WirelessIris brings follow focus to your DLSR via iPhone app (video)
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted June 4th 2010 10:46AM
posted June 4th 2010 10:46AM
If you're shooting with movie cameras (or HD-enabled DSLRs like the Canon 5DMkII), being able to make your adjustments digitally is "epic" (or so says Engadget Show Producer Chad Mumm, who just declared this particular hardware "awesome"). The fStop Wireless Receiver is an affordable WiFi receiver that's compatible with most remote focus systems (common in the world of professional cinematography). Featuring multiple wireless channels and integration with the WirelessIris iPhone app, this bad boy will have you fussing with your camera's controls from your spacious (and convenient) Apple touchscreen device in no time! That is, once you shell out $1,389 (or find a friend with very deep pockets). Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Videos after the break.
Picard: Engage, Mr Data. The humans are acquiring Federation technology at a rapid pace.
Mr Data: Yes sir. It bears a striking resemblence to the helm on the Enterprise.
@buoy
Pretty sure it breaks the 'Temporal Prime Directive' =P
@buoy
In the title....What does DLSR mean?
I know what DSLR is....hmmm
LOL
@BMills
DLSR = Digital Lifeforms Sucking Romulans
@buoy
LCARS DSLR.
Why have I chosen the most expensive hobby :(
Cool but I cant afford a $4000 camera but cool nonetheless for the people who can.
Hate to be the one to say it but Engadget, you're title reads "DLSR" when it should say "DSLR". Just a simple typo I'm sure. Still love you Engadget :)
@zswickliffe
Unless of course they meant DSRL - the Double Stuf Racing League - which I think we can all agree needs more focus.
@Spooka Muahahaha. Most certainly! How dare I be so rude as to not include the Double Stuff Racing League. Engadget, I'm sorry but you take a back seat to my Oreos... Said like Stuart in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FcYJgr46Ak skip to 5:50 :)
meh.
I wish that you can adjust the focus remotely *AND* to look at the visor (also remotely).
@magallanes Agreed. Then this would be a win.
@magallanes my assumption was that it as all camera controls and even the view that you would get on the iPad.
bit disappointed now with the state of technology.
it seems slooooow. even compared to other wireless follow focus solutions. 1/2 second delay. makes it fairly frustrating for very accurate work. the price is very nice, though.
in general, i think a whip is a better solution for most users, especially new and relatively inexperienced focus pullers.
It would be better if it could stream the live preview to the ipad. Maybe in an update?
@Ridgecity
I don't see how this would be useful without a live preview. You would still need to look through the camera to see what's going on, and the multiple camera feature seems kind of pointless for this reason. Even if it had live view, the pixel count of the iphone isn't high enough to confirm a good focus. Maybe that's why they only used it for aperture control in the video... I think mechanical follow focus devices make more ergonomic sense than this product.
@Ridgecity
To all asking for live-view, I'd imagine this is mainly targeted to focus pullers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_puller. Thus there isn't really a need for live-view, as everything will be rehearsed.
@JonE thanks. that line of work sounds like a bitch.
Deuche bag indy productions about to go deuchier...
Android version???
I figured this would be useful for someone that needs to remotely control their camera, but the lack of a image preview renders this completely useless.
Am I the only one annoyed by people that have more money than sense?
Perhaps I'm just jealous I can't throw money around like that! LOL! xD
@Ducman69 or perhaps you just don't know what you're talking about but believe that you do? Check out other posts here. It will explain it. I didn't know about "focus pullers'" either prior to this, but a little reading does wonders.
And this is useful how? Every Remote focus system I have seen comes with its own controller...its kinda the point. also $1,389?!? for an app??? I'm lost.
@SirNoDroin I don't know the answer to why it's useful, except that perhaps WiFi allows for great range? I really don't know. What I do know is that the app is not $1,389. It's the WiFi receiver that costs that much. The app costs 99 cents: http://appshopper.com/photography/wireless-iris
Very convenient for people whit 3 arms!
People are getting ridiculous with these iPads in the wild.
Not so many filmmakers here. Typically a focus puller can not see the live view from the camera. They set focus by setting marks on the scene and focusing to those marks using the marker on their focus ring. This has been going since motion picture cameras were invented.
3 arms? Camera operator and focus puller are TWO people. That's 4 arms.
Mechanical follow focus? Whip? Try that when your camera is at the end of a 30 foot crane that can only support 30 pounds. Unless you have a rocket pack, you won't be operating your focus with a whip.
Again, a live view of what the the camera sees is really not needed. It would take a whole lot of bandwidth and would be better suited to specifically designed microwave units anyway.
@anewsome
question, why doesnt the camera operator have the responsibility of focus? are they full time on making sure the scene is cropped right?
*not a film maker, not a photographer, just a bit surprised at what seems to be a lack of tech in the film making world
@Killing Time Because operating a camera for narrative work requires the use of two hands. If the camera's not on a Steadicam/crane/jib whatever, it's on a dolly, and almost all pan/tilt movement is done with two wheels that operate gears. The result is much smoother than a fluid head tripod, but it's a lot heavier. There is an ungodly amount of "Tech" in the "Film" making world. This application in particular is overkill for a handheld DSLR, it's better suited for something related to what I previously mentioned.
@sydcinema thanks, i looked on the site of theirs, they have much better videos demonstrating the type of camera i think you are talking about (big.)
@anewsome regardless. I work in post, so im not sure about you film guys, but if you are working on a budject, you would much rather pay 3,000 for something that works right and is lagless, (like a deticated remote focus Integrated System) rather then an "app" that can crash, have bugs, have IRQ lag, ect. Talent and Time always outweighs the cost of technology.
I agree this is overkill for the "prosumer" camera. Again, if you have the money to afford a remote focus guy, u should have the money to buy the proper equipment.
This seems more like a "I can, so I will" project (as most of the "Real World" iPad apps I have seen are)
Even at times when I could probably operate the camera and pull focus at the same time (like when the subject and camera aren't moving), I still would prefer to do this with two people. Having someone dedicated to each task is the best way to get good results, even more important now that you have DSLRs shooting video with super shallow depth of field.
Ever notice how many of these web videos shot on DSLR have blown focus? Even if they pull it off as if "I meant to do that". It's one of the first things DSLR shooters come to find out when trying to shoot video. It's really hard to operate the camera AND pull focus at the same time.
If they can do this? Why can't they figure out how to use the GPS on the iPhone to metatag coordinates to your photos?
Canon already makes a wireless/ethernet controller for it's cameras. Average price around $700US and you can control it through any web browser with Java, so - laptop, iPhone, Android, iPad, whatever. With Live View.
This is great for everyone else, those.
Pretty sure you are confusing Javascript with Java as neither the iPhone or the iPad have a Java Runtime Environment.
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/javascript/article.php/3470971/Java-vs-JavaScript.htm
Nice, but no box of cigars.
What is REALLY needed is a simple BlueTooth or WiFi dongle that beams the live image from the HDSLR to an iPhone/iPad. NOW you can see what to focus on.
And it can't be 1300 bucks.
@BuzzMega Okay. One cigar, maybe.
So it now takes two people to take a picture now? Damn...
I'm a focus puller. I heard about this product online a couple of months ago, and thought it was neat, but practically speaking I don't think it's all that useful.
Forget about using it for focus. Professional remote focus systems like the Preston, C-motion, Arri WRS, Scorpio, Bartech, etc have very low latency. Remote focus must be instantaneous, otherwise it's useless. Also, dedicated hand units have the benefit of being tactile devices, with a mechanical focus ring with hard stops. If I have to keep glancing down at a touch screen to see where my finger is, my focus is already too late.
For iris, which is what the product is intended for, I can see potential uses. However, since you're going to need a digital lens motor to work with it anyway, then that means you already likely have a Preston system on set. So what's the need for this extra product?
The economics don't make sense. To complete the system you're going to need to get a digital lens motor (a Preston DM-1 is like $3K) so you may as well get a complete Bartech kit with an M-One motor for about $5k and have a real remote FF unit.
@filmfrog
+1
Another fart app is all we have here.