Follow focus for focus by ring?

Have questions about the equipment used for macro- or micro- photography? Post those questions in this forum.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

dorcus
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2022 12:47 pm
Location: NY

Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by dorcus »

Since I'm shooting big insect, focus by ring is the only way to shoot since focus by rail isn't working. But the problem is whenever I touch the ring, it shakes and wobble. The L-plate isn't really good but still happen a lot. Unlike focus by rail, it's difficult to focus by hand for sure. But I wanted to ask if I really need it or not cause I can buy Tilta follow focus for just $40.

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23561
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by rjlittlefield »

Before buying more hardware, consider tethering your camera to a computer and running one of the several apps that control what is normally the auto-focus motor inside the lens. The app talks to the camera, which talks to the lens, which changes focus. Then the app tells the camera to take a picture, and the process repeats. This gives hands-off focus stacking. Some of the apps are quite adequate and cost no money. qDslrDashboard is an example of one app that might work well for you.

Now, about follow focus hardware...

Geared follow focus should work OK with most lenses if the focus mechanism is mechanically driven by the ring, and the gearing lets you make steps that reliably are as short as you need.

Lenses that focus "by wire", where the ring electrically controls an internal focus motor, sometimes have sensitivity that varies depending on the speed that the ring turns. Those could present some challenge to get repeatable step sizes.

A few lenses, notably the Canon MP-E 65, also have a ring that moves away from the body as it is turned. Those don't work so well because the gears don't stay aligned.

One thing, I am puzzled by the price for Tilta follow focus. Everything I see varies from a little to a lot higher than $40. Where are you seeing that price?

--Rik

dorcus
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2022 12:47 pm
Location: NY

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by dorcus »

rjlittlefield wrote:
Mon Oct 24, 2022 5:05 pm
Before buying more hardware, consider tethering your camera to a computer and running one of the several apps that control what is normally the auto-focus motor inside the lens. The app talks to the camera, which talks to the lens, which changes focus. Then the app tells the camera to take a picture, and the process repeats. This gives hands-off focus stacking. Some of the apps are quite adequate and cost no money. https://dslrdashboard.info/]qDslrDashboard is an example of one app that might work well for you.

Now, about follow focus hardware...

Geared follow focus should work OK with most lenses if the focus mechanism is mechanically driven by the ring, and the gearing lets you make steps that reliably are as short as you need.

Lenses that focus "by wire", where the ring electrically controls an internal focus motor, sometimes have sensitivity that varies depending on the speed that the ring turns. Those could present some challenge to get repeatable step sizes.

A few lenses, notably the Canon MP-E 65, also have a ring that moves away from the body as it is turned. Those don't work so well because the gears don't stay aligned.

One thing, I am puzzled by the price for Tilta follow focus. Everything I see varies from a little to a lot higher than $40. Where are you seeing that price?

--Rik
I tried with Capture One Pro but the software does not support lens focus control. Cant really touch the lens to focus as it keep moving slightly on a tripod.

From Craigslist. It's a used one.

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23561
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by rjlittlefield »

What type camera and computer do you have?

--Rik

Lou Jost
Posts: 5942
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
Contact:

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by Lou Jost »

I use a Neweer follow-focus ring for photographing medium-sized orchids and it works reasonably well. I did not have a problem with movement but I let go of everything each time I am about to fire a shot. Flowers don't move as fast as insects so this may not work for you. I love using focus-bracketing automatically when I can do that. I have very few modern lenses though, so it is not always possible.

dorcus
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2022 12:47 pm
Location: NY

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by dorcus »

rjlittlefield wrote:
Mon Oct 24, 2022 8:10 pm
What type camera and computer do you have?

--Rik
I have Sony A7IV and M1 Max MBP

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23561
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by rjlittlefield »

dorcus wrote:
Tue Oct 25, 2022 6:43 pm
I have Sony A7IV and M1 Max MBP
That's a bad omen for automatic shooting. Sony is notorious for not providing in-camera focus bracketing, and not providing good hooks for anybody else to do it in their own software. The only controller I know that will do it is the CamRanger 2, as described at https://camranger.com/knowledge-base/fo ... m-cameras/ .

If anybody knows different, I would appreciate knowing also.

--Rik

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23561
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by rjlittlefield »

One post at https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1663671/0 suggests using the Sony Bluetooth controller to remotely control focus and trigger exposures.

Sounds like that would be hands-off, but still manual in the sense of buttons pressed by fingers for each exposure.

--Rik

Marcepstein
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2022 8:39 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by Marcepstein »

You know, I think I have the same problem with a canon 1D mark 1v. It’s not supported with Magic Lantern. It does have a remote controller Lc5 and an interface cable for computer usb connection. I can’t really find any detail on focus bracketing tho. I’ve been doing the same bracketing by slightly turning the lens ring and holding my breath with a wired shutter release. Any thoughts or software reconditions much appreciated.

lothman
Posts: 956
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 7:00 am
Location: Stuttgart/Germany

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by lothman »

rjlittlefield wrote:
Tue Oct 25, 2022 8:05 pm
That's a bad omen for automatic shooting. Sony is notorious for not providing in-camera focus bracketing, and not providing good hooks for anybody else to do it in their own software.
--Rik
but they heard you :D and just released the A7RV which allows focus bracketing as a drive mode.

Adalbert
Posts: 2425
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by Adalbert »

Hi Lothar,
Could it be that the focus bracketing is limited to 299 images?
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-a ... ial-review
If this is true, it is more than embarrassing :-(
Best, ADi

Marcepstein
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2022 8:39 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by Marcepstein »

I’ve been studying this most of last night seeking what might be the best options for me. I couldn’t find anything for focus bracketing for the canon 1D m1v. I may be sol there except for Lou’s note on follow focus rings. I found an interesting article on those looking for an auto driven one here: https://sweetmemorystudio.com/best-follow-focus/

Some of these can be expensive. It also sounds like the MP-e65 is manual and not compatible with auto focus programs. Maybe the ring focus? Or is better to use a rail system with this lens?

Another perhaps cheaper alternative for canon ef lenses would be to buy an older good used canon body (ef) that supports the focus bracketing software? I have an older (upgraded) pc with windows 7 and currently use photoshop cs6 and bridge to adjust raw files. I don’t have the equipment for microphoto and just use macro equipment.

Any suggestions much appreciated.

lothman
Posts: 956
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 7:00 am
Location: Stuttgart/Germany

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by lothman »

Adalbert wrote:
Sun Oct 30, 2022 3:20 am
Hi Lothar,
Could it be that the focus bracketing is limited to 299 images?
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-a ... ial-review
If this is true, it is more than embarrassing :-(
Best, ADi
yes max. 299 frames what would be plenty enough for me, with something like the sigma 105 macro this allows very deep stacks. (Still to be confirmed whether focus bracketing works with third party lenses).
What bothers me much more is that it can take only 1 shot/second in the fastest mode. I hoped this to be much faster, would have been very useful for living insects. But the A7Rv is still a nice camera, I'm afraid I could update :shock:

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23561
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by rjlittlefield »

Marcepstein wrote:
Sun Oct 30, 2022 7:33 am
Any suggestions much appreciated.
Marc, take a look at https://camranger.com/ . One of my writeups is at https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=24192 .

The MP-E is best used with rail. It does not have an internal motor, and as I noted above its ring extends when turned so it's hard to keep gears engaged.

--Rik

Lou Jost
Posts: 5942
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
Contact:

Re: Follow focus for focus by ring?

Post by Lou Jost »

What bothers me much more is that it can take only 1 shot/second in the fastest mode.
What an odd limitation. Olympus and Panasonic have no such limitation.

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic