Crank It, Grind It, Whip It Real Good:
Ultimate Follow Focus Review

By Ryan E. Walters and Tim Park

Crank It, Grind It, Whip It Real Good: Ultimate Follow Focus Review

While some new camera operators may think a follow focus is an unnecessary gadget, they truly are a crucial part of nearly every camera set-ups. Not only do follow focuses make focusing the lens a million times easier and more ergonomic, but it allows you to accurately mark different focus distances. Solo shooters will benefit by not pushing their DSLR lenses into that useless region “beyond” infinity. Those with a 1st AC make life very difficult for her if they want her to hit complex focus marks without a follow focus. Give your 1st AC a follow focus whip and they can focus for you without bumping your graceful pans and tilts. Throw in a crank and they’ll get you from zero to infinity at the drop of a hat.

You don’t need to spend “a lot” for a follow focus either. There are many on the market for under $1000. “But are they worth their price?” Well, we asked the same think. What resulted was this review of seven follow focuses all under $1000.

Follow Focuses We Reviewed

  • Edelkrone Focus One Pro (0:45)
  • Shape Follow Focus (1:31)
  • Zacuto Z-Drive (with Tornado Grip) (2:27)
  • Tilta FF-T03 (3:19)
  • Sachtler Ace (4:15)
  • Redrock Micro Follow Focus Black (5:17)
  • MovCam Follow Focus MF-1 (6:09)
  • Letus Follow Focus (7:00)

For the review we used the following cameras and lenses and matte box:

After watching the video, continue to the in depth review below where we go into detail and do side-by-side comparisons.

Overall Impressions

Edelkrone Focus One Pro – $289.99

Feels solid and will probably last for a very long time. Well built. Not standard design; outside the box approach. Very easy to use as a one person operator. If you are going to have an camera assistant, then this probably isn’t the tool you want to have; your 1st AC will not be able to see their marks.

Shape Clic Follow-Focus Clic – $395

Gets the job done. It is high quality metal. Very light weight, bare-bones design, small, streamlined. Marking disk comes off too easily; this is bad since a bump might make it come off. The rod locks are not screw-in type so the pin holding the lever could potentially bend.

Zacuto Z-Drive – $523; $784 with Tornado Grip Kit

Very different than other follow focuses. Build quality is very solid; seems like it would last a long time. Universal joint eliminates need for a gearbox. Specialty item made for solo use; not practical if you have an AC using it. Only mounts to one rod, which reduces stability. Knob diameter is small making fine-adjusted focusing difficult.

Tilta Follow Focus FF-T03 – $529

Solid, hefty, should last a long time. Well designed, and knob texture and build aids in focus pulls. Stops are very solid and easy to adjust and use. Average backlash. Easy and quick to mount to rods with click-in design that is low profile. Comes with many accessories.

Sachtler Ace Follow Focus – $630

Feels hefty and solid, except it has a lot of plastic parts: gear knob, the gear box, the wheel, rod connector. The only metal piece is the arm. Sachtler is a solid brand, so it should last a while. However the plastic parts give us pause.

Redrock microFollowFocus Black – $795

Feels solid, low profile. Lateral slide for lens adjustment feels rough and chunky. Mixed feelings about being able to adjust backlash because of what this implies. Feels like hard stops and gearbox may wear out and be problematic.

MovCam Mini Follow Focus MF-1 – $995

Feels solid, feels like it will last a long time. Heaviest of the FF we’ve reviewed. Don’t like that all hard stops are always in play; you can loosen them, but then they just slide around. Like the adjustability of everything. Joint in arm is not super tight. Better if the teeth in the joint were deeper.

Letus Follow Focus – $900

Solidly built, quality metal; lens gear is quality plastic. Lateral slider doesn’t slide smoothly. Rod mounting pin can interfere with the horizontal movement. To mount without removing matte box, mounting screw has to be removed. Arm is very strong and solid with no flex. The knob is designed to be held only one way, so some focus pulling techniques may be difficult.

Build Material

The material the follow focus is made out of will affect its performance, how it feels when you use it, and how long it will last.

  • Edelkrone
  • Quality metal.
  • Shape
  • Quality metal; hard plastic gearbox
  • Zacuto
  • Quality metal
  • Tilta
  • Quality metal
  • Sachtler
  • Mostly plastic; arm is metal
  • Redrock
  • Quality metal
  • MovCam
  • Quality metal
  • Letus
  • Quality metal

Rod Mount

The rod mount is the only way to attach a follow focus to a camera, so it is a crucial junction. Sometimes the follow focus attaches to only one rod, and sometimes both. The rod mount should be solid, yet allow the follow focus to be easily attached and detached.

  • Edelkrone
  • Solid, though since it’s a single rod mount it could pull away.
  • Shape
  • Solid
  • Zacuto
  • Moderate. Only mounts to one rod so any amount of torque can move it.
  • Tilta
  • Solid
  • Sachtler
  • Solid now, but over time concerned it will get loose.
  • Redrock
  • Solid
  • MovCam
  • Solid
  • Letus
  • Solid

Flex in Arm

While some camera gear can flex some, follow focus devices need to be solid and not flex since this can greatly hurt performance. The gear has to mesh consistently with the lens and not pull away from the lens. If the follow focus were to disengage, the focus pull would be jerky and the witness marks would no longer be accurate.

  • Edelkrone
  • No, however only one rod mount.
  • Shape
  • No
  • Zacuto
  • No, but some movement within universal joint.
  • Tilta
  • No
  • Sachtler
  • No
  • Redrock
  • No, but gearbox seems to move during pulls.
  • MovCam
  • Not in materials, but movement in joint.
  • Letus
  • No

Backlash

Part of how a follow focus works is converting the rotation of a handle to the rotation of a lens that is perpendicular to it. This is commonly done using a gearbox that converts the rotation 90 degrees. Within this gearbox, there is often a small amount of slop called backlash. The backlash can greatly affect the performance of the follow focus because it delays the starting and stopping between the translation of the handle to the lens. It also makes it harder to exactly hit witness marks on the marking disk.

  • Edelkrone
  • Good/Excellent
  • Shape
  • Average
  • Zacuto
  • Good/excellent. Design minimizes backlash.
  • Tilta
  • Average
  • Sachtler
  • Good/Excellent
  • Redrock
  • Poor. At max tension: a little better.
  • MovCam
  • Excellent. Best for this review.
  • Letus
  • Excellent

Weak Spots

Sometimes great products have areas that are weak and undermine the entire device.

  • Edelkrone
  • None
  • Shape
  • Wonder if axle and lever pin could bend over time.
  • Zacuto
  • None
  • Tilta
  • None
  • Sachtler
  • Since rod mount is made of plastic, concerned it would be first to wear out.
  • Redrock
  • Stops could start loosening over time; marking ring slips/spins, meaning marks become misaligned.
  • MovCam
  • Size/depth of teeth limit how tight the joint can get.
  • Letus
  • None

Speed To Mount

While shooting scenes, there are many times when you need to change your camera set-up by adding or removing accessories, changing lenses, or change configurations to allow the camera operator to work from a different position. The time it takes to alter the camera logically becomes a big issues. With the follow focus being a crucial piece of gear, and residing at the heart of the camera system, the time it takes to mount it is very important.

  • Edelkrone
  • Slow: slides onto rod; have to remove matte box.
  • Shape
  • Quick, clips onto rods.
  • Zacuto
  • Slow: slides onto the rods; have to remove matte box .
  • Tilta
  • Quick, clips onto rods, smooth mounting.
  • Sachtler
  • Slow: slides onto rod; have to remove matte box.
  • Redrock
  • Quick,clips onto rods.
  • MovCam
  • Quick, clips onto rods
  • Letus
  • Moderate because you have to fully unscrew rod mounting screw. Clips in, so fast otherwise.

Knob Shape And Feel

The knob is the interface between the focus puller and the follow focus. As such, it should be functional and comfortable. They are made with different materials and have different textures, and are often so integrated into the follow focus that you can’t change them. In fact, there are nearly never options to attach a different knob. As a result, different brands tend to have only one style of knob. Depending on the needs of the shoot, operators will pull focus in different ways: rotating the knob like a door handle, sliding their index finger along the knob, pushing with the edge of their palm and pinky, or running their thumb along the knob are some methods. As a result, the shape and texture of the knob play into how easy it is for a focus puller to use their method of choice.

  • Edelkrone
  • Comfortable, although I prefer rubber material.
  • Shape
  • Grooved, textured metal; not rubber. Hands could slip more if grip is loose.
  • Zacuto
  • Main knob: texture is fine, but not amazing. Aids in pulls. Smaller knob radius makes pull more difficult.

    Tornado grip: shiny metal not rubber, so it feels like it slips in your hand.

  • Tilta
  • Very grippy, aids in focus pull.
  • Sachtler
  • It is plastic; not as comfortable as a rubber grip.
  • Redrock
  • Comfortable. Feels like a rubberband. Some grip, but not as good as others. Still helps with focus pull.
  • MovCam
  • Comfortable, aids in pull.
  • Letus
  • Grippy rubber, however harder to pull focus because the knob is so bumpy.

Witness Disk

Most follow focuses have a white marking disk where you can label various focus distances. This disk is often called the witness disk or marking disk, and the marks are called the witness marks. Since these marks need to be accurate and precise, the witness disk also needs to not slip. The marks are often made with China markers, but sometimes fine-tipped Sharpies are also used. It should be easy to mark the witness disk, and just as easy to erase those marks. Some witness disks also glow in the dark to help in dark sets.

  • Edelkrone
  • Can’t mark; instead you adjust the dial.
  • Shape
  • Hard to write with China marker, but Sharpie is fine. Erasing both is hard. Marking disk can be bumped/spun accidentally.
  • Zacuto
  • Marks and erases fine with China marker and Sharpie.
  • Tilta
  • Easy to write and erase with China marker and Sharpie.
  • Sachtler
  • Hard to remove witness marks on the white ring.
  • Redrock
  • Easy to mark with China marker and Sharpie; erase fine.
  • MovCam
  • Easy to mark with China marker and Sharpie; erase fine.
  • Letus
  • Easy to mark with China marker and Sharpie; Very hard to remove both marks.

Hard Stops

While optional, hard stops are very helpful for a number of situations. Their main purpose is when working with lenses that don’t have their own internal hard stops, namely DLSR lenses. Since these lenses keep spinning once you reach infinity, all your witness marks become useless if you go this far. Hard stops keep you from reaching this point. Hard stops can also be used if you are a solo operator and can’t be looking at the marking disk. Or if you want to focus to a point and then immediately bounce back to a different focus point.

  • Edelkrone
  • None.
  • Shape
  • None. However it does have an adjustable reference mark.
  • Zacuto
  • None.
  • Tilta
  • Two hard stops, easy to use. Can be removed if necessary.
  • Sachtler
  • Adjustable hard stops, best design of them all. However, it makes the witness mark useless.
  • Redrock
  • Two hard stops, plus adjustable reference mark. Easy to adjust, although the can move if not fully tightened. They can be parked if not in use.
  • MovCam
  • Has two hard stops. Helpful and useable. Always in play unless you loosen them all the way.
  • Letus
  • None.

Range Of Lenses

You might be using a follow focus on many different cameras with many different lenses. So you’ll want a follow focus that can handle all lens types. Some follow focuses might not be able to reach small lenses. Or perhaps there isn’t enough clearance to mount underneath large lenses. Also, especially with small lenses, there might be limited room between the camera body and the matte box, so the follow focus needs to be as compact as possible. A secondary issue with large lenses is if the arm is still stable when extended all the way out. Some follow focuses flex when fully expanded.

  • Edelkrone
  • Hard to work with small lenses.
  • Shape
  • With short lenses can’t use matte box; marking ring hits body. On some larger lenses (Red Pro Primes) it still doesn’t work with matte box since there’s no room between gearbox and mattebox.
  • Zacuto
  • Can’t use a matte box with short lens.
  • Tilta
  • Works with full range of lenses. With smaller lenses, mount closer to camera body.
  • Sachtler
  • Tight fit for Rokinon 85mm and something like C100 or C300. Fine with larger lenses.
  • Redrock
  • Wide range since knob is farther from lens. If using hard stops, can’t use matte box since stops are in the way.
  • MovCam
  • More than enough clearance with the camera body and matte box. Enough to make most set-ups work.
  • Letus
  • Works fine with a short lens and matte box. If camera body is wider than C100, then it won’t work. Large lenses fine.

Lens Size Range

Fat lenses. Skinny lenses. Long lenses. Short lenses. On set you’ll be switching lenses a lot. Some lens sizes start getting so close to the rods that mounting the follow focus gets tricky.

  • Edelkrone
  • Everything except large diameter lenses.
  • Shape
  • All sizes.
  • Zacuto
  • All sizes.
  • Tilta
  • All sizes.
  • Sachtler
  • All sizes.
  • Redrock
  • All sizes.
  • MovCam
  • All sizes.
  • Letus
  • All, though fatter lenses hit top of rod mount.

Smooth Operation

Any vibration within a follow focus will quickly translate to the lens and onto the image. So the follow focus should operate smoothly. Also, it feels better for the operator, and helps them hit their witness marks more gracefully and consistently.

  • Edelkrone
  • Smooth
  • Shape
  • Smooth, although lens gear is hard plastic which can create sound if gear on lens is also hard plastic (like with Red Pro Primes).
  • Zacuto
  • Smoother than rest since no gearbox.
  • Tilta
  • Smooth
  • Sachtler
  • Smooth
  • Redrock
  • Smooth
  • MovCam
  • Smooth
  • Letus
  • Smooth

Gear Ratio

Some follow focuses are geared more for DSLR lenses, which often have a very short throw, meaning the distance between the focus extremes is very short. Others are geared for cine lenses, which have a very long throw so that you can be more accurate with you focusing, especially important with narrow field of views. A gear ratio of 1:1 means one full revolution of the knob equals one full revolution of the lens gear. The number of teeth of the lens gear also is important since this translates the revolutions into distance on the lens.

  • Edelkrone
  • A little more than 1:1
  • Shape
  • 1:1
  • Zacuto
  • 1:1
  • Tilta
  • 1:1
  • Sachtler
  • 1:1
  • Redrock
  • 1:1
  • MovCam
  • 1:1
  • Letus
  • 1:2 (Handle : gear)

Number Of Teeth

The pitch for nearly all modern lenses is 0.8, so all of your lens rings and lens gears will have this pitch. The number of teeth on the lens gear, however, is different for every follow focus, and some follow focuses have different diameter lens gears depending on your need. The diameter of the lens gears (and therefore number of teeth) changes the gear ratio. A small gear ratio lets you more finely adjust focus, while a large gear ratio lets you move from on focal extreme to the other very quickly. If you are using a DSLR lens, you’ll want smaller lens gears since these type of lenses have short throws (as mentioned above). Another option is to get lens gear rings that are larger and increase the functional diameter of the lens.

  • Edelkrone
  • 72 teeth
  • Shape
  • 53 teeth, 42mm diameter
  • Zacuto
  • 55 teeth
  • Tilta
  • 43 teeth, 33mm diameter
  • Sachtler
  • 50 teeth
  • Redrock
  • 56 teeth, 44mm diameter
  • MovCam
  • 43 teeth, 34mm diameter
  • Letus
  • 43 teeth, 33mm diameter.

    Since 1:2 gearbox ratio, effective teeth = 86 teeth.

Nikon Mode

Nikon style lenses focus the opposite of all other lenses. To reach infinity, you rotate a Nikon lens clockwise, while nearly all other lenses you reach infinity by rotating the lens counter-clockwise. Once an operator (or their focus puller) has muscle memory of doing it one way, you’ll want to let them stick with this if you want your images to stay in focus. So if you are suddenly using Nikon lenses, it’s best to switch the follow focus to “Nikon mode.” However, only some follow focuses allow this.

  • Edelkrone
  • Yes
  • Shape
  • No
  • Zacuto
  • No
  • Tilta
  • No
  • Sachtler
  • Yes
  • Redrock
  • No
  • MovCam
  • No
  • Letus
  • Yes

Gear Flip Sides On Gearbox

Having the option to mount the lens gear on the front of the gearbox or the rear is not a deal-breaker, but it gives you more options. There are some camera configurations that interfere with the follow focus, such as certain lens sizes and some matte boxes. Moving the lens gear from one side of the gearbox to the other sometimes saves you from more difficult configuration changes.

  • Edelkrone
  • No
  • Shape
  • No
  • Zacuto
  • Yes
  • Tilta
  • Yes
  • Sachtler
  • Yes
  • Redrock
  • No
  • MovCam
  • Yes
  • Letus
  • Yes

Accessories

There are a few common accessories that make follow focus operation easier. These include the whip and the crank, both of which connect to the follow focus via a small, square connector. We found that some follow focuses accepted all brands of accessories, while others were limited to only specific brands.

  • Edelkrone
  • ARRi was fine, third-party were tight fit.
  • Shape
  • It accepts accessories and works like normal.
  • Zacuto
  • Tornado and whip. However, using traditional accessories is pointless since it puts them in awkward position.
  • Tilta
  • ARRi was fine, third-party were tight fit.
  • Sachtler
  • Yes, but a bit tight on some 3rd party whips.
  • Redrock
  • Yes.
  • MovCam
  • It can accept accessories, however too small to accept the third-party accessories we have, including ARRI.
  • Letus
  • Accept accessories and works fine.

Weight

The lighter the better, though not a deal-breaker. If you are shoulder mounting the camera, weight can add up fast. However, to reduce flex and to give the follow focus longevity, some weight is necessary.

  • Edelkrone
  • 14oz (400g)
  • Shape
  • 11 oz (310g)
  • Zacuto
  • 13oz (370g); 25oz (710g) with Tornado grip
  • Tilta
  • 20oz (570g)
  • Sachtler
  • 14oz (400g)
  • Redrock
  • 16oz (450g)
  • MovCam
  • 23oz (650g)
  • Letus
  • 19oz (540g)

Matte Box

Some follow focuses are compact, while others risk bumping into the camera body or the matte box. Since matte boxes are important for blocking light and holding your filters, there might be some follow focuses that just won’t work with some matte box configurations.

  • Edelkrone
  • Yes, except for Red Pro Prime 50mm T/1.8. Tight fit with Canon 24-70.
  • Shape
  • Works with larger Rokinons but not smaller ones, hard with Canon 24-70, not with Red Pro Primes.
  • Zacuto
  • With matte box and the Canon 24-70, follow focus has to be mounted on dumb side. But then tornado can’t be used.
  • Tilta
  • Yes. Fitting the matte box on with the Canon 24-70 is tricky, but it works.
  • Sachtler
  • Works with everything.
  • Redrock
  • Works with everything.
  • MovCam
  • Works with everything. Had to mount gear on front of gearbox with Canon 24-70mm lens
  • Letus
  • Works with everything.

Extra Parts/Accessories

As with most merchandise, some follow focuses come with extra parts and gear, while some don’t.

  • Edelkrone
  • No
  • Shape
  • Rubber lens friction wheel
  • Zacuto
  • No extras. Tornado purchased separately.
  • Tilta
  • Comes with 12″ whip, speed crank, five gear rings, 3 lens gears with different pitches.
  • Sachtler
  • Friction wheel, extra marking disk, lens gear. Only follow focus reviewed that included a manual.
  • Redrock
  • China marker, small allen key to adjust backlash.
  • MovCam
  • One lens ring.
  • Letus
  • No.
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21 replies
    • Tim
      Tim says:

      Interesting design for the price. We’ll have to try it out. From my initial look at the pictures and description, I wonder how well it would adapt to different size lenses. This would create different distances from the rods and central axis. I’m guessing the gear slides laterally until it engages with the lens, but then backlash might be sacrificed with that type of design. Thanks for pointing this out!

    • Ryan E. Walters
      Ryan E. Walters says:

      Nope haven’t tried it. As Tim said, it looks interesting- it is definitely a copy of the Arri FF4 style design. It would be fun to try out. I wonder how long it would hold up / last? At $299 for that style of follow focus, and that it is made of metal leaves me wondering where they are cutting corners? But who knows, maybe it is a well made product from an unknown company…

  1. davidp158
    davidp158 says:

    I was a bit surprised that all of these devices have so many design issues. I use a very cheap Fotga follow focus. Although it is hardly perfect, the backlash is minimal, turns very smoothly, works with all my gear and only cost $110. I would think any of these other devices would be nearly flawless, but apparently “pro” doesn’t always make it so. Thanks for your review!

    • Tim
      Tim says:

      The Fotga has some useful features. It’s great that it works well for you. In the end, that’s what matters.

      As for “flawless” gear, I wish that existed. Even “pro” gear has issues at time.

    • Ryan E. Walters
      Ryan E. Walters says:

      That is awesome that the Fotga is working for you. If it gets the job done, no shame in that. 🙂

      Based on the price, and the design similarities to the follow focuses we tested, I wonder how it would do with larger lenses? (Looks like there could be flex issues?) And the “dampened” gear box makes me wonder how long it will last- the “damped” gear box on the Redrock didn’t impress me…

      As far as “pro” gear goes- I’d classify the Arri gear as the true pro gear. (Which is why a used Arri FF2, which can be well over 10 years old still sells for $1,900+ on ebay. Works like a champ!) All of these Follow Focus all have their issues, which I’d expect for the price.

      The question is, what are your needs, what is your budget, and what can you make work with the budget you have? That’s what I love about the market these days, lots of options out there to meet a wide range of needs and budget levels. 🙂

      • Stephen B
        Stephen B says:

        I also have the Fotga III and I’ve been surprised as to how strong it has held up, I’d say it has less backlash then the Tilta with all the same features, I had similar concerns though but it has been holding up pretty darn well and I leave the dampening level low and it is much better than the old RRMicro I used to have regarding the lash. Just thought I’d throw in my 2 cents

        • Tim
          Tim says:

          Thanks for your input! Glad the Fotga III is working so well for you. Minimizing backlash is incredibly important with a follow focus, but difficult to accomplish without risking binding up the gears if the tolerances are decreased too much.

    • Tim
      Tim says:

      Looking at the tech specs and images makes me think this follow focus has the potential to be great. Of course things like backlash, ease of use, flex, lens fit, etc can only be determined with hands-on testing. We will add it to our ever increasing list of additional follow focuses to test. Thanks for pointing us to it!

    • Ryan E. Walters
      Ryan E. Walters says:

      Like Tim said the images and specs make it look tempting. The one thing that jumps out to me is the adjustable backlash. After my experience with the Redrock adjustable backlash, I’m personally not excited about that feature. I don’t think there should be adjustable backlash… either it was made correct (with no backlash) or it wasn’t…

      A lot of people these days use DSLR lenses with have very short focus throws, which means that the follow focus needs to be EVEN MORE accurate, without backlash. The more backlash with a DSLR lens, the more the image will be out of focus, and now we are shooting in 4k and have bigger screens, which means focus issues are going to be even more noticeable…

      Anyway, I digress… I like the overall small, compact design of the follow focus. They are also clever in how the implemented the hard stops and the flipping of the gear box for Nikon lenses.

      Thanks for sharing this link. 🙂

  2. Doug Foster
    Doug Foster says:

    Thanks for the comprehensive review. One note on the Zacuto. You actually can use it on a tripod, as you can flip it over. You can see them doing it in this video: https://youtu.be/RkNzbxq6bGI?t=166

    Of course having to flip it over each time you put it back on sticks sort of sucks, but it’s worth noting that you can use it on a tripod.

    • Tim
      Tim says:

      We haven’t tried out the Fotga. Looking at images online of the Fotga DP500III there are a lot of great features. It clamps to the top of the rods, which makes mounting and adjusting it much faster instead of needing to remove the matte box. The knob appears to have useful texture while not impeding quick focus pulls. The witness disk looks shiny, which may make it harder to mark. The adjustable hard stops look very functional based on how they are attached. The gear can be mounted on either side of the unit, allowing you more options depending on lens and camera shape. There is a slot for cranks and whips, although we’d have to test it to see if they accept standard sized accessories.

      My only two concerns just from looking at images of this unit is that the arm is pretty thin meaning there could be some significant flex. There also doesn’t seem to be much material in the clamp and slide, which would add to flex. Additionally, the materials appear to be lower quality, although I could be wrong. This does align with the lower price since the better materials do cost the manufacturer quick a bit, which then needs to be added to the price.

      Overall, for those on a budget, I think it would be a good follow focus to get.

  3. Roxana Mares
    Roxana Mares says:

    What would you recommend for a documentary run ‘n gun type of scenario with a BMPCC 4K? Weight is definitely an issue for me, as I am trying to reduce weight and bulk but still could really use focus help since it is difficult to reach around the front to the lens. I am also shooting with mostly small MFT photo lenses like the Leica and Lumix.

    • Tim
      Tim says:

      I was going to suggest the Tilta FF, but it is on the heavier side of our list (but only by a few ounces). I like the solid build, it’s versatility, and since it mounts to both rods it won’t spin around one rod… which means you can use your focus hand to support more of the camera weight. But since you mentioned that you are trying to stay as light as possible, I’d point you to the Zacuto Z-Drive, which I also see used a lot and is very light. It is made so you can support some of the camera weight at the same time (especially if you add on the tornado grip attachment), but since it is only mounted to one rod you’ll need to be doubly sure you lock it down tight. The edelkrone is also light, but doesn’t work very well with small lenses, which you mentioned you will mostly be using. Let me know which way you decide to go and your honest opinion of it!

  4. Dan Naylor
    Dan Naylor says:

    I have been using a DLC DL-V/FF2 since 2013 that works very well for me, with no noticeable backlash. The only thing that I would like on it would be hard stops, but
    as you mentioned in your review, there is no perfect solution. It was nice to see that even the more expensive units in your review all had some flaws in their design.

    Thanks for an informative review,

    Dan

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