Reverse focus lenses (NIkon ZF) and Focus Pullers

[Paul Curtis]

Hi,

 

I'd like to ask some general advice for all focus pullers out there.

 

I have a choice of building a set of primes, one of the choices are ZF based zeiss and obviously being Nikon they focus 'the wrong way' (although i have to say i prefer the idea of twisting a follow focus away from me for distance, but i digress)

 

In general how do people feel about that these days?

 

a) Just get on with it, different direction, that's fine. No problem.

B) Have to add a reversing gear to FF or it's very painful.

c) Some other result...?

 

Personally i don't mind, but that's not my job and there will be situations where i'm not even DPing and the kit is used by others. So i don't want to build a ZF set to discover that in general it's a real pain. I'd rather not change the FF permanently (other lenses i have are the right way round) and i'd really rather not have to add extra weight to the rig with a reversing gear.

 

Perhaps there are simpler solutions?

 

many thanks in advance

Paul

[Tom Jensen]

You can get a reversing gear that screws into the Arri follow focus unit.

[Chris Keth]

I don't run into it very much so I've only had to deal with it a couple times. I just went with the direction change. It's not a big deal.

[Jonathan Bowerbank]

I just switch my brain from the bottom of the focus wheel, to the top.

[Duncan Vogel]

This isn't usually a big deal for me because 99% of the time I will be pulling focus remotely. So if the case ever arose where the lenses were going the wrong way I would just reverse the direction of the motor. Problem solved.

 

But in the few times that I've had to pull off of the old meat-fiz, I just take a couple practice pulls to wrap my head around the change and then I'm good to go.