2026From a Facebook group: Steadicam operators group
Pulling focus manually during Steadicam® operating without an AC: equipment and workflow options
What the thread found
- Live-TV standard uses G-Zoom (approximately 980 USD) or Stanton control mounted on the gimbal handle to manage both zoom and focus speed and direction; G-Zoom works with Tilta motor receivers for servo lenses, and a dedicated Stanton motor with 32-pitch gearing serves cine-mount lenses.
- Budget solutions include clamping or wrapping a small Nucleus Nano 2 or Nucleus-M focus handwheel to the gimbal handle and operating it with the thumb.
- DJI Focus Pro uses LiDAR for controlled shots, features a thumb roller for manual override and haptic feedback, and its motorized wheel returns to the original focus distance; one operator reported it performs significantly better than PDMovie LiveAir.
- Single-camera work on narrative film or commercials always has a dedicated focus puller; manual focus pulling during operating distracts from composition and movement.
- Multicamera broadcast work with wide-angle lenses and large depth of field is where operator-pulled focus is standard practice.
- Pulling zoom and focus simultaneously, as in live sports coverage, is difficult and demands high skill.
Depends on
- Workflow depends on camera type, lens mount, and depth of field.
- Live-TV setups with wide lenses and large depth of field differ from single-camera narrative work.
- Simultaneous zoom and focus control presents technical and cognitive challenges.