Follow Focus Lens Gears

[Caleb Ennis]

Might come in handy for you guys shooting with DSLRs, AF100, etc.

 

Just ordered a set ill post more when i receive them.

http://wideopencamera.com/cheap-lens-gears/

[Jess Haas SOC]

Price looks about right but whoever edited that video together watched a bit too much MTV as a child....

[Charles Papert]

Just received a set of these from Sam, they look quite nice and I look forward to trying them out. My only concern is that the tie-down area will obviously need to be avoided for motor placement, which could become limiting when in a pinch--you never know when you might have to mount the motors on one side or the other, engaged at the top or the bottom of the lens. Not a problem with the Canon zooms--you just rotate the zip-tie out of the way--but tough for lenses with mechanical stops.

 

The price is certainly phenomenal on these and the seem quite well made, so you can't really lose.

[Sam Morgan Moore]

but tough for lenses with mechanical stops.

 

In such a situation you can cut and redo or often just work them round a bit, my Hofo lives rightside unlike my rig FF which lives leftside

 

Jess - MTV was not on air when I was a kid !

 

S

Edited March 6, 2011 by Sam Morgan Moore

[Mark Karavite]

Were all the focus pulls in that video performed on the zip tie lens gears??

 

Seems like a no brainer to throw these into your kit.

 

I'll buy a set just because I think it's the cheapest thing I've ever bought for Steadicam.

 

WINNING!!

[Charles Papert]

I've now geared up my two zooms with this setup (Tokina 28-80 and 80-200, again, selected over the Canons because they have mechanical stops) and they are looking great. I have the Duclos mods on my ZE's, which are as good as it gets but are $90 per lens, and prior to this I was using the Redrock gears which are bulky. These are as low profile as the Duclos, the zip tie is extremely minimal and they are nice and tight. My concern about the "dead zone" where the zip tie assembly lands is actually not that big a deal because you can fairly easily slide the gear off the rubberized grip on the lens, reposition it and slide it back again within 10-15 seconds, so I judge that not-an-issue.

 

As a result, I am giving these gears a big thumbs up--the price is absolutely fantastic and the concept is a very smart one. Hats off to Sam. Huzzahs!

 

Now everyone go buy them so he can recoup his startup costs!

 

(the lenses are off at the case manufacturer--I was waiting for this final step before having the foam cut--but I will post pics upon their return).

[Andrew Stone]

My only concern is that the tie-down area will obviously need to be avoided for motor placement, which could become limiting when in a pinch--you never know when you might have to mount the motors on one side or the other.

 

I would throw a bag of zip ties into my Pelican that has all my camera support jazz in it. When done a shoot for someone without gear rings on their lenses just clip off the zip ties and take the gear straps off at the end of the gig. If you have to move them just cut them off and zip tie them down again. Impractical in some situations but others not.

[Lawrence Karman]

Bought a set just to have in the kit. They seem like they would work well even on some older Zeiss primes I occasionally encounter without a gear on the Iris ring. Thanks for posting this.