Jump to content

Redrock micro WFF


David M. Aronson

Recommended Posts

  • 1 month later...
  • Premium Members

The reason why the Bartech costs what it does (Which is very low and extremely reasonable by the way) is because Jim simply couldn't make it any cheaper without beginning to sacrifice the quality, craftsmanship, and reliability that goes into his products and that we all expect from a wireless follow focus or any piece of gear for that matter. It just works and anything that costs less I wouldn't even waste my time with. I love my Bartech- I'm the third owner and it's still going strong! The service from Jim is top notch, if anything ever were to go wrong rest assured he will make it right. Plus he's located in the CA so service will be faster.

 

I don't think Redrock is a company that prides themselves on making quality products. Their cheap products sell in high volume because of their price point. They target the DSLR market and really have no place on a professional set. It's not a question of if their product breaks, but when, and when it does their customer support rep will probably just transfer you to their sales department so you can place an order for a new item.

 

Hocus Focus/Varizoon/etc. Why even risk it? In closing, I leave you with words of wisdom from Robert Starling...

 

1. Bartech because it works

2. Bartech because it is recognized as the established leader in the industry [at its price point]

3. Bartech for compatibility with other ops gear when you need to mix or you need to rent/borrow.

4. Bartech because the MAJORITY of ACs already know how to use it.

5. Bartech because Jim has supported us, it's made right here in LA and we should support him.

6. Bartech because Jim knows the kit, cameras, needs and you can walk in the door, have a nice chat, do your business and have a friend there instead of a faceless rep.

7. Bartech because you can use it, rent it out and still make most of your money back on it when you sell it to upgrade five years later.

 

 

 

 

I will second Andrew.

I have my BFD for about 6 years (focus and iris system) I never have any problem and if I need anything i lost or accidently brake (ariels, cable, marking strips...) Jim will help ASAP and really his service is top notch! Plus it is so simple start with analog unit and when you want to upgrade to digital you can still use TX. You don’t have to buy everything again. I'm definitely for Jim’s BFD

.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

I'm using HocusFocus for about 1 year now and I'm very satisfied with it. But the problem is that it's built for typical DSLR-lenses. Recently I had to work with Zeiss prime lenses and my HoFo system wasn't able to cover the whole range of focus ring. Fortunately, the range was enough to keep everything in focus.

 

But I´m waiting for the new Axis system. If price is ok, I will sell my old HoFo and upgrade to Axis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

Hi Wolfgang,

 

We are releasing the Axis1 soon, after a long hard slog. I have been doing all the website listings today, ready to put the purchase page live in the next week or so. The price in UK pounds is £3650 including the motor, cables etc. Everything you need to use the system.

 

 

 

Pete.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Hi Wolfgang,

 

We are releasing the Axis1 soon, after a long hard slog. I have been doing all the website listings today, ready to put the purchase page live in the next week or so. The price in UK pounds is £3650 including the motor, cables etc. Everything you need to use the system.

 

 

 

Pete.

Hey Pete. My name is Kyriacos and i'm a focus puller. In my country, the market works mainly with DSLRs but i had short and feature film projects. I'm looking forward to invest on a wireless system and i was thinking about your Axis1. My main issue is powering the receiver. Dont want to add another vmount on the kit. Is there a way to power it like the HocusFocus system? With a camera battery on board? Also are you going to be at IBC this year?

 

Let me know. Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

Hi Kyriacos,

 

I did see your emails before. As I said, the receiver cannot really be powered off a DSLR battery, the voltage and current outputs are too low to really get the most out of the system. You could use this battery:

 

and connect it via the D-Tap in the top. I have another customer who uses this and reports that it works fine.

 

http://www.proav.co.uk/SWIT-S-8U62-High-Capacity-Battery/p18569.aspx

 

 

I will be at IBC yes.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Pete.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members
I picked up the MicroRemote a few months ago and have been using regularly (well my AC's have been).
They have not complained at all.
But the good things I can say about it are:
-It's very light weight (the base station and motor)
-Comes with a P-Tap (D-Tap) power cable which is convenient
-Set up is a breeze. The Auto calibration is a 1 button push deal (as long as your lenses have hard stops).
Manual calibration is easy too.
-The motor seems to turn super speeds, Red Pro Primes, and other Cinema Prime lenses without problem
-Motor is quiet
-The Remote Control is well-built and functions smoothly
-the marking ring is great with a dry erase marker or grease pencil
-no latency, responsive control
-Great price!!!
The only downsides I've noticed:
-While the controller can be a good distance away, it can suffer from interference if there's too much stuff obstructing the path of the signal. Not a major thing for me as my AC is usually close to me.
-The motor only has a 15mm rod attachment. (Apparently you get a 19mm attachment also now)
-The AA batteries in the controller are housed behind a panel that's secured by little screws. Not ideal if you need to change em in a hurry. Thankfully they last long.

-you can't add additional motors on the same system (for iris control, etc.)

 

Any other questions?

I'd be happy to answer.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

I used the Redrock WFF twice in my life and both times i had a mixed feelings. First the signal is super weak. Having my body, the DP, director and a grip in the way was enough to break the connection at maybe 30ft. Next the motor was making not only noise but I could feel the lens spinning in the rig with the vibrations. Next, the remote felt bulky and super heavy. Then the delay is noticeable and motor speed is very average. The general feeling of it was that it felt flimsy and plastic.

 

Both times I used it was a last resort solution. I would recommend investing in a Bartech or something else a bit more robust. In general Redrock is considered as the play school version of professional gear and is a bit frown upon and is usually a bit overpriced for what it's really worth.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I've now been using the Redrock system for 7 months and I also initially had mixed feelings about the setup, but the system is actually growing on me now.

 

While it is not a Heden or Bartech, for the price you pay, it delivers a heck of punch in a very small package. And for the work I do and the amount of travel I need, every kg and gram counts.

 

For a traveling, lightweight system, the Redrock micro is fantastic.

It does suffer from interference at times, but often that is fixed by finding a new channel quickly.

 

I'd say it's a no brainer for someone who wants to own their own system and doesn't want to chuck down 10K for one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • Premium Members

Well I have both. I have the Redrock Micro and the BARTECH. Which one does my ac prefer? BARTECH. When I have to operate and pull focus myself because of the job, I prefer the Redrock. I prefer that one because I can attach the Redrock universal Collins clamp fingerwheel to the yoke and pull focus myself. Not exactly what I want to do, but it's what I have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Premium Members

I've been extremely happy with the Chrosziel Digifox with a Heden motor. Never had a single issue with it in the 2 years I've owned it. I've used Prestons and Bartechs many times. I've never had a problem with a Preston. I've only ever had issues with Bartechs. They have failed to calibrate properly or have been unable to connect the hand unit with the receiver. A steadicam op I hired that owned his own bartech even had issues with his.

Edited by Devin Whetstone
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

Well I have both. I have the Redrock Micro and the BARTECH. Which one does my ac prefer? BARTECH. When I have to operate and pull focus myself because of the job, I prefer the Redrock. I prefer that one because I can attach the Redrock universal Collins clamp fingerwheel to the yoke and pull focus myself. Not exactly what I want to do, but it's what I have.

You know you can do that with the Bartech analog as well, pulling your own focus.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...