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DJI’s LiDAR focusing system (purchase right here) has been met with combined responses because it was launched in 2020. Some adore it. Some hate it. LiDAR focusing continues to be in its early days, and the tech has a protracted solution to go earlier than it’s good, but it surely reveals a number of promise.
They’re not the one firm engaged on it, although. PDMOVIE has simply launched their new LIVE AIR 3 SMART (purchase right here). It’s a distant comply with focus motor that additionally contains LiDAR focusing for cinema and different guide lenses.
DPMovie LIVE AIR 3 SMART LiDAR focus motor
The LIVE AIR 3 SMART basically mounts to rails in your digital camera rig the identical approach an everyday wi-fi follow-focus motor would. After all, you should use it with a gimbal if you want, though, not like DJI’s providing, shopping for a gimbal isn’t obligatory.
It’s an interesting-looking machine that holds a number of potential for filmmakers. It’s not going to be good for each state of affairs, and also you’re nonetheless restricted to a single particular spot to concentrate on as a substitute of having the ability to faucet round your complete body however, sure, potential.
LiDAR is fairly new to this type of software, so it’s going to take a while for it to actually come to fruition. Already, although, LiDAR focusing affords some nice advantages over each manually focusing and current Part Detect, DfD and different autofocus techniques – which is why Panasonic’s trying to combine extra tightly with DJI.
Calibration is fiddly, but it surely remembers your lenses!
You do need to manually calibrate the motor for every of the lenses you want to use. It’s a petty fiddly course of, however it is best to solely must do it as soon as. It even shops a variety of lens presets so that you could save your favourites and don’t need to calibrate them each time.
As soon as calibrated and remembered, swapping lenses is as straightforward as taking the previous one off, placing the brand new one on and loading the preset for that lens. As soon as calibrated, the main target response appears to be very fast and correct if this demo is something to go by.
It affords about 8-10 hours of runtime on a completely charged battery. And one of many nice issues about this machine is that it makes use of a detachable battery. So, you possibly can have 2 or 3 spares sitting in your bag for lengthy classes filming away from energy.
When you solely have the one battery, you’re in a position to cost whereas utilizing it from a USB-C energy financial institution. That is additionally the way you cost your batteries when again at dwelling or the studio.
It’s an everyday wi-fi follow-focus unit, too!
In addition to including LiDAR autofocus capabilities to cinema and different guide focus lenses, it additionally acts as a conventional wi-fi comply with focus. The truth is, PDMovie says that they make the world’s smallest thumbwheel for follow-focus management.
From trying on the photos of it, it positive appears to be extraordinarily small at solely 31mm in diameter. It sports activities a 1/4-20″ thread on the underside, permitting you to screw it immediately into any 1/4-20″ mounting level in your digital camera, cage or different a part of your rig.
The corporate additionally affords a bigger handwheel machine for remotely controlling focus away out of your digital camera, with as much as 100 metres of vary. You’re additionally in a position to set focus markers, permitting you to rapidly go immediately from one focus distance to a different straight away.
Total, it appears to be like like a really well-thought-out system that gives much more functionality than DJI’s LiDAR providing.
Worth and Availability
The PDMovie LIVE AIR 3 SMART is in the stores now in three packages from the PDMovie web site. Two include the Mini model of the motor, and one makes use of the common model.
The mini variations are the PDL-AFX-S for $419 and the PDL-AFX-RA-S for $509. The primary distinction between these kits is that the latter comes with the bigger comply with focus wheel. The common model is the PDL-AFX-RA-SP, prices $669 and comes with the beefier and extra highly effective motor.
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