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Alpa + DJI Focus Pro = Medium format portrait on a 2 year old kid?

koonyue

New member
It seems a dream come true which able to use my Alpa, with the best Rodenstock lens and MF digital back, to have auto focus tracking on my 2 year old kid which run like a electric rabbit.


Thanks DJI !
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
I thought about that too - I think especially the Alpa SWA might work great with it given the two handles. And the TC of course.

You can also attach two big ergonomic handles to a TC.

Downside is that its a rather tiring and clunky setup and not ideal for walkaround. More for controlled studio use.

The other question is how well it works with the MF of tech cam lenses - you might need to oil the helicals professionally. The helical of XT lenses for example is rather stiff and one would want to avoid damaging the lens, I guess. Cinema mounted lenses are made to have a rather loose focus so you can use focus controls, but tech cam lenses have not been designed to that end ...

Lastly, one needs to see how the setup integrates with an X shutter lens as for moving subjects you might want to use X shutter mounted lenses which do sometimes not leave a lot of space between the end of the shutter and the beginning of the mount.

To avoid inteference with handles, one might be relegated to the TC only for shorter focal lengths and lenses where there's a bit of space between the x shutter, helical and body.

The most interesting scenario is if you have cinema glass that you adapt onto a digital back via an Alpa FPS.

A re-housed Zeiss Otus on an Alpa FPS would be very cool or any re-housed vintage cinema optic with in-between an Alpa FPS to get the focal plane shutter for moving subjects.


One could adapter Leica R stuff for example or some nice Zeiss cinema lenses and shoot them on the IQ4 which should give you a bit larger area with vignetting and a very special look.

Otus should light out the whole sensor, although with vignetting.
 
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koonyue

New member
for shutter release, I imagine there is no fully in-sync, I need to first press button on focus pro to focus, then release the shutter on my lens.

or ask the focus pro to track the subject continiously, downside is the lens will keep being "micro focus" which not sure will damage the lens in long term.

all in all, it is so much better than the current workflow of first measure the distance using Lecia laser bean, then manually adjust the focus and hope the electric rabbit still keep at same postion ...
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
I am most concerned with the fact that the lenses are not made for continuous fast focusing of the helical. I tried a few of my Rodie lenses - the helical is more or less stiff; in cinema the focus is totally loose so you won't damage the lens via continued electronic focus pulling.

The Alpa platform has a PL mount adapter so you can re-house cool optics like the Zeiss stuff which should have a larger IC and then use such a device for manual focusing. But this again defeats a bit the purpose as you might as well then use the XF lol.
 
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