Movcam Studio Follow Focus

[Patrick O'Sullivan]

Definitely some varying opinions on the topic.

I've never come across anything in the film gear department entirely produced in china that wasn't complete shit. Not to say it doesn't exist but it boils down to you get what you pay for. I have some tilta stuff and it completely fell apart within a 30 day shoot. Everything just stopped working. Quality lasts. That is the difference. Arri stuff lasts. Oconnor stuff lasts. Yes it is expensive but not really. What is the cost of a FF going to shit on a shoot? My guess is if you are in this game doing it for a living then the cost is much more than $1500.

Some people think the Oconnor stuff isn't on par with Arri. I disagree. But that is a matter of personal experience. They know how to build items for the everyday wear and tear of production. Take from that what you will.

Having high hopes for a piece of gear out of China for 1/2 the price of an Arri FF that it has directly copied I would definitely not get my hopes up.

Buy once buy right. Arri/Oconnor have gained a reputation for a reason.

 

[Shervin Mandgaryan]

I saw the MovCam and the Tilta Follow Focus at NAB. Both are extremely well designed and crafted pieces of equipment. No play between parts and an extremely uniform build.

That being said, nobody knows how these will hold up in the long run. Arri's follow focuses have lasted decades and decades of use. O'Connor is getting into the game but they still have not built a real name for themselves (Even though I think the CFF-1 trumps the FF4 in every way imaginable).

If you want to give the cheaper Chinese brands a go than by all means do it... from my own inspection they look like they can take the rigors of serious production... will they last decades of use? Nobody knows.

 

[Phil Holland]

I'm real curious about the gruff about the OConnor CFF-1. I literally tested out a FF4 and FF5 with the CFF-1 side by side before I plopped my coin down. They all seemed like good bits of kit to me.

 

[Nick Morrison]

I saw the MovCam and the Tilta Follow Focus at NAB. Both are extremely well designed and crafted pieces of equipment. No play between parts and an extremely uniform build.

That being said, nobody knows how these will hold up in the long run. Arri's follow focuses have lasted decades and decades of use. O'Connor is getting into the game but they still have not built a real name for themselves (Even though I think the CFF-1 trumps the FF4 in every way imaginable).

If you want to give the cheaper Chinese brands a go than by all means do it... from my own inspection they look like they can take the rigors of serious production... will they last decades of use? Nobody knows.

I've seen the MOVCAM up close, and have used it numerous times, and it does not appear to be as sturdy as other more "AC" tested equipment. There are lots of small bits and pieces that you have to keep track of. Two of my DP friends have used it, and neither one of them were completely sold on the device. The price point is attractive, but for the cost...it doesn't seem significantly better than some of the more affordable FF like the Vocas (which looks like it may be a winner), or even say the Lanparte (which for the price is worth a long, long look).

 

[Steven Turner]

Hi Guy's, Just caught this thread. If anyone has any specific problems with the OConnor Follow Focus products, or, any questions...please feel free to contact me. It sounds like some people have had a bad experience and getting to the route cause of these concerns is important to us. We are a Premium brand and always try and design and manufacture things to the highest standard. Your comments can help us put preventative quality actions in place, and / or, improve our roadmap of future products and developments. Feel free to e-mail me directly or post a question to 'ask OConnor' on our website. Kindest Regards. Steve Turner.

 

[Nick Timmons]

I work as a camera assisant, and I've owned a CFF-1 for over 18 months. More adjustable than the ARRI, but if you don't know what you're doing, you might think it's a piece of garbage.
FF-4/5 is certainly the gold standard.

 

[Tom C. Hall]

Why he hell is the rod tie downs on the CFF-1 on either sides instead of just one like an FF4? It's such a pain if you are constantly switching between primes and zooms to readjust the position by loosing two screws to slide it back instead of just the one. Also why can't lightweight rods clear over the top of the unit if they are mounted on 19mm?