35mm adapter recommendations

[Adrian Correia]

hey guys...I need a 35mm adapter for my friend's HVX200....

biggest considerations

1. image quality
2. image flipped in camera
3. low light loss

thanks!

Also - I believe someone in Canada was marketing a 35mm adapter with virtually no light loss....ring a bell?

[Desert Rune]

For:

1. The SGPro 3. If you order now, it won't ship until Oct.

2. The Letus35 FE (Flip Enhanced). Reports from the field is that it is not very well built.

3. The Brevis35. The adapter only loses 1/2 stop according to Cinevate. Once you factor in camera-zoom and the 35mm lens, the entire setup loses 1 to 1 1/2 stops.

[Dominique Grenier]

You might also want to look at this thread (http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3078)...

[Poi Boy]

Things to know about adapters... they all lose tons of light (common sense, don't believe hype) If it flips itself it is more expensive and they are all more or less the same in image quality. You can always wait for the new one that is coming out next month but it won't be any better...see previous points. Having said that they give you the coolest images you can get on a non film budget, pick one and learn to use it.
Good luck !
Aloha
-A

[Ken Willinger]

I have the Cinevate Brevis35 adapter and use it with an HVX200. I have Canon F lenses for it. I've been very satisfied with it. I find that light loss is minimal (less than a stop). I'm able to use it without rails (though rails are recommended) and there are a couple options for the ground glass. The image is flipped so you have to monitor the image on an upside down monitor. The price is very reasonable. I don't have any experience with the other low cost adapters available.
Here's a short scene from a weekends only indie I'm working on using it outdoors (the compression really sucks). My matte box wasn't working so I had no ND's available...and really needed them!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7978242038215652705

[Michael Schrengohst]

I think the RED will be the ultimate 35MM Adapter!
I have used the redrock. Most of the adapters
will give (I think) an acceptable image if the post
stays SD. Once you actually have to deliver
something in HD the image quality of video
shot with adapters and 1/3" CCD cameras
really drops of the charts.

[Bruce Allen]

I think the RED will be the ultimate 35MM Adapter!
I have used the redrock. Most of the adapters
will give (I think) an acceptable image if the post
stays SD. Once you actually have to deliver
something in HD the image quality of video
shot with adapters and 1/3" CCD cameras
really drops of the charts.

It's not QUITE that bad.

You've seen the tests Matt Garrett and I did, right?
http://www.freshdv.com/2007/06/nikon-lens-tests-with-the-sgpro-35mm-adapter-and-hvx200.html

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

[Michael Schrengohst]

Yes, I saw that. I still don't like the image
quality produced with the adapters.
The biggest problem is the 1/3" chip
camera sensors can get too grainy
if enough light is not present.
Here is a sample timelapse from
a show I am working on. The production
company that hired me is shooting the
regular motion stuff with an HVX at 1080
24p. They were not happy with the timelapses
they were doing with the HVX.

http://www.mediafire.com/?7zd0z2n4od9

[Bruce Allen]

Yes, I saw that. I still don't like the image
quality produced with the adapters.
The biggest problem is the 1/3" chip
camera sensors can get too grainy
if enough light is not present.

Very true! I am compensating for this by getting some lights with the money I saved... bought a used 1.2K Arri HMI the other day.

I do agree that there is a loss of resolution and that full 1080p delivery, say, would be tricky. Your content would have to be compelling enough to make people forget the slight lack of sharpness. I hope mine will be!

Anyway, if you want me to post full-res stills from my tests with the SGpro, HV20 and HVX200, let me know. Give me a few days though - I am still trying to get honor my last test footage delivery promises!

By the way, why are you shooting timelapse with an HVX200, not a digital still camera? Workflow?

Cheers

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

[Michael Schrengohst]

Look at that demo I posted, that was shot with my Nikon D200.
I think most of the shots were with my 12MM to 24MM lens.
The production company that hired me was shooting some timelapses
with the HVX but they were not happy with the results. Of course
they keep asking me when I am getting my RED. Their clients
were impressed with the Nikon Timelapses. The finished videos
will be playing off of HD servers in a media conference room.
I am not sure what projector they were using but it looked very good.

[Bruce Allen]

Look at that demo I posted, that was shot with my Nikon D200.

Yeah, still camera timelapses all the way... Video looks good.

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

[Michael Schrengohst]

Thanks, We did side by side comparisions and it was
no contest. The quality from the Nikon even blows
away CineAlta. So I figured that RED will blow the
Nikon quality out of the water as well. You know the
Nikon D200 has a Sony sensor......

[Adrian Correia]

bruce - that footage looks fantastic! Very nicely done....have a lot more research to do....thanks for all the help guys!

[Poi Boy]

dslrs really make for good timelapse...I'm really looking forward to Red witch will be about the same quality. combine it with moco and then we can really have some exciting footage.
aloha
-A

[Michael Schrengohst]

We are all over that, we have a reservation for Curts MoCo head.
Looking for some used sticks with a Mitchell head now!!

[mjeppsen]

Slightly OT...

Red Guy, what are using to trigger your Nikon DSLR? Or does the D200 have a built in intervalometer? I've not yet found a satisfactory solution for my D70.

[Michael Schrengohst]

Matt,
I went from the D70 to the D200. The D200 has a built in
interval timer that works better than any computer
system you could record to. We usually shoot medium
res on an 8 gig CF card. Once we get the RED and some
of those RED CF cards will will try an all RAW workflow.
The RED may do much of what we are doing with the Nikon.
I will be interested to see how the slow I can get the
shutter speeds on the RED.

[Matt Garrett]

Turns out the test footage from the sgpro did have the old ground glass. The new one should be in next week. It should have better bokeh rendition.

[Justin Kirchhoff]

Adrian, I suggest that you DON'T get the Letus35 w/ flip enhancement. I'm shooting a feature on it right now, and although it produces pretty great images, I lose about 3-4 stops of light. The iris is wide open on the HVX and on the Nikon 50mm, but damn, does that sucker eat light.