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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 :)

HotLink or Redlink Bridge

I actually ordered the Hotlink, then changed my mind, cancelled the order and got the Redlink. I did take a look inside the Redlink and the adapter module, hoping I could make a plan to move the innards of the Redlink into the adapter module (even if I just ended up with a dumb A-mount on the back). Unfortunately the board in the Redlink is a bit too tall to fit in the adapter module.
 
If you want to use the quickplate module you can't use the redlink bridge so I'd say the hotlink is the better choice for modularity.
 
I jumped on the REDLink right away; before the HotLink was released. It works very well with Foolcontrol and it stays on my camera on my Helix (it isn't very heavy and not all that thick. The only down side I see is the issue of a rear battery. I can run with a side handle, a detached place for RED bricks or the rear Quad module (with the REDLink attached behind it. And it does look very clean and sort of cool. On the Helix, I just run off the Helix battery.

All that said, if the HotLink had been available, I might have gone for that just for the flexible attachment options. Either way Foolcontrol is the bomb!
 
Chris,

I don't think you should use this on your HL drone, the hotlink is using 2.4 GHz frequency. The same as your controller. If you want to loose the control of your machine, this would be the best solution.

The problem is well known, mostly with people using the wifi of their GoPro on a Phantom 2.

I wanted to buy it but didn't because of this problem.

Just saying
 
Benjamin Granet said:
Chris,

I don't think you should use this on your HL drone, the hotlink is using 2.4 GHz frequency. The same as your controller. If you want to loose the control of your machine, this would be the best solution.

The problem is well known, mostly with people using the wifi of their GoPro on a Phantom 2.

I wanted to buy it but didn't because of this problem.

Just saying
Click to expand...

You can change the channel on the HOTLINK via the HTML interface. Super simple. If you know what channel your drone controller is - you set the HOTLINK to a different channel. Done.
 
Mark, what is the delivery time at this moment for people like myself in Europe if we order now?
 
Christoffer Glans said:
Mark, what is the delivery time at this moment for people like myself in Europe if we order now?
Click to expand...

CVP is going to handle EU sales for OFFHOLLYWOOD products moving forward - waiting for next batch to come out of the oven and get them some inventory. I suspect 3 weeks from today - maybe sooner. OFFHOLLYWOOD will still sell direct to anyone at the moment - and we are less than two weeks to ship new orders - but by NAB I intend to only sell direct in USA and let some chosen, well respected resellers abroad handle the stuff overseas.
 
CVP is a good choice, and UK is following closely the US in term of interest in the system...

Last week I was in Pinewood for British Cinematographer Society expo (BSCexpo) and most of the RED rental houses exhibiting had a HOTLink + foolcontrol setup on display :-)

Thanks John Marchant btw for the booth invite btw
 
Hmm, I have a shoot where I need the Hotlink in about three weeks time. What do you think is the best course of action for me at this time?
 
This is my cheap and simple Redlink Bridge mounting solution.

I repurposed the old Element Technica 19mm rod mount V-lock plate, with a $20 bolt on 19mm rod. It's very solid and actually nicely balanced off the back of the camera. It may look slightly janky but doesn't feel that way at all. I like the look of the freefly solution and may wind up buying it, but this is a good option if you already own the 19mm clamp plate.

This plate was one of the early V-mount solutions from ET which was tossed in the backup bin once better battery mounting solutions came along.

But when it comes to RED, I've learned to never get rid of any widgets. They all seem to come back into play.

***edit - well, reduser seems to want to flip the image upside down, and I don't see a way to fix that - so if you want a closer look, you'll have to flip it. silly thing.***

....or you can see it flipped on Mark's RED Rigging post... howdhedodat? http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?127918-RED-Rigging
 

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Meryem Ersoz said:
This is my cheap and simple Redlink Bridge mounting solution.

I repurposed the old Element Technica 19mm rod mount V-lock plate, with a $20 bolt on 19mm rod. It's very solid and actually nicely balanced off the back of the camera. It may look slightly janky but doesn't feel that way at all. I like the look of the freefly solution and may wind up buying it, but this is a good option if you already own the 19mm clamp plate.

This plate was one of the early V-mount solutions from ET which was tossed in the backup bin once better battery mounting solutions came along.

But when it comes to RED, I've learned to never get rid of any widgets. They all seem to come back into play.

***edit - well, reduser seems to want to flip the image upside down, and I don't see a way to fix that - so if you want a closer look, you'll have to flip it. silly thing.***

....or you can see it flipped on Mark's RED Rigging post... howdhedodat? http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?127918-RED-Rigging
Click to expand...

Wow, great solution, how did you think to do that? I have 3 AB plates, this solution could have saved me one of them.
 
thanks, Jamon - well, my initial instinct was to run a single rod mounted to the top handle straight down the middle of the camera back and let it dangle behind the redlink. but that option felt a little too loose, and the 19mm clamp has a tendency to lose grip and sag with the weight of the battery. The whole setup was too floppy and unsatisfying.

The bolt-on 19mm rod doesn't slip, and mounting the ET plate horizontally across the back instead of vertically along the side of the cam or behind the Redlink also eliminates the "flop" which occurred with side- or rear-mounting. The plate doesn't budget in this position and doesn't interfere with the Redlink at all.

it's always about digging into the box o' widgets until something works.
 

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Yeah, now that I see the pic straight up I can really see it, this set up leaves the battery in a pretty good position. That's cool.
 
I've been trying out a homemade wifi-thingy made by Björn Benckert at Syndicate and it works very well for setting up the camera using Fool control.
Now I have tried the internal focusing and it's extremely disappointing. I know that this wifi-circuit isn't as robust as the Hotlink so it might have interference by other wifi signals (even though I shut down my own internet wifi while testing) but I've looked at the Optitron2 videos and find it seems similar in some instances.

I cannot get a smooth operating focus change between two points. I've programmed two points using fool control and rack focused between them, but it's no way near what is professionally acceptable. It seems that some lenses are worse than others. My 24-70 2.8 II is one of canons best zooms and it performs really awful. My Sigma 35mm 1.8 art performs much better but still not perfect. When I look at the Optitron2 video posted in the internal focus thread I could make out "some" of this "jerky" behavior when changing focus.
On top of that, the sound of the internal focus is really loud. There have been tests to show that it is within "acceptable volume", but I know for certain that it isn't and if I were to ever shoot a close up of someone talking and then change focus to behind her it would definetely be picked up by the sound guy.

Can someone please explain to me some of this internal focus behavior? I was hyped before, but this is not really working for a professional shoot. With all the problems of short throw and so on, I find that much more workable and acceptable because at least I get a smooth focus instead of jerky loud ones. A skilled focus puller would manage short throws most of the time anyway.

Here's a video of the jerky focusing using my 24-70mm 2.8 II.
https://vimeo.com/119630325
Password: focus

Here's some additional footage
https://vimeo.com/119630326
Password: focus


I've tried the rack focus within the Epic itself without fool control and when going from point A to point B it behaves somewhat the same.
Maybe it's a problem with my Epic instead? I hope not.
 
Don't let the fool control fool you Chris ;-) I have never tried it but the general consensus about it here is very good. Including the focus control feature.
We've got through initial hurdles with EFF quite a while ago and smoothness repeatability, no latency are as good as anything else. You need to watch the camera and the mount (make sure you follow the procedure installing the lenses and plugging the system components in) - after all this is completely new concept- but we now have many OptiTrons in the field and positive feedback. On the other hand- if the camera does not control the focus smoothly on its own (some lenses are better supported than others because thy were implemented earlier and continuously improved over longer period, or they are more straight forward to control) there is nothing we can do as we only send commands to the camera. Try the 85mm f1.2 Canon. It's a wonderfully smooth lens and it is very well supported. If that lens gives you trouble it must be your camera or the mount
 
Jacek Zakowicz said:
(some lenses are better supported than others because thy were implemented earlier and continuously improved over longer period, or they are more straight forward to control) there is nothing we can do as we only send commands to the camera. Try the 85mm f1.2 Canon. It's a wonderfully smooth lens and it is very well supported. If that lens gives you trouble it must be your camera or the mount
Click to expand...

100% agree. Not all Canon lenses give you the same quality/smooth electronic controlled mechanics.
 
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