My Foshizzle 35 Adapter

[Dizkoteck]

http://www.timeline24p.com/35adapt2.jpgFinished this after watching Snoop Dogs show... Thats right people, I went there, If I had a better ground glass, it wouldve worked perfectly. Keep you posted...http://www.timeline24p.com/35adapt4.jpg

[Sirius_Doggy]

why the same post twice....

[Dizkoteck]

deja vu

[Shaw]

Pepsi can =D. Now that's ghetto! Any footage?

[therealslimfigge]

holy god.

post grabs immediately.

[limehouse]

All of these 35 adapters with no under support must be really bad for the front of the camera.

[Dizkoteck]

My initial tests were 'fine' as in I have an image. But I was wondering for those experienced in making one, what is the ideal distance/length from ground glass to my 10x macro?

[blckhawk542]

DUDE! that design is amazing..hahaha

what else did u use besides the coke can and the massive rolls of tape?

we need a list...procedures..the whole 9 yards...haha

I agree with Shaw....MADDD GHETTOO!!

[Angrius]

just kidding..that's crazy dude...post the stills and movs.!:)

[Jay Rodriguez]

was the pepsi worth the sacrafice?

[Dizkoteck]

After tweaking it a bit, I kinda screwed up on some parts. So I might have to sacrifice another can of coke (while snorting the other stuff at the same time) It does have an image which is good, all I need is a better GG and perhaps a better macro lens. The only thing I screwed up was the distance between the GG and the SLR lens, it unfocuses while wide and opposite is true. The GG wouldve been better if I hadnt passed it around during a drunken binge party with fingerprints all over. Well here ya go, footage will comehttp://www.timeline24p.com/still1.jpg
http://www.timeline24p.com/still2.jpg

[Barry_Green]

I don't care whether the thing even works or not -- just the fact that you used a Pepsi can is such an ultimate "indie" statement -- the goal is to mimic an $11,000 piece of equipment, and you made it out of a Pepsi can and some tape... that's nearly too cool for words.

And, what's doubly awesome is, you didn't even cover up that it's a pepsi can. You could have kept wrapping tape around it to make it one black cylinder, but no, you let it hang out there for the world to see. That's just so incredibly bold and cool! :D

[Daniel Skubal]

LOL Badass! Agreed with Barry G's words. Wonder if the guerilla35 uses a coke can in their design? :-p haha (Don't beat me up Jonathan :() lol

[Dizkoteck]

Thanks for the support everyone and Barry, your statement has inspired me to shoot with it. No matter what the limitations are, even if theyre fixable. And when I say shoot, I mean script, story, everything.

[theos]

Thats not Ghetto ... thats zombie!

[Dremmwel]

that's cool but I doubt that the result will be there...Nice try...
For those intersted I'm close to completion on my mini 35, and I hope it will kick arse...lot of thinking and design wnet into it and unlike guerilla 35 and Redrockmicro my image will be right meaning no UP SIDE DOWN... my budget is $150 (well I'm not counting the hours) but just to let you know a bit about it. I used aground glass sized like a CD, A motor from an old CD player, A pentaPrism, a mirro, and a close up lens... So soon I hope to post some footage

[Dizkoteck]

Todays testing. After meeting up with my friend (DVXuser name: Gerard Gentil) a photogrrapher. He showed me that my lens has a fixed F stop, so everything is ultra dark. Ive borrowed his nice ass nikon lenses so better footage will come. Enjoy

http://www.timeline24p.com/test3.mov

[Daniel Skubal]

That's actually pretty good, for a coke35 :-p

[Dizkoteck]

Ok, now youve seen my crappy canon lens. Here is some tests with the fixed nikon lens he lent me. I gotta say, its pretty awesome. I think I'll keep this soda can design and invest on some good lens stock...

http://www.timeline24p.com/nikontests.mov

[Xeaver Dupree]

footage looked great, just wish u were more still. Whats with the blaack view in the corners

[Dizkoteck]

Voyeur vision

feeling crappy, as I attempted to fix my wax gg, I ended up just screwing it up some more. It looks like a petri dish with mold. Thanks God.

Fix tomorrow

[ecking]

My god that's beautiful.
You....must....teach me how it's made!

[Policar]

I was just working on a very similar design: PVC pipe, though, and not a pepsi can, although I kind of like the pepsi can.

Here are some of my latest (out of focus and under exposed) screen grabs:
http://home.comcast.net/~kittyluv/new1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~kittyluv/new2.jpg

I found out a pretty cool method for getting a good focusing screen, and otherwise my adapter looks identical in design to yours except for the can, of course. What kind of wax are you using? Oddly, I found microwax results in major grain, and beeswax results in next to none. I'm using two microscope slides to make a wax sandwich and placing them in a circular cardboard cut out (to be replaced by plastic or balsa wood soon), and I find this is a lot cheaper than using filters (though less sturdy) and you can get much better results with perfectly even wax. Anyhow, I'll post some updates when I leave California in a week or so.

[Dizkoteck]

Policar,

The man of inspiration. I never knew about the wax method until I read your post. Thanks. As for the wax I used, I used the Sand Dune Scented candle wax I have in my livingroom. Its...it works. Thats all I can say. Though Me and my photographer friend are planning to make this into a serious project so were gonna invest in some real GG and use his self proclaimed best in the world Contax lenses.

Oh and Gomen Nasai for the shakiness, Shooting with the image upside down is extremely difficult while constantly focusing on a moving object. I'll use my tripod soon

[Dizkoteck]

One question, is there a site or place where I can purchase professionaly made ground glass? Sigmaopto site has some nice lookin ones, but only come in a 50mm size tops. I need a 58mm, anyone know where?

I'll post up instructions on how I made mine. But basically, its the same as every other adapters out there. Light goes in, and you have an image.

[gkumar]

http://i3.ebayimg.com/01/i/03/94/33/aa_1_b.JPG

how's this for a macro lense to focus on the GG?
link (http://www.jessops.com/search/viewproduct.cfm?PRODUCT=CANCU500D58)

[bikefilms]

The static GG still rules (http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=8/22321264933.jpg&s=x1)!

[Niebs]

hmm...could someone explain how you make the gg out of wax?

[Policar]

There are lots of ways, but my favorite is capillary action. Very hard to explain without pictures, but I'm away from my house so here goes:

I use a microscope slide, aluminum tape, beeswax, and a container (very small bowl with maybe a 2-3'' diameter) for melting wax. This method will produce a slightly thicker focusing screen than you might want, but a pretty useable one and thinner spacers will result in a thinner screen. You WILL need to use external lighting unless you shoot outdoors.

First, you use a glass cutter (about 5 bucks, or you can score with a razor blade then crack it in half by balancing it half on a raised surface, half hanging over along the crack line) to cut the slide in half. Your focusing screen will be a little smaller than 36mmX24mm, by the way: maybe with an effective size of 32mmX22mm or something--I haven't measured.

Next, you cut strips of aluminum tape (find it at home depot or a car repair store, get it as thin as possible, I guess) that are about 3mm by 22mm in size, then fold them over such that the sticky side faces out. You should make two of these such that their dimensions are 1.5mm by 22mm and they are sticky on both sides. Then you place them on the shorter sides of one of the half slides (the 22mm long sides, not the longer ones) so that the fold faces in and the open edge faces out and make sure they're folded tightly before putting the other half slide over them. You should now have two edges closed by the tape, and two sides open for wax to flow through--you can see the thin but evenly shaped crevasse into which it will flow. Make sure that the spacers reach the top of the slide on at least one side, though they can me a few mm too short on one side if you wish, although this isn't ideal.

Then, you take some good wax (good microwax with a small grain structure, or good quality beeswax) and melt it to about 200-250ºF--just above melting point in a toaster oven (seriously). You want it to be maybe a centimeter or two high when it melts. Then remove the molten wax and make sure there are no bubbles or sediment in it and allow the slide sandwich to heat up a little more, maybe to 300ºF. It should heat up far more quickly than the wax, so you may want to put it in later, though it needs to get a little hotter than the wax so leave it in a little longer, too.

Now, use oven mitts--or something--and carefully orient the slide so that one of the open edges is facing down (if there's one edge where the spacers don't quite reach the bottom, use this edge.) Now, you'd better hope you evenly folded the tape and compressed the glass carefully, since it should be virtually airtight besides the two openings. The larger the spacers are, the better, obviously, but larger spacers mean a smaller area for a focusing screen. Plunge this open edge into the wax so that the slide does NOT touch the bottom but the hole is completely submerged. Wax will start to rise towards the top opening, quickly at first, then slower. If the wax starts to cool and solidify around the slide before the wax reaches the top it is too cool and you will only make half a focusing screen and it will cool unevenly and look wavey. This is why it is very important that the glass is as hot (preferably hotter) than the molten wax. Anyhow, in about 10-20 seconds the wax should rise completely to the top. After this you can place the hot glass on an even surface and PRAY that it will come out okay and there are no bubbles or dust in the wax. If you follow the directions carefully, there usually won't be any problems at all. Let the wax cool slowly after placing it on a flat surface (faster results in finer grain, I've read, but is a huge pain to work with and the grain on my screen is so fine I don't notice it at f8 or f11 usually) and you're all set! Cooling should take a few minutes, but I'd wait a little longer after that until I used it. Or, once it's entirely solid, you could pop it in the freezer just to make sure it's all set.

Anyhow, that should result in a perfectly even, relatively thin screen that produces a great pictue with almost no grain. With beeswax, I get no grain at most apertures. With microwax, I get a lot, oddly. Some versions of microwax should produce no grain at all, though. Since the resulting screen is rectanglar and not circular, you may want to take a piece of balsa wood, cut it into a circle that you can mount in your adapter, then cut out a little place to put the focusing screen and glue it in. Pictures will follow on wednesday when I get home: of the focusing screen, method used to get it, and sample pictures (without a condenser, unfortunately, so there will be vignetting.)

[Policar]

Addendum: two layers of double sided scotch tape is better than folding aluminum tape usually if you eliminate air bubbles in it, and this whole process can be done in about 10-15 minutes usually and is really very simple.

[bikefilms]

I didn't know you were into the capillary action. So it works better than the UV filter, eh? I'll have to try it!

[Jarred Land]

i love the coke can.. thats some tight shiznit.

good work man.

[Policar]

IMO, the image is better, but it's much more of a pain mounting it. Worth it, but definitely not the easiest solution.

[LloydC]

the can isn't very stable in the movie, but what can you expect from a thin metal can? the vignetting you had was moving around, so I guess the front was shifting a bit while you were holding it

Looks amazing thoguh! image is very crisp.

love the design too

[j]

focusing screen info:

http://www.intenscreen.com/products_large-format.htm

-J

[Bill Porter]

All of these 35 adapters with no under support must be really bad for the front of the camera.

No, the only ones that would be bad for it are the heavy ones. My current one is so lightweight that the focus ring even works perfectly.

[Bill Porter]

Oddly, I found microwax results in major grain, and beeswax results in next to none.

As you sort of said in a later post, the above statement isn't accurate. It's like saying "I found that people from (insert country of your choice) don't work very hard." It would be better to phrase it something like "Oddly enough, the microwax I used resulted in major grain." I have a microwax screen here which has perhaps less grain than anybody in the dvinfo Alternative Imaging subforum has seen. I'm tuning the rest of the adapter to minimize the CA, and will post some screencaps.

Speaking of Alternative Imaging, I'm surprised nobody posted a link for the newcomers to 35mm shallow-DOF adapters. DVXuser is great and I love reading here but the real development and tutorials about 35mm adapters is there (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=70).

[BLUESPIDER]

man, all I have to say is mad props to all of you who are building this mini35 stuff! I know shit about constructing stuff like this! Great stuff guys and the coke can, man you ghetto but in a good way if that makes anysense. Peace!

[Policar]

Bill, you're right, but you're being entirely unfair all the same. I was merely recommending beeswax as a starting place since it seems to be easy to find and consistatly provides great results since there's really only one kind of beeswax while there are many kinds of microwax, as I've learned and beeswax is much easier to get, anyhow. Further, if you look at my other post below my short one (which I posted the night before a cross-country trip so I didn't have much time for a disclaimer), I wrote this:

"With beeswax, I get no grain at most apertures. With microwax, I get a lot, oddly. Some versions of microwax should produce no grain at all, though."

Simply by writing "oddly," I think I also implied that I expected good results from microwax since I know others have achieved them. Racism and bad experiences with a particular brand of wax don't deserve to be equated. To be honest, I'm a bit offended, but I know you didn't mean any harm.

What brand of microwax are you using, by the way? If I can find it at my local shop, I'll be sure to pick some up and give it a try, since beeswax has issues of its own.

[Bill Porter]

I did start off with "As you sort of said in a later post, the above statement isn't accurate. " I was referring to how you said "Oddly," etc.

I felt the need to post because i didn't want to throw anyone down the beeswax trail since it can never achieve the same results. I don't even know what brand I am using, I got it from a local outfit and they sliced it off a big block of the stuff. :/

Let me know if you want their info, though. I will look it up for you.

[Policar]

That would be great if you'd be willing to look it up; I'd really appreciate it since a place nearby sells a few different brands. The stuff I bought from them is so easy to work with but produces more grain than I'd expected, sadly.

The beeswax is giving me pretty great results, but it was from a very fancy candle company. I guess not all beeswax is the same, after all, and I don't doubt good microwax could give better results (although, honestly, I'm unable to notice any grain at all). Oh well...sorry if I sounded like I got all offended.

[Xeaver Dupree]

Can u make me one

[Anhar Miah]

cool, but aint Pepsi owned by a different company than coke-a-cola?

if so i think it should be called Pepsi35.

yea don't tell me, the reason you didn't cover up the Pepsi is because you probably didn't have enough tape lol :)

man you think your attempt is getto, I'm building mine with a Pringles (potato chips) tube, I've been meaing to make one for three weeks now, but I've not had the time to buy/ find an empty one :)


ooh yes the power of pringles:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1860241.stm

lol lol

[Dizkoteck]

Sorry to keep this awfully old post going, but I do need some advice to improve upon myself.

1)Where can I purchase factory made industrial ground glass? I know sigmaopto site sells some, but not at the size that I want.

2)Vignetting, its like a bad girlfriend.... its always there. Without a restraining order, how can I get rid of it?

Oh and an advice to all those making their own 35adapter with wax.... make sure you use the wax from a CLEAN part of the candle. Just passing it along.

[Dizkoteck]

Hello all. Im back once again

I just recieved my real ground glass I purchased from Thorlabs, 1500 grit. whats amazing was I recieved it the day after I placed the order, amazing!
Anyways, good news is that its clean and clear. Bad news is, it seems to have a soft focus, soft vignetting effect, seems more light is coming through the center of the GG and less light around it, which dont look too good. Its kinda fixable at post but still you know... it sucks
Any remedy for this?

http://www.timeline24p.com/RealGG.mov
heres the inital test, better test with human subject later

http://www.timeline24p.com/Gerardstream.mov
my last wax test, its not that bad

[Peter Murphy]

thats really cool, and to think I made a bunch of fake vignetting mattes for my last short, though I'm sure it would be annoying to have to shoot with a vignette.

[Dizkoteck]

Theres sure been a huge influx of 35 machines coming up. But that 200 dollar one from England sure sounds pretty sweet.
But anyways, heres a quick run down of the lessons of how I made mine. Its quick and hope its informative. Email me if anything

http://www.timeline24p.com/pepsi35.htm

[theos]

Magic! Pop Pop Pop Culture ;)