What's Wrong With DJI Focus Pro [Honest Review]

[@eddiemartin3]

Very constructive suggestions; I hope the product continues to improve.

[@DonRoberts788]

After using it, overall it's still quite functional.

[@maicovimuto6341]

Keep them coming mate, you're a gem in the sea of creators who all seem to scream the hardest, and all make the same style of content.

[@deadendboredom]

@@maicovimuto6341 Thanks man, you understood what I'm trying to do here.

[@javierb1535]

Hi! ¡Great and very honest review indeed!! Ok, i need to ask... is possible to set the lens limits manually and skip the auto calibration? My lens (Rokinons) are passing the infinity mark. Thanks!!

[@deadendboredom]

@@javierb1535 That’s not a problem. In the menu that you swipe down from the top and within the motor calibration, you can manually set the endpoints. I show the menu briefly in the video and mention the manual endpoints.

[@javierb1535]

Thank you for your answer, I have another question, did you try if it is possible to charge the grip with a power bank while it is being used?

[@deadendboredom]

@@javierb1535 Yes, you do need a power source that supports PD, but then it works. Physically, it’s a bit inconvenient to have to mount an extra power bank somewhere and run the charging cable to the lower Front of the handle, but it does work.

[@javierb1535]

@@deadendboredom is an option! thanks!

[@alexlubensky]

If you've got the all in one combo, one can avoind the jumpy focus on calibration using the FIZ. Simply turn i on when calibrating and use the focus wheel on the FIZ instead of the handgrip. Makes calibration process much easier, especially if one has 5-7 lenses to calibrate..

[@alexlubensky]

Also, prior starting calibration, I actually would recommend to go to flexspot mode (small square on the left of the screen in video preview), and tap on screen so the focus is on the target, and then press the trigger button. The target will show yellow instead of white and will track the target while you're focusing, and will show the correct distance to the target but not anything around, especially useful on wider lenses.

[@deadendboredom]

@@alexlubensky Are you referring to the Hand Unit when you say FIZ? I was actually planning to get the Hand Unit soon, but I’m still unsure... Maybe you can help answer a few questions? Does autofocus still work when the Hand Unit is connected and not the handle, or is manual focus the only option with the Hand Unit? Are all the necessary cables included with the Hand Unit? It seems like there’s only a D-Tap to USB-C cable for the motor. Some time ago, there was also a breakout box, but I haven't seen it recently.

[@alexlubensky]

@@deadendboredom yeah I was referring to Hand Unit. Basically it works wireless, meaning if the Pro Grip is connected one can use it to override autofocus in AMF mode, or use it manually like a regular FIZ Unit. No additional cables needed if you opt to use it together with Pro Grip, and if one wants to use it with DJI transmission system and monitor - then you can use the included d-tap to usb-c cable to power the motor (beware that one can’t do so when using Pro Grip, it will fry the grip and the grip can’t control the focus motor wirelessly). Basically it’s a separate solution where the brain of the system is the Wireless Monitor, made for crewed gigs

[@alexlubensky]

@@deadendboredom once the Hand Unit is turned on it overrides control from the Pro Grip, if they are used simultaneously. The Pro Grip acts as the brain of the system to track subjects when using autofocus, and if set to AMF a 1AC can override it at any moment, or switch to MF and focus manually. It doesn’t show distances on the Hand unit though, only the Wireless Monitor is showing proper distance markers

[@alexlubensky]

@@deadendboredom basically if you plan to use it alone there’s no reason to purchase the hand unit. I’ve got it because only the all in one combo was available atm, and I do sometimes work with crews and lazy enough to swap between Nucleus M and DJI focus pro

[@Altcine]

Thank you for a balanced review.

[@deadendboredom]

@@Altcine Thanks, but to be fair, I did place more emphasis on the negative aspects than the product might have deserved... I hope I made that clear enough at the beginning of the video.

[@Altcine]

@@deadendboredom yeah that's fine. It's just good to see both sides. I think these products are ok but I don't think they're fully ready yet. My hope is that one day these systems (with electronic lenses/adapters) can read lens data through the camera or a usb port on the lens and everything syncs up eliminating the need for calibration etc. This would be perfect for cameras like Blackmagic, RED etc that have electronics but no AF.

[@gummoman]

I hope someone at DJI sees this video. What a great description you made of this product. The incompatibility of the batteries seems to me to be a design error that could have been solved during development and that would solve one of the biggest problems of this product: the duration of its batteries.

[@Juaansi]

Finally someone who uses Pocket 6K and this thing. I've been looking for reviews if it's compatible with each other

[@deadendboredom]

@@Juaansi With a cage that has a NATO rail on the side, it’s definitely compatible and makes handling the 6K a bit easier than usual. However, even with the grip, the camera still doesn’t realy become ergonomic.

[@alexlubensky]

The trigger is used to lock tracking on a subject in flexspot mode or lock onto a certain face in wide AMF mode

[@alexlubensky]

Any grip except the BG21 will fry the Pro Grip eventually. Don't use any grip except the BG21 ever.

[@deadendboredom]

@@alexlubensky Thanks for the addition!

[@zoneVgroup]

I have mine and I love it. My biggest gripe is the lidar placement and the hot shoe. I wish DJI had a better attachment that can make it close to the lens view. The parallax error can be annoying when you are trying to do close-up. Second I wish the mini screen could replicate the point of view of the lens finder. We only have 2 options. Wide or 2x. As for first-generation products, I think it's incredible. Hopefully, they will fix this via firmware or come out with an attachment to the lidar where it can sit close to the lens.

[@deadendboredom]

@@zoneVgroup good point!

[@alexlubensky]

And pulling backwards, no matter handheld, on gimbal, on a slider etc - the focus will always lag behind, while pulling in will always be perfect.

[@PabloDeBiasi]

It's very good but needs some improvements and additions via firmware. You can use simple usb-c extension cables for the connections, they work. The things that annoy me are that the focus jumps when you zoom in/out and when you switch from wide to spot so you can't change modes while recording and there is no subject shift speed adjustment for the AMF setting. Plus they should allow for the calibration of lenses from 0.5m (or less) to 5.0m and for lenses up to 135mm. There also should be an AF/AMF mode or a way to choose between multiple subjects while in AMF.

[@deadendboredom]

@@PabloDeBiasi You found a third-party USB cable that works with the sensor? Either you were lucky or I was unlucky… I’ve tried various cables and combinations without success. Where can I find that magic cable?

[@PabloDeBiasi]

@@deadendboredom you can find longer ones on the bay or use simple usb-c male-female extensions, they work just fine

[@deadendboredom]

@@PabloDeBiasi As I already mentioned in the video, that wasn’t the case for me, and I tried many different cables - I’m surprised it worked for you.

[@PabloDeBiasi]

@@deadendboredom you used a male-male cable plus the female-female adapter, I'm talking about male-female usb-c 3.2 extension cables, that's what works. You want the male end of the extenders on the motor and lidar and the dji cables on the grip

[@PabloDeBiasi]

@@deadendboredom if you look at the official dji focus pro video @1:37 you can clearly see the extension cables used as I said. For 1 meter long compatible cables that work search the bay for "Focus Pro USB-C Control Cable for DJI Grip & LiDAR Motor Canon Nikon Sony Camera"

[@antonkochlauritsen7606]

Great review! What's the piece of music at 19:50 called?

[@deadendboredom]

@@antonkochlauritsen7606 The track doesn’t have a name you could look up because I composed the music myself and haven’t released it anywhere else. I’m glad you liked it.

[@antonkochlauritsen7606]

@@deadendboredom what a lovely piece of music, crossing my fingers for a release🤞

[@MrKhaled247]

Das war Mal eine ehrliche Meinung und aufwendig gestaltetes Review. Respekt das du dir die Mühe gemacht hast aber wenn man Filmemacher ist sollte man Liebe in seine Arbeit reinstecken top Arbeit 👍

[@MultiMattRogers]

I might be mistaken but I thought that the lidar unit was supposed to be mounted in line with the focal plane indicator. Is that not so? If it is the case then your longer cable wouldn't be needed. If it isn't... well then everything you've said is fine.

[@deadendboredom]

@@MultiMattRogers It should be centered above the lens, but not directly over the sensor, as in many cases the lens would get in the way. That’s what the offset in the settings is for.

[@JoATTech]

Next month I'm definitely buying .... the calibration mattress :D

[@deadendboredom]

@@JoATTech Magical lens calibration mattress… but its availability is just as frustrating as with the Focus Pro ;) Have you received yours by now, or have you already decided against it and gone for a different camera?

[@JoATTech]

@@deadendboredom Pushed it to the bottom of my "buy list" after watching your video :D

[@FollowTheJohn]

It is a game changer. I sleep on mine between calibrations.

[@stephenf3838]

great video

[@torsrive8920]

You should have to be able to save 15 lens profiles. I am wonder you can only 3. Do you have last firmware update?

[@deadendboredom]

@@torsrive8920 In the part where I demonstrate the app, you can see that it’s possible to save other profiles under the 3 main profiles. However, you can only switch between 3 profiles directly on the lidar Unit itself.

[@torsrive8920]

@@deadendboredom thank you for clarifying

[@FollowTheJohn]

I just got mine and the focus breathing is not cool. Another thing is the motor is being picked up on my microphones. I am not sure I am going to keep it.

[@deadendboredom]

@@FollowTheJohn Focus breathing is not a „problem“ with the Focus Pro, but your lens. I also noticed the volume of the motor and I forgot to mention it (Just like some other things). This happens mainly when the focus changes quickly... With slower changes it is very quiet, at least if you are not recording with the camera's internal mic or one directly on the camera.

[@FollowTheJohn]

@@deadendboredom So all of my cinema lenses are no good?

[@deadendboredom]

@@FollowTheJohn Why shouldn’t they be good? Which ones do you have? If focus breathing bothers you and your lenses have it, then that’s a characteristic of your lenses that you don’t like. Are we talking about the same phenomenon - the slight change in focal length when focusing?

[@noBfilm]

"ned gschimpft is genug gelobt!" - many thanks for this honest review. so battery life could be a real problem - do you know if its possible to charge via USB while operating? and generally speaking, when calibration is done etc. is it working without flaws in jobs? like is it slowing down the filming process? problems i know from other remote focus units: motor gets slippery and disconnects from lens --> needs a new re-calibration and so on. also how fast is the process when lens changing? like new lens, put the motor on, select profile, calibrate --> ready? and is it usable for interviews? like 20 minutes without focus problems, even when person looks around, moving forward, backward? thanks for your answers

[@deadendboredom]

@@noBfilm 1. Yes, it is possible to charge the handle while using it, but only with a PD-compliant power source. 2. It doesn't make the process significantly longer than with other follow focuses, where you also need to recalibrate after changing the lens. However, this changes if you're using more than three focal lengths, as you won't be able to switch between profiles with just the simple button. 3. The motor has held very well on the rods for me so far-actually, it feels a bit more secure than with the Nucleus M. 4. I’ve been very impressed with the autofocus performance so far. As you can see in the video, it even tracks people and heads from behind. The closer a person is to the lens and the larger the focus throw, the more likely you’ll need to increase the motor speed to keep up with fast forward and backward movements. However, this is probably less of an issue in typical interview settings.

[@noBfilm]

@@deadendboredom thanks for your answer!

[@ehrinmacksey1855]

i used a usb c cable extender and it works no prob to make the cables longer. Everything works.

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

can't you just buy a longer usb c cable though ?

[@CPSWEDEN]

Using the Fuji xt4 so this thing will always be awesome, haha! Think it will be dope, I’m not filming like you’re demoing the unit… it’s give and take and learn to use the gear you have. Hell I’m using the AF on the xt4 for gods sake ❤😂❤

[@smokeebeefpv]

I didn't know that unscrewing and screwing could be so tense. I am never touching another screwdriver.

[@DespotRus]

Great stuff, keep doing it.

[@NNfabrik]

And don't forget: the hot shoe mount of the Lidar is extremely stupid. I built myself a direct connection to 15mm Rails

[@PNWMOTION]

dude how did you mount that on the fx6?

[@deadendboredom]

@@PNWMOTION In my setup with the FX6 (and other cameras), I attach the sensor to the lens, as this is the optimal position with my lenses to see past the matte box. If I couldn’t attach it to the lens, it would definitely be more complicated, especially due to DJI’s somewhat odd decision to use a cold shoe mount. Does that answer your question, or are you looking for a specific thing with the FX6?

[@PNWMOTION]

@@deadendboredom na just curious how you did it, I have mine on the way and I'm going to use a15mm clamp with rod along with 15mm plate to mount the Lidar too and see how that works but I'm looking for other options in case this doesn't pan out as I really want this to work haha. You're the first person I've seen mount it on the fx6 in a way that I like so far. Also Kondor Blue has a mounting kit that is pre order currently that might be a good option as well. Thanks for the response.

[@riversheppherd121]

i just ordered mine,. but this whole things seems very jank. it might be a return

[@deadendboredom]

@@riversheppherd121 Yeah, give it a try. To be fair, it technically does what it’s supposed to do quite well… if it weren’t for all the little annoying things around it. Let me know what your impression is when you try it out with the expectations you’ve gotten from this video.

[@mauriciolee7349]

Thank DeadEndBoredom for this HONEST & Very DETAILED review of DJI Focus Pro. It helps me make an informed decision of NOT buying this device.

[@deadendboredom]

@@mauriciolee7349 If you don't urgently need autofocus for manual lenses, it might really be worth waiting for the next version or even skipping it altogether… As I mentioned, I specifically highlighted all the negative points, but of course, not everything is negative. I’d be interested to know, what is the decisive factor for you in choosing not to go for it?

[@mauriciolee7349]

@@deadendboredom I'm a green horn when it comes to manual focus. I've have always been using auto focus lenses whenever possible. So far, the only time I use manual focus is when I do macro photography. That's OK but manual focus while shooting videos is too much hassle for me. That's why I have never done it. Now, I want to use anamorphic lenses to create cinematic look in my videos. I guess it's much easier for me to use DJI Focus Pro. However after seeing the long list of obstacles when using that device presented by you plus the high price tag, I've decided it's not worth it.

[@biskero]

all great points! the cables is just plain stupid in addition to the box!

[@deadendboredom]

@@biskero I can somewhat understand why they use USB-C. On one hand, they want to ensure compatibility with gimbals, and on the other, it certainly doesn’t hurt if customers have the impression that it's just simple USB cables that can be easily replaced if they break or if other cables are needed. Fun fact: According to a support representative, they’ve altered the length of the pins in their cables, so regular USB-C cables won’t work. Their reasoning was that they use different voltages, which is why they have their own proprietary cables.

[@biskero]

@@deadendboredom it sounds bs on their side since there are usb-c cables that support up to 200watts now and support all data connection including 8k video. They are just trying to lock in users which sucks because are just cables! It does not make any sense since a cable is just few dollars!

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

@@deadendboredom so how do you buy extra cables that work with this system?

[@deadendboredom]

@@creativegreatsvisuals The only cables that seem to work are male-to-female extension cables. The original cable on the handle, the extension to the sensor.

[@alexlubensky]

That's total bs what they're saying regarding cables. It's the N1 complaint of anyone who did get the unit right out of the box, I've mentioned it in the list of issues on their forum like 3 month ago.

[@alexlubensky]

One can extend the cables using USB-C extension cables (yeah that totally doesn't sound right, but at least one can get them l-shaped and with any length and it does work).

[@deadendboredom]

@@alexlubensky After I released the video, support told me that they had shortened the pins so that regular USB-C cables wouldn’t be compatible. I really hope DJI learns from this, does fewer odd things, and thinks a bit more about practicality.

[@alexlubensky]

@@deadendboredom that’s what regular KZbin reviews call “ecosystem”)) yeah that was an odd move to lock people to use only DJI branded cables. I wouldn’t argue if they had variety of cables and connector shapes, which were robust and good. But…

[@JoATTech]

Thanks for this great review. Now I'm pushing DJI Focus Pro on the end of my "want to buy list". I hate proprietary "usb-c" cables which are really not a standard USB-C cables. I also though this thing has a rosette not this weird mounting nato abomination. LOL at the carrying case. And I've seen somewhere you can have more lens profiles stored, but maybe it was only when you pair it with RS4 gimbal? 🤔 Instant sub for this sarcastic style of mocking shitty design decisions.

[@deadendboredom]

@@JoATTech Thanks! Yes, you can save more than just 3 profiles. I briefly show this towards the end of the video, where those sub-profiles are in the app

[@CrimzonRX]

You can use normal type c cables that support data and power

[@deadendboredom]

@@CrimzonRX Male to male? As shown in the video, I tried various cables, and only a male to female extension worked so far.

[@JoATTech]

Love it :D

[@tvr9757]

trick is it never works in events enviromments...Too chaotic movement even for Sony AF...Manual still king

[@MrJayclas]

PD Movie Lidar system seems to be better and more versatile than this.

[@deadendboredom]

@@MrJayclas It looks more compact, but for me, it would be unusable just because the lidar is in the motor, which would mean that a matte box or physically longer lenses would block the measurement. No active tracking of people and operation with just one button… I see the appeal for small setups and due to the price, but I don't quite understand yet where the system is supposed to be more versatile.

[@chrisyeong]

Whiny

[@deadendboredom]

@@chrisyeong just a bit of gourmet-level salt