The slowest zoom speed on my camcorder (sony fdr ax100) is not slow enough for me. This sometimes results in my video zooming, then stop, then zoom again in a jerky manner when I'm trying to finesse the slowest zoom speed out of the zoom control.

Is there a LANC controller that can send commands to slow zoom, stop, slow zoom, stop, slow zoom, stop...

If this is done fast enough (e.g. 30 times per second), it should make the camcorder appear to zoom slower than the slowest zoom speed, assuming the camcorder can react to LANC commands at 30Hz.

If there's no such LANC controller, is there a way to prevent the jerky zoom that I mentioned above?

I do have a LANC controller with a dial that can set the zoom speed, so if I set to 1, it would use the slowest zoom speed no matter how hard I press on the rocker control. But the problem is sometimes I do need to zoom faster and there's no time to turn the dial back to variable speed when that need arises.

Unfortunately, the LANC protocol only supports a total of eight speeds for the zoom function. Eight speeds towards the tele end and eight towards the wide end.


I posted a couple of my experiences on LANC controllers on DVInfo only a couple of weeks ago. Maybe worth a look.

Chris Young


http://www.boehmel.de/lanc

https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-pro-handhelds/538865-external-zoom-controller.html

found a way to do it using Movavi VideoEditor Plus 2022 editings suite.

all you have to do it go onto the slow motion tab and insert into the video. once in there just stretch the section to slow it down more longer. the more you strecch it slower rthe zoom

https://youtu.be/eiYOXhwhwKs

found a way to do it using Movavi VideoEditor Plus 2022 editings suite.

all you have to do it go onto the slow motion tab and insert into the video. once in there just stretch the section to slow it down more longer. the more you stretch it slower the zoom

https://youtu.be/eiYOXhwhwKs

found a way to do it using Movavi Video Editor Plus 2022 editings suite.

All you have to do it go onto the slow motion tab and insert into the video. once in there just stretch the section to slow it down more longer. the more you stretch it slower the zoom, The white line in the clip is the zoom in and another zoom out butted together. each white line can be stretched to slow the section down even slower

https://youtu.be/eiYOXhwhwKs

Best seen in full scree an Youtube is not the best

found a way to do it using Movavi Video Editor Plus 2022 editings suite.

All you have to do it go onto the slow motion tab (highlighted on the left dropdown list) and insert into the video. Once in there just stretch the section to slow it down more. the more you stretch it slower the zoom, The white line in the clip is the zoom in and another zoom out butted together. each white line can be stretched to slow the section down even slower

https://youtu.be/eiYOXhwhwKs

Best seen in full screen and Youtube is not the best

don't know what is happening but everytime I edit/delete up comes another copy

found a way to do it using Movavi Video Editor Plus 2022 editings suite.

All you have to do it go onto the slow motion tab (highlighted on the left dropdown list) and insert into the video. Once in there just stretch the section to slow it down more. the more you stretch it slower the zoom, The white line in the clip is the zoom in and another zoom out butted together. each white line can be stretched to slow the section down even slower

https://youtu.be/eiYOXhwhwKs

Best seen in full screen and Youtube is not the best

This works if the objects are not moving. Unfortunately I'm shooting people on a stage.

I don't see why this should not work with people moving on a stage. You could try working on a copy of the video (not the original) always work on a copy. A quick facial expression for example inserted into the video may make it more interesting.



Just a very quick example of moving on stage and zoom. The length of time/speed of zoom depends on what you set. At the moment I can't find or even know if that progam will zoom in more. you could even slow that section down. the sound track may cause a few headaches doing sync etc , so best to seperate from video track. Also when in zoom you have the section your zooming in on doesn't get the top/bottom cut out. I could sort that out within that editing suite as it allow zoom up/down as well. But as i said this was a quick example done in less than 5 minutes



https://youtu.be/AAYL0fFDdv8


see here

https://imgur.com/9rnSeP7

Done with Movavi Video Editor Plus 2022


hope this helps

Of course the issue with speeding up or slowing down the video is what happens to the sound.and apparent sped of movement. ZOOM is about framing, not time warping the action itselfs.

One way to do what appears to be a slow zoom is shoot the scene wide and than gradually stretch it in the NLE. In EDIUS it can be accomplished in LAYOUTER using key frames to set limits . (Somewhat like the Ken Burns effect.) The issue there is that this may result in too much resolution loss when the stretch is too great.

Another issue can be which LANC commands the camcorder recognizes. It is possible to send a command it does not recognize/respond to.

FWIW the Canon ZR-1000 supports 5 speeds plus variable.

https://i.imgur.com/jWCtwA1m.jpg

why not just use one of these to control zoom

If there's no such LANC controller, is there a way to prevent the jerky zoom that I mentioned above?

Try the Sony vct vpr1, it comes with a cheap tripod but you can detach the controller. The remote control is capable of very slow and controlled variable zoomspeeds, you can see it in action in below video. The controller has been on the market for many years but you can still order it from amazon. I have not tested it myself but it's listed to be compatible with the ax100

https://youtu.be/6N1xSTo4-jI?t=154

I've tried these, Noa. The thing is, they still have steps between the speeds. The more you press the zoom lever, it will progressively switch from one speed to another. There are only 7, 8 including from rest speeds in the LANC protocol. You cannot avoid the steps. Sure, you can move very smoothly and slowly in between each step but once you hit the next speed switch point you will see a step in the speed. Apparent either way, zooming in or out. There is no getting around the LANC protocol.

Not knowing the AX100 closely, but you may be able to use a modified setup using a wireless follow focus unit. I've used a PD Movie Air 2 wireless follow focus unit but used it on the zoom ring with a cut-down section of a 0.8 gear ring. Using double-sided tape for attaching the gear segment to the lens zoom ring. This setup can offer you a very smooth, true fully variable speed zoom control. Also, using the motor control app you can set A and B end points for your zoom. Plus if desired you can set zoom durations. I've even used it on a suitably modified to 0.8 zoom gear on a B4 lens for both zoom and iris control. The PD Movie had the greatest rotational torque of the follow focus units I tried. And that includes the Tilta Nucleus and the MOZA iFocus. A good, strong motor is necessary if you want good, smooth control. A number of working possibilities on the PD Movie unit are shown in the video linked below.

One word of advice though. Whatever you use this kind of setup on, make sure the lens is very firmly supported, preferably by a rail system and strong lens support, as the rotational torque of the PD Movie motor will want to deflect the lens out, up or down when power is applied. But this advice goes for any of the lens motor units, regardless of manufacturer.

Chris Young

PDMOVIE LIVE AIR 2S Instruction - Most comprehensive teaching - YouTube

One thing I've never understood is why they never designed a step-less variable speed motor/controller. I'm not an expert in electronics but I know plenty of devices that simply have a potentiometer (variable resistor). Classic example dimmable light or remote control car to just name a few. And if you wanted to get more fancy have a few preset to control the curve of acceleration. I've been frustrated most of my career with the stepping issue filming staged events with camcorders. How is it possible to design such a terrible system and never fix it?

Not knowing the AX100 closely, but you may be able to use a modified setup using a wireless follow focus unit. I've used a PD Movie Air 2 wireless follow focus unit but used it on the zoom ring with a cut-down section of a 0.8 gear ring. Using double-sided tape for attaching the gear segment to the lens zoom ring. This setup can offer you a very smooth, true fully variable speed zoom control.

The ax100 does have one ring which is focus/zoom assignable but it's not possible to get smooth zooms out of it, you see it "stepping" when you very slowly turn the zoomring. I guess a controller like the Sony vct vpr1, eventough not perfect, is still a bit better then either manual zoom or using the zoomrocker. If that also is not good enough then it's time for another camera setup. :)

A lot of it seems to relate to the servo motor in the lens and how it's designed and how it interfaces with the LANC controller. I found using a Sony X70 or Z90, both of which have very good true variable speed zooms when using their built-in zoom rocker switches, seem to work well with good LANC controllers.

With both the 70 and 90 I can get very progressive control over those two camera's zoom functions without any perceptible stepping. How they achieve that must be down to the control interface between the fixed step LANC protocol and the control interface of the inbuilt lens servo. Which as I said work extremely well on those two little camcorders.

Comparing the control of those two cameras zoom lenses to the control of either the Sony 28-135 mm F4 or the 18-110 mm F4 servo zoom lenses on an FS/PXW series cine-cam using the same LANC controllers is like chalk and cheese. No matter how hard you try, you can get caught out with these two lenses by stepping speed changes.

Chris Young

I use one of these for my camcorder cost around £30 for a decent version

https://imgur.com/wgs0ji8

Using a Canon ZR-2000 LANC controller, I can get from 5-21 second zooms. Have to use a couple of adapters to connect it and the ZR-2000 is no longer available new.

Mark

Using a Canon ZR-2000 LANC controller

Is that one compatible with a Sony ax100?

From a 2014 post:
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"Update on the Lanc situation. I picked up the two adapter cables I needed to connect my Canon ZR-2000 to the AX100.
Coming out of the camera's MULTI connector, I plugged in the Sony VMC-AVM1, which is the flat-style MULTI plug on the camera end, and a D-shaped jack on the other end. Next, I connected the second adapter cable, A-3AV. This adapter cable has the D-shaped plug on one end and the 2.5mm jack on the other. Total length is about 12 inches. With these, I was able to use my Canon remote, which has a 2.5mm plug.
Functions of the remote which worked: Record stop/start, Display, Zoom, both variable and stepped modes. In variable mode, some of the end-to-end zoom times I got were 5, 6, 11, 13, 16, 18. There are 16 selectable zoom speeds on the dial and here's how those worked: 1-2 = 21 sec, 3-4 = 15 sec, 5-6 = 11 sec, 7-8 = 8 sec, 9-10= 5.5 sec, 11-16 = 5 sec.

Functions that did not work: Magnify, AE Shift, Iris, Manual A/F switch, Push to Focus, manual focus adjustment dial, Standby, Peaking.

Mark ...."
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So yes, it will work with the AX100. I still have the remote, cables and my two AX100s if you have any other questions.

Mark