Follow Focus

Ed Nyankori · January 1, 2005

Im thinking about buying a follow focus for my dvx. Has anyone got one or used one???

Kristy Tully · January 3, 2005

I rented a dvx100 outfitted with the follow focus set up. Century Optics make it. I rented it from Abel in nyc. It was really great. I am thinking about buying one myself. I of course have to buy a dvx100a first. I think if you check century optics website you will find it.

Mike Donis · January 3, 2005

I've never used one, but I'm planning to gain access to one (by renting or purchasing) for a low budget feature this summer.

Allen Achterberg · January 3, 2005

ehhh, its kind of cute.

Mike Donis · January 4, 2005

ehhh, its kind of cute.

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?

Is it not that much help?

Allen Achterberg · January 4, 2005

?

Is it not that much help?

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its a fallow focus unit, It can be very helpful depending on the demand for it. Much easier doing that than pullin from the berral. Im just not a big fan of the dvx, or the lens system it has.

Mike Donis · January 4, 2005

Right on, good to know :)

J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR · January 5, 2005

its a fallow focus unit, It can be very helpful depending on the demand for it. Much easier doing that than pullin from the berral. Im just not a big fan of the dvx, or the lens system it has.

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While not a big fan of the DVX lens system either the follow focus setup is a tremendous help. Especially if you're doing some hand-held work where it is difficult for the assistant to get his hand on the lens. He can use the flex extension with no problem.

Generally in DV you're not making obvious focus changes due to the depth of field. But focus changes ARE needed just the same as with a film camera. A lot of DV stuff only appears to be in focus when it really isn't.

Kristy Tully · January 5, 2005

It's a great help in certain conditions, like hand held, as already said. It is also is great in narrative if you need to rehit exact focus marks. The ring stops the lens from rotating past 360*, so you get focus marks and have an assistant pull consistant focus.

I am looking into a system I found through a friend made by Cavision, I'll let you know how it goes. My friend uses it and speaks highly of it. He says it's a great help on his hand held documentaries.

Tim Tyler · January 5, 2005

I shot nearly 70 hours of DV with the 100a last Fall on a documentary. Half of that was hand-held.

Although I agree that the whole lens design for the DVX (or any prosumer DV) leaves a lot to be desired, I got pretty comfortable using the middle finger of my left hand to pull focus while the index and thumb worked the zoom ring.

I started the shoot using the zoom controller and my right hand, but it wasn't as efficient as snapping the zoom ring manually to where I wanted it to be.

I also found that with the DVX100a's (I alternated between three on that shoot) the focus mechanism doesn't always work the way you expect it to. It's often difficult to tell if you're subject is sharp, and focus felt 'unreliable'. Sometimes a subject 6 feet away would be sharp when the focus display said '65' and sometimes they wouldn't be. So determining proper focus was a combination of the focal length, focus readout on the display, focussing by eye on the lil' LCD, and usually backing off a few numbers on the focus display.

For me, I think a follow focus would probably get in the way more than anything. If I had an assistant pulling, they'd likely be unnecessary much of the time due to the large DOF.

If you're doing a lot of long lens stuff, it might make sense. Make sure whomever is pulling focus can see the LCD or some kind of display though.

Annie Wengenroth · January 11, 2005

Although I agree that the whole lens design for the DVX (or any prosumer DV) leaves a lot to be desired, I got pretty comfortable using the middle finger of my left hand to pull focus while the index and thumb worked the zoom ring.

I would tend to agree. The perpetually turning focus ring drives me crazy...I'm still getting used to it. I have to admit that I got DVX-100 Fever like everyone else and while I would still enjoy owning one of these cameras (that is, once I am done with school and can no longer mooch off of their equipment), I really wish that the lens system had a better design. We had a problem the other night when we were zoomed all the way in on our subject and the focus seemed to "breathe" in and out. It was a real pain.

Mark Sasahara · January 17, 2005

I have a friend who has a Chrosziel matte box set up with the Cine Tech FF rig, it's pretty good. The gear ring has stops so you don't spin forever. Not sure if that gear was the Century, or Cine Tech. I have pretty much the same set up for my XL2. It's like, soooo totally bitchin'.

Cine Tech

Mark Sasahara · January 17, 2005

I forgot...

I'm not sure of the model #, Titanium SL, I think. Ask Karl Horn, he's the owner/mfr. I got it through ZGC. The nice thing about it is I can use it on the left or right sides, on 15mm rods. It comes with a 10" whip and extra grip, so you can have that coming out on the otherside, or plug it into the handle for a longer reach. I'm pretty sure I can use it w/16mm cams as well.

Marc_Abernathy · January 17, 2005

im "A"/Steadi on a low budget feature with the 100 and the 100a. last night it was down to ~20 degrees or so and for a short time when i would get critical focus (zoom in focus.. zoom out) it would breathe a little when i zoomed out.. i blame the cold wx for this and this was the only time i saw this happen (has not been this cold until now) and ive been shooting on the cam for about 3 weeks this far.

i dont care too much for the lens system either.

christohershaun@pacbell.net · January 19, 2005

Hi,

I do the 1st AC thing and I've used a follow focus on the DVX100 a number of times.

It works just fine - not as smooth on the pull as for example on a Panavision or Arri unit.

The use of percentages rather than feet or meters is rather a bummer even w/ the conversion table from % to ft. I'm not sure why the guys designed it this way?

I understand, however that to get the most benefit of using a follow focus the camera needs to to shot wide open to reduce the depth of field. It's the usual DP to 1st conversation "You'll get nothing and like it!"

Ed Nyankori · January 24, 2005

Thanks for the feedback.

Lucita Jones · May 3, 2005

I had mistakingly thought that the lens barrel of the DVX100a was non-perpetual and that it had precise markings. (Unlike the Sony PD 150, which I aboslutely do not like). I haven´t actually put my hands on the DVX, but from what I read in your posts, it seems that although the lens has focus markings, it is perpetual.

Since I am a strong advocate of focus changes, (which I have had to give up in video)

I would like to know if it is at all possible to set focus marks on a perpetual lens ring that has no marks and if there is any sense in trying to hit those marks after various shots.

I`m asking this because with the Pd150 it just did't work. I would zoom in my subject, focus and set the corresponding focus mark on the lens. But after focusing another subject and then coming back to the first one, the corresponding mark was no longer the one.

Is there something I am not getting about video? Does the DVX allow for a more precise focus than the Pd 150? Does Sony's HD FX1 offer an improved focusing system in this regard? My choice of a video camera is highly dependent on this matter....

Thanks for your help!

L.Jones

Rik Andino · May 4, 2005

Is there something I am not getting about video? Does the DVX allow for a more precise focus than the Pd 150? Does Sony's HD FX1 offer an improved focusing system in this regard? My choice of a video camera is highly dependent on this matter....
Thanks for your help!

L.Jones

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Get a Canon XL2 or XL1s and use the 16x manual lens

Or another manual lens that has precise focusing marks.

Good Luck