Building a Follow Focus at DVinfo.net

Ernesto Mantaras · July 7th, 2008, 11:39 PM

Hi. I've just started this thread looking for help on something that just might be useful to more than one HV20/30 user: a follow focus.

For now, it could save the final product of a feature film... More info on this thread: http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=124514

Basically, I intend to do something like the next picture (and forgive the quality... I've just formatted my PC, have basically no programs installed, and am deeply tired from preproduction labour and need A LOT of sleep... :S ; by the way, that big thing is an HV20 from top view... :S).

http://dvinfo.net/conf/attachment.ph...1&d=1215495430

Some sort of gear connected to the focus wheel on the HV20 (the "Small Wheel"), and that gear connected to a bigger gear that acts as a big and easily maneuverable focus ring (ala 35mm cameras and such...). Everything supported by whatever may fix it to the camera body. That's the basic... Maybe someone can make up a plan? It's OK if the LCD cannot be opened (of course it'd be better the other way... maybe the follow focus could be placed at lower heights, preventing the obstruction) because we might get a small LCD monitor...

I will later explain better why I need this so bad, but I'll really appreciate whatever feedback you can give me to get to build this in as few days as possible (shooting starts on July 16th... :S). Blueprints are really welcome... =D
Thanks in advance!

Tom Vandas · July 8th, 2008, 02:29 AM

Hi Ernesto,

July 16th is pretty close. If you get desperate, check out this post I stumbled on last night:
http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/0...or-the-hv2030/

What would be cool is if the focus was repeatable on these small cams. You could just draw marks on the tool and voila! a cheap follow focus!

July 7th, 2008, 11:39 PM	#1
Ernesto Mantaras Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Santa Fe, Argentina Posts: 80	Building a Follow Focus Hi. I've just started this thread looking for help on something that just might be useful to more than one HV20/30 user: a follow focus. For now, it could save the final product of a feature film... More info on this thread: http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=124514 Basically, I intend to do something like the next picture (and forgive the quality... I've just formatted my PC, have basically no programs installed, and am deeply tired from preproduction labour and need A LOT of sleep... :S ; by the way, that big thing is an HV20 from top view... :S). http://dvinfo.net/conf/attachment.ph...1&d=1215495430 Some sort of gear connected to the focus wheel on the HV20 (the "Small Wheel"), and that gear connected to a bigger gear that acts as a big and easily maneuverable focus ring (ala 35mm cameras and such...). Everything supported by whatever may fix it to the camera body. That's the basic... Maybe someone can make up a plan? It's OK if the LCD cannot be opened (of course it'd be better the other way... maybe the follow focus could be placed at lower heights, preventing the obstruction) because we might get a small LCD monitor... I will later explain better why I need this so bad, but I'll really appreciate whatever feedback you can give me to get to build this in as few days as possible (shooting starts on July 16th... :S). Blueprints are really welcome... =D Thanks in advance! Attached Thumbnails __________________ "Because the guy who wants too much risks losing absolutely everything. Of course, the guy who wants too little from life might not get anything at all."

July 8th, 2008, 02:29 AM	#2
Tom Vandas Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: currently in Kigali, Rwanda Posts: 144	Hi Ernesto, July 16th is pretty close. If you get desperate, check out this post I stumbled on last night: http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/0...or-the-hv2030/ What would be cool is if the focus was repeatable on these small cams. You could just draw marks on the tool and voila! a cheap follow focus!