Remote adjustment

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Can you remotely adjust and focus Digital Medium Format cameras? The idea is to veiw the subject looking down off a small Crain

but then make the adjustments on the ground.

[ivan_j._eberle1]

<p>Most of the MF digital cameras will tether to offer control from a laptop, but AFAIK they're all cabled (Firewire is common). On a crane this may be a problem due to cable-length limits or physically routing the cable itself to allow for the articulation of the crane.<br>

Not aware of any wireless solutions in MF like Nikon or Canon offers in their pro DSLR line. I've got Nikon's WT4a device, which enables wireless Live View, remote adjustment of focus and most camera controls and modes, and image uploading at 804.11g speeds. This comes wireless straight to my MacBook Pro laptop, peer to peer, without a router.</p>

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Thanks for all that info, when I say Crain I mean like a film and tv boom style Crain so not so big maybe 10ft high.

I like the idea of control from a lap top based on the floor. Would this work with a DSLR? Non of this needs to be

wireless.

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>Nikon have their Camera Control pro software, which allows remote operation of a DSLR via a USB computer connection, and I believe Canon offer something similar.</p>

<p>The lowest cost solution would be to use a simple coax video lead to the camera using liveview, and to set focus and fire the shutter with a cheap Chinese-made radio trigger (total cost about $30 US). This setup obviously won't allow remote control of anything except the AF function and shutter release, but it will give you remote viewing without actually being on the crane.</p>

[russ_britt3]

<p>Sony and other company's make remote control digital cameras, they are HD but not medium format. They are used mainly for video work but you could pull some stills off of them. But you control zoom pan and everything from a remote control with a video screen too. Any AV suppler will have them in the rental inventory.</p>

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Thanks guys, looks very doable then with DSLR, I think boom work will be better and easier to work and we can just

stitch or blend the images in PhotoShop. Keep any suggestions coming. Thanks for all your help on this so far.

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>No current MF digital system permits remote focusing. I don't believe any DSLR does, either, with the OEM remote software. However, i do believe that there is a third party program that can remote focus Canon DSLRs.</p>

<p>However, you can mount either an MF body or DSLR to a standard dual rail rig, mount a focusing gear to the lens, and use a powered follow focus. That's what crane operators normally do. You're talking about $5,000, but compared to the price of MF digital, it's a drop in the bucket.</p>