Scarlet joystick for focus - suggestion.

[Greg Voevodsky]

In addition to touching the screen for focus... how about a small xbox360 joystick with an X target to control focus?

I'd rather use a joystick and target than touch my lcd with my old sweaty oily finger to follow focus. Anyone with me on this suggestion? or 4 buttons - up/down/left/right instead. I hate touch screens... viewing screens like windows should be clean to see whats going on... so how about another option?! Thanks.

 

[Felix K.]

Use a pen.

 

[chrislancaster]

use the old monitor and pull focus with redmote pro or the old fashion way

 

[Terry VerHaar]

In addition to touching the screen for focus... how about a small xbox360 joystick with an X target to control focus?

I'd rather use a joystick and target than touch my lcd with my old sweaty oily finger to follow focus. Anyone with me on this suggestion? or 4 buttons - up/down/left/right instead. I hate touch screens... viewing screens like windows should be clean to see whats going on... so how about another option?! Thanks.

If the screen is anything like the newer iPhone screens, they are very resistant to dirt and smudges and are quite easy to clean.

 

[Michael Olsen]

If the screen is anything like the newer iPhone screens, they are very resistant to dirt and smudges and are quite easy to clean.

My hands tend to smudge everything, regardless of screen coating magic. I've given this some thought.

Potential solutions...

Quick wipes to wipe your hands with. They work, and dry in seconds. I doubt it would be too much trouble to wipe your fingertip down every few takes.

Screen wipes to wipe the screen with. Since the oil/perspiration would be fresh, it should come off without hassle. And the screens should dry very quickly (almost instantly, depending on the brand/technique).

Finger cot. These are like little latex gloves for your fingertips used in a variety of industries from food preparation and medicine (to protect against infection) to art restoration and watchmaking (where oils from the skin may damage the subject of touch). Keep a few in a pouch, slip one on when necessary. I think this is the best best. It's quicker and more permanent than wiping everything down (e.g, put on on at the start of the scene, take it off when it's time to stop), but gives the tactile feel and natural use of your finger, unlike a stylus, and allows you to actually use the touch screen, unlike a remote FF.

Stylus. I don't know what kind of stylus would work best. People seem like like sausages for the iPhones.

 

[Bastien Tribalat]

I'll use this thread to ask ... : will we be able to parameter some focus points that would be reachables remotly by pressing a button (for exemple : for doing a rack focus remotly while the camera is on a crane) ???

 

[Greg Voevodsky]

Wow - use a pen like microsoft or apples Neuton??

Wow - use a pen like microsoft or apples Neuton??

Sorry guys... I was hoping that RED and some RED users might still want to innovate with a joystick. I do not see Predator drones and the military using touch screens for weapons nor video gamers to shoot targets?! A simple target and either digital with 4 buttons or joystick would be much easier to follow focus than touching your small lcd screen that you use to see the target.

I shoot on the beaches in 100 degrees... I have a nice 8 inch long telescope hood built around my LCD so I can see it in the daylight... like most of us that use lens hoods... how can we touch the screen when we cover it with a hood so we can see the screen?! Am I to cut the bottom off, so I can poke my finger in to change focus with sunscreen, sand and sweat and light leek?!

I HATE TOUCH SCREENS on my Garmin, iphone, etc... WHY would I want one on my camera?! So, please RED, and those of us that still hope RED is innovating... create a 2nd follow follow focus without a touchscreen using buttons or joystick and not some lame stylus suggested by some and by Bill Gates ten years ago which failed along with with Apple Newton before then.

 

[Greg Voevodsky]

If the screen is anything like the newer iPhone screens, they are very resistant to dirt and smudges and are quite easy to clean.

Hmm... so you want to go into the cleaning business?! No thank you. I wear contacts just so I don't have to clean glasses all day.

Why would you touch your eyes, your glasses, your contacts, your lcd on your laptop screen, your HDTV to change a channel, your camera lens, your lcd on your camera?!! Why?! It should be obvious, it messes up your vision?! You should try to keep it clean to SEE and to shoot?!

So to say you can clean your lens, your lcd, etc after you @#$@# it up with your finger prints to focus... seems counter productive at best and a waste of time. Don't mess with your optics on either end when focusing or shooting..

Greasy fingers or a stupid stylus is not a solution... like sucking oil in a oil spill it doesn't solve the problem. Keep it clean when viewing and focusing is the best way... period. So RED, please improve on Apples follow focus with a cleaner solution that doesn't @#$@# our viewers and force us to clean them... thank you.

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Hmm... so you want to go into the cleaning business?! No thank you. I wear contacts just so I don't have to clean glasses all day.

Why would you touch your eyes, your glasses, your contacts, your lcd on your laptop screen, your HDTV to change a channel, your camera lens, your lcd on your camera?!! Why?! It should be obvious, it messes up your vision?! You should try to keep it clean to SEE and to shoot?!

So to say you can clean your lens, your lcd, etc after you @#$@# it up with your finger prints to focus... seems counter productive at best and a waste of time. Don't mess with your optics on either end when focusing or shooting..

Greasy fingers or a stupid stylus is not a solution... like sucking oil in a oil spill it doesn't solve the problem. Keep it clean when viewing and focusing is the best way... period. So RED, please improve on Apples follow focus with a cleaner solution that doesn't @#$@# our viewers and force us to clean them... thank you.

Best of luck with your quest. :001_cool: