
The question you need to ask yourself is: How much more of a benefit does this contraption provide over the focus ring? The rest of this guide will attempt to help you find the answer to this question. This person is an integral part of the camera department and is usually also the First Assistant Cameraman. The person who is an expert at pulling focus is traditionally called the focus puller. The technique of following the action using a follow focus system is called racking focus or pulling focus. It’s primary function is to allow focus to follow the action. What is a follow focus system?Ī follow focus system is a set of parts that work together to help you focus more precisely and conveniently for video work. If you are zen master who can pull focus day in and day out on a 50mm f/1.8 plastic lens at f/1.8, respect.įor everyone else, there’s the follow focus system. Newer lenses, especially the smaller semi-plastic variety, have the worst focusing rings seen in history.
HOCUS FOCUS FOLLOW FOCUS MANUAL
Older manual still camera lenses also have good focusing rings (there was a time when auto focus didn’t exist and people still got the shot). Traditional high-end lenses made for film cameras and digital cinema cameras have good focusing rings. How many takes can you screw up before you are kicked out? The bigger the production, the greater the cost of each take.
HOCUS FOCUS FOLLOW FOCUS PROFESSIONAL
In the professional video world, you need a system that is consistent enough to deliver at every turn. You might want to rack focus (move focus from one point to another) at any time for various reasons. However, filmmaking is not always about documentation. So, what’s the point of a cool 50mm f/1.8 lens if you can’t shoot at f/1.8? One way to get around this problem is by using autofocus (AF). On a large display or cinema screen, any focusing mistake can’t be hidden.

If you’re shooting video at these f-stops, and your subject leans, turns or moves, you’ll have a hell of a time using the focus rings on these lenses to follow them around.

At f/1.4 the DOF range is 0.65 feet (8 inches).At f/1.8, the depth of field (DOF) is about 0.8 feet (10 inches).Assuming an APS-C or Super 35mm sensor focusing at 10 feet The major draw for all these lenses is their aperture.

The position of the focus ring on all three lenses are different. The f/1.4 and the f/1.2L have similar sized focusing rings, while the f/1.8 has a thin flimsy ring also known popularly as ‘a joke’.
