FS: D|Focus - The $100 Follow Focus

[designbydave]

$100 Buy Now



Hi Guys

I have spent the last month or so developing an affordable Follow Focus solution that I think you guys will really like. This is a BYOLG (Bring Your Own Lens Gear) system. Why is a lens gear not included? Too hard to make. If I were to make them they would have to cost just about as much (if not more) as some existing designs. So it is just easier to buy lens gear from another manufacturer. I recommend the Redrockmicro lens gear. The D|Focus is compatible with any industry standard 32 pitch (0.8 mod) lens gear. You might be able to find one of those "Indian" lens gears on ebay.




All ordering and contact information, as well as pictures and test videos are on the website: http://designbydave.net/dfocus/

It will mount on industry standard 15 mm rails and will work with the popular "Shrigg."



A few drawbacks to the D|Focus:

-No support for cranks or whips, at least not initially. Hopefully I will be able to offer a knob as a future upgrade that will support these. This will add a good amount to the cost however.

-No marking plate. Again I would like to add this on in the future. It should be easier to do than the crank/whip support.

-Because I am not using an expensive gearbox with bushings and bearings that will be a small about of gear "wobble." This would probably be a turn off for professionals, but I think most amateurs/hobbyists/indie film makers will not mind. I have tested it extensively and found that it wasn't much of an issue. Even with the little "slop" it is still 1000% easier to pull focus than turning the focus ring by hand.

My system does perform the main function of a follow focus very well, ergonomics.

I will ship internationally



These are currently in production and should be shipping in about 2 weeks. I have been trying to keep up-to-date information on the production status posted on a twitter page.

Order your D|Focus Today! http://designbydave.net/dfocus/

[Rumple]

Good on ya dave...!

[dminor]

Not to steal this thread, but indifocus sells a lens gear for $22.00. I bought both the dfocus and the indifocus lens gear, I'll let you all know how it goes!

Congrats again to you Dave.

[designbydave]

Not to steal this thread, but indifocus sells a lens gear for $22.00. I bought both the dfocus and the indifocus lens gear, I'll let you all know how it goes!

Oh No, WAIT!

The IndiFocus gear is NOT a standard 32 pitch gear. It's 24 pitch and won't work with the D|Focus. I ordered one at the same time as my rails to test. Its a nice gear, just not standard 32 pitch. I will see if I can source some 24 pitch gears to drive it and offer that gear as an option.

Sorry I didn't think to mention that sooner. IndiFocus is not very clear on their web site about this.

[Rumple]

great news dminor, we'll expect a full report.

[Rumple]

I thought that 0.8 was the same as 32p?

Cine pitch gear [0.8] is one option, or the individual lens gear for the same price, but has no details about its pitch.

In which case they would work....?

[designbydave]

I thought that 0.8 was the same as 32p?
In which case they would work....?

0.8 mod = 32 pitch

The Indifocus gears are 24 pitch. Read the description of their geared ff carefully:

Based on the indiFOCUSpro this package includes three lens gears, lens gear driver, and an additional gear in Cine pitch [0.8].

They must be including that gear in case you want to use it with the standard 0.8 mod, 32 pitch gears.

I am trying to source some 24 pitch gears now that will work with their lens gears.

[dminor]

Hmm, seems strange that they would offer a 32 pitch gear accessory and a 24 pitch lens gear accessory. The plot thickens! Dave, I think someone posted a link in one of the threads that I created, maybe it was rumple, to someone who could offer other pitched gears.

[designbydave]

Hmm, seems strange that they would offer a 32 pitch gear accessory and a 24 pitch lens gear accessory. The plot thickens!

The way I read it:

-The Indifocus uses non standard 24 pitch driver and lens gears.
-They Sell a standard 32 pitch driver gear in case you want to use the Indifocus with a standard lens gear.
-They also sell additional 24 pitch lens gears.

I have one of their 24 pitch lens gears and one of their 32 pitch driver gears.

[dminor]

gotcha.

Ya know, if someone can design a CAD drawing of a 24 pitch driver gear, I could get them made through that website I told you about, Dave. Might be a solution to keep prices low?

[designbydave]

gotcha.

Ya know, if someone can design a CAD drawing of a 24 pitch driver gear, I could get them made through that website I told you about, Dave. Might be a solution to keep prices low?

I doubt custom machined gears would be inexpensive. Molded gears are cheaper but the cost to get a custom mold built would be out of the question for the quantity I am building.

[sblfilms]

I believe Indifocus sells 3 different sets of lens gears...

[Rumple]

I believe Indifocus sells 3 different sets of lens gears...

Yeah, I agree;



Surely we just need the #1 in this image, the 0.8 mod aka 32 pitch.
The 24 pitch must be #3, god knows what #2 is about.

Or am I missing something??

[dminor]

Yeah, I agree;



Surely we just need the #1 in this image, the 0.8 mod aka 32 pitch.
The 24 pitch must be #3, god knows what #2 is about.

Or am I missing something??

The first two are pitch/drive gears. The third is a lens gear.

Plus Dave bought one and can confirm that the pitch is not 32 on the "additional lens gear".

I think Indifocus dropped the ball on this, because they are not specific about the product at all. No photos, descriptions, etc.

There's another thread here some where about the gears from Indi, but unfortunately they aren't specific either.

[BWC]

I doubt custom machined gears would be inexpensive. Molded gears are cheaper but the cost to get a custom mold built would be out of the question for the quantity I am building.

Dave,

You can easily and VERY inexpensively make your own gears. Just buy one to copy, make a few molds so you can do several in one batch, and go to town. Everything you need is right here.

[Rumple]

Dave,

You can easily and VERY inexpensively make your own gears. Just buy one to copy, make a few molds so you can do several in one batch, and go to town. Everything you need is right here.

The plot thickens!
Although, making copies of Redrocks gears might land people in trouble...?

[designbydave]

Dave,

You can easily and VERY inexpensively make your own gears. Just buy one to copy, make a few molds so you can do several in one batch, and go to town. Everything you need is right here.

Excellent BWC, thanks! The idea of making a rubber mold for gears did cross my mind, but I dismissed it thinking that it would be difficult to get it right. This post makes me think other wise.

Ok guys I think I can see that cost effective lens gears should be my next priority. I will use the profits from the first batch of D|Focuses to work towards this.

[BWC]

I doubt custom machined gears would be inexpensive. Molded gears are cheaper but the cost to get a custom mold built would be out of the question for the quantity I am building.

Excellent BWC, thanks! The idea of making a rubber mold for gears did cross my mind, but I dismissed it thinking that it would be difficult to get it right. This post makes me think other wise.

Ok guys I think I can see that cost effective lens gears should be my next priority. I will use the profits from the first batch of D|Focuses to work towards this.

A combination of the two will serve you well. If, for each gear you need in your FF system, you get one custom machined, they are your gears to copy. You can make a mold of each of them (and likely many other parts) and copy them to your heart's content. The price of the custom machined gears will be a one time investment.

Also, you can buy casting resin in much larger quantities than Hobbycast sells it in. I expect that you will be able to sell a lot of these follow focus units at the price you are asking. As such, I would suggest buying a five gallon drum of each part. That will bring your cost per piece down to pennies.

I have been looking for five gallon drums of each part of the silicone rubber, but have not found it yet. I am sure it is out there. For you, I would suggest making a mold that is like a muffin baking sheet. You know, twelve spots for making a dozen in one batch? I would make two or three of those. That way, one run could last you a while and save you a lot of turnaround time.

Once you get good at casting molds, you should be able to use the technique to make a wheel that will accept a whip. I would suggest buying a commercially available whip, casting a mold of your current wheel (Mold A), then creating a circular mold box about half the diameter of your wheel.

Drill a 1" hole in a piece of plywood and put the whip through the hole. While holding the plywood, put the tip of the whip against the table and measure the distance between the bottom of the plywood and the table. Add 1/4" and cut two pieces of 2x4 to this length. Screw the plywood to the 2x4 to create a spacing jig.

In the circular mold box, mark the exact center. Next place the spacing jig above the circular mold and allign the male part of the whip with the center of the circular mold. Cast a mold of this (Mold B).

Place Mold B inside Mold A and center it. Rather than filling it with casting resin, you would fill it with moulding rubber to create Mold C. Fill Mold C with casting resing, let it set and remove the mold. You will now have a replica of the face of your wheel with a female whip attachment.

Cast a mold of the other side of your wheel, fill it with casting resin and remove the mold. Using a bandsaw, make your replica of the bottom of your wheel 1/4" thick. Using a thin layer of your casting resin, laminate this to the bottom of the new wheel face you have made. Sand the join to make it uniform. Create a new casting box, make a mold of this, and you can make as many whip-ready wheels as you like.

[sdeming]

Very Very Nice! Great Job!

[Rumple]

Again, are you not worried about intellectual property rights??
These designs will be copyrighted surely?!?!

Just don't want you to get a fat law suit on your hands.

[designbydave]

Again, are you not worried about intellectual property rights??
These designs will be copyrighted surely?!?!

Just don't want you to get a fat law suit on your hands.

I will NOT be making a mold of an existing manufacturer's design. If I were making one for myself and my own use that would be ok, but not if I intend to sell them. This would be very unethical and I will try to hold myself to a higher standard than that.

Now, that doesn't mean mold making is out of the question. Just need to find a large diameter 32 pitch gear to reproduce and modify to mount on a camera lens.

[Rumple]

Glad you cleared that up...

^_^

[Hunterr]

Have you considered using a rubber/foam disk to be used as a universal FF? Of course it would not be a substitute for a geared one, but it could be a 'generic' FF.

Just my $0.02,

-Hunter

[designbydave]

Have you considered using a rubber/foam disk to be used as a universal FF? Of course it would not be a substitute for a geared one, but it could be a 'generic' FF.

Just my $0.02,

-Hunter

I have read that idea somewhere (probably on these forums.) Sounds like it could work. It might make sense to buy a D|Focus and DIY a lens gear to go with it. This would probably be the most economical way to get a follow focus on your rig. There is a good DIY group here, that may be a popular solution.

[designbydave]

Put together a quick setup video:

[ame="http://vimeo.com/4007059"]http://vimeo.com/4007059[/ame]