By site editor Dan Chung:
Until recently wireless follow focus has purely been the domain of Cinema shooters due to their high cost and because you also need someone to pull focus accurately. Now companies like HocusFocus, Jag35 , RTmotion and Redrockmicro are bringing out less expensive units. For the first time there are options that while not really cheap, are in closer reach of serious shooters.
For me the main attraction of wireless focus is for use on a Steadicam rig – I have just completed a Steadicam workshop and purchased a Steadicam Zephyr. I plan to use the Steadicam for more of my news and docu work. Before I can do that I really need a way to control focus with my large sensor cameras and I would prefer not to have to rely on wide lenses and small apertures to guarantee focus. I will of course still need someone to pull focus.
I was therefore very interested to see the new Focus View wireless focus system from DVInside on display at Broadcast Asia. Made by a Korean company and partly designed by one of the instructors on my Steadicam course it looks to be a good option. They were also showing a wired zoom control called the Focus View Z. Interestingly the system uses focus motor units made by Heden which are normally seen on higher end wireless products.
Broadcast Asia Focus View from Dan Chung on Vimeo.
Pricing is not inexpensive at around $6000 US list price. It will be interesting to compare this system with the others on the market, especially the new Redrockmicro MicroRemote Wireless and Hocus Focus.
Also of interest to Steadicam users was this cage on show on the Cathay Photo booth which is designed to help DSLRs fly better on a stabilizer. I didn’t get a chance to test it but it is an interesting idea.
