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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 :)

DJI Wireless Follow Focus - 1st Impression

after calibration is completed you have to exit the calibration phase by hitting back (exit) to the screen where there is a distance meter. I would also see if there is a firmware update available to download to make sure your handset and motor have matching firmware (if you didn't send in the hand control)...just a thought. But if you try what I said and it works, and you're happy, maybe don't do anything else.

meteorango said:
so... got my motor back. I also sent my cables to be checked, just in case. Motor switched on fine, reconnected with the hand unit. I chose automatic calibration, and it does just that. However, when i turn the hand unit, nothing happens. Tried a couple of times, different cables, etc.
Does anyone have any insight as to what i could do differently?

Thanks
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Marcus Friedlander said:
From what I've seen and heard, it's a totally functional and usable product (I've only used it once for a show that was shooting on L series glass and it worked perfectly).

BUT, if you are going to purchase a unit, and your gigs demand perfection, then you are best off buying two full sets and always having a spare. Heck you could probably buy 5 and still end up cheaper than a brand new Preston package.
Click to expand...

Buying a few? I'm not sure how that's a solution to faulty equipment? If the motors fail then DJI have to fix it and make sure future versions work. What is DJIs response to this?
No one wins if things "just are like this".
 
Christoffer Glans said:
Buying a few? I'm not sure how that's a solution to faulty equipment? If the motors fail then DJI have to fix it and make sure future versions work. What is DJIs response to this?
No one wins if things "just are like this".
Click to expand...

Lol it's definitely not an ideal solution and obviously DJI should be making better equipment. However, the reality of the situation is, if you want to wirelessly pull focus on stills glass, and you don't/can't use foolcontrol, then this is probably the best option for you. If that is the case, and you needed your equipment to work perfectly, all the time, then the safest option is to buy multiple copies. That's all I was saying.

Definetly not supporting DJI's poor quality control.
 
Marcus Friedlander said:
if you want to wirelessly pull focus on stills glass
Click to expand...

What about cine primes? I got a set of CN-Es and I've heard about someone who used this with them and the motor just died.
 
i wonder if they have a store in LA you can just walk in and try it out.
i dont even see it on their website anymore, or am i missing something?

http://store.dji.com/
 
Hot Rod Cameras in Hollywood deals these, and probably could do some showroom style try-outs.

These will run UltraPrimes, so it will have no problem running CN-Es.

I am definitely not defending poor quality, but you kind of have to either:

A. Read the manual and follow the instructions
B. Be prepared for confusion if you don't read the manual, or aren't the troubleshooting type.

finally, yeah - if the system fails you have to send it to DJI. These are mass produced electro-mechanical parts. If something fails, they need to warranty it. In our industry people beat on the stuff harder than say a Playstation 4 or something, also because of the physicality of turning a variety of lenses there is a variety of scenarios these will go up against.

I run mine on Full power full time, with everything at max, and it works great (so Far) - the minute mine blows up (if ever) I'll let you guys know.

So Far, I've had a RR MicroRemote system and this. The RR microremote (1st Gen) blew up like 3 times in the amount of time I've used this with no blow-up. Obviously others have had different results. For $549 for a spare motor - that's a no brainer in the full uptime world. I might buy a second handset too since it's cheap enough.
 
Christoffer Glans said:
What about cine primes? I got a set of CN-Es and I've heard about someone who used this with them and the motor just died.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried this unit on Cine-Primes but I'm pretty sure it won't blow up every single time you attach the motor to the focus gears. More than likely that your friend's unit would have blown up when attaching to any lenses because his unit was probably faulty.

That having been said, unless budget restricted me, I probably wouldn't use this WFF on anything else besides still lenses. This product seems to be made with still lenses in mind. If I was renting Cine-Primes I would probably rent a Preston or a Bartech to go with it.
 
Dan Kanes said:
A. Read the manual and follow the instructions
Click to expand...

I wonder how many world problems would have been solved by now if people followed this simple step ;)
 
My problem with this unit is not how it performs. It s great, i work mainly with big glass, S4s, ultra prime, anamorphic, zooms, it turns everything. The control is so smooth seasoned ac s like the feel of the dji better than other huge name brands that we don t need to mention again.

The fact that it works great only contributes to how annoyed I am that it isn t better manufactured.

Dan, thanks for the input, i ll try everything you mentioned.

Edit: been talking to dji from the first moment it did not work. waiting to hear from them
 
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Christoffer Glans said:
Ok, I've heard a lot of horror stories about this remote FF from all over the place. Enough to stop recommending it to people. Is DJI actually working on improvements or what?
Click to expand...

Please do tell. I haven't heard the horror stories yet. But also keep in mind, something this cheap will have more stories (good or bad) by virtue of volume. I wouldn't be surprised if it's already outnumbered the number of Preston and C Motion owners already. It's like for every MOVI there are ten Ronins.

Anyway, I used one on a feature under the crappiest conditions as well as a handful of commercials for about 25 days of constant use without a problem. I've pushed S4's and Ultra Primes without a problem. I do think it's under torqued for big zooms though. I bought it mainly for gimbal use and hand held. My AC's dig it. They need to improve the clamp and make right angle cables stock. You can buy a better clamp and right angles on their site. But why not just get it right out of the box? More torque would be nice. Perhaps with a version 2. DJI originally envisioned this with Ronins or Helis. I hope once they realize people like it for their primary focus rig they may change their approach. My AC's now rarely use the manual FF.

In fact, I've actually never set it up myself. I just handed them the case with manual and were in business in short order. They love it more than some considerably pricier single channel units. Also, a few times when we forgot to charge the unit, we just connected it to a USB brick and all's good. My only wish is DJI sets up a daisy chain to add a 2nd motor for iris.
 
Marcus Friedlander said:
From what I've seen and heard, it's a totally functional and usable product (I've only used it once for a show that was shooting on L series glass and it worked perfectly).

BUT, if you are going to purchase a unit, and your gigs demand perfection, then you are best off buying two full sets and always having a spare. Heck you could probably buy 5 and still end up cheaper than a brand new Preston package.
Click to expand...

I haven't read any reliability issues to scare me into two units yet. I've got 25 days with mine. We only lost the hard stop screws (stupid easy lose design). I'll probably get a 2nd motor though. My AC's compare the performance to high brands. I sold my Cinegear as soon as I put my hands on this.
 
Where do you guys find the stand alone motor? After it was removed from the dealers sites I lost track of them. Are they still on dji s site? I can t find it..
 
quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by Christoffer Glans
Ok, I've heard a lot of horror stories about this remote FF from all over the place. Enough to stop recommending it to people. Is DJI actually working on improvements or what?
Click to expand...

Been using mine for a month now and no problems here. Its a pretty good product so far. Cant say the same for their tech support tho.
 
Dan Kanes said:
The package is nice because of the case - you get several cables, and some zip gears, but if you don't need/want that stuff - I can't think of anything.
Click to expand...
thanks dan!
it seems like most of the cables except the motor cable comes with the handset, right?
 
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