incredible Fotga DP500 III Follow Focus with great accessories! REVIEW
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- Amazon US: amzn.to/1RP2a3g
Amazon EU: amzn.to/1RLFJFM
eBay International: www.ebay.com/itm/281915404702
(Amazon are affiliate links; buying through those would benefit my channel, and therefore you! Just so you know!)
The DP500 III, successor of the amazing DP500 IIS, is finally on the market. And it got even better than before - who'd have thought! - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
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I love your choice of background.
Thanks to your in depth review. I bought one. Love it. 👍
Very good video and awesome flow of details. Love the clarity of the shots as well. Thanks for the info bro.
+RecarroJames glad you liked it! Thank you :)
Sold! This was super helpful, thanks.
Great review mate, informative and fun 👍🏼
Thanks for the review
Currently have the Kamerar FF-3, but will keep it in mind.
More interested about that mattebox, I will tune in for that! Cheers!
All the best on the move!
I'm interested too! I only unpacked it once to have a quick look haha. Not it sits in the box, waiting for my time :)
Great Review! Answers every question I had! Thanx a lot! ;)
Thank you, that's nice to hear :)
Hi, bought this one too, impressed by the quality of it. The included gear belt is juuuuust enough to fit on a Canon 500mm :)
Thnx for this review, was one of the reasons I bought this follow focus . Bought it on Amazone.de, which has a lot of versions of this on their site, which is a bit confusing.
Based on your review I pulled the trigger on a Fotga DP500III and received it today. It's my first follow focus and I am very pleased with the overall quality. The focus adjustments and smoothness is really exceeding my expectations. I think it's good value for money. I paid $289 AUD for the version with 3 included gears, 1 crank arm, geared rubber band and the quick release for 15mm rods.
I use it with a Canon 6D and have adjusted the hard stops to the exact focus range of my Canon 16-35/4L IS. Probably not ideal as these stops are meant for actual focus positions but my lens has no hard stop (USM) so a good compromise I think.
Thanks for there view mate!
+Lighthunter actually I feel that the hard stops are a great friend to lenses who don't have them (or inaccurate ones). Setting a range can be done quickly so it's a good fit!
Glad you are happy with your copy! :)
great review Lucas. have fun with yr new apt. liked - subbed.
Thank you very much! All my stuff is still in boxes, bit I'm getting there :)
excellent - ty for sharing!
Thinking of getting one! There is a Mark III version, now. Trying to spot the differences
Thanks for this!
very nice review sir. enjoyed it
+Melvin Jose thank you Melvin :)
You're moving in with your g/f? Congratulations to you both Lucas! Wishing you a wonderful life together.
Marc Draco well this is quite ironic now. When I shot this video last year we moved in together, and right now I'm actually packing again because I'm moving out. C'est la vie :|
Well that sucks Lucas. Life has some funny twists and turns and I'm sorry to hear it, but onward and upward my friend.
Marc Draco thank you mate :) sometimes life's rough, but but it's ok, there's good times to come :)
:) That's the way to look at it!
nice work thank you
Now I want this one. :)
Hello there Lucas,
mind telling me which baseplate and rod holder you were using to showcase both follow focuses ?
Keep on the great work !
Hi there, it's not a buyable product, I tinkered it together from parts :( it's a generic Arca Swiss baseplate sitting on a Tripod-adapter (which is upside down). Then I attached a QR-lever to the plate, which is usually used for bicycles (normally there's a screw). Nothing is a brand so I can't tell you the products, I can make you some photos if you like though
I really like your reviews, the direct comparison between the mark2 vs mark3, very on the point^^ I have two question, when you take off the black little gear wheel, can you see the light on the other side of the mecanism? weird question but if yes, maybe it can be modified to make it a motorized follow focus by plugging in the shaft of an electric motor or something. Second question is, how do you get all the stuff for your reviews, do you buy it? or do you go with the amazon 30 days refund programme and send it back for "free" after the filming is done? Thanx ;)
Hi there, glad you liked it :)
regarding your first question, the thread is not "open" unfortunately :( but maybe you could drill it to fit? After all I don't feel that's needed for modding it into an electric Followfocus, I think it's easier to just get the cheapest FF around and just screw the motor on the holder, get rid of all the FF-stuff and attach the gear to it? :)
For the 2nd question: I do buy a lot of the stuff, and I actually never return things after filming. What I do get sometimes too is discounts from the manufacterors, I'm not free of that :) yet I try to be not biased (of course I'm not free of that, as well as any other reviewer who does it); if that's the case, I write that into the description of the video (my newest ones have that under them, for example)
Hi I'm Victor
Good luck with the move! :)
Thanks victor! very much stress these days. Sunday the moving company will come and it looks like it could get suspenseful to the last minute haha :) hopefully everything will go well.
Hi Lucas, great video. I'm having trouble with my DP 500II, it is moving my lens and torqing it when I follow focus, I'm shooting a lumix gh5 12-60mm Leica lens. The follow focus is probably meant for the cine lens with a smoother focus ring? thanks
Hi there, I have some troubles understanding what the issue is. The lens is moving in which way?
Thanks for this video - just purchased one of these - is there a particular way installing the gear belt on the lens? What are you suppose to do with the excess belt?
When using gear belts, I usually have it so that the locking is on the side that I don't interfere with the follow focus (pretty obvious I guess). You can shorten them if you need to, but I wouldn't make them too short in case you need it a bit longer on other lenses :)
do you like it since this message? i m thinking getting one
Great video! One question. Can you reverse the focus direction?? I have it on the left side of my rig and when I turn the wheel toward me(to the right) I want it to focus on objects close to the lens. Right now it is opposite...This might make me return it because that would be undoing years of muscle memory.
Can't be done, as it would additional gears that it doesn't have
Nicely reviewed. I'm actually looking for an affordable FF that would allow me to change the direction of the focus pull without swapping the gear to the other side. Some of my lenses need to rotate clockwise to focus forward, and some are completely reversed...which makes it somewhat confusing. Do you know of such a FF unit or accessory that would allow for this?
I know of none, as it's also fairly complex to change the direction; just switching the gear also doesn't work, as the rotating axis doesn't change :(
Danke, Lucas. I figured it's a tough find (especially in an affordable unit). I wonder if the electronic ones even have that option.
Nice, makes me think about getting a new follow focus... I don't need one though. Lol
come on, you always need a new one ;)
Lol, just yesterday I was getting ready to go film later today and the damn screw isn't working properly on my fotga follow focus. Lmao.
bought it great
I just received my DP500lll (August 17, 2018) I noticed in your video the lens moves up and down, I am experiencing the same issue. Will this damage the lens or loosen the mount to the camera body? Also, how do you unscrew to change grears (the knob is very tight)? You edited that part out (unscrewing the knob) of your video.
Neil Seiffer the lens moving up and down won't likely damage anything, but can be visible in the footage. Of course, that's leverage and is not really the fault of the follow focus. If it is severe, you can get a lens support that lets you fixate the lens (Lanparte has one, for example)
For the screw, I edited it out as it is really nothing else than unscrewing. Maybe it's really tight from the factory. I'd try to use your hands for now and not any tools
The included lens gear belt looks a little bit on the weak side. Do you have a suggestion for a better lens gear to use with non cinema glass and the Fotga follow focus?
Seamless 3D printed ones :) I have a video on how to make your own, even if you don't have a 3D printer
@@LucasPfaff Thanks for the quick response! No 3D printer here and I actually just saw those gears you mentioned in your video the other day on eBay and was wondering if they were any good. Good to know they are!
@@GeraldBertramPhotography I made two videos, one for bought one off eBay and one for making your own. The bought ones are good but bloody expensive, making your own is dirt cheap even if you don't have a printer (you can easily and cheaply order parts from 3Dhubs or ask around your friends if someone has an own printer). For the price of a ready one you could maybe print five or more, not counting in the (very little) design time :)
Hey Lucas I was hoping you could answer a question of mine.
I currently use a Canon 7D with a battery grip, Giottos Quick Release Plate, Tamron 17-50 f2.8 VC, all on top of the Fotga DP3000 baseplate rod system. I am using the Fotga DP5002S follow focus.
As of right now I am using a 15mm rod extension adapter with the big gear in order to reach the lens, which makes my rig a bit crowded to work with.
I plan to use the Kamerar VF-4 soon, which has a plate I will have to add as well.
So my question is, Do you know if the Fotga Rocker Cine Arm will fit the DP5002S follow focus?
And would all my gears from the DP5002S work with the Rocker Cine Arm?
I would really appreciate any help on this. As always, I really enjoy your videos. I hope all is well with you. Thanks.
- Paul Harwood
+PaulHarwood856 the accessories and gears from DP500 IIS and DP500 III are not compatible, sorry!
Lucas Pfaff Hey Lucas thanks for getting back to me so soon. Found a fix through a machine shop which is $100 just like the Cine Arm, what a relief there is still a solution. Keep up the great work with your videos! Entertaining as always!
+PaulHarwood856 great, good to hear you fund a solution :)
Hey Lucas Pfaff,
Yeah definitely. When I take it to the machine shop and get it fixed, I'll send over a picture in case anyone else asks you. Thanks again for your quick response.
- Paul Harwood
Hey Lucas, just wondering what you know of the JTZ DP30, which as far as I can tell is very similar to Fotga's DP500 III? In fact, I'm pretty sure it's made by Fotga.
I emailed them, and they claim the JTZ DP30 has "better material; follow focus wheel can be removed, and attach upside and downside; 4 buttons on the follow focus for controlling focus", but wanted to reach out and hear what you know.
Thanks mate!
Hi there Ewan,
JTZ is made by Fotga, that is right! But the products are not the same quality. In fact, the JTZ is much better, they were not lying to you :) I actually have a DP30 system in my posession and I will do a review on it shortly, there were some circumstances holding me back :)
Lucas Pfaff OK cool, great to know; thanks for the info! If you had to choose, is the extra $$ worth it for the JTZ? I look forward to your review 😊👍 thanks again!
Ewan Donnachie the JTZ really shines when you use the whole system with cage etc, but even on it's own it's a really nice FF. you know, it's the little things that just make it feel much better. From a pure pulling-focus-pov it's not that different, of course
Lucas Pfaff cool Lucas, great to get your thoughts! 👍
Deutsch:
Danke für diesen Testbericht! So bekommt man einen Eindruck zum DP500 III follow focus, der ja gerade erst auf den Markt gekommen ist. Wie ich in dem Video sehen kann, benutzt du auch das DP500 III Rig. Wirst du über dieses ebenfalls einen Testbericht verfassen?
English:
Thanks for this review! It's good to get an impression of the DP500 III follow focus, which just got released. As I can see in your video you're using the DP500 III rig. Will you review it too?
+o0PGJ0o Hi, ich mach mal nur deutsch weil ich noch auf Arbeit bin :) tatsächlich habe ich das DP500 III rig leider nicht :( nur die Mattebox, die ich am Ende noch einmal ins Bild halte. Die kommt als Review sobald ich meinen Umzug durch habe! :)
+Lucas Pfaff Danke für deine Antwort. Noch eine Frage: Kann der Follow Focus in der Höhe verstellt werden? Denn man sieht sehr viele Rail Systeme, die sich nicht in der Höhe verstellen lassen und ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass vielleicht der Abstand zum Objektiv zu groß sein könnte, sodass das Zahnrad nicht an den Follow Focus Ring des Objektivs greifen könnte.
+o0PGJ0o Hi, einen Mechnismus dafür gibt es nicht. Durch das Verschieben zur Kamera hin bzw von ihr weg lässt sich die Höhe aber natürlich virtuell "einstellen", da er entsprechend einfach weiter "drunter" oder mehr "von der Seite" greift, je nach Höhe. Aus eigener Erfahrung mit hohen Kameras (zB der BMCC 2,5K) muss ich auch sagen, dass das nie ein reelles Problem gewesen ist. Ansonsten kann man das natürlich mit dem kleinen Ausleger natürlich auch kompensieren :)
Beste Grüße
Hi! Great review! Can I change the direction somehow on this follow focus, because I have big issues with my Tamron lenses where everything is reversed. I got used to focusing to the normal way for about 9 years, so I can't change when I pulling focus by instinct :/
Jones Vision Films I'm not at home right now, but if you put the gear on the 'other side' it should travel in the opposite direction. I can look that up when I get home on monday
Thank you for the quick response!
Jones Vision Films when I think about it more I don't know if it really makes sense what I said earlier. I have to check it out at home, I'll come back to you then!
I understood, but I would use it with right hand, not left hand on the other side, if possible. Thank you for checking ;)
Ok I talked complete nonsense earlier, obviously both sides rotate in the same direction. Even with the little extension arm, it's still the same. So the only way to get it the other way around is switching sides, I guess :(
Bought the dp500iii follow focus but ran into some issues my first time using it in the field. The adjustable "base" for the hard stops, (piece that hard stop screws hit) seems to move slightly, thowing my focus marks slightly off aka marks are out of focus. I tried locking the base screw down tight, but after setting either the hard stops or dry erase marker marks, the focus is off. Does anyone else have an issue like this? I demand accurate and consistent marks to hit, otherwise why bother?
Feed Me Media I have a hard time following the explanation :( can you show it somehow?
Lucas Pfaff first, thanks for your Speedy reply. Unfortunately I already returned the follow Focus to Amazon today and I should have a new one coming Friday. It's pretty simple to understand though, you know the marking arm where the white line is where you line up your follow Focus Marks... I believe you call it the hard stop bass in the video ...any way that metal bar that you tie down with the blue screw must be slightly moving left or right because when I try to line it up with my pre-made marks for focus it doesn't match. I hope this explanation helps? I was testing the unit the other day, first I would lock the as you call it in the video the hard stop base, next using my monitor, I turn the follow focus on till I found my first Focus Mark, then I get a hard stop bring it flush against the base and tighten the screw. Next I found my next Focus Mark, tighten the other hard stop flush against the heart stopped bass and then I would rotate the follow Focus unit 2 test those Focus marks but unfortunately it was missing them...slightly. the only explanation logically I can come up with is that the base that is at the 12 o clock position must be moving slightly left or right when the hard stop bangs into it causing the focus to be missed. Does this make sense?
Feed Me Media ah yes I understand it better now. Sorry, it's a bit early for me :) yeah I guess returning is best in this situation, such issues didn't happened to me and shouldn't to anyone
Hi Lucas, schlussendlich kein sooo großer Unterschied...ok, mehr Zubehör, aber für die wenigsten wirklich sinnvoll. Das Gewicht und die Friktion, ja, ein bisschen, aber Umsteigen lohnt für 2er Besitzer wohl nicht. Trotzdem schönes review - und gute Nerven für den Umzug 👍
+Studio Bonn Ich bin da absolut bei Dir. Das ist halt auch ein Grundlagenproblem wenn man gute Produkte macht, die nicht obsolet werden, haha :) ich denke es soll sich auch eher an Neukunden richten, bzw eben an solche die ein zweites/drittes Gerät brauchen; und da würde ich dann schon vielleicht zum IIIer greifen.
Der Umzug läuft soweit gut, seit gestern habe ich Internet und am Dienstag bekomme ich Spül- und Waschmaschine. Jetzt noch ein Kleiderschrank und Schreibtisch und könnte tatsächlich vielleicht bald aufhören, aus Kisten zu leben :)
Do you know if this will work with the Panasonic GH2? I've read that it works well with the GH3 and GH4, but nothing about the smaller GH2. Thanks.
+The Watchdog I see no reason why it shouldn't! The GH2 is a bit smaller than the other cameras, however that won't stop it from working. You could, for example, attach the gear to the side facing the camera (so not like I show it here) so it is a bit further away, that can be helpful when you have small lenses :)
+Lucas Pfaff Thank you so much for the reply! Can't wait to get this. Keep up the great work!
What length are the rods on your where the follow focus is mounted on?
Hm, it's around three years since I uploaded, no idea which length I used here :/
Hi! May i know how you screw the rotating wheel to the opposite side, its so tight. Thanks!
CJ Loh you need to use the screw from the other side to lock it, there's only one
thanks for the reply. Sorry if there is any confusion. What i mean is the gear (rotating wheel), and the blue screw blocking the way.
CJ Loh hm I'm not sure if I understood it now. You can switch the sides and work like that, in which way should it block something?
I noticed that the lens move when you turn the follow focus, does it affect the video?
Hi there Adrian, yes, this affects the video; HOWEVER, this is only because of a far-from-perfect adapter. Cheap adapters can cause this, and the reason why I didn't use a good one was because it was already packed away in all those boxes. Ha :)
Thanks Lucas - I'm having the same problem. That's why I asked. I think I have the same adapter as what you have in this video, it looks like it. I have the Fotodiox ND Throttle.
What other adapter do you have? the good ones. :) Is it Metabones?
I have a commlite-style adapter which is much bulkier than others. Sometimes I think it can also have something to do with the weak port or so, maybe we should ask Fotodiox what the idea behind this is :o
Hi Lucas, kann man die Drehrichtung ändern falls der Focusring je nach Hersteller (zB Nikon - Canon) nach links oder rechts Richtung unendlich geht?
Hi Laurent, das geht leider nicht. Eine Umkehrrolle o.ä. ist eher ein deutlich teureren Geräten zu finden, wenn überhaupt :o
Der Tilta Nucleus N kann das aber, falls das irgendwie spannend ist
@@LucasPfaff in welche Richtung dreht denn der Fokusring wenn ich den FF links montiere und nach vorne drehe?
@@laurentw.261 ich habe das Ding nicht mehr, aber ich glaube es ist im Video auch gut ersichtlich :)
Any chance you can make a comparision of the edelkrone focusone and fotga dp500 III follow focus? they are both same price and I am in a dilemma as to which one to get!
sridhar nemani I know no one who has one of those edelkrone Followfocus so I could borrow it, sorry :(
So how is this follow focus holding up over time.
Pretty well I'd say :) it's actually on its way to a set right now, but I'm not shooting it. I can ask the DP later if he was happy, like an unbiased opinion :)
That would be interesting to know.
sridhar nemani might take a week till the shoot is over, I get back to you :)
Can you reverse the direction?
Nope. Not many can do that, especially not cheap ones
I was wondering where your shelf went haha
It's accurately dismembered and sitting next to my feet on the ground. It's terrible to build together, I'm already a bit nervous haha
The differences between the two models seems to be mostly cosmetic and really not all that different. Having a different surface for the focusing knob really won't make that much of a difference.
VFX Todd I still believe the gearbox is different, but that's something time light tell. I'm using the JTZ now which is again a bit smoother, but the DP 500 Sii is still a really good option
Hi! The FF is not adjustable for various lenses, right? Cuz in this case it is not worth getting.
In which way adjustable? it's adjustable in many ways? :o
Lucas Pfaff Oh, I can see now you can move it further or closer to the lens. But you can't adjust angle. I'm so puzzled by the number of offers on Amazon. I need to make sure it works with my Nikon D5500 + Sigma 17-50 and Jupiter 135/3.5 (an russian vintage lens). These lenses are very different. The first is very big (77mm), the latter is thin (52mm). Do you think it could work together? And what about the alternative gears? I was planning to purchase DP500II but this one doesn't come with extra gears, right? So many questions, sorry... :D
+dejffjed what angle do you want to change? getting closer and further away from the lens is usually all you need. works with large and small lenses.
if you want to get an older model, take the DP500 S II, not only II or so. you can get other gears for those too if you need to.
Lucas Pfaff Alright, I will probably do that. Thanks. Good luck with your work.
You using 15 inch rods??
+michael b 15mm, inch would be a bit thick :)
+michael b 15mm, inch would be a bit thick :)
No the length of the rods..... standard 15mm diameter but the length for some reason is measured in inches. The ones you use seem a bit longer than most... I am guessing 15 inches.. most people use 12 inch length rods but some also use the longer ones.
I have been looking for this kit you are reviewing and it is amazing how wide the range of variation there is. Some have the Quick Release, some don't.... some have the A/B stops and others do not....even though it is the identical model number. This Fotga seems like the all around best one for the money but you need to be super careful you get the right one. Alot of sellers from China direct so that makes it cheaper but a huge amount of time . I am guessing local buying would make more sense.
Ah I get you. I live in europe, so length is usually also in centimeters though :) I actually have no idea about the length, I have a few different rods with various lengths and can screw them together. They're generic ones, not Fotga. So I could measure and give a good guess which I used in this video, if that helps you? I always use the ones best fitting the scenario, which differs obviously :o
Hm that is strange, I know that some sell them without QR (wouldn't get those btw), but never saw them without hardstops :( strange thing.
That is also one reason why I give out links to sellers, because those are the ones I used or at least trust (obviously I never order the same thing from the EU and USA, haha)
Fotga has done a great job of handling North America from what I can tell. Buying from them through Amazon works well but, like Germany, Canada is expensive for sure. Almost better to wait till the Cyber Monday deals ... if there are any.
www.ebay.com/itm/381527098719?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
is a kit without the hard stops on the image... The seller is from China. But the one you supply for ebay includes alot of extra items so it is a pretty good deal. Mind you it will take some time to get from China to Canada.
Hi Lucas, Your review from the previous model sent me here. I'm looking for a follow focus rig for my Canon 5D Mk3. Can you recommend a rod system for this follow focus please? I saw this on Amazon and I wandered what your thoughts were: www.amazon.com/Fotga-DP500III-Quick-Release-Blackmagic/dp/B01AT6EXYS/ref=cm_wl_huc_item Thank-you
Hi, I'm not too fond of complete rod-kits you can buy as my kit consists of single parts that I wiggled together. However the system you linked looks like a nice little set, the baseplate is really cool as it has many functions!
Of course you could save some money by getting a different, smaller kit but that also often comes with less functionality: www.amazon.com/FOTGA-Release-support-follow-Mattebox/dp/B009GFZTNS/ref=pd_sbs_421_6/166-8568560-3637511?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=A8WCHMJSMEVQJWEX9CK2
There are some good kits from india and china too :)
Thank-you for the reply, and keep up the good work! Hope your move was smooth!
Truthfully cannot find the exact version you are reviewing.... missing all those extras like the 19mm rod attachment and the extra gears and arms. I am guessing they sent you the full kit because you are a reviewer. the rest of us will have to pay
+michael b as mentioned, some parts are optional. I didn't try to say that everything was free, paying for products is something everybody, including me, has to do :(
This latest version seems quite good and only slightly more money. So I guess if I have nothing you'd recommend the V3 ... easily available ... hows the service?
Which service do you mean in particular?
customer service. Customer support if you have a problem.
Never had to deal with them, actually :/
If you have a 19mm rod system you are not using this FF
Some people rent ;)
Booh...wann holst du eigentlich mal Luft beim reden 🤔
Immer locker durch die Hose atmen
nice work thank you
nice work thank you