Development Update - AFX Focus Module For PBC

[BTM_Pix]

On 3/22/2021 at 6:20 PM, majoraxis said:

 

@BTM_Pix Will the the AFX, MMX and cables all shipping together or are just the AFX's (and cables?) shipping first?

 

Everything ships together mate.

So we've had to get a bigger box to put all yours in!

[majoraxis]

1 hour ago, BTM_Pix said:

Everything ships together mate.

So we've had to get a bigger box to put all yours in!

Awesome!  Thank you!

[majoraxis]

"Production Update #9 25/3/21

We are pleased to inform you that the main AFX boards have now arrived.

The boards will now begin to be QA tested and once completed will pass to the final assembly phase.

As per our 27/02/21 message, we will now issue a new update shortly when that phase is underway."

[majoraxis]

“”Production Update #10 29/3/21

As per our 25/3/21 update, we are pleased to inform you that the QA testing process for the main AFX boards has now been completed.

From the production run of 300 boards, we experienced only one failure (a defective screen)  so we now ready to begin final assembly and flashing of the production firmware of all of the finished AFX units.

As per our 27/02/21, we will issue another update when this is process is complete and we are ready to begin despatch.”

[Henchman]

Received notice they are shipping now. Very excited 

[majoraxis]

In addition to the shipping news:

"USER GUIDE & FOCUS CHART

We are also pleased to announce that both the User Guide and Focus Chart for the AFX is now available for download from our website at

www.cdatek.com

The User Guide covers all aspects of the setup, calibration and operation of both the AFX and MMX and is essential reading prior to using your system."

[alanpoiuyt]

On 4/12/2021 at 10:20 PM, majoraxis said:

In addition to the shipping news:

"USER GUIDE & FOCUS CHART

We are also pleased to announce that both the User Guide and Focus Chart for the AFX is now available for download from our website at

www.cdatek.com

The User Guide covers all aspects of the setup, calibration and operation of both the AFX and MMX and is essential reading prior to using your system."

So excited that my AFX showed up today in the US! Just having trouble pairing my BMPCC 4K.🤔 Any tips?

[alanpoiuyt]

17 minutes ago, alanpoiuyt said:

So excited that my AFX showed up today in the US! Just having trouble pairing my BMPCC 4K.🤔 Any tips?

Finally got it - user error. Calibrting now.

[Henchman]

3 hours ago, alanpoiuyt said:

So excited that my AFX showed up today in the US! Just having trouble pairing my BMPCC 4K.🤔 Any tips?

I'm jealous. Waiting for my shipping notice 

[Henchman]

3 hours ago, alanpoiuyt said:

So excited that my AFX showed up today in the US! Just having trouble pairing my BMPCC 4K.🤔 Any tips?

I'm jealous. Waiting for my shipping notice 

[Henchman]

I'm surprised not more than 300 people ordered these. Maybe once they're out there, and people see the results, more orders will come. 

[majoraxis]

18 hours ago, alanpoiuyt said:

So excited that my AFX showed up today in the US! Just having trouble pairing my BMPCC 4K.🤔 Any tips?

Congratulations!  I think we should be asking you for tips.

Here's Update # 12 for Indiegogo

"Tech Support & Shipping Update

Tech Support 

Can we please ask that if you have any tech support queries then you contact us directly at admin@cdatek.com

Using the comments page on here is not an effective way for us to provide you with tech support as it has a limited character count, a terrible layout making responses difficult to read and we cannot attach or request files/screenshots etc.

Therefore, if you can please direct all tech support messages to admin@cdatek.com we can deal with them far more effectively.

Shipping Update

Shipping is still ongoing and will conclude in the next few working days. As per our last update we will provide a master list of Contribution Number versus Tracking Number at the end of the week so you can check your status if you have not received an update in the meantime."

Sounds like they should all ship by the middle of next week... I've waited this long for this masterpiece of tech, so what a few more days in the grand scheme of things. 😀

That said, I am really looking forward to getting this!

[majoraxis]

AFX Indiegogo Update 13

"User Guide Update

The User Guide has now been updated to v1.1 Rev 3 and is available for download from our website at www.cdatek.com

Further revisions of the User Guide will be made when new features are added or in order to offer more hints and tips or clarify the operation of some aspects of the AFX and MMX.

The v1.1 Rev 3 update contains a new page with a visual overview of the Calibration process to act as a quick reference to the detailed step by step guide that follows it in the main Calibration section.

"

I think I have received my shipping notice - there was not a lot of info from the shipping company Zeleris except my shipping address, so hopefully I will get mine some time next week.  I can't wait to check this out!

[majoraxis]

AFX Update #14 can be read here:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/afx-autofocus-adapter#/updates/all

My understanding is that all shippable shipments will be collected by the designated shipper by April 21, 2021, except for the few orders that need to have clarification on their shipping information.

If you are an AFX campaign contributor and  have not received a sipping notification, you may wish to check the link above for instructions.

 

@BTM_Pix Thank you for all of your hard work in making this happen!

It is obvious that you are not only an extremely talented designer, prodigy developer and engineering genius, but also a person of integrity, commitment and follow through.

I am glad I invested in AFX and look forward to supporting future CDA-TEK product releases.

Thank you for making my filmmaking technology dreams a reality!

Mark

[Emanuel]

Waiting for mine, on the way! (E :- )

[matthere]

Thank you @BTM_Pix for all of the work developing and realising this kit, looking forward to it's delivery. 

Remembering: all tech support messages to admin@cdatek.com.

The forum seems like it is a good place to discuss more general stuff. 

 

So.. I held off on the follow focus and other add on's so far, but thinking now about which bits to pick up. Would appreciate any recommendations 🙂

I have been looking at the Tilta Nano and focus wheel, but remember some discussion about an additional cable for powering the Nano to get more torque, or maybe I need the bigger motor to work with manual primes which include the Voigtlander primes which might be tricky for the Nano?

I believe I will also need some focus rings for the Voigtlanders so any recommendations for starting to buy these so they will work long term alongside other prime sets would be very helpful as I would rather get it right and buy these only once, thanks 🙂

 

[BTM_Pix]

19 hours ago, majoraxis said:

 

 

@BTM_Pix Thank you for all of your hard work in making this happen!

It is obvious that you are not only an extremely talented designer, prodigy developer and engineering genius, but also a person of integrity, commitment and follow through.

I am glad I invested in AFX and look forward to supporting future CDA-TEK product releases.

Thank you for making my filmmaking technology dreams a reality!

Mark

Would you prefer cash or PayPal 😉

Thank you though, thats very kind

16 minutes ago, matthere said:

So.. I held off on the follow focus and other add on's so far, but thinking now about which bits to pick up. Would appreciate any recommendations 🙂

I have been looking at the Tilta Nano and focus wheel, but remember some discussion about an additional cable for powering the Nano to get more torque, or maybe I need the bigger motor to work with manual primes which include the Voigtlander primes which might be tricky for the Nano?

I believe I will also need some focus rings for the Voigtlanders so any recommendations for starting to buy these so they will work long term alongside other prime sets would be very helpful as I would rather get it right and buy these only once, thanks 🙂

 

The Nano motor as is just driven with 5v, from a standard USB power pack for example, is surprisingly decent dependent on the lens that you are using.

With the cine primes from Meike like we have here is absolutely perfect.

In this multi motor setup we've got it running with a RED cine zoom but we can only use it on the iris and focus as the zoom ring is too tough for it it drive so we have to use the Nucleus-M motor for that.

Tilta do a P-Tap to USB cable for it that gives it about a 50% increase in torque so with that it would probably not have an issue.

The downside to that though is it becomes a bit more bulky in terms of the power source so if you can drive your lenses with the standard 5v then it is a much neater setup.

The problem with using older manual focus lenses is when they have stiffer zones in them and for that you do need more torque.

You can just buy the Nano motor on its own but its a good deal when bundled with the Wheel as the wheel does come in useful with the AFX too as we use it to control not just manual focus but give you the option to switch in and out of AF-C mode using its REC key which is quite convenient.

With regard to focus gears, there are a lot of resources about how to 3D print your own and Tilta do a range themselves but this company makes custom ones for specific lenses.

This is their Voigtlander page 

https://followfocusgears.com/collections/voigtlander

I have never used them so take it as info rather than endorsement !

 

[Lowell]

My unit arrived yesterday. One thing of note is when one picks up the Lidar unit one can hear rattling inside. I don't know whether this is normal. After several hours frustrating hours I still cannot get it to work.

I have a P6K. It works fine (including focus adjustment) with a camera Control App on my phone, so I assume there is no problem with the camera's Bluetooth. The lenses I have attempted to use are the Canon EF-S 35mm f2.8 Macro and the Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 Zoom Lens. 

Initially, there is no problem pairing the Lidar unit with the camera. When the ramping lens calibration screen comes up and the steps increase sequentially the camera does not change focus, making it impossible to determine how many steps are required.

After I press the B button the Focal Length Menu is not a problem. I do press Mode + C on the R1 controller. Sometimes multiple times. The blinking blue light on the controller becomes solid while the Menu + C buttons are pressed, but then starts blinking again. I do not know whether the R1 controller is communicating with the main Lidar unit. Pressing the C button and the A button does not change the focus of the camera, and and the Calibration Point = number does not increment.

If I restart the Lidar unit it never remembers the camera. I always need to Clear Bonds in the Maintenance Menu and clear the bluetooth memory in the camera to sync again. I have repeated the process multiple times with the same result.

If I start the Lidar in MOTOR mode it does give me the focus distance, but of course it doesn't communicate with the camera.

With tongue in cheek, I've narrowed it down to a)my inability to follow directions; b)a problem with my P6K; c)a problem with both lenses I've attempted to use; d)a problem with the AFX unit.

I would appreciate some help.

[BTM_Pix]

21 minutes ago, Lowell said:

My unit arrived yesterday. One thing of note is when one picks up the Lidar unit one can hear rattling inside. I don't know whether this is normal. After several hours frustrating hours I still cannot get it to work.

I have a P6K. It works fine (including focus adjustment) with a camera Control App on my phone, so I assume there is no problem with the camera's Bluetooth. The lenses I have attempted to use are the Canon EF-S 35mm f2.8 Macro and the Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 Zoom Lens. 

Initially, there is no problem pairing the Lidar unit with the camera. When the ramping lens calibration screen comes up and the steps increase sequentially the camera does not change focus, making it impossible to determine how many steps are required.

After I press the B button the Focal Length Menu is not a problem. I do press Mode + C on the R1 controller. Sometimes multiple times. The blinking blue light on the controller becomes solid while the Menu + C buttons are pressed, but then starts blinking again. I do not know whether the R1 controller is communicating with the main Lidar unit. Pressing the C button and the A button does not change the focus of the camera, and and the Calibration Point = number does not increment.

If I restart the Lidar unit it never remembers the camera. I always need to Clear Bonds in the Maintenance Menu and clear the bluetooth memory in the camera to sync again. I have repeated the process multiple times with the same result.

If I start the Lidar in MOTOR mode it does give me the focus distance, but of course it doesn't communicate with the camera.

With tongue in cheek, I've narrowed it down to a)my inability to follow directions; b)a problem with my P6K; c)a problem with both lenses I've attempted to use; d)a problem with the AFX unit.

I would appreciate some help.

Hi

Can you contact us for support on admin@cdatek.com and I will troubleshoot this with you.

Thanks

[A_Urquhart]

On 4/15/2021 at 1:47 PM, Henchman said:

I'm surprised not more than 300 people ordered these. Maybe once they're out there, and people see the results, more orders will come. 

i really wanted to pre order but am waiting for better videos of the unit in use. The demo videos going from one bottle to the next were not very good real word scenarios IMO.  
I’d like to see how smoothly the AFC tracks a person moving away and toward the camera when paired with Tilta motors and a cine lens. Also, throw in a change of direction in there.