Question for Piotr
 

Any update on the 521ex release date? And any idea as to price?

Dave McCallister

Dave,

I'll try to use my contacts and investigate - but only next week :)

Any updates on the Manfrotto solution?

Got the Libec ZC-9EX last week for a job, and I'd highly recommend it. The speed control is at least comparable to the ex1 zoom rocker, and the cable is very solid (I've seen bebobs get snagged and pull out of the remote). The ability to add an extension cable was the reason I bought it in the first place, but it is a very nice item otherwise.

-Sean

I only am in touch with the engineering people, not marketing - but as far as they can tell, the MN521ex should be available by the end of the month.

Cool, looking forward to it.

Also, is there a reason none of the major manufacturers make a remote with focus control? Am I missing something?

No you're not missing anything, the EX1 is; it has no interface for remote focus.

George/

Do you think Sony will add focus control through a firmware update? Or is it possible through a 3rd party processor?

From the Manfrotto engineers I know the 8-pin proprietary socket on the EX1 doesn't provide any other connection that those for the functions, implemented on the controllers mentioned in this thread.

Any news on the release date of the Manfrotto control and where to buy one?

Still waiting to see if the Manfrotto 521EX is coming out. I will have to buy in the next couple of weeks for a trip to the Arctic on June 30th.

Failing this I think I might just go with the Libec - can anyone using it tell me if it has a speed adjustment wheel like the Bebob?

Does the Varizoom have a speed adjustment wheel also?

Another interesting thing was that Tom from Varizoom said that he HAD made a focus controller for the EX1 - but it was twice the cost. This is interesting as other manufacturers all claim that it can't be done. Any news on this?

The Libec has no speed control adjustment. It has the same level of control as the standard zoom rocker switch, but no speed adjustment. The bebob adjustment is a function of the LANC interface I believe.

-Sean

Piotr, any updates?

I just did a shoot with the EX1 for the first time yesterday and found out a remote zoom control is absolutely necessary when shooting on a tripod. I previously shot on PD170's and I'm used to panning the tripod arm with my right hand and reaching through the camera handle with my left hand to use the zoom rocker.

Since the EX1's zoom rocker is off-center to the right on an independent handle, it's impossible to reach through the camera's handle with my left hand to make zoom adjustments.=/

i am in the same boat.

the bebob zoe-ex with the variable zoom speed is hard to find.
probably the only solution for the meantime is to use the Sony
remote with perhaps the mirror attached in the front as someone here suggested.

paul

Varizoom PG-EX Controller
 

Picked up one of these little babies when they first came out. After a minor factory improvement, it works flawlessly. Love it.

I'm also loving the fact that the EX1 lets you "dial down" the zoom speed for the top handle rocker to something nearly imperceptible...creeping in or out at a setting of 2 or 3 (a setting of 1 doesn't always make the zoom motor reliably start moving on my EX1). (Clarifying, this has nothing to do with the PG-EX controller...)

I haven't seen this slow zoom capability since the old days of the Cinema Products J6 or the Panavision zoom controller, where you could dial down a zoom to over 3 minutes, end to end. Awesome.