Red Rock Micro remote focus

[James Puli]

Hey Guys ... Just saw the video of the RedRock Micro remote follow focus kit and new their new Cinetape measuring thing on freshdv.com

 

Wondering if anyone at NAB has had a play with it? It looks really interesting and I'd be keen to hear what its like from our point of view.

 

Thanks guys!

 

JP

Sydney Australia

[Jess Haas SOC]

At the redrock booth they only had a non functioning remote focus. They made some vague reference to latency issues and said they don't want people using it because a lot of it is going to change. They also had a mockup of a version that you stick an ipod touch into and then I think it uses it for communication. So personally I am still considering this thing vaporware until they can show me something that actually functions correctly.

 

~Jess

[Sydney Seeber]

yeah I played with it, it's too early to tell what level it's at. I can say that it doesn't have that refined feel you get from a very established high end company, but I doubt they're going to argue that point. They didn't have it working 100%, but many, many people are misinformed as to what it really is, as well as the price point. I don't know what you know about it, but it's basically a pretty standard design as far as the focus part is concerned, but the advantage is that you can pop off the front plate and put either an iPhone or iPod touch in it, which will act as an iris control as well as all sorts of useful focus and iris information, and it can store ramp settings and lens calibrations as well. It can also be used with the sonar device as an autofocus of sorts. That part wasn't working very well when I was there, so they've got work to do. The buzz I've heard from many is that it's a sub $1,000 device, which it most definitely is not. The wired version without a motor is around that price... The wireless system may not have an official price, but based on what I learned talking to the guy, it's pretty unlikely you'll have a complete system put together for less than 10 grand. They're making their own motors and if those work that may drop a couple thousand off the price, but that's about it.

[Andrew Stone]

I saw an article about this on Engadget today with an NAB show floor video on the unit. It immediately got me thinking about the iPhone based IRIS controller from PLC Electronic Solutions that was recently posted here. Redrock has shown how to make a focus controller that works with an iPhone and hopefully their competitor PLC Electronic Solutions are working on a similar hardware solution like this to use with their product.

 

Does anyone know where PLC is at in the development of their follow focus hardware controller?

 

-Andrew

[Peter Hoare]

Saw the Redrock. Its interesting, will have to see what happens.

 

The PLC Fstop is a nice unit.

 

 

Watch this space.

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Talk about gimmicks and the wrong tool for the job. The iPhone is a great phone and Internet device, but it's the wrong tool for the basis of a follow focus.

 

That point will get driven home the first time the phone rings when you're wide open and and pulling on an academy award winner...

[Jess Haas SOC]

Redrock has shown how to make a focus controller that works with an iPhone

Except so far it doesn't actually work.....

They have been promising this thing for years and redesigned it a number of times during that time. I look forward to trying it out when they actually have a working product but I am not holding my breath.

 

~Jess

[Charles Papert]

Talk about gimmicks and the wrong tool for the job. The iPhone is a great phone and Internet device, but it's the wrong tool for the basis of a follow focus.

 

That point will get driven home the first time the phone rings when you're wide open and and pulling on an academy award winner...

 

Presumably one would use an iPod Touch, or at the very least airplane mode on an iPhone!!

 

If I understood the demo properly, the Apple unit is essentially just being used as a display module for the interface, not as the functional guts of the unit. One clever thing about the visual interface is that it shows the focus setting as a point on a wheel that rotates as you change the focus setting, with the due north position being the constant pointer as the focus mark. A shaded area shows the depth of field fanning out from that mark in both directions, so as long as you keep the data current in terms of focal length and f-stop, you will have a useful indication of focus latitude. The sonar attachment will also show up as a separate pointer. Considering that this unit is marketed at those who don't have a background with focus pulling, these may be useful features.

 

But as I told Brian at the show, the primary benchmark will be how well it works as you turn the knob here and it moves the lens there. Everything else is secondary to that.

[Sydney Seeber]

 

 

If I understood the demo properly, the Apple unit is essentially just being used as a display module for the interface, not as the functional guts of the unit.

I asked if the setup could be dual channel and if he intended to have the ability to ride both the iris and focus at the same time, and he said that the iris unit will work like the other iDevice sliders, in that the screen will display a slider control to adjust the iris while the wheel controls the focus during operating mode. He was not able to show me said slider, but that's what he told me

[Peter Hoare]

From Mikko.

[Lee Kazista]

 

 

If I understood the demo properly, the Apple unit is essentially just being used as a display module for the interface, not as the functional guts of the unit.

I asked if the setup could be dual channel and if he intended to have the ability to ride both the iris and focus at the same time, and he said that the iris unit will work like the other iDevice sliders, in that the screen will display a slider control to adjust the iris while the wheel controls the focus during operating mode. He was not able to show me said slider, but that's what he told me

 

I had a lengthy discussion with those guys. First off they are unsure of what frequency range they will even occupy. They are guessing 2.4, but have zero FFC clearance on anything yet.

 

As for the iPhone interface, it is only that, an interface. The radio function of the unit remains within the unit, the iPhone will be an interface that is hardwired into the unit. The unit will do all of the 'talking' to the MDR.

 

Multiple channels will mean multiple MDR's.

 

Their 'best guess' at pricing was $500 for the microtape (cinetape), $1000 for a hardwired controller, and $3500-$5000 for a complete single channel set up with one of their analog motors. The system will only be compatible with Analog motors, nothing digital. They said that the price will depend more on demand than anything else.

 

Lee

[Sydney Seeber]

if that is the case, then why did he tell me that. The guy I talked to is the same guy in the picture. I was very specific when I asked him.

[Charles Papert]

Multiple MDR's from one controller. Nothing inconsistent there.

[Sydney Seeber]

alrighty, this is getting somewhat confusing... Here's what I was referring to. The iDevice attaches to the control unit, and after talking to the guy, I was under the impression that the iPhone/Pod could act as an interface to control the iris, as in a slider much like other designs out there. In other words, the unit could control both focus and iris at the same time. Not the iPhone acting as a radio/wifi unit, I'm simply talking about the control interface. On the camera/motor end, I did assume there would be multiple receivers linked wirelessly to the hand unit itself. As it seemed like a cool idea, I specifically asked him how the iris was controlled, and referenced the other iPhone controllers being built out there. As far as price, I was also under the impression that the $3-4000 was for the wireless control unit, cinetape thingy and motor receiver, not the motors

[Louis Puli SOC]

Hi Everyone

Here is another video from NAB by James Mathers from Digital cinema society talking to Brian Valente from Red Rock Micro

http://www.digitalcinemasociety.com/content.php?page=NAB%202009

As for the unit its Not my cup of tea .

Louis Puli