Tilta Nucleus Nano II Wireless Follow Focus (IBC 2023)

During IBC 2023 we visited the Tilta booth and had a chance to play with the new Tilta Nucleus Nano II wireless follow focus system and ask some questions about its design and features.

Tilta Nucleus Nano II

Just prior to IBC Tilta introduced the second generation of its compact follow focus system – the Tilta Nucleus Nano. The new iteration has improvements and new features in almost every aspect compared to the original version.

The most visible change is the new round 1.6″ touchscreen/dial with a new interface which includes multiple screens for controlling different aspects of the unit. It comes with both USB-C connectivity (compared to micro-USB on the older version) and Bluetooth & 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

The new Tilta Nucleus Nano II in IBC 2023

There are many improvements in the Nano II including easy setup of A/B points, the option to lock the screen or toggle between auto and manual focusing, and maybe one of the highlights – camera control (depending on the brand and model).

The hand wheel can control two motors and the upcoming hand grip will add 2 more allowing the user to control focus, Iris, zoom, and even an ND as demonstrated to us during IBC. The Nano II is designed to store data on specific lenses, which lenses are supported, and how well this will work we will have to test for ourselves if and when we get a unit for testing.

The wheel has a built-in battery and so is the hand grip (together up to 20h). What we didn’t like is the fact that the motors still lack a built-in battery (on the plus side it can be powered via USB C now). It would be nice to see a battery accessory with several USB-C ports and a 15mm rod attachment.

Color-coded motors – Nucleus Nano II

Pricing and availability

The Tilta Nucleus Nano II is sold on Amazon starting at $300 (the handle and more kits should be available later this year).

Ensure not to miss any of our IBC 2023 videos and articles on our special show coverage page.

Special thanks to our sponsors for IBC 2023: SmallRig, Ulanzi, Godox, Zhiyun.

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.