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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

Ned Wilson said:
You have to crank the torque / speed up to its highest settings. I'm not sure a lot people realize that it has torque settings. It's default has the torque at the lowest. It'll drive any modern prime without a problem (even CN-E). I've used it with Cookes, Leicas. Speeds, CP's and Ultras with ease. I bought it primarily for gimbal work where the motor combined with the MDR is a real weight saver. My AC's who are all experienced 600 guys and who work with Prestons and the like love the DJI and use it for conventional use on dolly or sticks. No motor fails after 30 days of use. The stock clamp is really crap. The extended clamp they make works great. As far as D Tap goes, there seems to a be a bit of panic about it. I've never mis mounted a D Tap ever. It's not something I worry about. check your D tap out and see if it can be put in the wrong way. It can't on any of my accessories. Because of its cheap price you'll probably hear of more issues as there will be more out there. It's like for every MOVI there are at least 20 Ronins out there. I suggest try it out for yourself and take advice from people who own one.
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Can only agree. the dtap argument is lame as for two pin lemos there is no real standard they go both ways and furher more most 2 pin lemos are built so you can swap polarity by just pushing and twisting the tip. So its easily adapted to go both ways. Secondly most likly (i dont know for sure so just guessing) These motors have protective diods in them so if connected the wrong way around nothing happens.

Our motor has done about 25 shooting days no issue. And as should and mentioned above tork isset to weak then you up it until lens runs nicely as you dont want to pull huge tork and slam the end stops on any lens. better start on low tork and incease in steps until it runs with no issue.

And to me these motors have enough tork I think at full trottle you should be a bit carefull as you could eaisily break somthing skid on the gears or simply wack the focus ring of your lens. i done that mistake on a masterprime with our mrmoco motors with tork not to different from what the dji has so no these motors are not weak. If they do not pull your lens the setting is wrong or your lens needs service badly.

personally i have no issues with the little bracket. Possibly as a rental it would be a risk as it falls apart easily when deasembled but i like the motore to sit snug almodt under the lens

And yes the more Systems out there and as the price is so low the more problem threads on forums like this. I doubt these motors burn more easy then the other more costly systems out there. They all break but there is simply so many more new units of this and most user owned. The rental places dont start a thread when their preston system go wack.
 
Run / stop cables... Run/ stop cables...... Run / stop cables.... Please DJI answer our prayers, if not our forum comments.
 
Read this as a customer review on amazon and want to clear if its true or not before buying:
Rented for a shoot. First, the good: very, very nicely made, very quiet motor, yet weird features and non-features for the price. 1. It has no memories. Other units at this price point do. 2. Manual calibration is both fiddly (the manual we had was incorrect, and it took many variants to guess how to do it, and even then it worked only about 75% of the time -- wasn't able to us it at all for first 1/2 day's shooting until we guessed how to calibrate) 2. DOES NOT RETAIN CALIBRATION after power down/camera battery change. Duh. Really makes it difficult to use with a RED when batteries are changed so frequently, although one could argue that is also partly a RED battery drain issue.

Thanks
 
The latest firmware retains calibration now. Also The Remote Start/Stop option is about to be released really soon.
 
So whats the verdict? Solid Yay? I'm about to pull the trigger on this and looking for any reason to be talked off the edge. Cheers
 
So I jumped the gun on the extended motor bracket. I cannot recommend it. I found that the red tie down knob on several lenses when using LWS will hit the lens before the gear, making it useless. It'll work in top mounted configurations but on standard diameters 114mm and 95mm, you'll run into issues. My only solution now is o buy a back up small motor bracket (the one it comes with). But they're on back order. Anyone know of a 3rd part solution?
 
Dan - Thanks for the reply. Just pulled the trigger :)

Ned - Appreciate the followup on the bracket, almost bought it! What was the original problem with the small motor bracket?

Cheers
 
Abiodun Shote said:
Read this as a customer review on amazon and want to clear if its true or not before buying:
Rented for a shoot. First, the good: very, very nicely made, very quiet motor, yet weird features and non-features for the price. 1. It has no memories. Other units at this price point do. 2. Manual calibration is both fiddly (the manual we had was incorrect, and it took many variants to guess how to do it, and even then it worked only about 75% of the time -- wasn't able to us it at all for first 1/2 day's shooting until we guessed how to calibrate) 2. DOES NOT RETAIN CALIBRATION after power down/camera battery change. Duh. Really makes it difficult to use with a RED when batteries are changed so frequently, although one could argue that is also partly a RED battery drain issue.

Thanks
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ALl the videos I've seen point to a very easy calibration. The only thing I'm worried about is how it holds up in the long run. Will it break down or will it keep working in harsh conditions over longer stretches? Features and whatnot aren't really anything I care for, if it can calibrate itself and work silently enough without breaking that's enough. The one thing that any film gear needs to be able to is to work when you want it to work. If too many people had problems with this then it's not ready for a filmset. Reliability is the key.
 
I've had 2 for a while now, and although they don't get used for every single job I do, they get used a bit and have never failed. As much as I hate endorsing DJI for the horrible mess that the Ronin is, credit where credit is due...
 
Daniel Stilling said:
I've had 2 for a while now, and although they don't get used for every single job I do, they get used a bit and have never failed. As much as I hate endorsing DJI for the horrible mess that the Ronin is, credit where credit is due...
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Think you got a bad Ronin. Ours work as a champ and so did the once I rented before I got it, whats the problem with yours?
 
Björn Benckert said:
Think you got a bad Ronin. Ours work as a champ and so did the once I rented before I got it, whats the problem with yours?
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Au the contrary, I used to love my Ronin. Workhorse that ran great! Did many successful jobs with it. Until I bought the thumb control and upgraded to firmware 3.0 to make it work.
That firmware simply obliterated my rig. Held level worse than a beginner Steadicam operator. I have since downgraded the firmware back but it hasn't been the same since and I feel like I can't trust it at all anymore. Now I have a box full of useless aluminum parts sitting in my garage that I can't even sell as my contience wouldn't let me do that.
I have since bought a Helix to replace the Ronin.
Btw, I have a direct phone number to one of the support engineers at DJI but I have been waiting and waiting for a solution, so now I just gave up.
 
Daniel Stilling said:
Au the contrary, I used to love my Ronin. Workhorse that ran great! Did many successful jobs with it. Until I bought the thumb control and upgraded to firmware 3.0 to make it work.
That firmware simply obliterated my rig. Held level worse than a beginner Steadicam operator. I have since downgraded the firmware back but it hasn't been the same since and I feel like I can't trust it at all anymore. Now I have a box full of useless aluminum parts sitting in my garage that I can't even sell as my contience wouldn't let me do that.
I have since bought a Helix to replace the Ronin.
Btw, I have a direct phone number to one of the support engineers at DJI but I have been waiting and waiting for a solution, so now I just gave up.
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Hmm.
Odd, Yes seems firmware related then. I use the thumb thing and that works splendid. Sure it can drop an axis once in a while if not properly balanced and with a heavy setup. But that I see among all the gimbals. The only thing I see as weak on the ronin is the adjustment. I can not for the life of me understand why not all gimbals has the same kind of adjustment screws as the steady cams has has for 20 years. Those sliding wing nut clamp things is simply no good for fine adjustments, but still works like a charm when loked down.
 
why not all gimbals has the same kind of adjustment screws as the steady cams has has for 20 years.
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Because a decent top stage costs as much as an entire gimbal ;-)

Nick
 
Waiting for Chris McKechnie's upcoming review of the Tilta Gravity gimbal, which has incorporated steadicam-style knob turning balancing. Great if it does other things well.
 
Nick Gardner said:
Because a decent top stage costs as much as an entire gimbal ;-)

Nick
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I don't think thats the reason. I have plenty of other camera equipment that has the same kind of linear position screws that cost pocket change but works perfectly well.
 
I guess it depends on what you can get away with. An x-y plate on a steadicam has to be vibration free with a 30lb camera, have limited backlash etc. On a gimbal where you are only dealing with a lightweight camera in the first place you could probably get away with a lot more. I totally fail to see the point of gimbals in the first place, so I am probably the wrong guy to comment on them ;-)

Nick
 
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