HV20 + Letus35 FE - stills from short

[andoguru]

Hey guys,

I shot some footage with my HV20 + Letus35FE the other day. Here are some stills from it. They are pretty low resolution, but you can see the shallow dof. Still getting the hang of the setup and using the Letus35FE.

I used a Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 lens, 1/48 with the camera at f2.6.

http://joethejerk.com/hv20/Alan2.jpg

http://joethejerk.com/hv20/Alan6.jpg

I'll post some video when I finish editing.

Thanks,
andoguru

[Drew Ott]

I understand that these are uncorrected but I think these would look better with a little more contrast; unless you meant to have a somewhat flat look.

The shallow DoF looks good.

[andoguru]

Hey,

Yeah, they are uncorrected right now. They could do with some contrast and saturation.

I'll probably repost them with cc once I get into editing it.

Thanks.

[Drew Ott]

Awesome. I look forward to seeing them.

[deedive]

your have a really good exposure, histogram is basically perfect. So i couldnt help myself.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/16107/1190534510.jpg

[PaPa]

yeah, looks really great. But whats this dirty dark corner vignetting going on? :(


wait wait... please tell me thats from tree shading! :)

[andoguru]

Hey,

The top right I believe is actually a tree branch, but in the bottom right I believe there is a little bit of vignetting going on. I'm still learning how to use the adapter well, hopefully, that won't happen anymore.

Thanks for the color correction...looks very good. I'll have to get your cc notes and maybe use that for the whole project :laugh:

Thanks for the comments guys.

Ando

[andoguru]

Hey guys,

I have a cut of about half of the short. Right now, I have it just to music I had on my computer, but it will probably change. Still haven't shot the rest of the short, but hopefully will shoot it this week or the next.

Here is the large version (113mbs): http://www.cromagnumfilms.com/video/Burning2.mov

Small version, bad compression (15mbs): http://www.cromagnumfilms.com/video/Burning.mov

Any comments welcome.

Thanks,
Ando

[PappasArts]

Thank you Ando for sharing your footage!

Pappas

[Ian-T]

Ando...great job. It looks very good. Can't wait to see the final product.

Edit: You did something different to it? I viewed it earlier today (around noon) and at 7:25 p.m. tonight. There sems to be something different...not only in the colors but there was a part where the subject smiled when looking at the windmill and picture back and forth...it sems like you took that out...I particulary liked that shot.

[PaPa]

nice footage, but i couldnt help but notice that the adapter wasnt vibrating? The ground glass was very noticeable. did you not have it on?

[andoguru]

Hey guys,

Thanks for looking. The the ground glass was vibrating, but the lens shade that I had on was inadequate for blocking extraneous light and it actually makes the ground class slightly visible. So I need to invest in a proper mattebox and maybe ND filters. I didn't know that this was a problem with 35mm adapters when I was shooting because I couldn't tell through the LCD. Live and learn.

Ian-t: I actually haven't changed the two videos I posted at all. They should be identical however the smaller of the two has pretty bad compression that could lend to the color looking different and the shot of the man smiling at the windmill might be as clear with the poor compression.

Thanks,
Ando

[PaPa]

are you ABSOLUTELY sure that the GG was vibrating, because i was staring at areas of the image while the video was going, and i assure you, there was no motion at all. ill take some stills to show ya if need be?

at 30 seconds, the white sheet shows the ground glass, making it seem static. i could see a pattern that wasnt moving.

When we go in for a closer look at the white sheet, this effect is amplified.

[marketmd]

Visuals are fantastic for an HV20. Interesting story almost makes me want to know much more...but I found actor not engaging enough. We don't know if it was his child or another's who apparently perished in a house fire, but I think the actor should portray some more emotion, either with tears or eye intensity (close ups would help with this), or flawed movements which betray mental anguish. I am confident this will build as you continue. Excellent work. Can't wait to see more.

I agree w/ PaPa, GG is clearly visible in the sky.

[PaPa]

im simply worried, because if that is what the letus is capable of with the vibration on, what kind of problems might we run into with the new extreme ( even though it is a finer grain )

[andoguru]

I'm absolutely sure the GG was vibrating. It is actually more grainy when off and looks more like grain. One factor maybe that I was using rechargeable batteries in it that are a little weaker then standard AA's. They are 1.2v instead of 1.5v but it didn't seem to vibrate any slower or faster.

I talked to the original owner of this Letus35 FE and he said that you can sometimes see the GG if you are outside in really bright light and don't have a mattebox. He said that I could help get rid of it with ND filters or stopping down, but that having a mattebox was probably the biggest thing.

I was doing some tests last night in my house and I tried a different lens. I used a 50mm f1.8 nikon and all the grain seemed to disappear in my tests. Then I put on the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 to see if I could see the grain, but I could not see any of the grain still. I chalk it up to being in a lot lower light than when I shoot outside before.

I'll try to do some tests outside today to see if I can reproduce this grain and fix the problem. Also, I'll try the 50mm nikon outside since the footage from the short was done only with the Tamron.

Papa, please post those stills where you see the grain present if you can. That would give us and everyone else something to reference.

Thanks,
Ando

[andoguru]

Hey marketmd,

I have other takes of all the shots so I can use some other more expressive takes. Right now, I actually want to keep it ambiguous about who died in the fire, but just to let the audience know that someone did died and this man feels anguish about it.

I think it will be explained more with the rest of the footage when I shoot it. It's great to get these comments now because it will help me when shooting to make sure I get the shots I need.

Thanks,
Ando

[PaPa]

it was silly of me to say grabs, what you need to look at is motion. If you go between 39 seconds and 44 seconds, the grain is clearly visible on the sheet of paper. Because the actor moves the paper ever so slightly, it givesa great example of the static GG element. The grainy pattern stays quite still as the paper moves under it, as if it were a transparent layer beneath something still. kinda like wearing glasses with small marks on the lenses. The marks stay where they are, but everything else moves.

[Ian-T]

it was silly of me to say grabs, what you need to look at is motion. If you go between 39 seconds and 44 seconds, the grain is clearly visible on the sheet of paper. Because the actor moves the paper ever so slightly, it givesa great example of the static GG element. The grainy pattern stays quite still as the paper moves under it, as if it were a transparent layer beneath something still. kinda like wearing glasses with small marks on the lenses. The marks stay where they are, but everything else moves.I agree with you Papa. This is one of the first things I noticed when watching the clip (the static ground glass' grain moving with every pan). The overall picture looks great however...but until now I thought this was done on purpose.

[marketmd]

No problem, ando...look forward to what you come up with next. I too enjoy this process. Together we help each other.

Now as to your HV20 settings...can you give us a rundown?

1. How hard to get HV20 focused on Letus GG each time?
2. What settings used on HV20 (24p/Cine...or did you use Barry's cell phone trick?)
3. NLE used and pulldown removal method
4. Lighting/filters used, if any

Thanks

[andoguru]

Hey guys,

I'll have to upload a couple stills of the gg off and then on. The static grain is different from this grain we are seeing. I know the exact grain you are talking about on the shot of the paper. There is definitely a "grain" like pattern that is the gg but not static grain. It is actually moving, but giving the same consistent pattern while moving.

Getting the HV20 to focus on the GG was pretty easy. It can do it by itself on autofocus then I switch to manual focus to lock it. I used 1/48th shutter (TVmode i think) and used a bright source of light to lock the aperture with the greatest latitude of adjustment. It was 24p.

I removed the pulldown with TMPGenc express 4.03 and edited in Sony Vegas 7.0.

Lighting was all natural. I had a UV filter on the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 lens that I used.

Thanks for all the comments guys. I'll try to get those stills of the gg on and off up.

Thanks,
Ando

[marketmd]

Did you capture using TMPGenc express as well?

[andoguru]

I captured through Sony Vegas.

[marketmd]

In TMPG, how do you remove the pulldown? I am used to overly complex interfaces, and TMPG is an overly simple one.

[andoguru]

Hey,

It's fairly simple once you get a template setup. And it can batch process as well. Here are all the details:

http://hv20.com/showthread.php?t=1417

So the grain pattern is still persistent with my 50mm and I even made a makeshift Mattebox which didn't seem to help too much.

I'm a little worried now since I have a music to video to shoot on Thursday.

Anyone have any ideas what is might be. The gg was on and vibrating...maybe new batteries? Light Leak into Letus35 FE housing??

Laters,
Ando

[Oynk]

I could be wrong, but it looked like smearing on the 35mm lens. It looked like the view through my glasses when the antireflective coating starts to streak.

Question: Did you use more than one still lens? There are a couple of shots that I cant see any of this 'grain'. I was wondering if the front or back of one of your film lenses is was cleaned with something that left streaks on it.

Just a guess really. Good luck.

[andoguru]

Hey,

Thanks for the reply Onyk. The lens and uv filters on the lens I used is clean. I thought the same thing and used a different lens today and go the same result pretty much.

Here are a couple pics of the gg on and off:

This is off:http://www.cromagnumfilms.com/images/GGoff.jpg




This is on:

http://www.cromagnumfilms.com/images/GGon.jpg


I can still see the grain pattern in the 'gg on' version as well. I used a makeshift mattebox to cut out light today but still the same thing results. I'll post a little clip of video with movement so it can be seen.

It seems to be harder to see sometimes depending on when aperture I set it at, but it still seems to be there.

THanks,
ANdo

[andoguru]

Hey,

I might have figured out the problem.

I went all out and took the whole Letus35 FE apart to clean it out and just to get a little more familiar with it.

So I got it all back together and then I tried a different set of batteries instead of the rechargeables and it seemed to vibrate quite a bit stronger so that helped some.

Then I went back and read the Letus35 Flip Enhanced article that Jason wrote and configured the Letus more accurately by zooming in quite a bit more to get the right 35mm Film frame. This helps because the grain moves quicker because I'm zoomed in closer to it.

I haven't tried it in super bright sunlight, but I think with my DIY mattebox it will hopefully take care of the problem.

Thanks for all your help and interest.

I post more of the short once I shoot and finish editing.

THanks,
Ando

[marketmd]

Ando-

How do you pull focus...do you have an external monitor?

[bobv]

This is one of the best things I have seen posted here. Excellent job.

As a side note, I think that some of the shots when he is coming through the tunnel kill the pace of it all, but that's just me.

Excellent work regardless.

[ESTEBEVERDE]

your have a really good exposure, histogram is basically perfect. So i couldnt help myself.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/16107/1190534510.jpg

Brilliant!!!

[Joseph Stunzi]

your have a really good exposure, histogram is basically perfect. So i couldnt help myself.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/16107/1190534510.jpg

I feel this is when the gap between indie filmmaking and hollywood starts to narrow largely!

[ramdop]

ando

the letus has a week point on bright and white object

so you can see this "swirl" of the GG on of the things is that the legs of the motor attached to the gg are glowed with hot glow and maybe on of them got loss and you need to glow it again i had the same problem with my letus i sent a pic of the gg block to Quyen Le from letus and he show me which one leg is loss so i put a drop of hot glue and problem solved!!!!

you can see my clips all of them shot with v-1 &letus35fe

best set the focus is turn of the GG put the 35mm lens at f/stop 16 then you can see clear the GG then focus on it and lock it

www.myspace.com/ramdp

[andoguru]

Hey Guys,

I just got back from shooting a music video for a friend in LA with my HV20 + Letus35 FE.

I figured out that the static grain problem I was having is a common problem with vibrating DOF adapters where you have the shutter set too high or have the lens closed down too far. To get around it I maintained a 1/48 or 1/24 shutter speed and left the lens wide open using ND Filters to bring down the exposure. Plus I added a DIY mattebox.

Someone had asked to see my setup and here it is:
http://www.cromagnumfilms.com/images/HV20+letus35FE.jpg

HV20 + Letus35 FE + Nikon 50mm f1.8 + indirails + DIY shoulder mount + DIY handles + H300 Hoodman + Bogen/Manfrotto 3130 legs & Microfluid head.

I used the focus assist feature on the camera to focus all the shots and it worked very well. Didn't need or have access to a bigger LCD.

The setup on the tripod is a little front heavy, but I managed fine with it and will probably add a Cavision 15mm tripod adapter to balance the rig more on the tripod.

I'll hopefully finish this thread's short film within the next couple weeks and I'll post the music video images in another thread if the artist doesn't mind.

Thanks,
Ando