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Blackmagic Zoom and Focus demand

Control​

The goal of this integration is to provide zoom and focus input to your RIO/NIO/RCP.

We also map the buttons to allow you to control the video feedback signal (allows the cameraman to switch on a single monitor between its own camera, live feed, other camera with wide angle, etc.)

It allows you to control any lens that Cyanview is able to control:

  • lens driven directly by the camera (through the protocol)
  • external lens (B4, PL, etc.)
  • motors (tilta, etc.)

And thanks to our IP architecture, the handles can be placed:

  • on the camera with a RIO/RIO-live (cameraman, polecam operator, etc.)
  • in a remote location with a NIO (cable cam, etc.)

This gives you more flexibility (various lens, even the ones that can't support handles like prime lens or E-mount, various workflow and setup thanks to IP) while keeping the same control that you are used to with typical handles plugged directly on the lens (fujinon/canon handles).

Wiring​

Here is an example of a setup with a FX9 and a cine lens that we motorise with tilta motors:

  • lens : RIO will drive the 3 Tilta motors (zoom, focus, iris) over serial.
  • camera : RIO will drive the FX9 over Ethernet (using a USB dongle bridging both and acting as an ethernet switch)
  • handles : Blackmagic handles are plugged on RIO over USB.
note

Works also with motorised lens:

  • through the camera (E-mount on FX9, B4 on a broadcast camera, etc.)
  • through the lens (Canon Cine Servo, Fujinon Cabrio, B4 broadcast, etc.)

Setup​

You can wire the zoom and focus together:

  • USB-C to USB-C cable from Focus cam port to Zoom loop port
  • USB-C to USB-A cable from Zoom cam port to RIO/NIO/RCP

Or separately using 2 USB-C to USB-A cables (one for each).

Configure your camera, lens, etc. as usual. Then in your camera configure (in the right panel), in the User controllers section, you will find the Blackmagic handles controllers (BMFocus and BMZoom):

Ensure you selected both (they should be listed in the User controllers section).

If paired properly, the LED of the handles should be steady white.

Video return configuration​

You first need to setup your:

  • handles
  • switcher/router

Then you can follow this guide to link the handles buttons to the switcher/router desired inputs/output.

Buttons mapping​

  1. VTR
  2. RET1
    • Long press : Switch zoom speed encoder to iris control
    • 3 x short press : Switch zoom rocker to focus speed
    • Long press : Switch zoom speed encoder to focus control
    • 3 x short press : Switch zoom rocker to iris
  5. Long press : calibrate zoom rocker (zero position)
note

To ensure that the long-press action has been validated, keep the button pressed for at least 5 seconds.

If the Zoom is drifting, the calibration must be done by long-pressing the button number 5.

From the field​

BM handles on a Canon Cine Servo and RED Komodo​

Footnotes​

  1. RIO is powered by D-DTAP, connected to the cam using USB Ethernet dongle. And to the RCP using the onboard Ethernet (no need for an additional switch, we can bridge both networks). ↩

  2. CY-CBL-6P-B4-01 is used to connect the RIO to the lens (Canon Cine Servo) using the 12pin port (data + power). Here, RIO takes control of zoom, focus and iris. BM handles can then act on zoom and focus, while RCP can paint and control the iris. ↩