Are there any gimbals that use manual focus when follow focusing?

[Todd Terry]

I think you have two options, A and B…

Option A–

Since you say money is not an issue, this option would be:
Ditch the SLR lenses. Yes, many filmmakers have successfully used SLR lenses, but that’s not what they were made for. SLR lenses are great tools but they are not the right tool… in your case you need a wrench when you are needing a screwdriver. SLR lenses have inherent issues that you have to deal with… such as short-turn focus ring travel that make precision follow-focusing an absolute beast, no gear teeth, “clicking” aperture settings, breathing, and the list goes on.
1) Buy or rent (much smarter to rent) real cine lenses, or at least still lenses that have been re-barreled so that they perform as cine lenses.
2) Buy or rent (much smarter to rent) a real remote follow focus unit
3) Hire a camera assistant who is a proficient focus puller (and the real pros can eyeball measurements within an inch)
4) Be done with it.

Or…

Option B–

Continue talking this to death absolutely ad nauseam.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Gary Huff]

I’ve had it since Fall 2015, and I love it. One of the best cameras I’ve ever used.

[Ryan Elder]

Okay thanks, but I thought I would just use the tools I got. Plus I think that the crane follow focus, actually is made for DSLR lenses, and not cine lenses, isn’t it?

[Ryan Elder]

The problem I have with renting, is that I have to schedule my shoot days based on the availability of the rental shop’s schedule and this can cause major problems during a shoot if I have to schedule around the equipment availability.

My last short film had a lot of headaches cause we rented and had to shoot based around that, rather than having the equipment available and ready to go, and therefore, can schedule on shoot days that work better for everyone, since rental availability is not an issue.

I don’t know how other people rent and it doesn’t put a damper in their shooting schedule.

[Stephen Smith]

[ryan elder]
Okay thanks, but I thought I would just use the tools I got. Plus I think that the crane follow focus, actually is made for DSLR lenses, and not cine lenses, isn’t it?

The Crane 2 Servo Follow Focus that attaches to the Crane 2 and is currently free with the purchase of the Crane 2 works with DSLR lenses and cine lenses. It, like all follow focuses, is built for Cine lenses. But it comes with a ring you can put around your DSLR lenses to make them work as well with that extra part.

Stephen Smith

Utah Video Productions

Check out my Vimeo page

[Gary Huff]

[ryan elder] “However, gimbals are selling like hotcakes over tripod dollies. So why are filmmakers are more interested in considerably more expensive gimbals instead?”

That are not more interested. Don’t worry about purchasing a gimbal or a tripod dolly, you don’t need either of those. Worry instead about getting basic, steady shots.

[Ryan Elder]

Okay thanks. It’s just that in this project, there are characters running from each other, such as a woman running from a killer, who is after her, cause she knows too much, etc.

So with shots like that I want to track along with the actors, cause I want to keep them in focus while moving along. Or if I keep it static, then they will go out of frame a lot during the running, and I will have to do more shot set ups. Where as if I move with them, I will have to do less shot set ups. So I thought either a gimbal or a dolly would help, when it comes to scenes where the actors have to run from each other, and create a lot of movement therefore.

[Gary Huff]

You don’t need any gimbal to show the sequence you are describing. Concentrate instead on delivering a finished project with steady shots and a story that makes sense.

[Ryan Elder]

Okay thanks, but I’ve already delivered finished products with finished stories already though, and want to try new things when filmmaking. Why should I do the same thing over and over again, instead of trying new techniques? Is it wrong to move or, or advance, especially after already accomplishing finished products before?

[Gary Huff]

[ryan elder] “I’ve already delivered finished products with finished stories already though, and want to try new things when filmmaking.”

Then you should post one of those.