Zacuto follow focus in Dubai

For the past few weeks I have been using the new Zacuto follow focus.

It’s a lovely unit, very smooth like the Redrock one (albeit more expensive) and it uses a lovely gear system. Instead of the somewhat chunky Redrock gear system you fix on almost flush gears to each lens which become part of the lens, they are cut to size, attached and screwed on tight. The idea being that once they are on they stay on. They don’t add bulk like the redrock ones. They are pricey though in comparison.

I have now attached gears to all my lenses, including the ones that spin and dont lock like the 17-35mm zoom f2.8 nikon.

gear attached to the 17-35mm

Because every lens is a different size the way Redrock get round the problem of getting the FF to connect it is the gears are all different sizes. With the Zacuto ones you undo the lock at the bottom slide the follow focus back and forth until you make contact and lock her in to the gear. It is a GREAT system and is flawless.

gear join at bottom

As an owner of both Zacuto and RedRock I believe Redrock has the edge on price, Zacuto has the better system I believe with the gears. They are both super smooth, the Zacuto a smidge more but that gear system is quite perfect. I wasn’t using a whip of anything just the wheel and it is a treat. It has eveything you expect in a top of the range follow focus. Lockable markers, smooth as a baby’s bottom motion and no spin back.

the lock that lets you swing it out to make contact with different size lenses

I can’t wait to use it on a narrative piece soon with the white marker circle, omitted from today’s shoot as it is a wee bit loose. The whip is rock solid and I do own a nice crank or two. Redrock also make lovely whips. All of these are standard fits for follow focus units. We really are spoilt for choice these days. If you have a Redrock one, you are lucky because it is brilliant. If you don’t have one at all, look at them both, they both do same job for different money. One has a better in my opinion system but they both work as well as each other.

Redrock you buy direct from them, Mitcorp.com sell Zacuto in the UK and you can also buy direct.

Sorry for lack of in depth review, been quite ill past couple of weeks so struggling through work and have promised to get more reviews up as quickly as I can! i will keep you up to date fully when I myself get up to speed. Oh and thanks for all the Siberia offers, I have been deluged with them. Again, as soon as I can I will reply to as many as I can!!

 

Attached to the 17-35mm Nikon Zoom lens
Attached to the 17-35mm Nikon Zoom lens
Attached to the Zeiss Nikon 85mm
17-35mm again

 

 

Ian Carless
Ian Carless

22 comments

  1. Just looking at the pictures Philip, it would seem that because the Zacuto FF is mounted so far forward, there is no way a Mattebox like the Redrock could be mounted on the rail system. There just isn’t enough real estate to fit both. What are your thoughts on this?

    Peter

  2. Oh cool. Love to see some pics of your rig with the Zacuto and Redrock. Nice work Philip. Cheers, Peter

    (I wonder if the Rockrock follow focus is also adaptable in the same way?)

  3. Thanks Philip. That looks good. The Zacuto gears are definitely a tighter fit and more practical for storage than the larger Redrock gears. But they are a LOT dearer….

    Peter

  4. Hi Philip. You mentioned somewhere you had a Sigma 28-70mm zoom. I can get a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 EX DG Macro. The 28-70 isnt available at present. Do you know this lens perhaps…Also Sigma has a 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM. Any good?
    Love ur work. Well done. Hope you’re better. Cheers, tai

  5. Follow Focus wise. Do you know the Cinecity one? Seems like a good price, ring-gear on lens a bit cumbersome. I also went for their ProAim 7000 Steady Cam rig. Good price and can handle cameras up to 50 lbs. Waiting for it & FF to arrive…tai krige sasc.

  6. Thx for quick reply Philip. So the 24-70mm ‘DG’ would be OK? – Pity about the ‘DC’ 30mm f1.4…its a lot cheaper than the Nikon equivalent. Damn.
    Once again thx for ur time and help…Looking forward to using my new 17-35 and 80-200 f2.8 ED AF Nikkor & EXTREME which has just arrived and the 24-70 will fill the gap nicely….

  7. Look forward to seeing you review the ProAim 7000.
    Philip, which 80-200 do you have? Mine is the 80-200 ED AF. Its the older one they say is the sharpest with the ‘pull-back’ zoom barrel. I havent yet put it up on a camera so dont no if its ‘ok’. – Will this one of mine work? Sorry for all the ?’s …you must get sick of them all from us out there in the electronic-ether hey. But you are our Guru man. Dont ever give up on us…Your new site IS faster yes, but i miss your kooool sense of humour of the old..is it all getting to you abit? – Be strong, be yourself.

  8. Philip, have you used the Sigma 24-70 Macro zoom you spoke of? -Its about 6x times cheaper than the Nikon 28-70. Both f2.8’s How good is it? …Why sooo much cheaper?

  9. Sorry, I know this isnt the right thread to ask this…but what would you recommend as a good hi-res B&W HD monitor for fine focusing….small enuff to run on the camera or the ProAim SteadyCam for the EX1 & Extreme?

  10. Thanks Philip. In your experience with the Extreme and your Nikon zooms, on the EX1, would you say one could rely on the seemingly good LCD for accurate focus?

  11. Had to pop out the magnets in the FF then put screws in to hold the disc in, it kept falling off. Not going anywhere now.
    How is your Letus Nikon mount holding up? mine getting loose when mounting a lens, I have to keep prying apart the flange mount splits so the lens sits tight, if I do not do this then pulling a focus the lens will move in the mount.

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