I'm to the shop to have the focus clips redrawn and machined today. With luck they will work and I will have a couple of units to send out for testing early next week.

Larry

The Focus assist is back on track! Thanks again for your patience everyone. First my machinist had a minnie rush for his services at his shop leaving me waiting, then when I got the next version complete I came up with a totally new direction for the focus clips. This new idea required every component to be redesigned. I am now very happy with the action of the device and it's precision. Taking advantage of the time I spent waiting also allowed me to develop the button kit for the EX1 & EX3. I will also be sending out some sample vials of a product that will almost eliminate bad electrical connections, and improve sound quality of your audio tracks by increasing the signal to noise ratio.

I have a working version of the focus unit and a button kit on my camera and will take some video in the next day or two. When it's done I will put it up on Vimeo. I will be juggling a number of projects this week so I will start with just a basic demo then when time permits I will send out 3 test units, hopefully by the end of the week.

Larry

Hey Larry,

Great to hear you're back on it. I know how developing a new product can go.

Looking forward to seeing the test shots.

Garrett

Larry - Haven't heard a word since your last post Feb 9 - are you at the Olympics?

I wish! it's been a really frustrating at times trying to get machine work done while not wanting to be too annoying towards my friend the machinist. That and I just got my sample kits from the manufacturer of the electrical contact enhancer on Friday. I have my website address and am setting up the site as we speak. Our film group has a meeting tomorrow night and I hope to set up to shoot some demo footage of the focus assist and button kit. When it's up I will let everyone know. We try to shoot something every meeting. Last meeting we shot screen tests for my film "Instant Karma" which will be shot entirely in front of green screen. If the shop is not too busy next week I will have the first small batch cut and ready to send out by next weekend.

Update?
Pete

Please count me in as a potential customer. I have a Zacuto follow-focus that is a great piece of kit, but requires the rods and baseplate to use. This adds a lot of weight for hand-holding the camera. I'd love to have a light-weight follow-focus for the number of times that I shoot hand-held.

I _really_ could have used this over the past week shooting a short. Lots of long lens, crash zooms and re-framing on the fly on very dark sets. Focus was difficult with little detail for peaking in such low light. Zoom on manual, for crashes, so I had to operate zoom and focus with one hand simultaneously.

Sooooooooo, Larry, where did you go........? I have been going to your thread daily ever since your last post. I also, as with the others, would be most interested. But if you do not post again past your last long ago post about problems, I am gone forever. Hope you are alive and well and kicking, and OK?

I am also very interested in Larry's product.... any pictures yet?

Thanks

Ronnie Martin

First I want to thank Barry for giving me a heads up by letting me know there have been fresh posts about my focus assist system. I also want to apologize for taking so long between announcing it's existence and the eventual release of the product.
Now a report on what I have been doing. I have not been able to complete the final design of the system as I thought in the time frame that I expected for a number of reasons. The availability of the machine shop and it's technicians and the fact that I suddenly got extremely busy with work to the point that I have not had a day off in weeks. The biggest issue I have with the unit it's self is the locking method for the focus clips. The way it's currently designed is with small thumb screws. Once it is slid to the right location you must turn the screw to tighten the clip onto the plate. I want to be able to simply pull back with my index finger to release a spring loaded friction pad to release it to move it around the lense then just let of pressure to lock it in place. Once I figure that out and get them made it is ready to go.
I have also been working on the button kit. I am having dies cut to punch out the button covers which make the camera much easier to use.

The third product that I have ready to go is Stabilant 22. I have 22 sample packs to give away as a promo. I will have details as soon as the focus kit and the button kit are ready to ship.
I have attached some pictures of the prototypes so you can see that they do actually exist.
Thanks again for your patience everyone.

Larry

Here are more pics

The buttons have a rough texture so your can feel them easily and your finger will not slip off.

The focus assist can be used in both full manual and semi auto mode. The stops are magnetic so you can feel the sweet spot as you pass over it and either stop or continue through if you have a complex focussing situation. The top and bottom one are hard stops though. The clips can be easily removed if you just want a couple of them in use. There is a fine adjustment by turning the pin on the focus ring left or right.

Larry,

As is the case with many others, I have been waiting patiently for further news about your
fabulous device. And it is now almost two weeks since we have heard from you. Is anything further happening? Many others and I would really like to know your projected target date for distribution, if you have one. An update would be greatly apprecieated.

Bill Urschel

Some serious thought going into this stuff, almost as if the inventor actually USES a camera, weird :-) really cool ideas.

Hi Larry,

I'm also very interested in your new focusing device!

I've produced video product reviews in the past and would be glad to produce a video review for your products too.
Here's an example of a review I did some time ago for an MP3 player (which resulted in hundreds of additional sales for Cowon): YouTube - Complete Cowon D2 Review.

If you're interested, please send me an email so we can discuss it further (plberanek@hotmail.com)

All the best!

Yep ...
 

I certainly would be interested ... I await further developments. Good luck ...
all the best