Zoom and focus levers

Vitaliy_Kiselev

Price: $15

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LENS-ZOOM-LEVER-for-Panasonic-DMW-ZL1-DMW-ZL1PP-DMW-ZL1E-/180885591062

Price: $10 + shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VIDEO-DSLR-ADJUSTABLE-LENS-ZOOM-FOCUS-RING-WITH-LEVER-CONTROLL-CANON-NIKON-SONY-/200758926265

Price: $11.15 + shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zoom-Follow-Focus-Lever-gear-ring-Filter-Handle-Lever-67mm-77mm-82mm-58mm-52-72-/360455817514

kavadni

I ordered the combo gear and lever .. it's pretty solid and works .. cheaper than a lot of lens gears.

Also I have just ordered two of these new from Varavon

On ebay .. I offered and paid $20 for a set of two http://www.ebay.com/itm/TWO-BLACK-WHITE-SET-VARAVON-Zoom-Follow-Focus-Smooth-Handle-Lever-Any-Lens-SZ-/230808311936

sam_rides_a_mtb

I use the zoom levers as shown in the top post on nearly every shoot when using the 14-140 and 7-14 for smoother zooms. Also use one on my Canon 50mm 1.4 for focus. Love them, though interested in getting a few more - will consider some of these other options.

cp_from_oz

For my 14-140mm zoom I use a DIY zoom handle as follows: (Total price $8) ... (1) a 60-80mm hose clamp from the plumbing supplies section of hardware. ... (2) Line it with adhesive neoprene rubber strip (approx 4mm thick) to avoid damage to lens barrel ... (3) Between the lens barrel and the rubber/hose clamp insert the flat base of a cheap "hot shoe to 1/4in adapter" so that you have a 1/4 in thread emerging at right angles from the barrel. Generic adapter shown at: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pro-1-4-20-Tripod-Screw-Flash-HotShoe-Mount-Adapter-/150641038060?pt=UK_Tripods_Monopods&hash=item2312e7d2ec ... (4) you can then add (and easily remove) a 1/4in bolt of your desired length (e.g. 75mm) joined to the adapter with 2 x 1/4in nuts ... (5) paint hose clamp and 1/4in bolt black before assembling on lens

village_west

the DMW-ZL1 is fine , actually better than the lever on the sony HDR-FX1 that I also use. The proper way to handle the zoom with that lever is to hold the gear from below moving with 3 fingers. Grabbing the lever from the top or the side with two fingers is not the correct way to handle ANY lever. I have to report that zooming with a 14-140 and the ZL1 gives a much better fluid movement than the sony FX1 (that also gives a big progressive rocket pretty good for slow zooming, but that's a motor. Still with the Sony I zoom manually covering for example a soccer game (for sudden changes due to the nature of the game). So I can confim that the GH2 with the 14-140 and the ZL1 (again grabbing the lens from below) gives better results compared to the sony FX1. problem is that's ridiculously expensive, but all the other levers that I saw (on ebay for example) aren't much cheaper and ALL tend to handle the lever from the side (and that will never give a fluid zoom, regardless of the size of the lever)

Vitaliy_Kiselev

@village_west

Can you show that you mean?

Picture or video?

How proper lever must be designed?

village_west

Hi , please take a look at the panasonic lever (and band) : there are 3 parts where the fingers should apply the pressure. 1. the lever itself and 2 more. The guys at Panasonic's did indeed consider the matter, properly I have to add. then the other guys (at panasonic's marketing) invented a price LOL for this thing. But it works...

let me post a pic ... it will be easier for me . gimme a minute

village_west

sorry about the poor quality : this is the proper way to use the panasonic lever (in my opinion) (picture attached)

Vitaliy_Kiselev

Another lever

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Manual-Follow-focusing-or-zoom-control-system-for-DSLR-camera-lens-focus-/320994909050

GravitateMediaGroup

http://www.adorama.com/ENFSHIFT.html

*photo would not upload at the time of this post

BurnetRhoades

Looking at these other options, that latest one looks a bit on the expensive side but it's the only one that has a built-in solution for self-managing focus marks and that's a big plus.

Flaaandeeers

Lever posted by @GravitateMediaGroup is called Focus Shifter and more info can be found on this link: http://www.focusshifter.com/follow-focus-dslr/

Seems quite useful for pulling precise focus without assistance.

GravitateMediaGroup

If was posted in the follow focus topic before VK pointed this out to me.

chauncy

focus shifter is a winner. Hard stops and easy control. The bands are very strong. Does not attach on all lens though. Check their lens list. It is a little fiddly to attach until you get the hang of it.