Using Red Focus

[Alexis Hanawalt]

I finally just picked up a Red Focus to go with my RPP set and I'm curious if my experience is similar to anybody else's...

I'm using a 17" panasonic monitor (720p) to check my image. I get to a point adjusting back focus where I can turn the screw a full 360 degrees without any perceptible change in the image I'm seeing on my monitor - the tiniest ends of the lines in the center just go from one sort of "crunchy" digital to another. Nothing that would tell me what point in that 360 degree turn is the sharpest.

At first I thought this was just a large comforting "margin of error" - but then I tested each of my lenses and at 5', they all came in at exactly 5' .5"... so I used one of the lenses to re-adjust backfocus and then put the Red Focus back on and found myself still within that margin of error - and turning a half turn one way or the other, was unable to discern any difference on my monitor.

Is a 1920x1080 monitor critical for using the Red Focus tool? The fact that I'm punching in and viewing pixel for pixel should make that irrelevant, right?

Any words of wisdom from people who've used this tool?

 

[Brook Willard]

Are you punching in to pixel-to-pixel mode on both the camera and the monitor?

 

[Alexis Hanawalt]

Are you punching in to pixel-to-pixel mode on both the camera and the monitor?

That could be my problem - I'm using a 1700W (the last model before they intro'd pixel-to-pixel on Panasonic.) Does that make the difference?

 

[Alexis Hanawalt]

Hmm. I exported a snapshot of the Focus image from Redcine and this is a 1:1 center crop out of photoshop. I imagine this should be more razor sharp, yes? Also exported a snapshot of my Putora test chart.

 

[Brook Willard]

Even if you don't use 1:1 on your monitor you can use 1:1 on the Epic. It will get you close enough to make a proper judgment. It shouldn't take more than a half turn to see a significant difference. The still you posted is not as sharp as it should be.

If you're still having trouble, open a support ticket with RED.

 

[Alexis Hanawalt]

Interesting. I'll contact Red.

Thanks Brook!

 

[Yannik Markworth]

so what did they respond? i am having the same issue...

 

[Paul Leeming]

Just to ask the basic question - are you unscrewing the protective cap screw first (the one you can see when the body is just sitting there), THEN adjusting the one that's about 1cm inside the body (silver in color)?

That might be the problem if you're not seeing any changes - you might not be making any!

HTH

Cheers from Tokyo,

Paul

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

Just to ask the basic question - are you unscrewing the protective cap screw first (the one you can see when the body is just sitting there), THEN adjusting the one that's about 1cm inside the body (silver in color)?

That might be the problem if you're not seeing any changes - you might not be making any!

HTH

Cheers from Tokyo,

Paul

Good point ... someone should snap a picture of this on the X and M cameras, because I think they are slightly different.

 

[Alexis Hanawalt]

Absolutely removed the screw cap... this problem is when turning the proper back focus screw. I've been talking to Red since last week but nothing concrete.