Letus Flip Enhanced: first DVX footy

pmgmedia

pmgmedia

Well-known member
I used to wonder why people felt compelled to post "out of the box" Letus adapter footage. Now I bought one and I know why they do it. It is so cool to shoot that first image with a shallow DOF! Ha.ha. So I am doing it too: Here is my first 20 minutes out of the box..no lights..just stuff around the office and parking lot. Actually, I took it to my sons' baseball game the next day, so I added that stuff too.

Nikon 50mm F2 and F1.4 lenses I got from ebay. (clean lenses, bit sticky action)
Standard 24p settings
Basic CC (boosted black levels and sat)
Added nattress film flashes for fun

http://www.puritano.com/LetusDayOne320.mov

please right click and 'save as'..

Cheers.
 
thats some great footage. really artistic.

One question though, did you see any light loss while shooting indoor?

also most of the footaage looked like handheld, you didnt have to use the rail support ?

I am sort of looking to buy either redrock m2 or letus FE and wanted to see if there is a difference in the rod support etc.

again great stuff
 
krish said:
thats some great footage. really artistic.

One question though, did you see any light loss while shooting indoor?

also most of the footaage looked like handheld, you didnt have to use the rail support ?

I am sort of looking to buy either redrock m2 or letus FE and wanted to see if there is a difference in the rod support etc.

again great stuff
Click to expand...

Thanks! There is some light loss indoors, but this is inherent with any adapter. I wouldn't worry about it, though, just light for it - an indoor shoot requires lighting anyway.

I am using Cavision 15mm rails that I already had with a mattebox and bellows. I still need the curved T-part lens support for the end of the rails. I had to jerry-rig it for the letus with some gaffers tape and padding. (I am definitely going to buy the Cavision T-support (part RST100) lens holder. Out of stock at B&H) I suppose it is possible to use the Letus FE with no rails..I did at first. But it feels precarious, for handheld work especially.
 
that's some nice footages!! is it possible to have 5 sec of uncompressed footage? i would like to see how much noise there is. especially when filming people. i'm still hesitating between the brevis and the letus. i wanted to order a brevis in fact 3 weeks ago but they never answered to my mail.
 
pmgmedia, Cavision 15mm rails system with mattebox looks good. A bit expensive at about $800 for me. I might go with indie bundle for the M2 of that includes only the rail system not the matte box.

Does letus has a rotatong gg? I think M2 does if i am not mistaken.

anyway, cool stuffl.

Cheers.

-Kris
 
that's some real good footage! The letus35 FE is an awesome adapter, really I wish I could compare it against the Mini35 and see how it does.

The only thing that I would suggest is to turn off the Optical Image Stabilizer. I noticed that your edges were bouncing into frame sometimes, when the OIS is on, it'll do that.
 
also, what is your zoom setting to fill the entire frame with the image... I have to zoom all the way into z90 to get rid of the black edges.
 
krish said:
pmgmedia, Cavision 15mm rails system with mattebox looks good. A bit expensive at about $800 for me. I might go with indie bundle for the M2 of that includes only the rail system not the matte box.

Does letus has a rotatong gg? I think M2 does if i am not mistaken.

anyway, cool stuffl.

Cheers.

-Kris
Click to expand...
Check out the Cavision RS-15IIM Rod Support System, which is $159.95 with the extra T-piece for the lens ($8.95). The Letus uses a vibrating GG and it works great - so quiet you forget to turn it on and off.

This is the only adapter I have ever tested, and I think the vibrating GG and the right-side up image are worth the extra price. You have enough variables in the field, you don't need an upside-down image with potentially grainy focus screen to contend with. I actually used the grain on the GG to focus the DVX, then grain disappears when you flip it on.
 
azboy1985 said:
also, what is your zoom setting to fill the entire frame with the image... I have to zoom all the way into z90 to get rid of the black edges.
Click to expand...
z89 or z90 when the Letus in lens down (sits on the rails better that way on my rig) and it seems under z87 when lens on top. That latest mv you did with the flip is frigging great btw.
 
pmgmedia said:
I used to wonder why people felt compelled to post "out of the box" Letus adapter footage. Now I bought one and I know why they do it. It is so cool to shoot that first image with a shallow DOF! Ha.ha. So I am doing it too: Here is my first 20 minutes out of the box..no lights..just stuff around the office and parking lot. Actually, I took it to my sons' baseball game the next day, so I added that stuff too.

Nikon 50mm F2 and F1.4 lenses I got from ebay. (clean lenses, bit sticky action)
Standard 24p settings
Basic CC (boosted black levels and sat)
Added nattress film flashes for fun

http://www.puritano.com/LetusDayOne320.mov

please right click and 'save as'..

Cheers.
Click to expand...
What audio codec did you used? it crashes every single video program I paly it with, it statrs fine but then I get static in the sound and the program crashes.

Nevermind.

If I play it directly from the link it plays ok.

Nice footage man.
 
JoeNash said:
can we see pic of the Letus FE with your rails and on them?
Click to expand...
Here it is on the Cavision rails with the T support. The pic is blurry because it was shot with my MacBook webcam.
1162485845.jpg
 
Props!. I just ordered those rails from B+H. I've got the 35a, but the flip makes a LOT of sense. Your footage shows it doesn't really degrade the image much. I think light loss is overly debated among the better adapters. Go on any film set and you'll be blind and sweaty by the amount of lights! HMI's anyone? :P
 
Bionicpix said:
I just ordered those rails from B+H.
Click to expand...
Be sure you get the RS15LSB support belt and the RST100 Curved T part. ($8.50 each) if you use the flip.

And remember that the rails might support it, but is can still fall off its mount. My Letus slid right off its mount and the rails today and bounced off the studio floor! The mirror inside is now flapping around in there. It is in the section of the unit that is not openable, so I am fedexing it tonight to Quyen to fix. I wanted to shoot with it this week too. Crap-ola!
Bionicpix said:
HMI's anyone?
Click to expand...
Seriously. I bring a couple of HMIs on every corporate shoot I do. People get put off by the fact that you lose some light using the adapter. Everyone wants to shoot an indoor scene lit only by candlelight practicals. Just throw up a light! Lighting is the part of production many people don't want to deal with. When you shoot indoors without lighting, no matter how good your adapter's light loss ratio is, your video will probably be flat and dull. Not the adapter's fault.
 
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those were some nice shots! i just ordered my letus two days ago. Letus is taking over the world!
 
Seems like the Letus isn't parallel to the rails. Is it putting pressure on your DVX lense?

Footage looks good.
 
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