Focusbug OV1 Cine RT Overlay Module Announced – Focus Distance Readouts on Any Monitor

Accessory News

by Francesco AndreolaJune 5^th, 2024

Focusbug has just unveiled the OV1 Cine RT Overlay Module, a small device that will soon complete their advanced Cine RT ecosystem for focus pullers. This new hardware component allows users to reference focus and subject distance readouts on any SDI or HDMI monitor. Let’s take a look!

The Focusbug Cine RT is a high-end set of assist tools designed to make 1st ACs’ lives easier on set. The system currently consists of an ultrasonic rangefinder measuring device, a handset control unit, a bright LED display showcasing distance data, and wearable ultrasonic transmitters (called “bugs”) to be placed on your subjects.

With the addition of the OV1 module, camera assistants will soon be able to check critical focus, lens, and system data directly superimposed on their focus monitor, regardless of its brand, without having to look away from the shot.

Focusbug OV1 Cine RT Overlay Module – features

The new Focusbug OV1 Cine RT Overlay Module is a compact (88x75x36mm / 3.46×2.95×1.41in) and lightweight (280g/.61lbs) device equipped with a 3G-SDI input, a 3G-SDI output, HDMI 2.1 out, and 12V power in.

Seamlessly integrating with the other components of the Cine RT ecosystem, the OV1 module can output a 1920×1080 user-customizable interface overlay displaying lens, camera, and Cine RT system data to any SDI or HDMI monitor. This is pretty interesting since – unlike other similar systems, like the Teradek RT/SmallHD integration, for example – it doesn’t lock you into a specific monitoring solution.

The system is compatible with any lens control system supporting serial metadata output, such as ARRI, Preston, c motion, and Heden units. Once the system is set up, focus pullers can reference useful information – such as focus and subject distance, markers, depth of field, Cine RT settings, and more – directly on their focus monitor.

For example, the system can simultaneously display the camera-to-subject distance measured by the Cine RT rangefinder and Ultrasonic Bug Transmitter while also showcasing your lens’ focus distance on a virtual focus ring, whose position, size, color, opacity, and unit of measurement (metric/imperial) can be customized to be less distracting or more visible while pulling focus.

The same degree of customization applies to the look of focus markers. These appear automatically on the focus ring as soon as you add them using the Cine RT handset or the lens control system hand unit.

The OV1 also makes it possible to use the new Line Mode, which uses lines striking the picture horizontally to create a visual relationship between your lens’ focus position and the distance of your subjects.

The overlay settings of the OV1 need to be configured using the Cine RT handset, but the OV1 unit also has physical buttons to quickly output a clean feed or switch between different overlay presets. Other advanced options, such as setting rangefinder limits, are also available.

Price and availability

There’s currently no official information on the price of the Focusbug OV1 CineRT Overlay Module. According to the company, the product should be officially released in Q4 2024.

A prototype of the device will be on display at the company’s booth (#236) during the upcoming Cine Gear Expo in Los Angeles (June 7th-9th). Make sure to stay tuned to CineD for our show coverage.

For more information, please visit Focusbug’s website here.

Have you ever used the Focusbug Cine RT system on set? What do you think of this new addition to the family? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!