Here's why I don't use a setup like this..first, it's heavy. Second, the gimbal operator cannot see what they're doing because the Sony screen blacks out while exporting HDMI and recording 4k. Unless you use an HDMI splitter. So now you're mounting a follow focus, transmitter, HDMI splitter, and monitor on your 1.6kg one-handed gimbal. Better hit the gym extra hard. Now let's say you want to go inverted, or get some other unusual angle. Chances are, you'll be banging your follow focus against the arms of the gimbal, or twisting up a cable and pulling it out. So don't get me wrong, I love the Moza Air 2 as a hardcore high-quality tool. But I haven't yet found a way to do remote follow focus without turning the gimbal into a hulked out freak. Would love to see if you've found a workable solution for all-day, real-world shooting.
Wow Brandon Li watching my videos 😱 Those are some fair points dude! You're right the screen on the Sony goes black in 4K if you're sending anything out the HDMI port, but luckily the HDMI transmitter unit has an HDMI Out loop so you can still use a monitor on the Gimbal+Camera without needing a splitter. In fact most HDMI transmitters have an HDMI Out Loop for this very reason. I tend to use a monitor on the gimbal in any case so the only difference is a slight increase in weight from the transmitter. Now you're absolutely right about the inverted mode, I just tried it, and at the wrong angle you could snag the follow focus on one of the arms. But the workaround is pretty easy, just have a second NATO rail on the side of the camera cage so you can quickly swap the follow focus from top mount to side mount that way it doesn't interfere with the arms anymore. It's not like you'd be switching from upright to inverted mode in the same shot, and switching these literally requires turning the follow focus wheel to the end of its run, moving the focus unit from top to side, and rotating the lens by hand so the end point matches what you had set again, in the event it's a follow focus unit like this one where you can set in and out points. And the bonus is you can use that extra NATO rail for handles when you're wanting to shoot handheld. As for hulking out the gimbal... yep better work those bicep curls! 🤣💪 The handle I have attached on my AIR2 comes with a harness you can strap over your shoulder or neck to relieve some of the weight from your arms. Not perfect but a lot better than nothing. There's a few of them out there, and it does make a difference after a long day of shooting.
@@dodmedia would love to see a video of you demonstrating this setup in action. I want to be able to do remote follow focus, but I have yet to see anyone pull it off practically with a single arm gimbal.
*I realize I completely forgot to include the segment of the demo footage!!* I'll add it to the Hollyland Mars300 review I'll be making in in a couple of weeks so you can see the iFocus in action. Promise!
Is it possible to control iFocus via phone android app or whatever other app? Because I did not found the option for this hw turning wheel which is doing the control of the iFocus motor which controls zoom/focus.
I like this video. May be its possible to make a explain video for setting focusing points A to B. I find it difficult to hit focus with a little 7" Monitor without focus peaking. So its important for me that focus is exactly fixed on point A and B. But with the focus M its not exact working for example with Canon100mm Macro, may be its better with the wireless focus unit.
Are you using the included follow focus ring? I used it for a while but always got stuttering so I opted for some follow focus gears from movo and now I'm able to adjust focus smoothly.
Hi there! sorry, I would like to double-check: Can I use the Moza wireless focus system also without the Gimbal, so on a tripod, shoulder rig, etc. ? On another UA-cam channel someone said that's not possible
I apologise if this is a noob question. I bought the ifocus without the handunit and am now wondering whether I could just buy a handunit on its own or if it would be unable to connect to my ifocus?
You should be able to connect it to an iFocus unit. I'd be cautious of buying a product that's this many years old and no longer receives any support from Gudsen though
Nice review. I wish you had shown, how to set the key markers. I am really struggeling with that. I can set the B marker, then it does nothing. I'm sure I do something wrong, but can't find the problem.
So weird, my hand unit pairs fine with the ifocus (do I have to pair it every time I start it?). But the focus wheel isn't doing anyway, the motor seems to go into a locked state.
I have the Cinegears setup (a bit heavy for a small gimbal and $$) and want a lighter setup this looks good also pulling a 85mm canon lens requires some motor strength I wonder how it pulls a real cine lens? you explain tech well please carry on with more of these tutorials cheers
David, Hope you are well. I have got myself into a bit of an issue with my i-focus and I wondered if you might have come across a fix. My hand unit will not pair with the follow focus unit, I am fairly certain this is because I did a firmware update on the Air2 while the follow focus unit was connected and now I think the Hand Held unit is on a different firmware version to the follow focus unit. Any clues as to how to line the two units up would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Joe, the way I did it was to connect the unit via USB to the computer and then run the Moza Master application there. It's available for PC and Mac. Let me know how it works out for you! You may need to resync them using the CAN cable after
@@dodmedia Yeah, I kinda knew you were going to say that. The Moza Master App does not recognise it on my Mac so no go there i'm afraid, unless you've got any bright ideas? I'm beginning to wish I'd bought a different gimbal
What if you have a longer lens on an adapter for instance, I don't see how mounting the follow focus on top with that short 15mm rod will reach the focus ring on longer lenses.
If you're not plugging it into the gimbal, and using the handunit to control it instead like I am here, then it's compatible with any gimbal, slider, tripod, you name it! It's a standalone device like this.
Thanks for the video, just wondering if the programming feature of pre-defining focus points A & B allows a way to control the speed or time of the focus tracking playback?
The best is to buy the bundle with everything in it. If you do, you will have everything including the special plate in a little suitcase. If you buy 2 separate items (motor and hand unit), you will have 2 items but no accessories, no case to put everything in it. I know, I did both, so I can compare.
The hand unit doesn't turn infinitely. It has a hard block start and stop, so if you have a lens that has a lot of travel on the focus ring, then I guess it'll pull focus quite fast. If your lens has quite short travel, then you'll be able to pull focus nice and slowly turning the Handunit wheel
@@dodmedia - That sucks, you should mention the battery is not replace-able, and one has to send it in every 5 years, as LiOn doesn't last forever. That mean extra cost, why don't they allow people to put in AA NiMH battery? or LiON 16389 type of battery? Also what happens if the company goes bankrupt or disapear, who's going to manage the battery if the battery die?
John Pham Chill man, you’re not buying a car lol. For the price, you might as well just buy a new one every five years. Or open it up and diy the battery yourself.
@@drummerdude100 Heck dude, it is poor design if one can not replace the battery, now my android phone, I can replace the battery - it is poorly design if one can not replace the battery, plus the reviewer didn't mention the battery replacement. Very poorly review if the reviewer miss it - it's the first thing I look when buying a device, can you replace the battery, also battery leak, what happens if the battery LiOn get hot and burnt?? ever though of that ??
Thank you Soo much I’ve had this gimble since last year and that I focus been in the box 😂
My newest favourite tech channel - so watchable, so clear and tells you stuff you want to know
Thanks for watching! 😊
Thanks DOD Media. Great to see you explain and discuss placement issues with the cage demo.
Here's why I don't use a setup like this..first, it's heavy. Second, the gimbal operator cannot see what they're doing because the Sony screen blacks out while exporting HDMI and recording 4k. Unless you use an HDMI splitter. So now you're mounting a follow focus, transmitter, HDMI splitter, and monitor on your 1.6kg one-handed gimbal. Better hit the gym extra hard. Now let's say you want to go inverted, or get some other unusual angle. Chances are, you'll be banging your follow focus against the arms of the gimbal, or twisting up a cable and pulling it out. So don't get me wrong, I love the Moza Air 2 as a hardcore high-quality tool. But I haven't yet found a way to do remote follow focus without turning the gimbal into a hulked out freak. Would love to see if you've found a workable solution for all-day, real-world shooting.
Wow Brandon Li watching my videos 😱
Those are some fair points dude! You're right the screen on the Sony goes black in 4K if you're sending anything out the HDMI port, but luckily the HDMI transmitter unit has an HDMI Out loop so you can still use a monitor on the Gimbal+Camera without needing a splitter. In fact most HDMI transmitters have an HDMI Out Loop for this very reason. I tend to use a monitor on the gimbal in any case so the only difference is a slight increase in weight from the transmitter.
Now you're absolutely right about the inverted mode, I just tried it, and at the wrong angle you could snag the follow focus on one of the arms. But the workaround is pretty easy, just have a second NATO rail on the side of the camera cage so you can quickly swap the follow focus from top mount to side mount that way it doesn't interfere with the arms anymore. It's not like you'd be switching from upright to inverted mode in the same shot, and switching these literally requires turning the follow focus wheel to the end of its run, moving the focus unit from top to side, and rotating the lens by hand so the end point matches what you had set again, in the event it's a follow focus unit like this one where you can set in and out points. And the bonus is you can use that extra NATO rail for handles when you're wanting to shoot handheld.
As for hulking out the gimbal... yep better work those bicep curls! 🤣💪 The handle I have attached on my AIR2 comes with a harness you can strap over your shoulder or neck to relieve some of the weight from your arms. Not perfect but a lot better than nothing. There's a few of them out there, and it does make a difference after a long day of shooting.
@@dodmedia would love to see a video of you demonstrating this setup in action. I want to be able to do remote follow focus, but I have yet to see anyone pull it off practically with a single arm gimbal.
You got it! I'll put a follow-up video up next week :-)
@@BrandonLiUnscripted I’ve been doing this with my black magic lol
*I realize I completely forgot to include the segment of the demo footage!!*
I'll add it to the Hollyland Mars300 review I'll be making in in a couple of weeks so you can see the iFocus in action. Promise!
ah yes, I love forgetting to put footage in a video, especially when it's relevant
Tell me about it! This is just 9 minutes of me talking and fondling a follow focus now 🙈
Hi! This video is very informative! Thank you very much .
Would you mind providing us the item code of Nato Rail Plate and the Nator Rail Clamp?
Very nice and thanks for showing this.
So this works for all manual cine lenses s.a. Samyang's cine line?
Interesting video.. concise & well presented ! May go for this set up !
Thanks for doing this. Very helpful!
Very helpful! Thank you. I'm just about to order the Moza Air 2 and I wasn't entirely sure of the follow focus capabilities. Also, you're adorable.
Can I use it with feiyutech scorp c gimbal.?
Is it possible to control iFocus via phone android app or whatever other app?
Because I did not found the option for this hw turning wheel which is doing the control of the iFocus motor which controls zoom/focus.
I like this video. May be its possible to make a explain video for setting focusing points A to B. I find it difficult to hit focus with a little 7" Monitor without focus peaking. So its important for me that focus is exactly fixed on point A and B. But with the focus M its not exact working for example with Canon100mm Macro, may be its better with the wireless focus unit.
My new iFocus is stuttering while slow fine adjustments. Is that normal or is it demaged? Whats your experience?
Are you using the included follow focus ring? I used it for a while but always got stuttering so I opted for some follow focus gears from movo and now I'm able to adjust focus smoothly.
@@Capta1nSni9er1 Thanks! I had exactly the same idea a few days ago and bought the movo set, works much smoother now.
Hi there! sorry, I would like to double-check: Can I use the Moza wireless focus system also without the Gimbal, so on a tripod, shoulder rig, etc. ? On another UA-cam channel someone said that's not possible
It worked for me back when I made this but since then I've switched to the Tilta Nucleus Nano. It's more designed for rigs so I get on better with it.
I apologise if this is a noob question. I bought the ifocus without the handunit and am now wondering whether I could just buy a handunit on its own or if it would be unable to connect to my ifocus?
You should be able to connect it to an iFocus unit. I'd be cautious of buying a product that's this many years old and no longer receives any support from Gudsen though
Nice review. I wish you had shown, how to set the key markers. I am really struggeling with that. I can set the B marker, then it does nothing. I'm sure I do something wrong, but can't find the problem.
So weird, my hand unit pairs fine with the ifocus (do I have to pair it every time I start it?).
But the focus wheel isn't doing anyway, the motor seems to go into a locked state.
You balance it and then you attach the cable? This was a bit funny :)
Hey what’s the hand unit called ?
I have the Cinegears setup (a bit heavy for a small gimbal and $$) and want a lighter setup this looks good also pulling a 85mm canon lens requires some motor strength
I wonder how it pulls a real cine lens?
you explain tech well please carry on with more of these tutorials
cheers
David, Hope you are well. I have got myself into a bit of an issue with my i-focus and I wondered if you might have come across a fix. My hand unit will not pair with the follow focus unit, I am fairly certain this is because I did a firmware update on the Air2 while the follow focus unit was connected and now I think the Hand Held unit is on a different firmware version to the follow focus unit. Any clues as to how to line the two units up would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Joe, the way I did it was to connect the unit via USB to the computer and then run the Moza Master application there. It's available for PC and Mac. Let me know how it works out for you! You may need to resync them using the CAN cable after
@@dodmedia Yeah, I kinda knew you were going to say that. The Moza Master App does not recognise it on my Mac so no go there i'm afraid, unless you've got any bright ideas? I'm beginning to wish I'd bought a different gimbal
What if you have a longer lens on an adapter for instance, I don't see how mounting the follow focus on top with that short 15mm rod will reach the focus ring on longer lenses.
I guess you have to spend a couple of bucks on a longer rod then. They're widely available and very cheap.
Hi! Does iFocus always be compatible with Moza gimbal? Are other brands of other companies incompatible? Thanks.
If you're not plugging it into the gimbal, and using the handunit to control it instead like I am here, then it's compatible with any gimbal, slider, tripod, you name it! It's a standalone device like this.
@@dodmedia Thank you very much.
Thanks for the video, just wondering if the programming feature of pre-defining focus points A & B allows a way to control the speed or time of the focus tracking playback?
How did I take this long to find you. Huh! Suscribed.
Great tip. Thanks for sharing. Not all the links are in the description btw.
Hi my friend .How can find the handle like this"df" for Moza air2?
Link in the description 💪
Can the iFocus be used without the hand unit ?
If it's on a Moza gimbal instead, sure! At this point I wouldn't recommend it though. Something like Tiltas Nucleus Nano is far superior
@@dodmedia in what way is it superior ?
What cage have you got?
Hi thanks for the video !! i want to know if the remote comes with the ifocus, an dis it powerful ? Thank you very much, have a wonderful day :)
No the hand unit is sold separately I think
The best is to buy the bundle with everything in it. If you do, you will have everything including the special plate in a little suitcase. If you buy 2 separate items (motor and hand unit), you will have 2 items but no accessories, no case to put everything in it. I know, I did both, so I can compare.
What about different speed focus control? Are you able to change it?
The hand unit doesn't turn infinitely. It has a hard block start and stop, so if you have a lens that has a lot of travel on the focus ring, then I guess it'll pull focus quite fast. If your lens has quite short travel, then you'll be able to pull focus nice and slowly turning the Handunit wheel
@@dodmedia Thanks
What about the battery? is it replaceable?
Unfortunately not.
@@dodmedia - That sucks, you should mention the battery is not replace-able, and one has to send it in every 5 years, as LiOn doesn't last forever. That mean extra cost, why don't they allow people to put in AA NiMH battery? or LiON 16389 type of battery? Also what happens if the company goes bankrupt or disapear, who's going to manage the battery if the battery die?
John Pham Chill man, you’re not buying a car lol. For the price, you might as well just buy a new one every five years. Or open it up and diy the battery yourself.
@@drummerdude100 Heck dude, it is poor design if one can not replace the battery, now my android phone, I can replace the battery - it is poorly design if one can not replace the battery, plus the reviewer didn't mention the battery replacement. Very poorly review if the reviewer miss it - it's the first thing I look when buying a device, can you replace the battery, also battery leak, what happens if the battery LiOn get hot and burnt?? ever though of that ??
John Pham you worry too much
Okay, got it. I still need to press the key button and turn the wheel to the A point, then release the button. The printed manual is horrible.
Yeah it definitely took a fair bit of trial and error! Glad you figured it out
Nice video but next time please try some actual footage, but very informative.
Awful sound
LOL ok.