– The corresponding model for MOTOR SMART is PD-BTMP-SP, and the corresponding model for MOTOR SMART MINI is PD-BTMP-S.

– The main differences between the two are the motor’s peak power, maximum torque, maximum speed, battery life, and volume. (Refer to the motor performance comparison on the product page for specific details.)They both use the same LiDAR module with the same scanning distance and range. However, due to its higher peak power, MOTOR SMART has a scanning rate of 2-480Hz per second, while MOTOR SMART MINI has a scanning rate of only 2-60Hz.

– MOTOR SMART supports external power input through a Type-C interface, allowing charging while in use. MOTOR SMART MINI does not support this feature.MOTOR SMART has a power on/off function, activated by holding the button for 1 second to power on and holding for 5 seconds to power off. MOTOR SMART MINI does not support this function.

– There is also a difference in the battery packs between MOTOR SMART and MOTOR SMART MINI. MOTOR SMART uses an LI42Bx3 battery pack, while MOTOR SMART MINI uses an LI42Bx2 battery pack.

– In summary, MOTOR SMART has faster focusing speed and more accurate performance.

Please choose the appropriate model kit based on the analysis:

PD-BTMP-S：Even without the controller, the MOTOR SMART MINI can still be easy to setting up and used independently for autofocus function.
If you already have the PDL-TC-AFX controller, congratulations, you can fully access all the features of LIVE AIR 3 SMART PDL-AFX-S or PDL-AFX-RA-S.

PDL-AFX-S: Suitable for lightweight individual filmmakers for regular shooting and live streaming.

PDL-AFX-RA-S: Suitable for small elite team filmmaking studios for regular shooting. The controller can be operated by a single photographer or transformed into a large handwheel for team collaboration.

PDL-AFX-RA-SP: Suitable for users with extreme requirements for focus speed and response speed. It is friendly for special scenes with upgraded shooting of high-speed motion trajectories and lenses with relatively heavy and long damping and stroke. It can meet your focus control needs regardless of scale and production.

The difference between PDL-AFX-S and PDL-AFX-RA-S is only the absence of a large handwheel expansion device.

The motors of PDL-AFX-RA-SP and PDL-AFX-RA-S/PDL-AFX-S are different.

PDL-AFX-RA-SP is equipped with MOTOR SMART, while PDL-AFX-S and PDL-AFX-RA-S are equipped with MOTOR SMART MINI.

All three models can be operated manually or automatically, making focus control easy. Please choose the optimal model kit based on your needs.

For users of PDL-AFX-S and PDL-AFX-RA-S, after completing the autofocus settings, please set the motor speed to the slow speed mode, then start the controller and rotate it to the infinite far focus position, and wait for three seconds.

For users of PDL-AFX-RA-SP, after completing the autofocus settings, please set the motor speed to the medium/slow speed mode, then start the controller and rotate it to the infinite far focus position, and wait for three seconds.

Note: This function is not suitable for narrow shooting environments where the subject is behind and there are other objects in the scanning range. This is because the focus will default to tracking the last object scanned by LiDAR.

The autofocus feature supports most conventional cinema lenses with built-in hard stops. It does not currently support non-hard stop DSLR lenses or certain macro lenses with non-linear progressive magnification.
Electronically controlled lenses with no hard stop focus, if there is a depth of field scale on the focus ring that indicates the focus position, autofocus can still be used. The prerequisite is to manually calibrate the effective focus range of a lens. using the manual lens calibration function, based on the depth of field scale. Additionally, during calibration, it is important to note that SLR lenses with a depth of field scale actually have a very subtle limit that can be surpassed. We can manually calibrate the lens travel based on this subtle limit. Afterwards, autofocus MARK points can be set.

First, calibrate the lens stroke, then activate the autofocus calibration function, and follow the steps to quickly complete the three-point mark method. You can find the autofocus calibration tutorial here:http://www.pdmovie.com/pages/live-air-3-smart-instructions

Each motor can save data for up to 5 lenses. Before calibrating a lens, select the channel color to save the autofocus data for that lens. Double-click the motor button to cycle through 5 channels (red, yellow, green, blue, white). You can use labels to record which lens corresponds to each channel. After restarting the motor, simply set it to the corresponding color channel and perform automatic/manual lens calibration to extract the calibration data for that lens and enable autofocus mode. There is no need to recalibrate, and changing the device will not affect the saved data.

Currently, the autofocus feature does not support focus locking. The motor can independently perform calibration and autofocus actions without the need for interaction with other components or apps. It functions as a wide-area autofocus mode that automatically focuses on objects scanned within the LiDAR’s scanning range. If your shooting scenario involves multiple objects in the foreground and background and you need to switch focus between them without changing the composition, we recommend switching to manual control mode for better control.

Most Matteboxes currently available may obstruct the motor’s LiDAR, making it difficult to use the autofocus function. If you only need to use ND filters or other effect filters instead of shading, there are many convenient lens devices available in the market that can still be used. Alternatively, you can use a rear-mounted VND filter (e.g. MOFAGE POCO) to avoid obstructing the motor’s LiDAR.

The maximum effective range is as follows:
a. Indoor + Nighttime: MAX 4M, with slight variations due to different lighting conditions, ranging from 3.5M.
b. Outdoor, cloudy daytime: 3M to 3.5M.
c. Outdoor, daytime: The distance may be reduced based on different sunlight intensities.
– Light intensity below 10,000: Maximum 3.8 meters.
– Light intensity between 10,000 and 45,000: Maximum 3.8 meters to 3 meters.
– Light intensity between 45,000 and 50,000: Maximum 3 meters to 2.5 meters.
– Light intensity above 70,000: Maximum 2.2 meters.
* As light intensity increases, the scanning angle narrows linearly with increasing distance.
If you wear auxiliary focus stickers or other DIY reflective stickers, both indoors and outdoors, you can ignore the effects of lighting and infrared, with a range of 4M.

Yes, the motor has three speed settings: fast, medium, and slow. You can cycle through the autofocus speed settings by short-pressing the motor button 5 times. It is recommended to use the medium speed for normal autofocus. If you need faster autofocus, you can set it to fast. If you prefer a smoother transition during the autofocus process, you can use the slow speed.

The effective scanning distance of the motor LiDAR is 4 meters, with an angle of 26 degrees. If the scanning range is exceeded, the motor will enter a low-power energy-saving mode and automatically move to and stay at a position on the lens scale approximately 5 meters away. If no objects are detected within 5 seconds, the motor will automatically move to and stay at a position on the lens scale approximately 30 meters away, close to infinity. When an object re-enters the scanning range, the motor will immediately resume normal autofocus operation from the low-power energy-saving mode.

LIVE AIR 3 SMART has the same wireless follow focus capabilities as LIVE AIR 3. Additionally, it has an embedded LiDAR distance measurement module and AI lens model virtual technology, enabling it to have autofocus functionality.
For more details about the wireless follow focus feature, you can find more information here:www.pdmovie.com/pages/liveair3