Follow Focus for Canon XH

Matthew Nayman · July 16th, 2007, 08:16 PM

Ah Lloyd, I see you bought the "Predator" model then (What with the self destruct and all).

Blake, it is not HD, but no small monitor really is. it is 800X480 which, at 8inches is enough resolution to focus reliably.

Daniel Raebiger · July 18th, 2007, 04:15 PM

Absolutely impressive!!

what sort of monitor is this you've mounted on the left side? i've read on the fxsupport.de blog ( http://babelfish.altavista.com/babel...t.de%2f19.html ) about a 7" TFT with 800x600 being used as an external monitor and i am intrigued^^

Luke Ross · July 18th, 2007, 04:22 PM

Mathew,
I love what you did with the Case.. I posted about recommendations for cases between the 1600 and 1650 a couple weeks ago, and you just sold me on the 1650!!
Thanks, and like most people in here, I would love to see some footage from it when you have some..
Luke

Bryce Comer · May 3rd, 2008, 05:48 PM

Hi all,
I have been looking for a follow focus system for the XH A1 but needed it to be usable on the fixed lens since i don't have a 35mm lens adaptor. I do use a Raynox tele converter so i ended up buying a set of rails to help support that, meaning i had the rails to support a follow focus, but so far, i have only been able to find one follow focus system that works with a "friction" wheel. Not knowing just what the quality would be like of that one, i decided to give it a go to make my own. I started looking into small gear boxes but was put off by the ridiculous prices of these, i mean, over $400 Australian i think is a joke. Anyway, in the end i just bought some gears, some bearings & some stainless steel rod to suit on the internet. The whole thing pretty much, is made out of aluminium, & i made it to suit the set up i have rather than trying to make it adjustable since i figured it was only for my set up & wouldn't need to be changed. The gear that drives the focus ring on the lens is a nylon gear that comes from a "hobby set" of gears, it just worked out that it meshed with the ribbing on the lens ring perfectly. I still need to do some minor tweaking with the nylon gear as it is not perfectly centered, but that won't be too difficult to sort out. I may even make up a whole new gear from aluminium, but first i'll see how it goes with this one.
I haven't played around with it too much yet, but from my initial tests, it works very well, & focusing is much easier.

Bryce

Paul Mailath · May 3rd, 2008, 07:40 PM

That Raynox is a beast! - I'd love to get one

I use the indifocus for the Lex and it has the friction wheel attachment, I've found it a bit 'jumpy' on occasion - your's looks pretty good

Bryce Comer · May 3rd, 2008, 08:06 PM

Hi Paul,
The Indifocus was the one i had seen with the friction wheel, but that's the only one from what i have seen. If i had added up all my time to make this, & the cost of the parts, then it probably would have only worked out a little bit cheaper than the Indifocus, but i sure had fun making it!

Bryce

Bryce Comer · May 4th, 2008, 01:40 AM

Hi all,
Wow! I had never used a follow focus before i made this one, but now that i have, i wonder how i ever did without it! I have just spent a few hours using it, & i can't believe how much easier it is to adjust focus. Not only is it a more natural movement that you make when using it, but the adjustments to the focus that can be made are far more precise.
As i wrote in my first post on this thread, i need to tweak the friction gear to make it work better, & now that i know how well it works, i am really keen to get it sorted. I also want to drill holes in it to reduce the weight as much as possible, & do the same to the lens support i had made earlier to support the Raynox tele converter. I will then look in to getting them both anodised in matt black, which should make them at least look a bit more professional.

Bryce

Will Mahoney · May 6th, 2008, 08:48 AM

Bryce,
Can you explain to me the situation in which you would use a follow focus?

I have never used one and am not sure exactly what it is for. Is it for when you physically are moving the camera closer to a subject and need to keep focus? Is that why it's called "follow" focus?

It looks like you just worked a mechanism so that you can change focus with a knob on the side instead of the ring on the barrel. Is this correct?

Now with this unit in the way of your aperture and zoom rings, how do you adjust zoom and aperture? I like the idea of the knob on the side for focus, but what else does it do?

Ivan Mosny · May 6th, 2008, 09:01 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follow_focus

Will Mahoney · May 6th, 2008, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ivan Mosny

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follow_focus

Great. So it is just another way of using the focus ring. Cool. I understand that. But what about the issue with the zoom and aperture rings?

I'm sorry, I do event videos (car and truck shows) and move the camera a lot and there is a lot of adjusting of everything. I like the fine control of the focus with the follow-focus setup, but I need access to the other adjustments.

BTW, your setup looks nice and very clean. Well done.

Ivan Mosny · May 6th, 2008, 12:09 PM

Folow foccus is a necessary tool for cameras with low depth of field - like film cameras or video with DOF Adapter or maybe extreme teleconverters. This make focusing more sensitive and camera more stable. But in event video...
Zoom ring is for a fast zooming between shots - for news reporters etc. During filming you should use buttons on the right side of the camera with smooth motorzooming.
Aperture work in steps. You don`t need extra sensitivity.

Pavel Tomanec · August 20th, 2008, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Le

The Instant Focus module does look like it's just screwed onto the lens with two small screws. So maybe it will be possible to remove the entire module? If it is, hopefuly the IR emitter isn't hard wired to the rest of the camera and there is some standard connector there. A connector would be awesome because then we could remove the module and disconnect the connector.

The IR sensor is also blocked if you put a matte box on the lens so being able to remove and relocate the module would be even more important if you still wanted to use Instant Focus. I wonder if the exact position of the IR sensor is important to the Instant Focus system and if moving it around will mess up the algorithms.

Hi, so i got the follow focus and then I found this thread. Grrr. Life is not just easy...
Did anyone tried to remove the instant focus? I do not use it anyway.

Thank you very much. Any thoughts appreciated.

Marcel D. Van Someren · August 20th, 2008, 06:35 AM

I use the IndieFocus FF (with the rubber wheel) on my A1 all the time. it works really well and as long as it and the camera are mounted securely on the rails, it doesn't slip. Honestly, it spoils you. You'll never want to focus the lens by hand again :)

Pavel Tomanec · August 20th, 2008, 07:18 AM

Thanks Marcel for the tip. I will consider to replace it with the one I have got from India, which is also very good but unusable without their own gear rings which, of course, I cannot attach to the XH A1.

Stuart Graham · December 7th, 2008, 10:19 AM

My cameraman still complains about the sensitive/jumpy focus ring control on the XHA1. It makes it tricky to focus accurately on complex or developing shots.

Anyone know if controlling the XH A1 with the available focus puller will allow for easier focusing?

Is it possible they will make a firmware update allowing the focus speed to be better controled?

July 18th, 2007, 04:22 PM	#48
Luke Ross Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 64	Mathew, I love what you did with the Case.. I posted about recommendations for cases between the 1600 and 1650 a couple weeks ago, and you just sold me on the 1650!! Thanks, and like most people in here, I would love to see some footage from it when you have some.. Luke __________________ Canon XH-A1 \| Rode NTG-2 \| Intel QuadCore \| 3.0TB RAID5 + 2xRaptor 150's RAID 0 \| Adobe Production CS3

May 3rd, 2008, 05:48 PM	#49
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Follow focus for A1 Hi all, I have been looking for a follow focus system for the XH A1 but needed it to be usable on the fixed lens since i don't have a 35mm lens adaptor. I do use a Raynox tele converter so i ended up buying a set of rails to help support that, meaning i had the rails to support a follow focus, but so far, i have only been able to find one follow focus system that works with a "friction" wheel. Not knowing just what the quality would be like of that one, i decided to give it a go to make my own. I started looking into small gear boxes but was put off by the ridiculous prices of these, i mean, over $400 Australian i think is a joke. Anyway, in the end i just bought some gears, some bearings & some stainless steel rod to suit on the internet. The whole thing pretty much, is made out of aluminium, & i made it to suit the set up i have rather than trying to make it adjustable since i figured it was only for my set up & wouldn't need to be changed. The gear that drives the focus ring on the lens is a nylon gear that comes from a "hobby set" of gears, it just worked out that it meshed with the ribbing on the lens ring perfectly. I still need to do some minor tweaking with the nylon gear as it is not perfectly centered, but that won't be too difficult to sort out. I may even make up a whole new gear from aluminium, but first i'll see how it goes with this one. I haven't played around with it too much yet, but from my initial tests, it works very well, & focusing is much easier. Bryce Attached Thumbnails __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

May 3rd, 2008, 07:40 PM	#50
Paul Mailath Trustee Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Central Coast - NSW, Australia Posts: 1,606	That Raynox is a beast! - I'd love to get one I use the indifocus for the Lex and it has the friction wheel attachment, I've found it a bit 'jumpy' on occasion - your's looks pretty good __________________ Cheers - Paul M. www.perbenyik.com

May 3rd, 2008, 08:06 PM	#51
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Hi Paul, The Indifocus was the one i had seen with the friction wheel, but that's the only one from what i have seen. If i had added up all my time to make this, & the cost of the parts, then it probably would have only worked out a little bit cheaper than the Indifocus, but i sure had fun making it! Bryce __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

May 4th, 2008, 01:40 AM	#52
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Hi all, Wow! I had never used a follow focus before i made this one, but now that i have, i wonder how i ever did without it! I have just spent a few hours using it, & i can't believe how much easier it is to adjust focus. Not only is it a more natural movement that you make when using it, but the adjustments to the focus that can be made are far more precise. As i wrote in my first post on this thread, i need to tweak the friction gear to make it work better, & now that i know how well it works, i am really keen to get it sorted. I also want to drill holes in it to reduce the weight as much as possible, & do the same to the lens support i had made earlier to support the Raynox tele converter. I will then look in to getting them both anodised in matt black, which should make them at least look a bit more professional. Bryce __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

July 16th, 2007, 08:16 PM	#46
Matthew Nayman Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Toronto Posts: 917	Ah Lloyd, I see you bought the "Predator" model then (What with the self destruct and all). Blake, it is not HD, but no small monitor really is. it is 800X480 which, at 8inches is enough resolution to focus reliably.

July 18th, 2007, 04:15 PM	#47
Daniel Raebiger Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Landshut, Germany Posts: 143	Absolutely impressive!! what sort of monitor is this you've mounted on the left side? i've read on the fxsupport.de blog ( http://babelfish.altavista.com/babel...t.de%2f19.html ) about a 7" TFT with 800x600 being used as an external monitor and i am intrigued^^

May 6th, 2008, 08:48 AM	#53
Will Mahoney Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 259	Bryce, Can you explain to me the situation in which you would use a follow focus? I have never used one and am not sure exactly what it is for. Is it for when you physically are moving the camera closer to a subject and need to keep focus? Is that why it's called "follow" focus? It looks like you just worked a mechanism so that you can change focus with a knob on the side instead of the ring on the barrel. Is this correct? Now with this unit in the way of your aperture and zoom rings, how do you adjust zoom and aperture? I like the idea of the knob on the side for focus, but what else does it do? __________________ http://exposureroom.com/members/WillMahoney.aspx/ www.youtube.com/truckaccessories

May 6th, 2008, 09:01 AM	#54
Ivan Mosny Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Poland Posts: 141	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follow_focus

May 6th, 2008, 12:09 PM	#56
Ivan Mosny Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Poland Posts: 141	Folow foccus is a necessary tool for cameras with low depth of field - like film cameras or video with DOF Adapter or maybe extreme teleconverters. This make focusing more sensitive and camera more stable. But in event video... Zoom ring is for a fast zooming between shots - for news reporters etc. During filming you should use buttons on the right side of the camera with smooth motorzooming. Aperture work in steps. You don`t need extra sensitivity.

August 20th, 2008, 06:35 AM	#58
Marcel D. Van Someren Major Player Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Sherman Oaks, CA Posts: 325	I use the IndieFocus FF (with the rubber wheel) on my A1 all the time. it works really well and as long as it and the camera are mounted securely on the rails, it doesn't slip. Honestly, it spoils you. You'll never want to focus the lens by hand again :)

August 20th, 2008, 07:18 AM	#59
Pavel Tomanec Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oxford (UK) and Vrindavana (India) Posts: 118	Thanks Marcel for the tip. I will consider to replace it with the one I have got from India, which is also very good but unusable without their own gear rings which, of course, I cannot attach to the XH A1. __________________ The fish is the last to know the water.

December 7th, 2008, 10:19 AM	#60
Stuart Graham Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Selby UK Posts: 274	Follow Focus for Canon XH My cameraman still complains about the sensitive/jumpy focus ring control on the XHA1. It makes it tricky to focus accurately on complex or developing shots. Anyone know if controlling the XH A1 with the available focus puller will allow for easier focusing? Is it possible they will make a firmware update allowing the focus speed to be better controled? __________________ Stuart Graham www.magentapictures.com