How to build your own focus wheel
 

I have finished building the Focus Wheel and made the Video Tutorial. You can watch them on Youtube:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgOfBGXHXIU
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNf69mLPIVk

Demo Reel coming soon..

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7345/img1488qm1.jpg

where did you get the lens shade?

43mm fotodiox

the wheel is nice!
but I love the lens shade!

Too funny..
 

This guy not only builds this cool focus wheel; solving one of the *major* deficits of the HV20, but he also creates a two part video describing exactly how to build it and where to get the parts and everyone loves the $18 plastic lens hood he bought off the internet somewhere..

Thanks for the video.

Oh, and I just bought one of those cool lens hoods, too ;)

silly question - where'd you find the cork tape?

A link is in the video description http://www.amazon.com/Tape-Plugs-Pyr...669760&sr=8-36

I have never used this before.. yet.. So, it might be the wrong stuff but either way I am pretty sure it will work how I imagine it will. You can use whatever you want to.

im definitely going to try that! looks really cool, thanks! If you ever use auto focus, does that lens shade block the sensor? you dont need the wide angle adapter for that to fit on right?

Remember there are two kinds of auto focus on this camcorder -- Instant AF and Normal AF -- that lens hood probably blocks the Instant AF sensor, but you still have the option to use Normal AF, so keep in mind you can still use at least one form of auto focus with a wide angle adapter and / or a lens hood or matte box on the front of the camcorder. Hope this helps,

(P.S. -- well done Aaron!)

Kudos! Nice job.

Very nice work, all around.

About that demo reel...
 

So when do we get to see some samples of this focus wheel in action?

I'm working on it.. =P I'm meeting with a good friend of mine who said that she will let me film her for a demo. I might be going over there tomorrow. She lives 40 miles from me and I just haven't had the money to drive to go film it.

I do promise though.. It will be worth it!

Honestly.. I have thought this over a bit. I really think that the target "buyers" of the HV20 are people who are not and I HATE to use this word but “professionals” and therefore either:
- Don't know the difference between AF and MF
- Don't know how much AF sucks
- Don't care about MF because they feel it's just too much work to do while shooting
- Don't know how important MF is
- Feel like they can't build it so it's not worth the trouble (too much work or too complicated)
- It doesn't make the camera look super awesome when it's on
- Feel like the focus dial is enough and it doesn't need to be improved
- That this focus wheel probably doesn't make MF better, easier to control, sturdy, and or spins smoothly enough to keep a steady shot.
- All ready have or going to buy a lens adaptor
- Has caught every single pokemon in the world

The HV20 is a consumer camera and I know that this is the first real camera that a lot of people have gotten to start making their own films and what nots. I support them and their dreams! There are a lot of people who have had a lot of experience with cameras who up/downgraded to the HV20 just because of how amazing the image that it can produce (HDV, 24p, cinegamma mode, 1080i, etc). It is AMAZING! Don't get me wrong.. But it has problems.. MF is a big one. Actually… It’s a very small one -_-

I mean.. WTF? It’s a joke for people who want to use this camera professionally. Why didn’t they just give us a little cylinder shaped bead and make it in a way so it takes like 15 strokes to get it into focus? You couldn’t make it crappier if you tried.

So dammit! I made a focus wheel. I guess next I should make a lens hood.

I'm NOT going to make a lens hood.. =P

btw.. The lens hood is pretty much useless. It helps a "little" with sun glares but rarely. I got this just to protect my filters and lens from scratches as well as suicidal birds who want to make me cry.

I gave everyone the instructions to make the focus wheel and everyone is welcome to use it and screw it…… on the bottom of their camera.. Take it or leave it. I made it, I love it, I share it.

http://img480.imageshack.us/img480/5...rbiewtfnw4.jpg

You've done well, Aaron!

The curious thing is that Canon's new HG10 -- the HDD equivalent of the HV20 -- doesn't even have the little focus wheel, so manual focus will probably be even more of a challenge, just because it won't be possible to use Aaron's focus wheel thingy with that camcorder. Manual focus is in there somewhere -- it has to be -- it's probably just harder to get to.

Cool Barbie-cam by the way.