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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 :)

The Internal Focus Motor Thread

Jacek Zakowicz said:
What is it about the GB that's so appealing? It won't have some tremendous savings- there just isn't enough profit there..
Click to expand...

Maybe when the lower cost one using a commodity 1000 pulse / rev digital pot/encoder for the knob comes out , the group buy will be irrelevant.
The cost of goods in low qty should be sub 1K USD.

Most Red's are not in the hands of moneybags film studio types. They are owned by small independent film people, one step up from shooting a 5D.
Guys that like a nice camera and perhaps sacrificed a nice car for the privilege to get the Red.
It's the Alexa's that are in the big bucks places.
 
If a system the performance/quality level of
Preston at 1/10 the price is not a killer deal I don't know anymore...
5D body costs $3k
Epic Dragon costs 30K- How are owners or Red "one step up from shooting a 5D"?
 
Jacek Zakowicz said:
If a system the performance/quality level of
Preston at 1/10 the price is not a killer deal I don't know anymore...
5D body costs $3k
Epic Dragon costs 30K- How are owners or Red "one step up from shooting a 5D"?
Click to expand...

Most Reds are not Dragon. Scarlets are $7K used, and there are more and more of them selling used, it seems.
 
Don't get me wrong Les, I would really, really love to price it under 1K- I'm all with you on that.
Unfortunately, at this level of performance and materials(all machined billet aircraft aluminum) custom electronic hardware and software, not to mention it is all made in the US where the best (we only hire the best vendors) pros make good , decent living and get paid accordingly( it's only fair IMO)
This under 1K pricing is not reasonable. I wish it was...
Just look at the competition (Preston, C motion) and what they charge...
 
Jacek Zakowicz said:
Don't get me wrong Les, I would really, really love to price it under 1K- I'm all with you on that.
Unfortunately, at this level of performance and materials(all machined billet aircraft aluminum) custom electronic hardware and software, not to mention it is all made in the US where the best (we only hire the best vendors) pros make good , decent living and get paid accordingly( it's only fair IMO)
This under 1K pricing is not reasonable. I wish it was...
Just look at the competition (Preston, C motion) and what they charge...
Click to expand...

I understand the quantities are small for Red .
For larger quantities, here is something for the Canon , anodized billet aluminum :
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...D-550D-600D-DSLR-camera/705299_848892215.html

Amazing. Rounded off, the price = free ;)

These units are USB , which is harder to implement than the simple serial port you can redlink the Red with.
Heck, that price from CN is so cheap, you could buy it, gut the electronics and just use it for the case and knob !
Cost of arduino implementing Redlink about $20. This is giving me ideas. But I have too many things on my plate already.
 
Yes that unit is cheap because is made in China and the hardware and software designs are free. This is an open source project from the OKII guy and it has been exploited by the Chinese to no end. Sad really....
 
Jacek,
will the Optitron also be able to work with the standard Redlink boxes (like the one Offhollywood is making) or does it have to be your receiver ?

I ask that question, because I'd also like to be able to take advantage of the new Redlink capabilities, like iPhone apps to control the camera. Is there a way to use both at the same time ?
 
Good question, would like to know also
 
Nils Ruinet said:
Jacek,
will the Optitron also be able to work with the standard Redlink boxes (like the one Offhollywood is making) or does it have to be your receiver ?

I ask that question, because I'd also like to be able to take advantage of the new Redlink capabilities, like iPhone apps to control the camera. Is there a way to use both at the same time ?
Click to expand...
I don't see why not.
We plug into the control port and use different, encrypted wireless protocols. Redbridge clips on the back of the camera. These are separate devices ...
 
Jacek Zakowicz said:
I don't see why not.
We plug into the control port and use different, encrypted wireless protocols. Redbridge clips on the back of the camera. These are separate devices ...
Click to expand...
But the actual Redbridge prevents me from using Red's V-mount battery plate module. Let's hope they come up with a new one at IBC that doesn't block the back of the camera ! For now the only alternative is to use something like the one Offhollywood will be making, which will also plug into the same port the Optitron uses, I think. Hence my question...
 
Choices are good. Make yours ;-)
you can always use the redmote- it has the same camera control as the redlink software
 
Which resellers sell the Optitron 2 for Red? Which purchase option is best for me based on my location (Sweden)?
 
Jacek Zakowicz said:
Choices are good. Make yours ;-)
you can always use the redmote- it has the same camera control as the redlink software
Click to expand...

Jacek,
I think thats not really a fair statement the redlink and for example foolcontrol gives far more options than the redmote and as I understand it also use a different connection than the redmote. And the prise for the redlink is something all Other FF solutions will find hard to beat.
Personally i think the smartphone solution is the way to go maybe not just yet but in a near future as you can not simply compete with the tech that goes into them. Kind of like the tomtom gps systems for my car, well the free google maps on the iphone beats it by far. gets updates automatically and just works better and i do not need to sit in my car when I want to find a location...

So even if there is possibly no good focus nobs for iphones or touch pads at the moment this will come and from what Im seing is in the works it will come rather soon.

Ofcourse there will be a need for preston, arri and also optitron. But I think the smartphone solutions will defintly put a dent in that market especially when it comes to control internal focus motors.

So if you see redlink as something on the same level as the redmote then I would say you underestimated your competition. :)
 
Haha that's funny redusers were saying exactly the same thing when Redmote came out. "Game changer", will never need follow focus, bad ass, etc. etc. How easy they forget ;)
Then it was the same again when the antenna upgrade came up.
Now bashing redmote because redlink is out. Fads come and go, real gear holds value and helps pros do their job right...
Consumer mentality is alive and well here but, really, still only the pros thrive- the rest of the community just struggles to pay their bills for the overkill gear.
OpiTek makes real gear and will continue what has been the core business for us...
And, again, please, do not call it my competition- I'm really trying to separate OptiTek from it...and need your help..
Just to make it clear- Redlink as a development tool is a fantastic feature. What the devs do with it makes the difference- like with any tool- the craftsman skill will determine its usefullness. REd offfers a great starting point with their sample apps. We took it further in the direction we believe is should go. The rest is up to the redusers- choices are good...
 
Jacek,
I don't remember anybody saying that the redmote would replace a follow focus, it was never intended for that purpose, and I honestly don't see how it could in any way be a follow focus killer. The "redmote pro" that never actually existed would have been what you're mentioning, something comparable to the optitron. But it was never made. (well the THC with Redbridge would be what comes closest to what the redmote pro was supposed to be)

Now, the redmote, if not a game changer, would definitely be a great piece of kit..... if it actually worked. It just doesn't (in wireless mode), at least in my experience. And reading the feedback from others on these forums, I'm clearly not the only one having trouble with it. If you're more than 1-2 meters away from the camera, it just looses the connection. I gave up long ago (even though I tried again a couple of weeks ago with the latest firmwares, but still no luck). So, nobody is "bashing the redmote because redlink is out". People actually didn't wait for redlink to be announced to bash the redmote ;oP

So, I'm pretty excited about what Redlink has to offer. Way more than I have ever been about the Redmote. The focusing capabilities (which the optitron uses too) of course, but ALSO everything else : being able to remotely control the camera with an ipad or iphone, adjust parameters quickly, adjusting grading easily, ingesting metadata for a particular shot in ways that were not possible before.... And who knows what developers will come up next. There is so much to do here, that is way way beyond what the redmote has to offer (even if it did work).

I'm also very curious about what guys like Mikael (who created foolcontrol) will do, including the follow focus part he's working on for his iPhone app. I was very skeptical at first, but I can see how this would open some unseen possibilities that would not be possible on hardware follow focus units. That doesn't mean it will replace the optitron or other follow focus devices, but might be a nice addition. And given all the other features that foolcontrol already has to offer, I clearly don't see it as a toy nor a gadget. It's something I could see myself using on most of my shots. Along with the Optitron.
 
Ok,

Do people use smart phones to drive?
Do pilots use smart phones to fly?
Why not? -the tech is here...
The smart phones work great for gaming, , watching videos, even checking on your baby crib.
Great but not really in the same category as driving or flying. IMO pulling focus is in the same category as driving- it's crucial and it requires proper human interface to work correctly.
but that's just us and our customers opinion- the ultimate choice is yours...
BTW Nils you are a customer and you've made your decision- I really appreciate it !!!!!
Sorry no IBC afaik...
 
Dont take it the wrong way. I'm just saying the pads and smartöhones are hard to keep up with and all Im saying is that they will step right into the camera departments even at the most professional shoots aswell. As an example I was just about to by a 5k usd gps system for my boat from garmin but when looking into it it can not match a 30 usd ipad app there is simply so much tech that goes into these phones and even if the garmin would have 3g and internet it still would not keep up with 3d views etc.
I think a fool control kind of system can do so much more. Just plupging in gps cordinates in meta data, attatch snapshot of camera/lens setup, upload ref remes from each shots to server, do live meta data grading, write comment to takes etc etc. and yes Im pretty shure the will be able to pull quite decent focus with an ipad any day now. Its allready being done. And the market you aim for with optitron is as i understand not the guys that brings a full set of masterprimes and a couple of optimo zooms to set. No matter what you and I think most of the people that has the big budgets will shoot with cineglas that do not have internal focusing for some time forward.So as I see it your option is a really high end low budget option. And i have no critic what so ever for such option, I think its great but I think to really hit the homerun Something that is smartphone based has a good focusnob and uses the red internal stuff will be it. The only thing that could top that would be a wire version a red link box (preferable within the +1) that also had phono in... As that would allow to control focus via sound from the phone. As all wireless systems has one issue, for some reason they only work well wireless if they also have a wire option. :)

So dont take it the wrong way just get going with a iphon suctioncup knob and you will do great :)

Edit: another super valuble feature... log all the focus pulls So every shot if wanted has a keframe string that kan be usued when intergrating cg in post and also such feature would be very handy for clean passes with focus pulls if the focus pull from take a001c001 could be repeted in a001c002 and also name it repeat focus in meta data offcoure...
 
Even though I don't have as great anti-iphone-control as Jacek seem to have and I think it has a lot of potential, I don't believe it's ever going to work well for focus, not on a real film set.

But I'm still waiting for some answers on which dealers I can buy the OptiTron 2 from? I've checked the ones Jacek sent me a PM about, but I cannot find any indication that they sell OptiTek equipment.
If I were to buy the OptiTron 2, where can I do that?
 
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