Removing DVX Stock Lens.

[Neil Burner]

Has anyone thought about doing this? Couldn't you technically put and xl1/2 mount on the DVX? I'm not saying the Leica lens isn't as good as any of the xl series lenses but, wouldn't you save allot of light and resolution when using DOF adapters if you didn't have the DVX lens on there? Just a thought.

[dakotapod]

It cant be removed

[rook]

I was able to get mine off with a hammer and chizel. It was difficult at first but then just poped off.

Now I'm having trouble turning it on. Probably just the batteries....

[MovieMakersClub]

I saw pictures of where a guy on this Board Sawed the lens off and replaced them. The end product was quite nice. But, to do that with such a fine instrument was very scary to me. I did not have the nerve to try it. And I am a technician.

[GenJerDan]

. . .wouldn't you save allot of light and resolution when using DOF adapters if you didn't have the DVX lens on there? Just a thought.

Yes.

Of course, you wouldn't be able to focus on the ground glass...

[Karl151k]

The idea of having the CCD(s) focusing on a GG is one that quite a few people have a problem wraping their head around. The lens is needed to condense the image formed on the ground glass of a 35MM adapter, removing it and mounting the adapter alone would only get a fuzzy, odd image.

[Shawn Murphy]

This is the thread/guy who removed his lens, I wrote him recently inquiring to see how it finally came out, but no reply, and it looks like his web page is down now..

http://www.dvxuser.com/V3/showthread.php?t=6764

[Norbert]

How about projecting the image directly on the CCD instead of the GG?

EDIT: Silly me, the CCD is too small. It wouldn't do much difference. :)

[dakotapod]

Man... Where does a guy draw the line at modifying the DVX? The day I take a hack saw and cut it in half is the day I admit myself to an asylum! The concept is absurd!

[daveroberts]

i completely agree with dakotapod, its is a completely mad idea, i recently got my dvx100be and i did consider replaceable lenses but decided the lens on the dvx would be all i needed. if i wanted a different lens and i could afford it, i would have bought a camera that had the option. putting a saw through the camera would invalidate the warranty for sure and it would look ugly and wouldnt produce a good result for all the effort and risk that would be involved.

just a suggestion, sell your old camera (while you still can) and buy a new one with a replaceable lens option!

[Neil Burner]

Im going to do it.

[Pettersen]

With the hacksaw? In any case, I wouldn't do it. She's just to precious to be mutilated with a hacksaw.

But I'm very interested to see how it all turns out :)

[Barry_Green]

I wonder if Spec-Comm could supply a trashed model for experimentation before undertaking the job on your real DVX?

[NO CA$H]

I wonder if Spec-Comm could supply a trashed model for experimentation before undertaking the job on your real DVX?

Yeah that sounds like a better idea. No way would I ever experiment with my DVX.

[Lakmir0]

<Im going to do it.>

WTH is wrong with you man? There are film students who would love to have that camera and you are going to go "SAW" on it. I am glad I have the removable lens system so I don't get crazy ideas like that. That is a lot of money to see fall on the floor.

[daveroberts]

yep, he is. before i had my camera when i was a student a couple of years ago, i would have loved the idea of a camera of my own, ur mad, take the very good advice from barry green and get hold of an old knackered one before trying it out on ur own camera

[Lakmir0]

<Man... Where does a guy draw the line at modifying the DVX? The day I take a hack saw and cut it in half is the day I admit myself to an asylum! The concept is absurd!>

Sometimes I think people get a little too obsessed with making stuff look filmlike.

[J.R. Hudson]

Im going to do it.

No you're not.

[Evan S]

they can always just spend money on buying a real film camera! why waste time on buying a video camera to make it look like film? Just get the real thing. I know someone will say that you can't afford it, but if you want video to look like TRUE film than video is not for you. Embrace the future! For allah!

[KHendrix2]

Oh my GAWD! The XL2 envy is running thick! :)

[Sean R]

*grabbing more popcorn*

If you're really going to go through with this, at LEAST try to make it worthwhile. Film the event. Add some dramatic music, and you might just have a great B-Horror on your hands.

Isn't Allah a proper noun?

P.S. The XL2 can bite my a$$. Canon must die! Die, I tell you!

[Barry_Green]

Hey, if you want to saw the lens off a DVX, it seems to me that winning the Sci-Fest would be a great first step. That way you'll have Jarred's old original DVX, a perfect test mule for a project like this! :)

[limehouse]

I'll believe it when I see it, and hopefully that will be soon!

[HansK]

No you're not.
Sure, why wouldn't he? When you have more money than brains! :cheesy:

[Barry_Green]

These are the same things people said to Matteo and his friend when they pulled the lens off of the FX1. But hey, it's his property, he can do what he wants. I think the results of Matteo's tests were quite interesting -- he got comparable sharpness and overall better performance (no chromatic aberration!) from a standard-def lens than the stock Sony lens. Plus true manual control as well.

So, hey -- experiment away! Although I still think it'd be a better idea to win Sci-Fest first, so you can experiment on Jarred's old DVX100...

[ReneH]

Go for it! If I had the cash/nerve I would do it just to see if it could be accomplished!

[rook]

I'll tell ya, I'd love, REPEAT LOVE, true manual control of the lens. The current set up the DVX has just doesn't please me.

-rook

[Neil Burner]

That is a good idea to try and win Jarred's old DVX100. If I can find the time I would like to try and win. Also I would like to find a damaged DVX if possible! Anyone have one they want to sell? I would like to see the results of a mini35 set up similar to the xl1/2 on the DVX with the andromeda upgrade. I really like the results of the andromeda and I think it would look great with the mini35. I just do not like the mini35 or any DOF adapter set up on the dvx compared to the XL1/2. So why not get an XL2 or H1 you ask? Well I don't like the results they produce. There nice cameras but I just prefer the DVX all around (besides the non removable lens). You can think I'm crazy for thinking about doing this but I'm just not happy with any of the new cameras coming out (besides the RED camera system, that sounds like a really cool project.) and lack of DOF with the Stock DVX lens. I think the DVX is a great camera as is but I just never liked the non removable lens. If it comes to a hack saw so be it but my goal here is to have a clean fully working camera when all is said in done.

[Lakmir0]

Dude, did anyone ever find out if this guy sawed the lense off or not? I was totally thinking about that this afternoon.

[sporter]

well the project certainly went away for a while. Turns out the white-balance circuit had sustained injury and between the long wait for the replacement parts and waining motivation it sat on the shelf for a long time. Just recently, however, I was re-inspired to finish the project I intended - basically to build a 'digital director's viewfinder' for the film sets I work on now to help me and the director with visualizing shots. lots of work went into getting the right optical elements I needed to successfully transfer the entire 35mm frame size accurately but I'm pleased with how close it is. and the fun part is that I didn't use any other lens elements than those which were inside the camera to begin with - so its still leica glass =) just a lot less of it. Everything was actually working out really well until just the other day it seems like i've blown the internal fuse somehow, so now another small speed bump... but it'll get there.

i'll post more as I get power back to the camera.

http://www.swingsetfilm.com/00_image_files/DVXHACK/DVX_mod.jpg

http://www.swingsetfilm.com/00_image_files/DVXHACK/DVX_mod3.jpg

[orkan]

wow, looks like a bazooka!

I would love to see some footage or same screengrabs, there must be some magnification I guess. Keep up the good work.


orkan.

[Kholi]

Holy nads someone did it.

Footages!!!

One less piece of glass on the front of the camera = better for the Adapterness.

Nice, man.

[NOMADIC]

...balls. so what do you think the end cost was to do that? the lcd and viewfinder went out on my dvx, so i only have the ext. video, and it will be 600 to get it fixed...so I am thinking about doing this to my dvx.

[bilgami]

wow!!!! can you take apart an old brocken dvx and take the 24 out of it and put it in a dvc80?

[Neil Burner]

haha this is so awesome! I still to this day would love to mod my dvx and do something like this. please keep us updated with your progress and any footage that you wouldn't mind sharing.

[Drew Ott]

Sweet.

I'd love to see some footage...

[NOMADIC]

What happend to this!? I want to see some footage!

[ifownlee41nite@mac.com]

He blew a fuse. That take alot of base balls to do something like that.

Hats off!!

[NOMADIC]

He blew a fuse.

Three Months Ago!!! I want some footage!!! haha. I'm going crazy to see some. :-Laugh(DBG):

[foxymcfox]

Any new updates on this? I'd love to know what happened.

If someone could work out the logistics to do this repeatedly, he or she could start an entire cottage industry of DVX mods and rebodies. That's the world I want to live in. I mean, imagine if someone could offer the ability to mod-in the ability to swap out lenses, then drop Andromeda (If it ever comes back) into it and you have yourself an amazing production camera for very little money.

The moment I have $3k to drop without flinching is the moment I take on this project myself...sadly that day seems far away.

-Nick