Mine has zero play.

 

[Dominic Cochran]

I believe that was in reference to a sub-standard knockoff of the Chrosziel ff from India that is sold via eBay.

Post #14 in this thread. Tim is clearly referring to the RR FF. And I was just answering good ol' Charles' question that yes, if it's true that is indeed substandard.

 

[Nick Gardner]

the bearing might be worn out

Guys, these bearings are designed to run at hundreds of rpms for thousands of hours. All follow focus units have some amount of play. Any time you have two gears meshing together, there is a compromise between backlash and friction. Adjust them too tight, it gets lumpy, adjust them too loose, and you have play. Every professional FF has the gears on eccentrics to adjust the gear mesh. I can take a brand new FF5 and adjust it to work like shit. I can also get a FF2 to perform at the level of a FF4, because they didn't change anything other than how it mounts on the camera between any of those units. Sending your gear in for required service, or learning how to use your tool kit should really be a requirement for owning professional gear.

Nick

 

[Yousuf Abbasi]

the mff-1 gets a thumbs down from me.

Why?

 

[Chris Hansen]

In order to stop this madness over a Follow Focus . . . . . . . I've started a fundraiser to get Scott the Follow Focus of his choice.
That's right, Studio or Mini Rod configuration . . . whatever he wants.
Personally, I recommend that he use common sense & go with an Arriflex . . . . FF-Whatever!
They are the best. We can all agree on that, right?
Sure they are the most expensive but it will be worth every penny!
Strong & durable, admired & trusted for many many many years to come.
And when he decides to retire . . . . . it will still have a strong value on the used market for the next generation to buy & use . . . . unlike all the cheaper wanna-be's.

Any & all donations accepted, no matter how small.

 

[Tim Whitcomb]

Why?

yes, why Tonaci?

Can you elaborate here? Im about to buy one from Abel Cine
along with MMB-1.

We have RPP's and it looked like it worked great to me with Mitch's demo video...

real world feedback appreciated. Arri FF2 FF4 are killer but so darn big and heavy.

thanks

 

[Yousuf Abbasi]

Im about to buy one from Abel Cine
along with MMB-1.

Same here.

 

[scott william]

Thanks Chris. Do you want my bank details in order to make the deposits?

I'm holding off until i start my new gig next week. After reading all these posts i think im going to spend around the 1500 mark. Just got my nikon 17-35 and 80-200. the focus throw is so short on these lenses im wondering if a folow foucs would help at all

anyway it's been interesing reading.

 

[Chris_Rock]

talk to Mitch. He has good prices.
Id recommend the mff-1, unless you need a larger studio piece.
in which case you cant go wrong with a used ff-2.. I picked mine up for 1500.00

Oh damn $1500 not bad, was expecting more like $2600. $1500 is well within my budget.

 

[Costelloe Michael]

Scott,

With those short throw lenses you should look at the FF5, designed for lighter video gearing and shorter travel barrels.

The FF4 is 'big and heavy' but pretty much rock solid. It's about longevity. If you look after it, it will last you many years, that's why FF2's still command probably more than they cost when they were new. I'm sure someone will correct me there!


Mike C

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Used FF-2 is a good option if you don't need 19mm rod support. If you need to use it with 19mm rods, then you'll have to do some serious modification, it's do-able, but not worth the brain-damage, IMO. If this is the case, look around for a used FF-3 or suck it up and buy an FF-4.

The MFF-1 is great for what it is. But it's another one of those compact FF units that mounts the lens gear right off the gear box and positions itself off a single rod. This usually leads to a thumbs-down from me as it's not ideal for a broad range of applications and use with certain lens / accessory configurations. I almost bought one, but in the end I passed and went to the FF-4. The MFF-1 has some really nice features that the other guys don't have, such as being able to set hard stops and it uses standard Arri lens gears. That said, I do have my concerns about the FF-4 being too big for lightweight DSMC configurations. It's not so bad if I pull off the BA-2 19mm adapter as the FF-4 has integrated support for 15mm lightweight rods. But it's still a bigger unit designed for double-sided use.

I may be in the market for a smaller FF once the DSMC system is here, but I'll wait and see what I need then. At that point, the MFF-1 may make more sense, or perhaps an LFF-1.

For those not familiar, the LFF-1 is similar to the MFF-1, but it mounts the lens gear at the end of a drive arm, the way a typical studio FF does. Unfortunately, the LFF-1 is a real misfit in the Arri FF line-up. Not in terms of feature set, it fills its niche just fine, but rather in terms of price. IMO, the LFF-1 price is way out of line. It's more than double the price of an MFF-1... Or at least that's what I was quoted on two separate occasions.

FWIW, AbelCine gave me the best price on my FF-4 kit.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

There is an FF-2 on Ebay right now.

Arri FF-2 on Ebay

I don't think a follow focus is a prerequisite for renting your RED, but it's certainly a nice thing to be able to offer. I've had many productions that have rented the follow focus elsewhere, along with lenses, dollies, jibs, specialty filters, and whatever other gadgets and gizmos I might not have. In fact, one type of follow focus is sometimes not enough on all shoots anyway. There are times when wireless is needed, or a smaller FF is needed, etc. So, will you buy every FF just to be ready? Probably not. But the overall point of having a good one like an FF-4 is absolutely valid if you are going to buy a quality FF and rent it out with your kit. I agree to not skimp.

For me, I was okay with getting a cheap FF for my own projects. But I never put it out on professional gigs. It's just not appropriate for me and my business.

Statements that if you can't do XYZ don't own a RED sometimes come off a bit condescending. What every owner/operator needs to look at is what they are planning to do with their RED. Assess the market, understand your client base, and your own needs if you are using the camera for your own projects. I'm sure there are people out there getting by with a $22K RED kit because it does what they need. There are others who couldn't have spent less than $80K to get what they need to make the camera work within their business model. Different strokes for different folks. As long as you can be successful within your business model, that's all that really matters. If a $500 follow focus achieves that, no argument from me. If it takes a $4,000 FF to be successful, then by all means make that happen. Just do whatever is right for your business. And when you are not sure, hopefully advice from people here or elsewhere in the industry can get you on the right track.

 

[Chris_Rock]

I guess my situation is a bit of planning. I am going to be getting a S35 Scarlet Rig, no idea if the rails are 15 or 19 that will be available for the Scarlet / Epic. I really want a FF with zero play, and so far that sounds like Arri. I am not sure about the MFF mostly due to hearing a few issues with mounting. I wasn't sure what the difference was between the Arri FF-2 and the FF-3 and the FF-4. Used if in very good condition ( read no play, no stripped teeth ) would be totally fine by me.

 

[Mitch Gross]

There are no mounting issues with the MF-1. I have yet to see a lens that it will not fit appropriately. Okay, there was one huge fat wide angle anamorphic that took a little work, but that generally needed a custom follow focus anyway as none of the standard units worked. The MFF-1 may not be everyone's cup of tea but it will certainly fit and technically function on all your lenses. The FF4 is absolutely a better follow focus. It is a top of the line unit and the MFF-1 is a much simpler design. Both are strong and well-built. I would say that over time the FF4 is less likel to develop play, but the MFF-1 is no slouch. There are a lot of high level ACs who purchased MFF-1 kits just to keep in their bags to use when going handheld, because they like the small form factor, lightweight design and tilt adjustment on the focus wheel. But for general use they use the FF4 as their every day follow focus. Horse for courses.

If I had the money I would say go for the FF4. If I was budget conscious but still wanted pro performance I would suggest the MFF-1. If I couldn't afford those then there are other options such as Zacuto.

 

[Sascha Rossier]

YEAhhhh... actually You may NOT want to have a look at that POS..

Do not buy this junk, unless your buying a follow focus to just look like you have a full kit..

this thing is total junk and does not work.. I had one for about 2 days, sent it back.. bit the bullet and bought an arri ff2

well ... i got the mattebox, followfocus and the flycam7000-system and did several actionladed shoots, that put this equipment under severe pressure and everything is still working fine .... i can only recommend dvcity ....

 

[Chris_Rock]

Used FF-2 is a good option if you don't need 19mm rod support. If you need to use it with 19mm rods, then you'll have to do some serious modification, it's do-able, but not worth the brain-damage, IMO. If this is the case, look around for a used FF-3 or suck it up and buy an FF-4.

The MFF-1 is great for what it is. But it's another one of those compact FF units that mounts the lens gear right off the gear box and positions itself off a single rod. This usually leads to a thumbs-down from me as it's not ideal for a broad range of applications and use with certain lens / accessory configurations. I almost bought one, but in the end I passed and went to the FF-4. The MFF-1 has some really nice features that the other guys don't have, such as being able to set hard stops and it uses standard Arri lens gears. That said, I do have my concerns about the FF-4 being too big for lightweight DSMC configurations. It's not so bad if I pull off the BA-2 19mm adapter as the FF-4 has integrated support for 15mm lightweight rods. But it's still a bigger unit designed for double-sided use.

I may be in the market for a smaller FF once the DSMC system is here, but I'll wait and see what I need then. At that point, the MFF-1 may make more sense, or perhaps an LFF-1.

For those not familiar, the LFF-1 is similar to the MFF-1, but it mounts the lens gear at the end of a drive arm, the way a typical studio FF does. Unfortunately, the LFF-1 is a real misfit in the Arri FF line-up. Not in terms of feature set, it fills its niche just fine, but rather in terms of price. IMO, the LFF-1 price is way out of line. It's more than double the price of an MFF-1... Or at least that's what I was quoted on two separate occasions.

FWIW, AbelCine gave me the best price on my FF-4 kit.

Has there been any talk about the rods for the Scarlet being either 15mm or 19mm?

 

[Chris_Rock]

There are no mounting issues with the MF-1. I have yet to see a lens that it will not fit appropriately. Okay, there was one huge fat wide angle anamorphic that took a little work, but that generally needed a custom follow focus anyway as none of the standard units worked. The MFF-1 may not be everyone's cup of tea but it will certainly fit and technically function on all your lenses. The FF4 is absolutely a better follow focus. It is a top of the line unit and the MFF-1 is a much simpler design. Both are strong and well-built. I would say that over time the FF4 is less likel to develop play, but the MFF-1 is no slouch. There are a lot of high level ACs who purchased MFF-1 kits just to keep in their bags to use when going handheld, because they like the small form factor, lightweight design and tilt adjustment on the focus wheel. But for general use they use the FF4 as their every day follow focus. Horse for courses.

If I had the money I would say go for the FF4. If I was budget conscious but still wanted pro performance I would suggest the MFF-1. If I couldn't afford those then there are other options such as Zacuto.

What is the general feeling about Zacuto as compared to Arri for Follow Focus? Is Zacuto a step above RRM? Sorry I am not as experienced as some of the people in here, so I have to use people's opinions and experience as a guide

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Has there been any talk about the rods for the Scarlet being either 15mm or 19mm?

They are whatever you want them to be. Accessories to support the various arriflex standards will be available for the DSMC system, just as they are for the RED One.

...I could swear I answered this same question yesterday. :emote_hippie: