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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 :)

Cinevate Durus follow focus review

Which one's have you used? It's not like there are that many single rail FF's out there. I can only think of two. What I'd really like to see is an open clamp design that allows switching sides quickly. Torque could be solved with a quick release style bolt that bridges across the front end of the jaw.
 
I still can't see why someone hasn't made an easily reversable FF. All it takes is ONE moving part. No dismounting, no inverting of a gear box or anything like that. As for single sided units slipping on the rods that, is either a poorly bored and reamed clamping section or missized rods which is a common problem with cheap aluminum or carbon fibre rods. I've never thought the little weight gain saved by using extruded aluminum or "plastic" rods out weighs the durability and fit of a centerless ground stainlees steel rod.
 
For those wondering about the integrity of the single clamp design..and why it's designed as it is, have a look at this video:



Our Proteus carbon fibre rails are solid carbon fiber, and maintain a tolerance of +- 0.01mm along their length. In terms of strength, we had a fedex truck accidentally drive over a set with zero damage to the rods. You'd need some kind of hydraulic ram capable of exerting thousands of pounds to crush or deform them. In terms of flex, they are about half the weight of standard stainless 15mm rods, yet 75% stiffer. That's we use them :-)
 
Zeiss ss MKII

Zeiss ss MKII

I want to report here we have tried the cinevate with Zeiss SS MKII and it is impossible to fit it even with the bigger gear (We have two gears). We can use it with Zeiss MKIII as the barrel is bigger. But... Not all red cams have the back focus at the same position. So from the two red cams we tried, one can use it with Zeiss SS MKIII but the other cannot, as the back focus screws stay lower and the body of the FF hits on them. It is a problem, we will try to mount it on the upper rods and maybe it will work. I will keep posting. When it can fit it works perfectly and it is super precise and nice to handle.
Thanks
Panos
 
Indeed Panos, have call RED and they will try to help to reposition the back focus ring. This is neither Cinevate or RED faulty. But it's an interesting issue.

But yes, cinevate FF is super nice and very precise. I like it a lot
 
The back focus ring issue on the RED is indeed something out of our control as its position apparently will differ with each RED camera. However read on.

Our new focus rings (which provide .8 pitch gears for lenses that don't have gears, or that are causing grief due to size) have many changes based on feedback from the field.

1. They have a larger inner diameter, and are wider by 4mm too. This is to ensure that folks using SLR lenses with a lot of physical breathing (like the Zeiss 100mm macro) can use the FF for 100% of the focus throw over 360 degrees without repositioning.

2. The gears are a lot simpler to mount as they are one-piece and do not require inner/outer gear separation to install.

3. The stainless "spokes" are now specially machined and integrate nylon tips to ensure no marks are left on metal focus rings. Visual centering is now a lot easier due to their design.

4. The gears are molded from reinforced composite polymer meaning they will engage with our drive gears even better than the out-going design. By better, I mean less lash and smoother operation. We've managed to seriously tighten tolerances of the tooth thrust angles/profile so that FF drive gear and lens gear mate incredibly well. This is a fine point, never discussed in reviews...but it makes a big difference.

5. Not sure how to say this, but they're sexier.

6. Cost on these gears is definitely less than the outgoing versions, mostly because we're making a lot of them.

7. Our improved system allows assymetrical mounting over the 35mm lens focus ring. This means that you can effectively offset the gear forwards or backwards beyond the 35mm lens focus ring if required to suit your needs.

So if your RED has its back focus ring "in the way", then using one of our new lens gears and gearing the compact prime is a viable option which will also guarantee very precise engagement.
 
Can you post pictures of the new design? I've been looking for something similar to the hard press delrin rings, because rentals don't allow for set screws. What is the overall width now?
 
Can you post some pics Dennis?

I'm slowly finding lenses and setups that the Durus is suffering from. The main issue is no reverse function. You can flip the FF but everything is then backwards and focus pullers don't like this, at all. In fact the last job the AC took the unit off as it was so fustrating and drove the lens manually. He gave the unit a thumbs up apart from this.

The Durus does work beautifully but has limitations due to this one factor. Would it be possible to design an additional accessory that would add another gear on the other side of the gearbox so there would not be the need to flip the gearbox?
 
Brigham, you just need to remove the four bolts (key provided) which allow you to adjust the approach angle of the FF. Flip the transmission so the gear is rear facing, and you've got what you're asking for. Takes about 60 seconds. The only down side of this is that it may get in the way of a matte box out front. This feature allows clockwise or counterclockwise operation regardless of which side of the rig you're mounted on.

Cinevate's Titan Mattebox is being modified to allow a very simple cage built around your rig. This will allow our FF to be mounted from the top or bottom and make reverse directions even easier. Your focus puller won't care as the FF would effectively be in the same position in terms of operation. This is the 5D rigged in the "cage".

 
Dennis Wood said:
Brigham, you just need to remove the four bolts (key provided) which allow you to adjust the approach angle of the FF. Flip the transmission so the gear is rear facing, and you've got what you're asking for. Takes about 60 seconds. The only down side of this is that it may get in the way of a matte box out front. This feature allows clockwise or counterclockwise operation regardless of which side of the rig you're mounted on.
Click to expand...

I know this Dennis, but it does not always work. The larger gear still only gives a very small amount of clearance from the gearbox/transmission and with some lenses it is just not enough. Most FF units have the levering gears to get around this. This leaves the only way to possibly make it fit is to run it in reverse, and there is the problem, as well as the adjustable focal point marker not be able to spin around because of the larger gear making it upside down. With the width of the gearbox and rail mount, as you mentioned, it can sometimes stop the mattebox and lens support from fitting then you have to flip and run the unit backwards...as in the ANG 25-250 HR.
As i have mentioned a few times now the unit is very solid, precise and fluid and is adaptable to a lot of different lenses and setups but i am just finding near a 50/50 fit (in regards to clearance and direction) for the lenses/setups we have used it with to date. And that is by FAR not nearly the variety of lenses out there but just the ones we have used.

I am NOT an engineer but the only solution i can see is to be able to mount the gear on either side of the gearbox or have a reversing mechanism built in. Maybe purchase a 'reverse gear' mechanism as Duclos makes but then this is not very ideal and puts the Durus near the Arri pricepoint and would still not solve the issue entirely. Is it possible to design an upgrade for the Durus to overcome this?
 
Will the Durus work on a Cooke 25-250mm MkII zoom (on 19mm rods); and allow room for a matte box? We are using a Redrock Micro ff at the moment and it works fine...
 
Details please...

Details please...

Brigham Edgar said:
Can you post some pics Dennis?

I'm slowly finding lenses and setups that the Durus is suffering from. The main issue is no reverse function. You can flip the FF but everything is then backwards and focus pullers don't like this, at all. In fact the last job the AC took the unit off as it was so fustrating and drove the lens manually. He gave the unit a thumbs up apart from this.

The Durus does work beautifully but has limitations due to this one factor. Would it be possible to design an additional accessory that would add another gear on the other side of the gearbox so there would not be the need to flip the gearbox?
Click to expand...


Can you list exactly which lenses the Durus doesn't work with and which it does from the ones you have tested?
 
Shane Kelly said:
does it reverse focus direction? (for nikons)
Click to expand...

yes - takes about 10 minutes first time - 1 minute once you get the hang. I suppose there could be some potential fit problems, but we have not had any using Cooke primes and Zeiss Slr glass.

BTW - We used to rent Arri FF, now do not miss them ever with Cinevate FF. their new screw-on gears are also top-notch when using SLR glass.
 
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