Redrock microRemote?

[Scotty Baker]

I picked up the MicroRemote a few months ago and have been using it for my steadicam work.
As the Steadicam operator I don't actually operate the thing, the AC does.
They have not complained at all.
But the things I can say about it are:
-It's very light weight (the base station and motor)
-Runs off P-Tap (D-Tap) power which is convenient
-Set up is a breeze. The Auto calibration is a 1 button push deal (as long as your lenses have hard stops)
-The motor seems to turn super speeds, Red Pro Primes, and other Cinema Prime lenses without problem
-Motor is quiet
-The Remote Control is well-built and functions smoothly
-the marking ring is great with a dry erase marker or grease pencil
-no latency, responsive control
-Great price!!!
The only downsides I've noticed:
-While the controller can be a good distance away, it can suffer from interference if there's too much stuff obstructing the path of the signal. Not a major thing for me as my AC is usually right by my side.
-if I have to power down my sled (which provides power to the system) then I have to re-calibrate (not a biggie) but the poor AC has to re-draw his marks on the ring.
-The motor only has a 15mm rod attachment. you'll want to buy the 15mm-19mm dogbone they sell.
-The AA batteries in the controller are housed behind a panel that takes a little screwdriver to remove. Not ideal if you need to change em in a hurry. Thankfully they last long.

That's about it.
Any other questions about it, I'd be happy to answer.

 

[Loren Simons]

Hey Scotty,

Thanks for the review! Glad to see you're happy with the microRemote.

Based on feedback from shooters like you, we now ship the Torque Motors with a 19mm motor clamp and 15mm insert. So the dogbone is not the only way to get the motor onto a 19mm rail now, although they do often come in handy when using smaller lenses!

Cheers,

Loren Simons

 

[Jake Wilganowski]

Loren, PLEASE can you address whether RR has any plans to remedy having to re-calibrate when powering down. I own the system and this would be amazing. Is it possible? Thanks!

 

[Jeffrey T. Morgan]

Scotty, thanks so much for the review! I am familiar with the lenses you have pushed, but I own a Contax Zeiss set. Any experience pushing stills lenses with adapter rings? More importantly, anything the motor hasn't been able to move?

Jake, What do you think of the system?

Loren, any chance you can address when the price of the standalone remote will be available? If I know for sure I can get the remote later, I will be able to purchase the rest of the Micro Remote Handheld Bundle sooner.

AWESOME!!!

 

[Jake Wilganowski]

Jeffery, the system works great. I've used it on zeiss zf still lenses, canon still zoom senses, and cp2's so far. But I don't doubt that it would work fine on most any normal cine prime. The one touch calibration with contax lenses is great for you. I LOVE how small the receiver is. And the cables are solid.

 

[Scotty Baker]

Scotty, thanks so much for the review! I am familiar with the lenses you have pushed, but I own a Contax Zeiss set. Any experience pushing stills lenses with adapter rings? More importantly, anything the motor hasn't been able to move?

Jeffrey,
I've used it on my Contax Zeiss, and it is just as good.
I haven't had any problem with any lenses.

 

[Tim Morten]

Based on feedback from shooters like you, we now ship the Torque Motors with a 19mm motor clamp and 15mm insert. So the dogbone is not the only way to get the motor onto a 19mm rail now, although they do often come in handy when using smaller lenses!

For those of us who purchased previously, can you share the link to the 19mm motor clamp? I would really like to not have to use the dogbone, and I can't seem to find this part on your site.

 

[Jake Wilganowski]

Yes, and also, where can we buy extra Black knobs, can't find them either

 

[Loren Simons]

Loren, PLEASE can you address whether RR has any plans to remedy having to re-calibrate when powering down. I own the system and this would be amazing. Is it possible? Thanks!

Jake,

I've asked my engineers to see if this is possible, and I'll let you know when I hear back from them. Also, please contact support@redrockmicro.com for additional black knobs. As we have varying lengths for different clamps, they will create a special order for you with the exact sizes you need.

Loren, any chance you can address when the price of the standalone remote will be available? If I know for sure I can get the remote later, I will be able to purchase the rest of the Micro Remote Handheld Bundle sooner.

Jeffrey,

I know right now because of the large amount of orders we are receiving we are prioritizing shipping full bundles to make the most of our stock. But I can confirm we will be selling the wireless controllers standalone later for those users who want to start off with the fingerwheel bundle and upgrade to the wireless controller later. I'm not sure as to what the price would be.

For those of us who purchased previously, can you share the link to the 19mm motor clamp? I would really like to not have to use the dogbone, and I can't seem to find this part on your site.

Tim,

Contact support@redrockmicro.com with your request, as at this time that would also be a special order.

 

[Jeffrey T. Morgan]

A delayed thanks for the info everyone! I was out of town earning money toward the handheld bundle, lol.

 

[Gene Sung]

Reviving an old thread because I'm close to buying a wireless FF, and it's come down to Redrock or DJI.

Apparently, Redrock has released a new firmware which offers considerable improvement.

http://nofilmschool.com/2016/02/4-0-firmware-redrock-microremote-wireless-follow-focus

My biggest red flag with the Redrock is someone mentioned small motor steps when doing slow focusing. I wonder if this has been addressed?

Also, thinking of the DJI which seems like a fantastic design, but it seems like there a number of people who have had mechanical issues.

I just want the thing to work and have decent customer support.

 

[Brian Valente]

Reviving an old thread because I'm close to buying a wireless FF, and it's come down to Redrock or DJI.

Apparently, Redrock has released a new firmware which offers considerable improvement.

http://nofilmschool.com/2016/02/4-0-firmware-redrock-microremote-wireless-follow-focus

My biggest red flag with the Redrock is someone mentioned small motor steps when doing slow focusing. I wonder if this has been addressed?

Also, thinking of the DJI which seems like a fantastic design, but it seems like there a number of people who have had mechanical issues.

I just want the thing to work and have decent customer support.

Hi Gene - thanks for posting this to reduser

i can answer some of this. with 3.0 we upped the resolution considerably and now it's far smoother than earlier versions (fyi anyone who has a version prior to 3.0 can get the free firmware update). with 4. 0 we've added some nice conveniences like calibrate from the hand unit, save calibrations between battery swaps, etc. you can read all the details on that link. We've spent a lot of time fine tuning our remote. For DJI you can power it from their battery and we have a set of flexCables designed specifically for that camera. We also have camera run/stop for Red as well. if you have any questions feel free to drop me a line.

Brian