Wireless Follow focus for YouTube Style Set up

The place for questions about shooting with Blackmagic Cameras.
  • Author
  • Message
Offline

goshafad

  • Posts: 1
  • Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2021 1:14 am
  • Real Name: John Adolfi

Wireless Follow focus for YouTube Style Set up

PostFri Dec 03, 2021 1:23 am

With the BMCP6K camera would anyone recommend a follow focus system that I can control remotely while on camera doing a Youtube LIVE? Thank you!
Offline
User avatar

timbutt2

  • Posts: 2840
  • Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:32 am
  • Location: St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of Amercia

Re: Wireless Follow focus for YouTube Style Set up

PostFri Dec 03, 2021 6:11 pm

For the money the Tilta Nucleus M is good. Granted I am using it with cinema lenses mainly, but I have used it with still lenses without hard stops and there’s a setting you can use to add those hard stops with the motor and FIZ unit. This enables you to do focus pulls wirelessly with a still lens.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"I'm well trained in the art of turning **** to gold." - Tim Buttner (timbutt2)

Cameras: URSA Mini Pro G2 & Pocket 6K Pro
Past: UM4.6K, P6K, BMCC 2.5K
Computers: iMac 5K (Mid 2020) & MacBook Pro Retina 15.4in (Mid 2018)
Offline

Sean van Berlo

  • Posts: 607
  • Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 6:33 am
  • Location: The Netherlands

Re: Wireless Follow focus for YouTube Style Set up

PostSat Dec 04, 2021 10:37 am

Hey Tim, how do you use the nucleus as a single operator? Looking to buy them but kinda wondering how it works with handheld work.
Offline
User avatar

Jeffrey D Mathias

  • Posts: 429
  • Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2017 3:54 pm

Re: Wireless Follow focus for YouTube Style Set up

PostSat Dec 04, 2021 1:18 pm

I've been using Nucleus-M as single operator and it is now the only way I focus. Hand held I use one of their handles (usually with pocket 4K.) On tripod I use the FIZ unit around my neck (with URSA or Pocket.) I find it much easier and accurate to focus by finger with the handle then grabbing the lens. On the tripod it is critical to have the FIZ as I do not touch the camera at all. By using an old phone I can route the record button on the FIZ to the cameras via Bluetooth. The only time I touch the rig is to pan or tilt the tripod to follow the action. (Note that I am mainly filming wildlife and nature right now. Either with a 100-400mm USM L 2 Canon or a 28mm Zeiss Otus on the URSA 12K.)
AMD Threadripper 1950x 16-core 3.4 GHz
96 GB Crucial DDR4 2666 ECC UDIMM RAM
AsRock Fatal1ty x399 motherboard
AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 GPU
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit version 22H2, build 19045.3208
DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G
iPad Pro M2
Offline
User avatar

Travis Hodgkinson

  • Posts: 518
  • Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 9:30 am
  • Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Wireless Follow focus for YouTube Style Set up

PostSat Dec 04, 2021 3:23 pm

Came TVs Astra has been really good for me. Super affordable too :)
Freelance Camera Op & Cinematographer based in Brisbane, Australia.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Weapons: URSA 12K + Canon XF605 + Hero 10 + Pocket 6K Pro
Optics: DZO Pictor Zooms + SLR Magic Hyper Prime + Tokina Cinema Zoom
Offline
User avatar

timbutt2

  • Posts: 2840
  • Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:32 am
  • Location: St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of Amercia

Re: Wireless Follow focus for YouTube Style Set up

PostSat Dec 04, 2021 8:06 pm

Sean van Berlo wrote:Hey Tim, how do you use the nucleus as a single operator? Looking to buy them but kinda wondering how it works with handheld work.

Personally I don't use it a lot as a single operator. If I'm operating the camera and pulling my own focus then I'm using a manual follow focus. The Wireless Follow Focus is more for use with an AC/Focus Puller on a FIZ hand unit working in conjunction with a camera operator.

However, like Jeffrey mentioned you can use the handles in a shoulder mounted situation. I don't have the handles myself since I don't set my rig up that way. And, those handles don't do me any good when I have the camera on a Steadicam, Jib, or Gimbal. A FIZ hand unit is better at that point.
"I'm well trained in the art of turning **** to gold." - Tim Buttner (timbutt2)

Cameras: URSA Mini Pro G2 & Pocket 6K Pro
Past: UM4.6K, P6K, BMCC 2.5K
Computers: iMac 5K (Mid 2020) & MacBook Pro Retina 15.4in (Mid 2018)

Return to Cinematography

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: chris_moore, Username and 101 guests