The JTZ and Fotga products!

Today, let’s take a quick look at the JTZ product brand.

The JTZ brand is quite new as of today. From what we know, this is the “Pro” line of the Fotga products. For those of you who are reticent to buy that product brand, let’s say that the product I’ve tested is surprisingly good! Sure, like in anything else, there’s a certain product range in term of price and quality. The entry level, like in anything else, is or feels, entry level.

But on the higher end products, and let’s take the example of the , is a 200$ USD follow focus.

While this might not be as affordable as the :

Let’s face the fact that we’re comparing the two follow focus attachment, in two different product category. The Neweer is an entry level and the Fotga MkIII is more of a semi-pro one. Semi-pro, as I would say that, if taken care of, it could easily be used on a daily basis on shoots. I would not say the same thing of the Neweer. As for the built quality, both are made of aluminum, the Neweer still feels cheaper and poorly made compared to the Fotga. Poorly made, like the gearbox which have a little play (about 0.5mm up to 1.0mm). This is something you usually don’t want on a Follow Focus. You want something precise, that is smooth to ensure you have full control on your focus. With the Fotga, that’s not an issue. The gearbox seems to be of a very high quality, there’s ABSOLUTELY no play…like not at all! It’s precise, it has dampening control, to add or lose some restriction on the wheel. The DP500 MkIII also has a quick snap-on bracket, so you don’t have to remove anything on the rails in order to install it. This is something that you won’t find on an entry level Follow Focus.

 

So, all that to say, the Fotga being the Semi-Pro line, and the JTZ, feels quite like the PRO line, in an affordable price range.
So far, I’ve had the chance to get my hands on the :

It’s a 455$ USD mattebox. This is not a cheap purchase, but again, we’re talking of a Pro-Line! There’s plenty of alternatives if you don’t plan to use it extensively on an everyday basis, like some entry level ones from :

…which has interesting features and is only 105$ USD. It all depends on what you need out of a mattebox.

 

From what I’ve seen and read about the JTZ other products, there’s a Follow Focus that seems quite comparable to the SHAPE WLB Follow Focus PRO, which sells for about 1,200$ USD:

 

…while the , sells for about 850$ USD:

So, it’s almost half the price of the SHAPE (which IS a pro line of products), for something that seems to be of a very close built quality, if I compare the built with the DP300 MkIII.
So, the JTZ line of product is definitively one to keep an eye onto, as it’s a step above the Fotga in terms of built quality and durability. It’s still within an affordable price range, the 4×4 DP30 Mattebox being about the same price and featuring better quality and features than the :

 

In conclusion, stay alert for more posts and product reviews as we’re always trying to get the best gear for the price!