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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 :)

NEW GROUP BUY: MICROREMOTE WIRELESS FOLLOW FOCUS

Anyone adding the microTape Sonar Rangefinder as an accessory ?

It goes up to 22 ft. and a 9v battery will power it over 24 hours.
And a great way to add visual bulk to your set-up...hehe..if that's important to you.

http://store.redrockmicro.com/Catalog/microRemoteSystem/microTape

Kyle Wullschleger said:
I decided at under a $1000, I'd give this thing a try because this part of their system was ready to ship. I have zero interest in the rest of their iphone controlled system, and as a Steadicam op, I wanted a cinetape. So I thought, why not?

My review - It works! That is all.

Haha, for real, I don't know what else to say except that the build quality is nice and solid, the 9-volt power module is simple and effective. Setting it up was a piece of cake and adjusting for the film plane couldn't of been easier. There is a small phillips screw you have to undo to replace the 9 volt battery. That was a little annoying.

That said, if you're looking for a sonar-based distance readout system for your rig at all... buy this thing! The price is right.
Click to expand...
 
I played with the micro remote @ NAB and its solid. It's actually kinda heavy! Not too heavy, just beefy. Definitely feels like something expensive.. The motor is a little on the small side, butt I'm sure it will be suffice for everyone's needs.
 
Bob Gundu said:
I'm on the fence with this unit or the RT Motion setup. The RT offers future expandability.... Argh!
Click to expand...

Mmm - hadn't seen this one... it mentions Worldwide legal frequency bands, that's a question on the RedRock I asked earlier (being UK based).

But agree with Carey on the fingerwheel option.
 
Carey Lee Coffey said:
I think the Group Buy discount and the universal finger wheel are two big enough reasons to get off the fence ; )
Click to expand...
Are you guys seriously considering pulling focus with your thumb? While holding camera grip? Is there any examples of that in an action sequence? What do the ACs here think?
 
Jacek Zakowicz said:
Are you guys seriously considering pulling focus with your thumb? While holding camera grip? Is there any examples of that in an action sequence? What do the ACs here think?
Click to expand...

It works really well. As a Steadicam op. I have pulled my own focus for live shows many times since the times of the J7. The finger wheel is a really good tool to have alongside all others.
Any tool has its right time and place. The finger wheel is one of them.
 
Isn't a traditional follow focus on a properly balanced camera- so you don't have to cling onto it with both arms loaded- a better solution?
And how do you reference your marks of a tiny knob ? How do you follow with no directional reference?
 
Jacek Zakowicz said:
Isn't a traditional follow focus on a properly balanced camera- so you don't have to cling onto it with both arms loaded- a better solution?
And how do you reference your marks of a tiny knob ? How do you follow with no directional reference?
Click to expand...

Well nothing really beats a traditional follow focus unit. Even high end wireless solutions.

However, there are many roads to Rome and a bazillion ways to operate.

The finger wheel concept isn't designed to replace the traditional wheeled units, but it is designed to perform similarly to ENG-ish type setups where controllers such as this exist.

It proposes an interesting option for shoulder work, and I agree a balanced or supported rig is best there.

For me, as a controller at least, I can see it being viable for focus. I can also see an interesting shoulder setup by using a mechanical follow focus mounted on the dumb side and having the finger wheel attached to the zoom on a lens. Heck, I can see possibilities for that in more studio setups too.

It's just another tool that provides creative possibilities. More geared towards that ENG style of shooting.

You want be pulling precise marks or anything like that with the finger wheel and that is indeed where the hand wheel comes into play.

For proper cinema style shooting and control a wheel will likely always be the better option.
 
The handle controls for ENG are used for huge studio pedestal setups not for hand held. And there definitely is a directional reference here developed by the camera men for decades. Like a motor bike rider acceleration handgrip twist.
Not to mention a massive DOF with 2/3" cameras that makes pulling focus a breeze compared to large sensor cameras.
 
QUICK QUESTION:

Can you use this setup as a zoom motor, instead of focus pulling?
 
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