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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 :)

Cheapest QUALITY follow focus

I would add the CAvision dual sided 19mm FF. Same price as RR, Cinevate, and Zacuto but is dual sided and quality is good.

I got a good deal on mine from Erik Olson at Overland Films
sales@expeditionfilmpartners.com

I have been thinking about seeing if I can't modify it to use RR new 19mm clip on. That would be great.

Dusty
 

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The is the address all of Erik's e-mails came from. He is the guy you need to talk to.

Just a note, when I got my CAvision it was really loose. 17mm backlash loose! There are lots of things you can adjust on the CAvision to get it working great and have less than 1mm backlash. Just takes a little tweeking.

Dusty
 
The Donan Pro looks like it might
be ready to ship. The website has changed
and I talked to there sales rep
and it is really happening. Did anyone see
one of the Donan prototypes at NAB?
Any thoughts it looks like just what we need
a 2000.00$ double sided 19mm clip on
system. That will fit the bigger zooms
optimo12x, masterzoom and the ol
18-85.
 
I have to chime in here and say that from a professional perspective, none of these (with the exception of the Donan if it comes out) are real follow focus units. I think you are better off saving a little more money and buying a used follow focus. The FF2 by arri is excellent, and they are plentiful. The Arri light weight 60mm center 15mm rod is great for most primes, Chroiziel makes great stuff and there are plenty used. If you spent upwards of 20k on a camera, don't skimp on the single thing that effects the image the most. You can get a decent FF for a reasonable price, just not a brand new one.

Just my opinion, take it or leave it.

nick
 
Nick said it best. I own the RR, SG Pro, Cinevate, and Cavision units and the Cavision is the only one that comes close to offering all the features needed. The Cinevate isn't bad for the money but lacks a swinging drive gear, various gear sizes, no dumb wheel, and a lacking store for spare marking discs. These all tailor to the "DV" crowd that uses a different kind of product in a different market.

If you shoot full production (short or feature) narratives or professional work, I would look at a used Chrosziel dual wheel studio LW setup. There are old ones selling for $1k to $1200 all the time on ebay. You'll end up buying one unit to last you years. These others are honestly only good for shooting specific projects and even then they tend to loosen up over time and can gain play. I routinely have to retighten them. The Cavision has nice features but lacks in the fit and finish. The wheel is awkward and still doesn't feel tight even when adjusted.

I think a lot of people are ok with using these units because A) They want the price savings B) They haven't touched a Chrosziel 203-1 Studio or Arri FF4 type of follow focus. If you spend the money on a high end camera package then you are placing yourself in a different market and need to invest on the right gear. Maybe you only shoot hobby footage? My point is you would buy the proper sized tripod for the camera, so why not the right mattebox and FF.

The old Chrosziel I was describing has a really simple drag adjustment that is phenomenal for different purposes, including various lens sizes. For example, let's say you need to use a long whip (dolly, jib, or small space) but the pull is small. Well, adjust to full drag so that you don't easily overshoot your mark due to the lack of control on the whip. Zooms work well with a lot of drag too. But if you need to do a full scale pull (say inf to close focus) you can run with little to no drag and swing that speed crank at full force.

Zacuto isn't too bad but for the money I would look at the LFF-1 too. The Zacuto is a little small with their handle design but they've really thought out how to enhance certain features. For example they use an attachable speed crank type of wheel that makes the unit feel full sized. They also have a simple slide design so that you can swap to dumb side. The pricing is pretty good for being a new unit. Most dual wheel systems get pricey.
 
Companies like RedRock are important for the industry. They are innovative to a certain extend and develope products that fit a market segment pretty well. Nevertheless high quality cine gear is not their market (yet). For all those who need gear that fits seemlessly into the needs of a common professional production, Arri and Chrosziel are the brands. It's not because Arri is "cool" it's because most of their products last longer and deliver a good value for money especially if long term usage is a goal. This is the reason why big rental companies prefer them.

I'm still using my old Chrosziel lightweight 15mm follow focus unit. No backlash, nothing. I bought it 20 years ago for my S16mm Arri, which now collects dust, not so the FF. A year ago I bought an Arri FF4 because it is the de-facto stardard for FFs in the industry and many focuspuller want such an unit. Keeping the crew happy is vital. If you look closely at such a unit like the FF4 you not only can feel and see the oustanding quality but you also get an idea why it takes many years and product generations to develope such a product which is surely not rocket science.

I've seen once a RR FF. Although it does the job it's not even close to that what Arri and Chrosziel deliver. I guess that my two decades old Chrosziel will survive the next 5 generations of Red cameras, the FF units for the fast DV market won't - and don't need to. Nick ist spot on: Buy an used FF unit by Arri or Chrosziel and keep it the next 2 or 3 decades.


Hans
 
Totally agreeing with Hans here.

I used to work as a Focus Puller, and own a RedRock FF. I have used it only once, to see if it works - and now I'd rather pull off the lens than using the RR.

that reminds me: anyone wants to buy a RR FF, barely used with 3 gear rings? PM me an offer if interested.
 
It's pretty damn kick ass though. Course for the same price you could buy a bartech.

Nick
 
Richard Darge said:
Expensive is what I think.. The LFF-1 is over $5k
Click to expand...

Other than the price, how does it compare with studio FF, like Arri FF-4?

I like the size of it.
 
I've never used an LFF-1 so can't compare. I didn't realize they were so expensive ($1200 more than a full FF-4 kit?). Feature-wise it's a compact, lightweight design similar to the MFF-1, but it gives you a swing arm for the lens gear and lacks the ability to do hard stops that the MFF-1 provides.

I was very close to buying an MFF-1 on more than one occasion, but after playing with one a few times, I opted for the FF-4 in the end. Even though it's an Arri, the MFF-1 suffers from many of the same issues that cheaper one-sided FF units suffer from, such as occasional clearance and positioning issues with the gear right off the gear box. Looks like the LFF-1 would solve some of those issues though.
 
I used one on a job. Mechanically and functionally it is an ARRI. What it is not, is a studio follow focus. Hand held, great, if you are living on a dolly, get the studio version.

Nick
 
Well, even though isn't a "real" follow focus, I rather like my RedRock v.2 with my equally unreal Nikon glass. As stated before the metal tab to mark is pretty flimsy, but that's my largest complaint. The setup with the thumbscrew can take some time to get right, but no more than a few seconds. So for the OP's request, I would vote the RR.

I would never dare pit anything with the Arri nameplate in a Cheapest anything comparison. Obviously the it devastates in the QUALITY part of the equation, but cheap it is not. I very much wanted to get a used FF2 what I was looking at my kit, but I live in GA, so my options are ebay and other forums. On the few that I did see used, they were quite a bit more than the RR and the likes. I am tempted by the MFF-1, but that's still a tough pill to swallow.

Disclaimer - I have not used the Arri FF anything.. I would love to, and I will probably be a convert, but I figure the "cine" glass needs to happen first. The accuracy and accouterments of the high end FF are probably lost on the slop and short focus of the Nikon / still lenses. I am probably wrong with my assumptions, but that's what my wallet is telling me. One day I will rent one to find out, but right now I am out shooting with my own gear.

Just my .02 as I am attempting to kit out myself.
 
Well, RR was used on a professional shoot today and DP didn't have much complaint. He and I switched off pulling focus on Nikon lenses. By the way, this professional job had the choice of going with cine lenses, but in the end they went with my Nikons because they are lightweight (which was appropriate for the shoot) and they are fast (at least the primes are). Worked out great.

That's not to say I don't agree with everyone's assessment. The Arri FF units are fantastic. I've used several of them, including FF4, FF2, etc. Yes, they offer an AC or DP the most robust feature set and there's just no doubt about their build quality and engineering. But I had the RR, knew I could pull on it, and so I used it.

If someone is just starting to get their own gear, and need to watch their budget it doesn't necessarily make them unprofessional to buy one of these lower cost units. I look at it this way. If you can pull focus on a RR or any of the other cheaper, lower class follow focus units, there's a good chance you'll do even better when you get your hands on an FF-4. Obviously there are jobs that one of the industry standard, high class follow focus units are required. But there's lots of other professional jobs where you can get by with less. Like a lot of other things, it's knowing when to use the gear and when not to use it.
 
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