View Full Version : Follow Focus for birds photography?


Ido Levy
June 30th, 2005, 02:43 AM
Hi All

I am about to order my XL2 and with my EF lenses I intend to film birds documentaries.
My question is whether the Follow Focus is a MUST for this type of work ..?
I would really appreciate some pro's opinions on this one.

Thank you.

Ido

Chris Hurd
June 30th, 2005, 05:22 AM
I don't know of any follow focus mechanism that has been set up for 35mm photo lenses. Usually a follow focus device incorporates a gear which meshes with a ring of teeth around the lens barrel, but I've never seen a 35mm photo lens that has such a ring.

Bob Safay
June 30th, 2005, 11:41 AM
Ido, I do a lot of bird videoing. For viideoing birds in flight you really should try the stock lens with the 1.6 and the inage stabilizer. I do this and manually focus. You can get some stunning shoots. Last year I videoed condors and albatros' in the Straights of Maghellen. It is so much easier to track the birds hand held than with a tripod. Now that is just my opinion. Bob

Chris Hurd
June 30th, 2005, 11:44 AM
I agree completely with Bob. For that type of shooting, the stock 20x lens plus the 1.6x extender is a better solution that trying to use an EF lens with the EF adapter.