SmallRig’s new Wireless Follow Focus Kit provides low-budget remote control

SmallRig has announced its new Wireless Follow Focus Kit (Lite), or “4296”, to avoid confusion in the SmallRig lineup. It’s a low-budget kit at only $169, that appears to offer a good level of precision and control.

It boasts up to 21 hours of use, thanks to its built-in 1,400mAh, with sweat-resistant silicone on the handle for long-term use in higher temps. Calibration settings are stored even during power-loss. That will be very handy!

SmallRig Wireless Follow Focus Kit (Lite) 4296

This isn’t the first wireless follow-focus kit SmallRig has produced, hence the new “Lite” moniker. The first was the MagicFiz Wireless Follow Focus System ($239+), launched in 2022. The new 4296 kit is a cut down interpretation of that for those with lower demands.

Not all of us are shooting on film sets with a huge crew. Sometimes, it’s just you in a room with a camera. And for times like these, less expensive – if not quite as full-featured – alternatives can be perfect. SmallRig still says it has low latency, though, so you shouldn’t see too much lag when you spin the wheel.

It supports USB-PD and QC fast charging protocols, with up to 21 hours of standby time, ready to go at a moment’s notice. SmallRig says they’ve designed the controls to be intuitive and user-friendly, to help you get up and running as quickly as possible.

And if you’ve got big heavy cinema lenses or old manual focus glass, don’t worry. It offers around 4.3kg of force per square centimetre – This is around 61PSI. So, it’s got the power to turn those heavy metal rings.

As an aside, I do find it a little amusing that SmallRig chose to use an image of an ESP8266 microcontroller development board to illustrate a generic USB-PD charging board. I would say it’s highly unlikely there’s an ESP8266 inside this thing. And if there is, it certainly isn’t controlling USB charging protocols.

If wireless follow-focus units are a bit too high tech for you, SmallRig still makes manual mechanical ones. Like last year’s SmallRig M60 modular follow focus unit ($127.20).

Price and Availability

The SmallRig Wireless Follow Focus Kit (Lite) 4296 is available to buy now for $169.99 and items have already begun shipping.