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Are there any gimbals that use manual focus when follow focusing?
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Well I’m tired of acting standing in one place the whole time, as it gets boring. They should move around once in a while to do something different.
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The last shoot I did the actors were in one place the whole time and I would like more movement to tell the story.
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What’s so wrong about wanting to advance and not do the same thing over and over?
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Ryan,
Two things:
1. Your replies are getting too hard to follow. If you look at the entire thread you typically have three separate replies to me instead of just one. Poke around the cow and you will see that people structure their replies like this:
[Name of person quoting]
Whatever they said goes here.Then you say what you want. You repeat this process for every quote you want to reply to. Just look at my many replies to your for reference.
2. This conversation is getting really old. Let me make this as simple as I can. You said you want to do a specific shot but can’t make it work with the tools you have and can’t afford to get the proper tools to do the job. You have received advice on how to make the shot work and you still feel none of those ideas will work. If that isn’t the case then why the heck are we still talking? Which is why I said:
If your tools can’t do it and you can’t afford better tools then this is where you think outside the box. There are tons of amazing films that don’t use any gimbal shots whatsoever. Are you really telling me that this story is so revolutionary that you could not have told this story cinematically 10 years ago when no one had motorized gimbals? Motorized gimbals are still very new to the industry and not having them didn’t stop people from telling stories. It feels like you are dead set on the camera move and not the story. I know you find this reply frustrating but seriously, think of alternative ways to show the same message. Best of luck.
At which point you prove my point that you are unwilling to think outside the box. You are so stuck on this idea that you can’t think of anything else. This way of thinking will only slow you down in life. I can’t understand why you can’t think of any other scenario for your actors other than for them to walk and talk for 3 minutes. I have not heard any real answers from you on why you can’t just change the scene to make the shot work with the gear you have. As I said in a past conversation with you already:
I would like to bring up an example where budget restraints created a better solution. Doug Liman did not have the budget he wanted for Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The neighborhood scene where Mr. Smith trips on the fence and accidentally almost shoots his wife is a great one and added a lot to the movie. It was originally supposed to be this big budget car chase scene that the studio would not pay for. Instead, we ended up with this very simple scene that brought so much more to the movie. Limitations can help you find better solutions.
Best of luck Ryan.
Stephen Smith
Check out my Vimeo page
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Sorry about that. Sometimes I think of things to add to my replies later, but this site will not allow me to edit my replies.
You said that “if your tools can’t do it better, and you can’t afford better tools, that I will have to think outside the box”.
But I CAN afford better tools, I was just asking which type of focusing tool is the better one. I didn’t say I couldn’t afford it though. I totally can, which is why I was asking.
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[ryan elder] “But I CAN afford better tools, I was just asking which type of focusing tool is the better one. I didn’t say I couldn’t afford it though. I totally can, which is why I was asking.”
Even though you can afford it, you should not spend the money.
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Very nice. This is brief in the edit, but the footage of the cosplayers was a bunch of long takes with an EZ Rig Mini Max and a Ronin-M flying my C300 Mark II with Face Detect running.
https://youtu.be/ltV6A9wxxYc?list=PLraFbwCoisJDc6t4_2EikeSsQdExV0kbH&t=187
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[Ryan Elder]
You said that “if your tools can’t do it better, and you can’t afford better tools, that I will have to think outside the box”.
But I CAN afford better tools, I was just asking which type of focusing tool is the better one. I didn’t say I couldn’t afford it though. I totally can, which is why I was asking.
I’m not sure why this conversation is still going then? That question was answered a while ago.
Best option: Purchase a wireless follow focus & wireless monitor for a 2nd person to handle focus
OK but will work option: Use the follow focus that attaches to the lens and is controlled by the Zhyiun Crane 2 you want to purchase. The link I sent a while ago includes the follow focus for free
Free option: Set focus and tell actors to stay roughly the same distance from the camera. Instead of doing a move where you start out far away and then move really close to the talent do a cut so the actor’s distance will stay the same. Or keep everything in infinity focus.Stephen Smith
Check out my Vimeo page
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Oh sorry for the confusion. Basically my question is, is which type of follow focus is better, the one that controls the electronic focus in the camera, or the one that actually turns the lens ring? I read mixed opinions on both, so is there actually one that is better over the other?
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[Ryan Elder]
Oh sorry for the confusion. Basically my question is, is which type of follow focus is better, the one that controls the electronic focus in the camera, or the one that actually turns the lens ring? I read mixed opinions on both, so is there actually one that is better over the other?
I thought I already covered that during this conversation:
[Ryan Elder]
So for the price of the follow focus, is it actually worth betting compared to the electronic focus of the crane?I haven’t used either so don’t take my word for it. But from what I remember the electronic focus isn’t smooth at all. It looks like the focus changes in clicks. Whereas the attachment seems to be as smooth as you would think a controller on a handle could do.
As for price, if you purchase it on B&H the follow focus is free:
If you are talking about just plugging the cable in the camera versus using the free attachment it really doesn’t matter. You get both options for the same price so you can play with both and see which you prefer. If you are talking about a 3rd party focus option that will be better and will cost more money.
Stephen Smith
Check out my Vimeo page
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