I appreciate all the info you've shared. Q1) Build quality? Now after a few uses, is it gunna hold up? Q2) FX3 Build, non lens mounted - I loved that idea btw. But as a 1 Man show, I WILL be swapping lenses every time I shoot.
Great review. A quick question: after you’ve calibrated the thing in the morning, and then move from set to set, how quickly does the system wake up from stand by? Would it be feasible for more run and gun situations? (Thinking about using it with medium format film photography cameras)
I guess the mm number you have to set on the lens profiles is just a quick way to name them, not a parameter to reference an internal database of lenses for matching, and since there's the new enlarged focus area working up to 20m I don't get why it just goes up to 100mm, have you tried a 135mm with a minimum focus distance shorter than 1.5m for proper calibration? thanks
yes me too cause the many others where actually advertisements. I had the previous version of the Lidar and had the same issue with the recalibrating all the time. So It made it somehow unusable for a professional shoot where time usually is crucial.
When Gerald did his rant about reviewers, this is exactly what he was saying reviews should be. One of the more popular videos “reviewing” this was product was nothing but hype and people can’t stand those types of videos anymore. Thanks for doing an actual review 🙂
It’s too bad there’s no AF lock button you can trigger if needed. Something to momentarily turn off the autofocus until you release it. Maybe something that’ll come down the line. Or maybe that’s not very practical… not sure.
@@CineDailiesDid DJI not provide a way to make the focus more sticky? Seems like it jumped much too easily. And was that compounded by the fact her head was turned away from the camera so it didn’t have a face to hold?
I'm still waiting on mine to ship, but can't you program the M button to flip between manual and af? Seems like a double tap would work in that situation? But it SHOULD work how you were doing as expected. Would be curious if the wireless hand held focus puller has same issue holding focus. Seems to be a bug, I would expect firmware can address? Trigger would be better though as a temporary hold. Using their rs4 pro gimbal, I wish the trigger had more options to control than it does. Either way despite these few complaints I'm excited to get mine. Will definitely make my life easier solo shooting with manual lenses. One other focus issue I found on their forums, which doesn't apply to you using cine lenses, are with people like me who might use something like sony GM lens with infinite rotation on focus ring, doesn't seem to work/calibrate without hard stops. Of course I can just use Sony AF built in for those lenses. I did get this system however for my manual focus lenses but they are all prime so zoom isn't part of equation. Maybe one day I can afford to add some proper cine lenses. For now just having fun with some old vintage lenses. And of course I'm just an enthusiast, not a professional who depends on bullet proof gear. Great channel btw.
The 14mm on the focus pro was BY far my favourite combination, the minimum focus is still surprisingly close. and you're right, when you're a little bit off when shooting at wider apetures, it'll ruin your sleep. Have you tried AMF mode on the focus pro ? im only at minute 9, but to fine tune some of the little misses on the autofocus, i can hold the trigger wheel in AMF mode to help out. DJI did really well with this despite its quirks, I remember the Lidar AF last year when it came out, and it was far more complicated than this type of setting.
This sort of real-world overview is very helpful. Thank you for posting the info. Have to say I’m concerned the system more or less factory reset itself so easily. I don’t think I would have any patience for such a flaky piece of kit. Hopefully DJI can fix that in firmware. 🤞🏻
I have had the issue with lens profiles disappearing. They did eventually come back. Instead of AMF, how about just using AF/MF and just hitting the M button to toggle AF off when someone is about to walk across the frame to keep focus where it is? Inspite of all those quirks, I still love my unit. Getting shots I would not have otherwise. FYI you can fly with 150W batteries on most airlines. I think you are limited to 2
2 per person in hand carry up to 160Wh according to IATA rules. BUT, any moment in any company anyone who wants to can forbid to take batteries on board and there's nothing one can do about it. Thus, I suggest simply sourcing batteries at a local rental just in case.
Did you put back the usb-c between the motor and the handle on the same usb-c port on the motor? Because I also thought it erased my profiles once but it was just on the wrong port ;) always put it on the right usb -c on the motor and if by mistake you plug it to the other usb on the motor you won't have your lenses saved profile because it is design for the motor you will put for the iris. No matter the port in general but if the first time you calibrate your lenses with one port, you need to keep always the same :) I hope it could help you or others who will read this!
To me, a system that uses usb-c connectors will never be a professional system. They are extremely unreliable and fragile. Just a little bump and the connector might bend, break and stop working. And on the focus motor, it's one of the most riskful places on the camera. Ridiculous. Lemo is the industry standard and it won't make the price higher because chinese Lemo copies are super cheap and still solid and reliable. This system can be useful to achieve some shoots, I myself have used the previous iteration of the DJI Lidar and transmission with alternate success, but, a part from firmware issues that can be addressed, the presence of usb-c screams consumer level. I really wish DJI would understand it in the future, because this autofocus has really huge potential. Hopefully they will release a more solid version soon in the future.
Komodo is not on the focus pro compatibility list, how can I use it? Can I use it regardless of the compatibility list? I am using sigma fp on my rs3 combo system. If I can use my sigma fp on my focus pro, I would like to buy it right away.
The lidar isn't using the camera to autofocus. It calibrates the lens and uses the cameras in the lidsr itself. So yes you can use it on can any camera and lens combo under 100mm
Not being critical of you here, because I appreciate the walkthrough, but quite a few of those shots do seem a bit soft. It's difficult to discern if the wide lens (which are usually less sharp), RU-vid, or the LIDAR is the culprit, but they do look....off somehow. Thanks for the candid video. I'm so on the fence about this thing. 🍻
All good brotha, most of the shots I showed in the video weren't picture locked. I should have specified that. I know the 14mm had a few missed shots for sure, like I mentioned. Everything else was fine. I did have a full Stop glimmer glass on which soften the image overall
Thank you for sharing! I got my unit a few weeks ago. I still haven't taken it out of the box... I hear the calibration process is a pain. It seems like I have to take my Adderall before tackling this.
Thanks for sharing these details. Ordered the Remus set and this DJI system May 5th. Just got the Blazars', no idea when the Focus system is coming in.
Also bro thanks for you the time you take to make these videos! They're incredibly hard because of how time consuming they can be amongst gathering accurate info.
yeah man, its not always easy working through how to present this info while using it on set. but i've gotten the hang of it. starting with alot of testing before hand and setting expectations
I still find it hard to properly make it focus on the subject eyes. I even got with an L ruller to very accurately measure the distance to sensor and doing my absolute best to setup lenses with 1m+4m. But especially now is easy to test how accurate it is by switching to MF and seeing if there's better focus on eyes, and most of the time turning the focus manually to focus on eyes perfectly and then going to AF does jump just very slightly making the eyes a bit more fuzzy than perfect manual focus pull. Have you tried that? Check with a monitor that can zoom well and I'd be curious if you see a difference between you focus pulling vs lidar. In the current state is not crazy bad as I can sharpen eyes slightly in post but would be great not having to do that. Another issue I found is that on profile shots it always focuses on the farthest eye instead of the one closer. Again, something I'd like your input on. On one big pro: The handle works with the previous lidar and motor if you firmware upgrade the lidar.
Yeah i think there needs to be another step at .5m then 1m, 2.5 and 4m so it'll have a greater scale. I have run into that as well. Im hopping they can tweak this soon. I havent notice the lidar focusing on the furthest eye but i'll keep a look out for it.
This is something I have noticed as well, if your shooting a subject from like a 20-30 degree angle it always seems to pick up the far eye for me as well, and ideally I would like it the closer eye. Also I’m having problem with rigging the lidar, it’s great on small cameras but the design of that cold shoe mount is so dumb, I tried rigging it to my URSA and there is just no were to put it, I’m trying to find a solution so I can rig it to my 15mm rods under my lens but drawing blanks currently.
@@CineDailies I think I already have bud thank you. The mounting distance on the bottom of the lidar is the same as the distance on the nato rail attachment on the Ronin gimbals, is that a standard? I’m struggling with what to search for to find adapter plates etc for the lidar screw spacing on the bottom.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your in-depth experience; the devil is truly in the details and where the difference between useful and not-useful is made. Subscribed!
I also had my hand unit forget most of the lenses I had programmed in... The hand unit got really hot and started overheating / shutting down soon after and smelled like burning electronics. This was on a prep day directly after two back to back 6-8h shoot days where the lidar performed perfectly. I think there may still be some teething issues with this one!
@@CineDailies I took it to the nearest DJI store and they booted it up and once it shut off and smelled like burning electronics infront of them they sent it off for RMA pretty quick. There's really low stock so I'll be waiting a bit, but they've approved it all under warenty.
@@ShaneVanLitzhow did you power it? It accepts only 7v on the Pro Grip, thus only BG21 battery, and def not via d-tap cable that comes in all-in-one kit (they actually mention this in their tutorial videos)
speaking about motors, i have the rs3 pro motor and the og rs lidar unit. now i wanna add the focus pro handle that is supported by the og rs lidar unit but how about the motors?
Thanks for the video! I had the same experience with holding the focus wheel mentioned at 14:11 ... Hopefully there will be a firmware update fixing this soon ;)
It does seem to be sorted out. I’ve got mine with the latest firmware and I def can do this. Other thing to mention is that it’s a tad hard sometimes to hold, the wheel can push really hard on your finger so it will slip. The other way around this is pressing the M button and going to manual mode - this won’t make the pro grip to loose tracking, once you press M again it will continue to focus on the desired subject
This is a great review, thank you! I’m still waiting on the DJI Focus Pro Grip. I ordered it three months ago and it’s still on back order. Maybe they’re trying to iron out the quirks lol. Seriously, there’s always an issue with some form of tech. That’s what comes with the territory. The less quirks the better or if there’s a workaround, we work as a community to troubleshoot it.
I'm enjoying mine so far , need to practice more before I shoot my new film but overall I'm loving it man. I still to test my lidar in different positions though. DJI recommends it be close to the sensor but your setup is a bit different. seems like it can work in either if calibrated properly
I'm glad your enjoying man! Where does DJI recommend having the lidar close to the sensor? The recommendation is to have the lidar closes to the entry pupil of the lens. that is why there’s a scale with the distance meter when setting it up.
@@CineDailies I was chatting with the rep online all last week to hammer this out. They recommend it being close to the optical axis of the camera for best results. I was talking to support for about 3hrs when I first got mine since the videos I had found at the time weren't helpful. Optical Axis is what was stated over and over but through testing, it works well either way if the settings are somewhat right.
Hi, i have a important question. I have a shoot and everywhere the focus pro handle is out of stock, is it still possible to use the lidar well in handheld mode or do you maybe know a solution that i can use to have more controle while i don't have the focus pro handle? thanks
How do it work when you use a zoom lens and profile at 11mm, but then zoom on the same lens to 20mm? Will you need to set a different profile at 20mm on the same lens?
It works on any focal length on my 18-85 Red Pro Zoom. Just have to be certain that your lens and flange are tuned properly, measure the LiDAR distance to the sensor as good as possible (I use L ruler, but prior was using a tape measure and was ok with that). It works good, just be aware that on bigger setups with matteboxes it might not focus properly closer than 1.2m and when doing angled shots (low angle, high angle) - because of the physical difference of the LiDAR and lens pupil (if your LiDAR is over the mattebox it will be physically closer to the actor than the lens pupil on low angles)
Not user error nor does the system suck. Its just not perfect. Which I mentioned throughout the video. I didn't expect it to be perfect either. Its an early firmware. And lidar and get tripped up at. I just wanted to highlight that so ppl can be aware.
I suppose the thing with 14mm might be in the lens flange calibration. I'd suggest looking at the camera flange, then each lens flange, and see does it help after all lenses and camera flange set properly. If it doesn't - that's where 1 and 4m marks seem to not work. I was always curious on why did they choose such a weird system to calibrate the lidar, it obviously is easy, but advanced lens calibration profile should be also possible, because all lenses have different throws and it just can't be that measuring 1 and 4 meters will work for each lens.
To be exact - that's what people found with older lidar and rs3pro - some lenses worked like a charm, some did not, no matter what you did - they won't work with lidar properly.
Sadly, DJI is terrible at listening to customer feedback. Just read all the threads on the R4D. I owned one for about a year. But hopefully they listen to some of the things you brought up in this video.
I have ordered the focus pro creator combo. Don’t have the DJI gimbal but another brand think I will get it to work. The issues you’re experience seems ok and less annoying than trying to manually focus on a gimbal 😅 The AF on the XT-4 is unusable so this will be heaven for me and I will have broken biceps of all gear attached to the gimbal. Great channel bro!
When calibrating and fill the focal lenght of lens do i have to aply the cropfactor of the camera sensor size. For example do i fill in 24mm when i have a 16mm lens on a apsc sensor?
I think he saying The PDmovie update has a priorty mode for near subjets or subject that are far it will defualt to so if in someone passes infront of the lens in rear mode it will not change focus on the near subject...also when its hase no battery it remebers the lens but the dji is way bettet And PD movie LiDAR has the LIDAR on its motor so thats why it remembers i guess...i still want the dji you provided great feedback @@CineDailies
Been waiting few weeks . Sounds great! Hope DJI add Lumix 10-25 and 25-50 1.7 Lumix lens w/out using a motor for focus and i could motor up the zoom🤔 Awesome video .Thank You
@@CineDailiesyessir its pretty cool. Decided to nucleus nano ii and handgrip for zoom. Focus is working. Im gonna double check all fw. Havent figured out afm . Or lens profile record being its using internal motor. All this w tilta dual filter mirage and rs2 on tilta lightweight shoulder rig. Waiting on the rs2/3/4 Creator rig L bracket. Thank You
Could you detail again how you lost all your lens profiles? Unplugging the LIDAR from the handle? Or could it be unplugging the focus motor if that's what everything is stored on?
@@CineDailies Hey! So, I connected my LIDAR unit with my side handle without the focus motor (the USB-C cable fried for some reason) and I was able to access all of my lens profiles. I think the profiles are stored in the LIDAR.
Try powering off the motor before unplugging it if at all possible. Sony cameras don’t save settings if you remove the battery without powering off the unit first. May be a similar issue. Thank you for the video and good luck!
Hello, Thanks for the video, quici question about the set up you have for your readyrig as a "shoulder cam" of sort, could you tell me what cinemilled stuff you went for to create it ? I haven't seen anything on the "readyrig" section, i guess you did a mix of some objects to create it ? I usually only use one arm with my readyrig to carry the camera when i want to simulate a shoulder cam but it leads to horizon problems all the time, your set up seems fantastic ! Have a good day !
@@CineDailies I was refering to this exactly, i thought you used different parts of some Cinemilled stuff but it's actually from Readyrig directly. Big thanks for the answer and for the content of your videos, really appreciated
Hi, exactly, the Lidar on the R4D is inferior in all the specifications compared to the new Lidar Pro. So the AF on the R4D could be improved a lot with the new Lidar System. Thank you.
