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BFD marking strips


Jerry Franck

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Hi,

 

I was wondering if any of you guys have come up with a way to keep BFD marking strips for different lenses, like the snap-on rings for the Preston? Kinda like an inventory, or do you make new ones every time you prep for a show?

 

My AC prefers using strips of tape rather then the provided plastic ones...but those are not easy to store for the future...

 

So, do you have any ideas and ways that you've done it so far?

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Jerry

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I know Jim has in the past had some snap on marking rings and a little mod to the BFD. I spoke to him a while back, and was told that there wouldn't be any available again for the immediate future.

Every focus puller I know hates the marking strips with a passion. Trying to get them on and catch those little tabs while in a rush etc. Not practical at all.

 

I just hope Jim gets those discs back in stock soonish.

 

Rick.

 

 

 

Hi,

 

I was wondering if any of you guys have come up with a way to keep BFD marking strips for different lenses, like the snap-on rings for the Preston? Kinda like an inventory, or do you make new ones every time you prep for a show?

 

My AC prefers using strips of tape rather then the provided plastic ones...but those are not easy to store for the future...

 

So, do you have any ideas and ways that you've done it so far?

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Jerry

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Yep, its all tape here. Wish there where disc's

 

Hi everyone

I have been testing several different types of plastics over the last month and hope to have something I hope Jim will stock soon .

Jim has in the past had focus rings but has run out of stock.

Watch this space.

Louis "BFD Australia" Puli

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Yep, its all tape here. Wish there where disc's

 

Hi everyone

I have been testing several different types of plastics over the last month and hope to have something I hope Jim will stock soon .

Jim has in the past had focus rings but has run out of stock.

Watch this space.

Louis "BFD Australia" Puli

 

 

 

Job,

 

so, how do you "store" your tape strips on set? I guess you don't make new ones all the time on set...you mark all the strips in camera prep right?

 

Any tricks on how lens changes on set are faster with the BFD?

 

 

Louis,

 

yeah, my AC was thinking of doing some plastic thing too...

Let me know how yours works out...

 

 

best,

Jerry

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so, how do you "store" your tape strips on set? I guess you don't make new ones all the time on set...you mark all the strips in camera prep right?

 

Any tricks on how lens changes on set are faster with the BFD?

 

 

Louis,

 

yeah, my AC was thinking of doing some plastic thing too...

Let me know how yours works out...

 

 

best,

Jerry

 

Hi Jerry

All remote focus rings are marked up on the Prep day and is stored in the lens case as usual

As soon as I make some up I will send them to Jim for his approval and then make them available to everyone ok.

Thanks

Louis Puli

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"like the snap-on rings for the Preston? Kinda like an inventory, or do you make new ones every time you prep for a show?"

 

There are two different issues at hand here. One is the actual material used to make the rings for the knob from. For this, Jim offers two types: the original plastic strips that go around the knob and attach via a small thumb screw. Then he came out with (but sounds like he is out of stock) a more rigid disk that goes around the knob.

 

As for storing any of these, either method will do for the length of a show (i.e. with one set of lenses), but neither will do for permanent keep-sake as all our lenses are hand made causing the markings to be slightly different from set to set. In other words, two different Cooke S4 40mm will be similar but not match exactly. This means during prep that the AC will need to make new rings for a given set. This is not just true for the BFD, but any focus system. The Preston HU3 with prefabricated rings only works from set to set because you edit the extrapolation marks in the database during prep instead of the actual rings.

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"like the snap-on rings for the Preston? Kinda like an inventory, or do you make new ones every time you prep for a show?"

 

There are two different issues at hand here. One is the actual material used to make the rings for the knob from. For this, Jim offers two types: the original plastic strips that go around the knob and attach via a small thumb screw. Then he came out with (but sounds like he is out of stock) a more rigid disk that goes around the knob.

 

As for storing any of these, either method will do for the length of a show (i.e. with one set of lenses), but neither will do for permanent keep-sake as all our lenses are hand made causing the markings to be slightly different from set to set. In other words, two different Cooke S4 40mm will be similar but not match exactly. This means during prep that the AC will need to make new rings for a given set. This is not just true for the BFD, but any focus system. The Preston HU3 with prefabricated rings only works from set to set because you edit the extrapolation marks in the database during prep instead of the actual rings.

 

Yes, but then the rings are no use anymore...or am I missing something?

 

BTW, FYI, we found a way to make the BFD markings sit tighter on there...just cut a hole on the opoosite side and use the screw from the round marking disc to tighten the stripe a second time...(if that makes any sense...)

 

Jerry

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"Yes, but then the rings are no use anymore...or am I missing something?"

 

Jerry,

 

Huh?? Yes, you'll have to remark the rings with a new set of lenses. Just use alcohol to clean them off and remark them.

 

 

Sorry Alec,

 

bad use of words on my side,

 

I was referring to what you were saying:

""The Preston HU3 with prefabricated rings only works from set to set because you edit the extrapolation marks in the database during prep instead of the actual rings.""

 

--> does that mean that you can adjust the slight difference, that each set of same brand lenses has, within the Preston? So, then there's pretty much no use for the rings anymore because those markings will be off? Right?

 

I'm a BFD user and don't know the Preston that well, so maybe I'm missing something...hope this makes sense,

 

thanks

 

Jerry.

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Every lens has different markings, so even if you used a 35mm primo, unless you use that exact same primo next time it will not work. It's not worth the time to try and keep an inventory of lenses unless you use the exact same lenses every time. And just to be clear I don't mean the same size/make of lens, I mean that serialized lens itself.

If you were an owner/operator of your own camera package it would make sense, but 99% of the time it will not work out.

 

On the other side of this topic, is the hard rings vs. tape or the bendable plastic rings. I have found the hard rings (I own a set for my Bartech) to be very reliable if you properly calibrate it every time. The bendable ones just usually drive me (and many others) nuts. Tape is not reliable because of it's stretching nature as you put it around the focus knob, it generally does not work very well. Hopefully Jim will get more if he is indeed out of the hard rings because they are awesome.

 

Josh

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My favorite focus puller has found a good way to make plastic transparent rings that fit tightly around the focus knob of the Bartech.

He has about 20 of them, in a plastic cylinder that can be opened into 2 halves. He calibrates them before a project and usually needs only about 10-15 seconds to set the new lens. When i see him I will make a picture of his set, if he agrees.

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Every lens has different markings, so even if you used a 35mm primo, unless you use that exact same primo next time it will not work. It's not worth the time to try and keep an inventory of lenses unless you use the exact same lenses every time. And just to be clear I don't mean the same size/make of lens, I mean that serialized lens itself.

If you were an owner/operator of your own camera package it would make sense, but 99% of the time it will not work out.

 

 

Not exactly true.

 

While total travel and infinity position may be different from lens to lens the scale will be the same. The distance between the marks is a logarithmic scale. Thats why with the Preston HU3 you map the lens once and then zero the scale to the infinity position when changing lenses to provide a "home" for the logarithmic scale to reference.

 

Works every time, thanks to Howard Preston's magic

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Every lens has different markings, so even if you used a 35mm primo, unless you use that exact same primo next time it will not work. It's not worth the time to try and keep an inventory of lenses unless you use the exact same lenses every time. And just to be clear I don't mean the same size/make of lens, I mean that serialized lens itself.

If you were an owner/operator of your own camera package it would make sense, but 99% of the time it will not work out.

 

 

Not exactly true.

 

While total travel and infinity position may be different from lens to lens the scale will be the same. The distance between the marks is a logarithmic scale. Thats why with the Preston HU3 you map the lens once and then zero the scale to the infinity position when changing lenses to provide a "home" for the logarithmic scale to reference.

 

Works every time, thanks to Howard Preston's magic

 

 

Ahhh...I get it.

 

Wow, that does sound very convenient. I now get why the preston is the industry standard...because of stuff like this.

Thanks everyone for clarifying...

 

 

And yes, ROB and LOUIS, if you can send photos of your plastic BFD rings, much appreciated!

Thanks guys,

 

best,

Jerry

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