I found that adding a Follow Focus helps considerably. I use a friction wheel for the A1 lens when I'm not using an adapter and lens gears when I am.

Thanks for your help Marcel

Do you know of a friction wheel that is compatible with the XHA1?

Yes, I use the Follow Focus from IndiSYSTEM - Studio 4 Productions .

you can kind of see what it looks like here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/874257-post49.html

Thanks again Marcel :)

I've never used a follow focus before. Do you need the rail system to mount the follow focus on?

Yes, you do need a rail system. But, besides the Follow Focus, a rail system also gives you a way to mount matteboxes, handles / shoulder mount, even articulating arms for monitors. Also, later on if you decide to get a 35mm adapter, you already have a rail system to support the adapter. Indifocus also sels some reasonably priced rails.

Thanks very much. I'll look into getting a rail and follow focus for my next production.

What size rail and which follow focus would you recommend?

If you're going to use the follow focus directly on the A1 then indifocus is the only company that I know of that makes a friction wheel for a universal control. You might do a google search to see if you can find others. I have to say that once you get used to using the follow focus, it does spoil you...at least it did me. I don't use anything in auto mode. everything is manual.

Or you could just change the sensitivity setting in the menu.

That's a good suggestion and might improve the response a bit if you haven't tried that already (I made the assumption that you did...probably erroneously). See if that satisfies your focus puller. It could save you some $$. My understanding is that most "focus pullers" prefer the FF though.

Unfortunately I've already tried changing the sensitivity in the custom setup but the focusing is still too sensitive and jumpy. I think the FF is the way to go.

So how is adding a cheap friction follow focus going to change things?
The sensitivity will still be the same, it will just be controlled from 3 inches away.

I'd say give your AC some practice time to get better aquatinted with the camera.

it's all in the ratio of the follow focus gear to the lens gear. If you use a small ff gear then it will take a more turning (i.e., slower response) to move the focus ring a certain distance than if you use a larger ff gear...then the focus ring will move faster.

In the case of the friction wheel, at least to me, that ratio to the A1 lens seems to work very well. I guess it's a matter of preference though. Unfortunately, the friction wheel only comes in one size so you can't change the ratio.

You can't put a FF ring on the A1 or G1 because the instant auto focus module blocks it. If you want a FF, you'll need to get XL H1a or H1s.

Jim Martin
Birns & Sawyer Inc
"At the ArcLight"

Yes, actually you can. I have one. you don't need the FF gear. It uses a rubber friction wheel against the A1's focus ring without a gear. Works pretty well.

You can sort of see it here on my camera: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/874257-post49.html

Marcel, I'm going to ask some really silly questions here...

Should I get the 12", 18" or 30" (deluxe) IndiSYSTEM rail for my XH A1?

Does the Shrigg Rig make the camera upside down for some reason? Do I need one of those?

There are four different IndiFOCUSpro follow focuses - normal, geared, geared deluxe and geared ultimate. Which one should I get?

Thanks!