XL2 Follow Focus Blocks Zoom Lever

[Tripp Stapleton]

Hi,
I just received my new new XL2, 16x Manual Lens, Chrosziel Mattebox and DV Follow Focus rig. I assembled everything and in order for the .05 gear on the the DV Follow Focus to mate with the focus ring on the 16x lens, the rig gets in the way of the Zoom Lever so I can't zoom all of the way in. If I flip the .05 gear to the other side, the zoom lever now clears but the flare of the front of the lens prevents the gear from getting close enough to mesh with the focus ring. I'm stuck.
Anyone else run onto this?

Thanks,
Tripp

[Rainer Hoffmann]

I'm going to use the same set-up as you, Tripp, but my follow focus gear has not arrived yet, so I don't know if I have the same problem.

As a workaround you could remove the zoom lever and use the servo zoom. It's not the same, I know, but at least you could use the full zoom range.

Edit: I just tried to remove the zoom lever. I thought it was screwed into the barrel of the lens, but you can't remove it easily. This scares me a bit.

I'll post as soon as my follow focus arrives.

[Tripp Stapleton]

How do I remove the zoom lever? I tried unscrewing it with my fingers but it didn't seem to want to move so I didn't force it.

EDIT: Just caught your edit. I discovered the same thing, doesn't want to budge.

I'm thinking maybe if I get a gear with a larger diameter it will push the rig away from the lens and the lever will clear (Or I can flip the gear to the other sice and the front flare of the lens will clear). But I'm thinking there must be a reason Canon lens use the .05 gear and not one twice the size.

I'm assuming there's an easy answer to this as many must have this set up.

[Dan Diaconu]

Could you post a pic of your set up? Both sides?

[Tripp Stapleton]

Here are the pics of the situation:

http://homepage.mac.com/trippsf/XL2/

I'm betting that there's a really easy answer to this and I just simply set up something incorrectly.

Thanks for your help and advice.

[Dan Diaconu]

Could you mount the FF on the other side of the lens? (right side) so you can get going.. or... better yet a pic or link for the FF alone (opposite side of the knob and top view if avail) Thanks for the pics

[Tripp Stapleton]

It can't be mounted on the other side b/c the focus servo is completely in the way.
However, I talked to Barb at ZGC today (That's where I got my set-up and she and ZGC are great, btw) and she said that I need to unscrew and remove the focus lever. As she put it, "...this (unscrewing and removing the focus lever) is not a work-around, it IS what you're supposed to do for the Chrosziel DV FF on the Canon 16x Manual Lens..."

She mentioned that Canon puts something on the threads of the focus lever to make it seem like it doesn't unscrew, but it does. She suggested some rubber tipped pliers or the like to unscrew it.

I'm going to try removing the lever tomorrow and will report back here.

Thanks for all of your help.

[Rainer Hoffmann]

Tripp,

I just got my follow focus gear and assembled it. Indeed the focus gear blocks the zoom lever. However, when I put the gear on the other side of the gear box (as in one of your pics) the gear box clears the lens barrel by about 3mm. So somehow my setup is different from yours. There is no need to remove the zoom lever in my case. Only the focus wheel is located a bit far forward perhaps. But this does not bother me.

Before you remove the zoom lever from your lens, may be we can figure out what the difference between our set-ups is?

[Rainer Hoffmann]

Tripp,

I just had another look at your photographs. It seems that your gear has a smaller diameter than mine (about 38mm). You suggested that already.

[Tripp Stapleton]

Rainer,
Can you post a pic of your set-up? Maybe I should look into a larger diameter gear. Do you know what model number yours is?

[Tripp Stapleton]

Rainer,
My guess is that your gear is the 0,8. At bhphoto.com search on "20612" or follow this link:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=316166&is=REG

Whereas mine is the 0,5, presumably a smaller diameter, model #20610.

Can you confirm that on the front of your gear it says: 0,8?

If so, looks like I need the larger gear that you have.

[Rainer Hoffmann]

Tripp,

no, it's 0.5. And it is supposed to be because the "modulo" is a measure of the tooth size on the gear, not the diameter of the gear. You can have a gear of, say 100mm diameter and still have a modulo of 0.5 (don't know if it's 'modulo' in english). What is the diameter of your gear?

The model number of my gear is 206-15. On the little bag it says: 'Focus drive (DV-Studio Rig) for Canon, Angenieux - mod 0.5, diameter 38mm.

Hope this helps.

Sorry, at the moment I can't post a pic because I'm not at my home office at the moment.

[Tripp Stapleton]

I understand. I don't know the technical term, but from what you're saying the 0,8 designation refers to the teeth depth/spacing of the gear and not the diameter of the gear itself.

I can't seem to find the 201-15 anywhere, not even on the Chrosziel site. I'll call ZGC tomorrow and see if they have one.

Where did you get the gear from?

[Rainer Hoffmann]

Originally Posted by Tripp Stapleton

I understand. I don't know the technical term, but from what you're saying the 0,8 designation refers to the teeth depth/spacing of the gear and not the diameter of the gear itself.

Exactly!

Originally Posted by Tripp Stapleton

Where did you get the gear from?

I bought mine from a pro dealer in Hamburg, Germany. They ordered it directly from Chrosziel in Munich. Perhaps the 206-15 gear is new because they discovered the problem? May be that's why it is not on their website (yet).

Anyway, the problem can be solved without removing the zoom lever.

[Rainer Hoffmann]

Tripp,

here is a photograph of my set-up:

http://www.tsc-hansa-syke.de/data/ma...llow_Focus.jpg