DIY Follow Focus
 

Hey Guys,

I'm almost done with my follow focus, I have to put the indicator on the white and I will be done. I got a 90mm gear from a junk yard and cut the inside out so it could fit the dvx focus ring. I used a gear from my HP deskjet 810 printer I cannibalized for the turning gear. I built the rail system and pretty much got all the parts from the junk yard, cost around $50 in materials but took so long to build. But I am very happy with how it turned out, it works very well. I'm going to be using this with my 35mm adapter too when thats done...

Here are some pics.

www.papalico.com/DSCN0013.JPG
www.papalico.com/DSCN0014.JPG
www.papalico.com/DSCN0015.JPG
www.papalico.com/DSCN0017.JPG

Gev Babit

Nice work. $50 is very good for this project. Can you take picture from the bottom fo the camera to show how you mounted it? thanks.

Quyen

Excellent!

Does the "gear-box" get in the way of the controls, I can see peeking out from the camera?

Great stuff!

Grazie

Thanks.
Yeah no problem Ill get the bottom picture up after I come back today.
The box does get in the way of the white balance button and the zoom servo, So you need to set it and then put on the follow focus.

-Gev

Here is the bottom and top view.....

www.papalico.com/DSCN0083.JPG
www.papalico.com/DSCN0084.JPG

Gev, excellent work - really! Beautifully executed. Thanks for sharing - G

What's "Follow Focus"?
 

Thanks, I'm not familiar with the term.

Wow Gev,
That's pretty impressive for a DIY job.

Paul,

A "Follow Focus" is a device mounted on rails that allows an operator, known as a 'Focus Puller' to adjust the focus during the course of the scene, while the camera operator is busy runing the camera and framing the shot.

They typically have a white dial plate, that can be marked with pencil so that 'following the focus' is easier. For instance, if you start a shot twenty feet away from the subject, and dolly in, you must change the focus AS you move to keep it in focus. This is the focus pullers job. The same is true if the camera is stationary, and the subject is walking towards/away from the camera. It's also handy for 'racking focus' between two points in the frame. The focus puller marks the first point, and the second point on the dial, and rotates between them.

Gev,

Are you up to tutorial-izing the follow focus? I love the idea of cannibalizing an old printer!

I'm excited about redrock micro's version coming out later this year, but Gev, if I had your resourcefulness, your design looks great.

Scrumptious

Yes it is an ingenius design, very clever.

Adding to that - the focus puller is usually positioned on the other side of the camera. Very nice design but the focus puller should be on the right side of the camera so that the operator has the freedom to operate.

I've seen rigs with follow focuses on both sides, but almost always the focus puller is on the left side. Some shots call for it being on the right, but that's quite rare from all I've seen. Plus, especially on rigs like this and most ENG lenses, there's the zoom block on the right, so we're set for the left only. I also can't really see how operating with your focus puller on the right would be easier, especially on a pro camera, where they don't put buttons in places that it would be hard to reach while a focus puller is working.

I'd bet some operators prefer their focus devices on the right side, but from what I've seen, most ops don't.