Kessler Digital Jog Control for Wireless Focus with Second Shooter Plus

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by Olaf von VossMarch 7^th, 2018

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If you are already using Kessler’s motion control gear, such as the Second Shooter Plus Kit, you may sometimes want to manually adjust your focus axis for certain shots. The Kessler Digital Jog Control is the solution.

The Kessler Digital Jog Control is basically a remote follow focus control. It’s designed to work seamlessly with your existing Kessler gear, namely the Second Shooter Plus kit and the Cineslider.

Adding a Second Camera

Working with the Second Shooter kit can up your game when working with just a small crew. The system works similar to the One Man Crew Director system by Redrock Micro or the Edelkrone Slider Plus with attached Target Module. With these systems you can easily add a second camera to your setup which keeps your subject in focus while moving back and forth smoothly.

While the track, tilt and pan axis can be programmed to cater for your needs in the given shot, the focus axis is a different thing. If you’re shooting an interview with a relatively fixed subject, focus won’t be an issue but if you’re setting up a shot with lots of movement in it (think sports or a moving subject in a scene) focus becomes an issue.

Kessler Digital Jog Control

With the Kessler Digital Jog Control you can seperate the focus axis from the automated and programmed setup. The unit connects via wi-fi to the control unit of the Second Shooter (Plus version only). Once the Kessler Digital Jog Control is connected, you can control one of the F.I.Z (focus, iris or zoom) axes manually, enabling a more creative workflow. Watch the official intro video below:

The unit itself offers a sturdy built quality. The Jog controller has a built-in battery and you can attach a MagPak battery for extended runtime. All you need to get this up and running is a Kessler Slider Plus, a CineDrive F.I.Z. motor V3 and an adapter cable. Note: When using the Kessler Digital Jog Control with the Second Shooter Plus, you can’t use the Digital Control Center by Kessler since the Second Shooter Plus controller needs to be set to wireless.

Of course you can use this setup for your shoulder rig, too. Just mount the Second Shooter Plus with FIZ motor and adapter cable on your shoulder mount rig and have your assistant pull focus so you can prioritize on composition and story.

You also can use the Jog Controller with the Kessler CineDrive but only as a fly-by-wire add-on.

The Competition

The Kessler Digital Jog Control might be a great addition if you’re already using the Kessler ecosystem. Otherwise there are quite a few universal options to choose from. Namely the Tilta Nucleus-M ($1200) or Nucleus-N ($399) systems or more expensive models such as the cmotion cPRO.

Tilta Nucleus-N

The Kessler Digital Jog Control only works with Kessler gear but it works seamlessly with it so if you’re a Kessler user already, this is for you. It retails for $799.95 and can be purchased from Kessler directly.

Links: Kesslercrane.com

Do you use Kessler products? What do you think of this addition to their lineup? Let us know in the comments below!