Redrock Wireless Digital Remote Follow
Focus System

Available to hire - wireless follow focus with focus motor and controller to allow control of prime lenses on your cinema lenses or other video camera using a remote control Wi-Fi controller. This system can also work with our Redrock fingerwheel...

Redrock Microsystems

[remoteffocus]

Available to hire - wireless follow focus with focus motor and controller to allow control of prime lenses on your cinema lenses or other video camera using a remote control Wi-Fi controller. This system can also work with our Redrock fingerwheel controller - ideal for use on a rig or gimbal. This is the Remote Follow Focus from Redrock with wireless and auto lens calibration system for manual focus lenses like our wide range of Canon EF compatible Nikon 35mm prime lenses, Canon manual focus lenses, Zeiss CP2 or other small Cine lenses. The digital torque motor can handle some pretty heavy duty lenses but will struggle on massive PL mount Cine lenses and is not recommended for those. For gimbals we recommend the new Redrock Atlas remote follow focus system which has the receiver built-in to the digital torque motor so there is only one system component on your rig.

This smart piece of kit allows you to control your camera focus remotely via wireless from up to 300ft (90m) away. Ideal for steadicam & Gimbal operations with the focus puller adjusting focus while you work. Combine this remote Follow focus system with a zero delay wireless video sender like our Teradek Bolt or Paralinx Ace and you have a great system to use with camera cranes, jibs and in situations where space around the camera is at a premium. Pull focus in real time and use hard stops on a wider follow focus dial to give you much finer focus control then you can get with short-throw DSLR lenses.

This unit has now been upgraded to firmware 4.0, offering a range of new features. See our blog for details here: microRemote 4.0 blog

Download the user manual here: Redrock microRemote v4.0 user manual

The remote follow focus works in a similar way as our manual follow focus versions - ie you turn the focus wheel and your lens focuses from close up to infinity. You can set hard stops on the remote follow focus wheel, or mark up focus points.

We offer a range of geared rings to attach to lenses. The lens rings are turned by a powerful torque motor that can be attached to the 15mm rods that come as standard with our DSLR and video camera rigs. If you are using Canon lenses that do not have fixed focus stops (ie lens ring spins endlessly) then there are solutions to help. The Redrock auto calibration will not work with these lenses and so you need to manually calibrate to set the ends of focus travel. Some DOPs use an additional follow focus mounted on the reverse and use the hard stops on the manual follow focus to set the end stops and then use auto calibration on the Redrock system. Either way you get 270 degree rotation mapped onto the Redrock remote follow focus - this can be reversed for Nikon lenses (these focus from close to infinity in the reverse to other Cine lenses and Canon EOS lenses)

This is connected to a base station on the rig. This device can be controlled wirelessly via the controller or in a wired capacity using the optional thumb-wheel - useful for hand held shooting when you want both hands on the front handles and don't want or cannot use a manual follow focus. The optional thumb wheel is attached to one of the Redrock handles, giving ENG operators the ability to focus while keeping a firm grip on the camera rig.

This system comes with a chunky and well built handheld wireless controller. This device has a built-in focus wheel and every small turn will be instantly translated to a corresponding movement in the motor on your rig. When you attach a lens to the system and calibrate it, the system will automatically take it the extreme ends of its settings and use this information to map the complete controller wheel to the distance moved by the lens - thus allowing much finer focus controls then you can get with a manual follow focus on small prime lenses with short throws.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?
This kit is supplied in a custom hard case and includes the torque motor, base station, handheld wireless controller and microflex cables cables for power & connection between the base station & motor, plus a Redrock micro mount to attach the base station to your camera rig . If your using with a steadicam you probably have mounting points to use the micromount on its own but please ask if you need other attachment options. If you do not have a camera rig already then you will need something to attach the torque motor and base station too. Please see our camera rigs and individual rig parts. Ask us to help build a custom rig for your camera - we have standard rigs for DSLRs like canon 7D and Canon 5D3 as well as standard rigs for Sony FS700, Canon C300, Blackmagic Design cinema camera and other cameras via a sliding plate and rod mount system.

POWER REQUIRED
This unit requires power from a d-tap (power-con) power supply - like a Vlock battery plate.
The handheld controller is operated using 2 x AA batteries (supplied) which last a long time.
Please check out our range of 15mm rod mounted powering options


The Redrock Torque Motor attaches to 15mm rods at the front of your rig and operates the 0.8 pitch lens ring on your lens.

We have several optional finger wheel controllers for wired connection to the base station on your rig allowing a single person operating teh remote follow focus from the rig. We have a Rig version of the controller that uses a front handle and handlebar mount to attach to 15mm rods alternatively for gimbal or jib use we have a Universal finger wheel controller that is supplied with a Collins clamp to fit your gimbal.

We now have micro flex cables to allow you to use the system on a MOVI 3-axis gimbal as well. The supplied standard cables work well on the RONIN or RONIN-M gimbal but you can use the flex cables to reduce the overall weight.

For more information about the system see the Redrock Website or contact us and ask!

Download the user manual here: Redrock microRemote v4.0 user manual

Here is the Redrock Micro remote FAQ from Redrock micro:

The microRemote FAQ

Is the microRemote a digital or analog system?
The microRemote is an all-digital system, which is extremely precise, offers advanced features such as automated lens calibration, and is less prone to certain types of interference.

Does the microRemote have automatic lens calibration?
Yes. The microRemote offers both automatic and manual lens calibration.

Can I use the same basestation for wired and wireless controllers?
Yes, the basestation supports both wired and wireless control. The only exception is the microRemote ENG Bundle, which has no wireless option in the base station, and is designed only for wired controllers.

Does this unit have firmware version 4.0?
Yes, this unit has now been upgraded to firmware 4.0, offering a range of new features including the new Artistry mode. See our blog for details here: microRemote 4.0 blog

Is microRemote compatible with other motors?

Yes, in addition to the Redrock Torque motors, the microRemote system is compatible with Heden digital motors. It has also been suggested the microRemote is compatible with Preston motors, though we have not yet verified this.

Will the microRemote be powerful enough to drive my lens?

The microRemote system includes the Redrock Torque motors to meet the vast majority of focus needs, and compatibility with even more powerful motors for using the biggest, toughest lenses. The Redrock Torque motor is a powerful, all-digital motor designed to work with all cameras and most lenses. We've successfully tested the Redrock Torque motors work with the following:

• Canon EOS lenses
• Zeiss DSLR lenses
• Zeiss CP2 lenses
• Nikon F mount lenses
• Almost all other DSLR lenses (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Olympus, Sony, etc.) where the lens ring is at least 1/2" wide (for fitting a lens gear)
• Cooke Panchros
• (we continue to test, and expect this list to continue growing)

If your lens is not listed here, it's likely the Torque motor can drive your lens as well. If your lens is exceptionally stiff, or has a lot of glass to move (such as the large cinema zooms from Cooke or Angenieux), the microRemote offers compatibility with Heden digital motors, including the M26VE. We recommend this motor for those situations where maximum power is a requirement.

How does it work with lenses that don’t have hard stops, like Canon EOS lenses?

The microRemote has several options that are ideal for still lenses. You can use the manual lens calibration to set the end points on the lenses, and the shorter throw distance of still lenses is mapped to the full 270 degrees of rotation for precise, nuanced focusing. For Nikon lenses, the microRemote handheld controller can reverse direction.

Is it compatible with my camera and lens?

Most likely yes. The microRemote is not limited to specific camera body or lens type, and works across an incredibly wide range of systems.

My lens has a very short distance between close focus and infinity. How does the microRemote improve this?

All lenses are mapped to the full 270 rotation of the microRemote. This is especially helpful for DSLR lenses that have very short throws. The expanded mapping enables more refined and precise focus pulls on these lenses.

Can I reverse lens direction?

Yes – the microRemote has a feature to reverse lens direction so you can use all lenses in the ‘correct cinema’ direction.

Can I use the microRemote left or right handed?

Yes.

What happens if there is too much wireless interference?

The microRemote can be used in tethered mode, where you use an optional wire to connect the microRemote to the basestation. This avoids all wireless interference and gives you exceptional performance under virtually any conditions.

What is the maximum distance for wireless?

The microRemote is rated to 300’ line of sight. Obstructions or other conditions may reduce that distance.

Can I use the microRemote for zoom or iris?

Yes, you can attach the motor to any geared ring on the lens, if you prefer to control zoom or iris instead of focus.

Can I use the microRemote for more than one function at one time? For example, for focus AND zoom?

The microRemote is currently a single channel focus controller. You can use it for one function at a time. You can always run two or more systems simultaneously to control zoom and focus (for example), each with its own controller.

Does it work with DSLR lenses?

Yes, you just need to have a gear on the lens’ focus ring. The microLensGears are an excellent choice for this. Also the microRemote system has special features for calibrating DSLR lenses automatically or manually, even if they have an “infinite spin” focus ring.

Will it work with my cinema lenses, such as PL-mount Zeiss, arri, etc.?

Yes - it is designed to work with any lenses and cameras, including Red, PL-mount cinema lenses, HDSLR, video cameras, etc. If your lens is exceptionally large or stiff, the microRemote is compatible with extremely high torque third party digital motors such as Heden or Preston.

Can the microRemote be powered with Anton Bauer?

Yes - D-tap for 14.4v brick batteries (such as Anton Bauer, Sony V-mount, IDX, Switronix, etc.) is a standard option to power the microRemote.