Follow Focus For GY-HD100U and Mini35

[Brian Duke]

Hey,

does anyone know if I can use the following Follow Focus with the HD100U and Mini35 with Zeiss, Nikon, Canon, Cooke lenses?

http://cgi.ebay.com/AATON-ARRI-VIDEO...QQcmdZViewItem

I want to make sure before I buy =), unless someone can suggest a better model? I don't want to sell myself short, but I don't know much about Follow Focus.

Thanks guys

Duke

[Chris Hurd]

Hi Brian,

I'm moving your post to our Mini35 forum. A follow focus unit is specific to a lens, not a camera. It doesn't have much to do with the HD100.

Others may have additional input, but I would recommend holding off from buying anything sight unseen from Ebay. Wait until you actually need a piece of gear, and consider renting before buying in order to get a feel for the equipment and to better understand what you do or don't need.

[Dennis Hingsberg]

The stock barrel of the nikon, canon lenses don't have that gearing to properly mesh with the one on the JBK unit.

You can have your lenses converted by some companies for a fee. Not sure who does this, just remember reading about it.

Try contacting JBK and seeing what they provide as a solution to SLR lenses.

[Michael Maier]

I might be wrong, but I think JBK themselves custom make gears for still lenses.

[Dennis Hingsberg]

SLR lenses aren't geared to begin with, there is no way for the gear on their unit to mesh with the lens - this is why the SLR lens must be modified and have the gear teeth added.

I wish someone made one that would just pressure fit up against the lens barrel. Perhaps that method doesn't work as well : (

[Brian Duke]

Originally Posted by Dennis Hingsberg

SLR lenses aren't geared to begin with, there is no way for the gear on their unit to mesh with the lens - this is why the SLR lens must be modified and have the gear teeth added.

I wish someone made one that would just pressure fit up against the lens barrel. Perhaps that method doesn't work as well : (

Can you recommend a Follow Focus that will work with the system I will be shooting with that is less than $1500, and maybe closer to $500.

Thanks

[John Colette]

Brian - look at

http://www.dandiaconu.com/

Dan is making some "any lens" gears.

Dan reckons his gears [they are film pitch] will be available at the end of the month. So you can use ANY film pitch follow focus - but you will need a wider drive cog on the follow focus with many Nikon primes for instance - because they don't internally focus - so there can be up to 15mm movement in the focus mechanism as it focusses - the gear will need to run across the teeth.

Dan also looks to be about to release a follow focus. They're all being made in China - so I think there's a settling in period on the mmanufacturing - maybe this month is not a ship date - maybe it is. Like all of the low end 35mm adapters .... it's a waiting game!

I actually have a JBK mini follow focus and it's well made, but has quite a bit of play in the drive unit - meaning that the lower torque wheel on the drive belt is not 100% firm with the motion of the side wheel - the two play a bit too freely for my liking. I am thinking of getting another unit [maybe Dan's?] in the near future.

best

John Colette

[Dennis Hingsberg]

The follow focus unit on http://www.dandiaconu.com/ is $650 USD then it's $100 USD for each gear ring you want to add to your lenses.

This stuff is crazy $$! I'm in search of a cost effective solution that I can either buy or build myself.

Plastic lego parts are looking good at this point :p

[John Colette]

If I made a follow focus I'd probably want about 500 bucks for it - just so it made it worth my while. And the lenses - adding $100 a lens for focus gears is a lot - especially of you have a 50mm that might go for $100 on ebay - but if you plonk down $10k on a mini 35 [and I just did.... :-) ] then you may as well bite the bullet and get some cheaper lens gear options. I think $100 a lens is OK.....cheaper than going to Optex and having the lens rehoused......

The JBK follow focus "retails" for $1400 - like the Chrosziel - but maybe noone ever buys them at that price. It's about $750 online & $500 on eBay. Dan's unit looks pretty good for $650.

But here's the thing - Zyliss [they make kitchen utensils] have a thing called "mighty boy" - for opening jars that are stuck. It's a long stick with a steel lasso [looks like the type rodeo guys use] and a knob at the bottom of the stick [about 6" long] tightens the "noose". Itis amazing for racking off stuck UV filters that won't budge, but better still, it makes a great focus lever on a lens - any lens. Cost is about $10.

That's something that if it was for the "film industry" would easily be $200.... :-)

Anyway - if you can find one at a kitchen place [like a place that sells knives etc] they are a great thing to have in your kit.

-john

[Charles Papert]

I've had those Zyliss things in my kit for years...they are also great for loosening screw-on filters that have been cranked down too tightly, and for making smooth manual zooms.

[Brian Duke]

I've been quoted about $1440 incdluing the GEar Drives for the Chrosziel DV follow focus system which will work on my Mini35/HD100U.

I think that's a good price after looking around and it will work, I hope =)..