The Lens Cuff is a simple but effective device that solves several problems with rigging follow focus motors to cameras. It moves the motor’s rail mount from the base or body of the camera to the lens itself. This change creates a closed system that eliminates shifting in the lens mount or camera base, making the entire camera rig more compact and lightweight. Let’s look at how it can change the way we rig our cameras. Outfitting any camera with a 3rd party motorized follow focus requires a rig. The motor normally mounts to a 15mm rail parallel to the lens, and traditionally, we mount that rail to the camera body, usually at the camera’s base. Those rail mount blocks need to be pretty heavy-duty to provide a solid, stable connection. Depending on the lens, the lens mount, the rail block, and the speed of focus pull, the force from the motor can cause the lens or the rig itself to shift. This torque creates a jarring bump and shift in the image when pulling focus. Fixing this in post can range from an easy fix to requiring a complete digital reconstruction of a scene when a reshoot is impossible. The Lens Cuff – overcoming traditional follow focus setups We traditionally add more components to our rigs to solve this shifting issue, such as lens supports and locking lens mounts. These components, in turn, make our camera rigs bigger and heavier even though cameras are constantly getting smaller. What’s more,...
Published By: CineD - Sunday, 16 April, 2023