FreshDV NAB 2010 – Redrock Micro microRemote
28 Comments Published by Matthew Jeppsen April 12th, 2010 in FreshDV, NAB 2010, NewsYou’d think differently by the name, but microRemote is a big deal. Kendal talks with Brian Valente about the next generation of follow focus from Redrock Micro… check it out!
Don’t forget to give us feedback over at our twitter, @FreshDV — We’ve already got great feedback and would love to hear more!
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Very interesting. Thanks.
Will it work as good as described?
I guess we’ll have to wait & see.
Looks awesome, can’t wait! Already see major potential for the auto focus feature given the work we do for PBS KIDS Sprout filming non-child actors between the age of 3 to 6 with a 35mm lens adapter. However, what happens if Apple decides to change the shape of the iPhone?
Wow, a game-changing platform for HDDSLRs. Excellent! I look forward to seeing where this goes.
Triple WOW!!!
Now this is special, definitely the most interesting product I’ve seen so far for the HDSLR Revolution !!!
Thanks Kendal again. RedRock changes the world again!
I LOVE REDROCK MICRO, thanks Brian.
How much is the sonar rig?
WOW
I would have to use it to know the foibles and I suspect there will be some.
Until someone invents a system where your Assistant Camera can keep the current point of focus “painted” (perhaps using an IR laser in a flashlight), there are always issues…for example, you’re shooting very shallow depth of field with the focus target off-center, or the target is behind someone who moves through the foreground (and in front of the sonar sensor), or your focus point is walking from side to side behind other objects that cross the foreground while the camera is panning or tracking.
Having said this, I own Red Rock gear, including a manual matte box / follow rig, and everything like this helps as long as it’s not more expensive than a good A/C.
Please FRESHDV learn how to hold a mic up to your subject. Did you see how far he was holding it? You need to hold it closer or use a shotgun. Hand held mics do no one any good down at your wast. Learn to use your tools if your going to use your tools. This is a big problem with DV guys who think they really can do it all. Pay a sound guy or learn good mic technique.
So, if you don’t need a focus-puller with this, what do you call the guy who turns the focus knob on the remote device?
The contraption is so oversized and top-heavy that any camera movement would be rendered very difficult without a Super35-size dolly. Hardly ideal for one and two-person crews, as they say. Seriously, just take that $1000 and hire someone to pull focus on the few jobs where you need.
Cool technology, not very useful at this price point, for this equipment. I’d love to see it for RED or the new Arri. Ridiculous for a tiny DSLR, in my opinion.
@Bob Berg, it’ll be interesting to mount an infra-red laser with the microTape (detached from camera) to paint the focus point on the go (military style). I’m sure all the pro DIY-ers out there could make such an improvement quickly?
@Garrett, Hey man did you get a chance to handle the rig? Is it really heavy? The size and shape of the microTape does seem obstructive or kinda undesirable for a steadicam (wind + movement wise). I think it’s a decent set up for shoulder/tripod configs tho. Apart from the microTape, the rig doesn’t seem that much bigger than other remote FFs.
I saw the preview photos and was also worried about the weight, but after visiting the booth today and holding the microTape, it didn’t seem any heavier than I microphone. I’m really stoked about the system now that I’ve seen it. Way to go red rock!
Very cool. Not so sure about the pre-calibrated lens charts, since all lenses could be shimmed differently & would you trust a stranger to prep your glass?
@Braz — Actually it’s a genius idea. We all trust strangers everyday when we log onto forums to share knowledge about video, this just streamlines that operation and makes it easier for a new person to calibrate.
If they can accomplish what they are proposing for the price they are anticipating they will have made a major advancement, no doubt.
One quibble, though: Brian states that “no one has ever offered these feature before”. Other than the soft focus points and community lens data base all the other features are already available from C-motion. But, in fairness, they do charge about 10 times as much as Brian is proposing. It will be interesting to see how this turns out.
@Garret – no one is suggesting this is the end of the first AC – we absolutely make this point. What the autofocus is good for is smaller situations where you may not have a dedicated person, or someone with enough experience to pull accurate focus. However, we really emphasize the information shown on the display as being really helpful for less experienced people to get a visual understanding of the setup and be able to pull focus without guessing. That to us is the real breakthrough. If you handled the rig you’ll know this is very lightweight and can be used on HDDSLRs as well as full sized cameras.
@scott – we expect microTape to be less than $500
@Jim Bartell – I stand by what I said, no one has offered that complete set of features we are offering at any price. Yes Cmotion comes close… and also at around $80k.
Thanks everyone – the microRemote was extremely well received and we really do believe it’s a game changer
Apple has already changed the shape of the iPhone…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1267295/Gray-Powells-lost-Apple-iPhone-4G-Gizmodo.html?ITO=1490
Sorry, RedRock, everybody gets screwed by Apple at some point…
Although, I am excited about not having to shell out $10K for a wireless focus system.
Nope -we are good. We have flexibility in the chassis for the new iPhone and that kind of design change is well within our scope
Cheers
Brian
A few points –
what happens when you’ve been doing steadicam for 6 hours and the iphone battery runs out? Can the micro remote power the iphone? What happens when you get a phone call in the middle of pulling focus? or a txt message?
How does the basestation get power? Onboard batteries or plug into the camera power? what are the power requirements?
What if you are pulling focus on the dumb side of the camera and can’t see the numeric display on the microtape? I think the cinetape makes a lot more sense having the sensors and the display seperate.
Also the refresh rate on the iphone display looks really slow. When I pull focus response time is very key for a wireless system.
Its easy to show something like this at a show room, not as easy to actually use it on set in the rigors of real world production. I’d pay $10,000 for a system like this with the build quality of a c-motion or preston.
I agree John.Thanks.
@John – the iPhone is charged by the remote, which is powered by internal (and external) batteries. Put the phone on airplane mode, or pick up an iPod Touch. Base station is powered by external batteries. the microTape has a display on both sides. If you prefer having the sensor and display separate and it’s worth $4500 more to you, than the cinetape may be right for you. The display we showed was representative of the basic functionality, not the performance. More details will be released on the whole system as we get closer to release. If you are willing to spend $10k for the microRemote, you are going to be much happier because the price is a lot less than that. – B
Can the base station be powered from a camera aux power port, p-tap, etc? 12v and 24v?
I already own a cinetape, and find it very useful, however, you have to be smart about understanding what it tells you. It will pick up the boom mic, flags, etc, in a cramped environment. Also have to be aware what it is reading: the talent’s face, hand, shoulder. Sonic range finders have thier place, but are never an end-all be all. Will the micro remote be compatible with the cinetape?
Regarding auto focus (focus tracking as arri calls it in thier LDS system) I’d like to see it implemented with a real button in the hand grip. I’d recommend making it work like the Arri system where the 1st AC can hold down the button for autofocus, then release to go back to manual control. Being able to punch in and out of autofocus is very useful.
Any plans to accept intelligent lens data, like from a Cooke s4/i lens?
John Waterman
Chicago 1st AC
L600
@John – thanks for the input. we agree a sonar range finder is an incredibly useful tool, and just a tool. We’ll have more details to answer your other questions when we publish updates.
B
Thanks for the new toys. I think a serpate readout option for the Microtape would be a fantastic selling point. As a focus puller myself I can’t tell you the number of times I have ended up in a position that I am unable to see the front of the camera where the display is located now. When using the cinetape, its convenient to put a second display facing the rear of the camera at times as well as a remote display when the camera is on a crane or other rig. Hope to work with these new items soon. Thanks again.
@David – keep in mind the microRemote also displays the microTape readout, which can be even handier.
@Brian, that’s great but I was thinking of buying the microtape as a separate unit so additional readout would be big selling point.
Also wondering how signal between iphone/itouch works when out of 3G coverage? Will it still recieve some type of signal from microremote base?
Thanks again for your speedy reply
@David – the iPhone/iPod app does not use wifi, 3g, or bluetooth for any communications, so cellular availability doesn’t affect it. There is an integrated production-quality radio for all communications. The microRemote also supports wired connection for tethered operation.
This will be fantastic for Steadicam and crane work. Although I feel the sonar is somewhat gimmicky. I can imagine that in practice, the sonar might bear frustration even amidst the most typical environments where there are multiple subjects/elements in the frame. Although for single subject, medium DOF work, it eliminates the need for talent markers!
I wonder how this compares with the Hocus Focus, which is also a great remote FF for the price.
I love Redrock products too as I have the mattebox & shoulder mount. I was expecting to see more information about this product on the Redrock site and was disappointed to find only pictures of it. I’d like to see more written information about it, perhaps an idea of what the breakdown of packages will be.
So you say a basic system (ie. the transmitter, receiver, controller) will be about $1000?
Hi Kris
We believe our remote is more comparable to cmotion or preston, but at literally 1/10th or 1/20th of the price. The best thing to do right now is get on the reserve list and when we have updates you’ll be notified directly
Thanks – Brian