LensShifter Red - Balanced Focus and Zoom Grip for DSLR and Mirrorless Camera Lens - (Red)

I've bought several of these for different cameras. They're great for both focus and zoom. Simple to attach, and effortless -- but really $25 for a piece of plastic and some nylon. Not an easy DIY so I keep buying them, but this is at best a $4 item marked up by 100%. Shame on LensShifter -- and then getting different colors is a major chore. They're making money hand over fist, so why not offer more colors? Why different colors? Because when you are directing camera operators, it would be nice to say -- "Camera 1 -- go blue (red, white, green, etc) to zoom 90 and focus white ...at mark ___ ".

It took me less than 5 minutes to figure out how to mount and secure this handle onto one of my best lenses. This is very well made and not a cheap piece of junk like other focus pullers I've used (yes that's the official old school term).The degree of fine control over focus is a game changer for video. It's essential for older manual focus lenses not originally designed for cinema work. I see a lot of people complain about the price of these, but you get what you pay for.Remember you don't need to install the counter weight that is included. It's useful on more modern AF lenses that are badly made for manual focus/zoom and tend to drift out of position if a breeze blows. I use the focus shifter exclusively for my top quality manual focus lenses and it secures to them perfectly with no focus drift. Mileage will vary depending on your lens.This won't fit all lenses! You need to have a nice fat focusing ring on the lens so it can grip. It does NOT work on my 7 Artisans 35mm f/1.2 lens due to the very narrow focus ring. However that lens is good for manual focus so not as necessary. A lens focus ring with a minimum 10mm width or greater is ideal.I really wish I had bought the multi pack of these now. I'm sure I will be purchasing more Focus Shifters to have on other lenses I use a lot. And yes you can definitely use this handheld.

The LensShifter consists of a four-inch plastic rod and an elastic band. You place the elastic band around the lens' focusing ring and twist the plastic rod to secure it around the lens. This is a super easy and quick process that ensures that the LensShifter fits snugly on your camera.The LensShifter acts as a lever to make focusing easier and arguably more accurate. In practice, it worked beautifully when my camera was secured on a tripod. The LensShifter allowed me to change focus from the foreground to background and vice versa with little effort. A great part of the LenShifter's design is a counterweight that is on the elastic band that ensures that the weight of the LensShifter doesn't accidentially change your focus even when the camera is left unattended.My feelings were more mixed when using the LensShifter without a tripod. When using a lighter lens, it's relatively easy to hold your camera with your dominant hand and then manipulate the LensShifter with your other hand. However, the LensShifter is more difficult to use when you're using your non-dominant hand as a base for the camera. I tend to use this type of camera grip, and I found that with this grip I had to loosen and reposition the LensShifter often.I'm still giving the LensShifter Five Stars, because for $25 it's such a great value. It's one of those gadgets that will make your life so much easier in many scenarios, and although it's not perfect for all situations I think this was still a good buy. It's also small enough so you can take it anywhere without even thinking about it.

Looks silly, works great. It's a very simple lever, but allows you to move through a wide range of zoom or focus with one fluid movement - useful for smooth video. The colored ball on the end looks like something from playskool but is easily visible even in peripheral vision while looking at your evf. The silly color serves a purpose, but still looks silly and more like a toy than a tool.The belt is snugged around the lens barrel by twisting the colored ball, a lot. The thread pitch is very very very small, so every turn of the knob only loosens or tightens the belt a very small amount. This can be annoying when adding or removing this from a lens - but it has an important purpose. The shallow pitch is almost flat, so that when you let go and the belt is snugged around your lens, it stays there. A steeper pitch would tend to work it's way loose as you use it but that doesn't happen when the threads are nearly flat. They just stay tight, perfect.

I have both the blue and the red version. I like them. I found them easy to adjust and control. These are a bit more expensive than some others, but I think they are worth it. They are solid and operate well. I don't think I need the balance, but I actually like that it's there. I think it gives a little more weight to the adjustment.

The LensShifter is a genuine product, with it's ease of use giving an authentic feel. I like how easy it is to switch through lenses and breaks down fast for a smooth work flow on the go.

Simple idea and works well but too long and bulky and not as easy to put on and take off as could be, because of the counterweight and the screw mechanism. Found another solution that is more compact not as obtrusive and works just as well. This thing may be more appropriate to heavier rigs where you really need the leverage of such a long handle and the counterweight?

Is this product a bit overpriced? Absolutely, but if you can catch it on sale for $15-20 dollars (like I did) than I highly suggest picking on up. Personally, I wanted a focus puller without the need to have a big rig with mounting pipes attached to my camera. I do alot of run and gun videography work and this was the perfect solution for me. It feels well built and the metal weight included with the kit makes pulling focus smooth and easy. My only complaint is the attachment process (twisting the top knob on the red handle) is slow and time consuming for quick lens swaps.