Follow focus... Worth it?

S.C

Active member
I already have a sick rail system I made and I just was wondering whether you guys have found follow focus to be useful. not just for skiing but for other things. I can get the JAG D/Focus V3 with a gear for about $120 in mint condition. Worth it? or will it not make a difference?
 
For general purpose, they are practically useless. I can pull run-and-gun focus just fine without one.

However if you're doing choreographed shots where two focus points are measured prior, then a FF is almost necessary because it allows you to use markings.
 
I should define this point better. They aren't useless per se, moreso at best it's just an improvement in comfort. FF units are only good for pulling focus between two pre-measured spots (as I said earlier), and pulling focus when shooting telephoto, and even in the latter case the improvement is minuscule.
 
i found mine to be pointless, and you have to invest a lot of money into a good system without any play in it (I.e not a d|focus)
 
Yes, but if you have smooth lenses (i.e. vintage) then its a non-issue. I can see it being an improvement if you are using a lens with a shitty housing (Canon), but only if there's last. As far as I know, there's only one FF unit that does this that is under $1k (not the D Focus; those things are garbage in my opinion).
 
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this is ROCK solid.
 
thats really nice actually, is it camping tent rods and 9mm hose rod clamp diy?
 
its car cable keepers (saw them on cheesycam) which cost like 15, and 9/10mm solid aluminum rods. its not 15mm, but i can adapt almost any accessory to it. it has a quick release permanantly attached to the bottom that goes in my tripod, and the quick release on top is the same so i can put my camera on the rods without switching plates. it is so solid though. absolutely nothing in it moves
 
alright, sounds like i wont be getting a follow focus, but any ideas on what i can do with these rails? i want to make something out of them haha
 
sounds good. ive got a 70-200 so thats perfect. just need a battery grip on my camera, and ive already got the tripod collar for my lens
 
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