Letus Flip Enhanced: first DVX footy

Aram Bauman said:
Seems like the Letus isn't parallel to the rails. Is it putting pressure on your DVX lense?
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You're right - after the shot I adjusted the lens support bracket down a bit to even it out. There is an aluminum 72mm mount that screws into the DVX lens threads and the Letus slips onto it. It doesn't have threads on the Letus side so that you can turn it until the focusing screen lines up on its horizontal axis. It is a good fit, but still possible to slide off the mount.
 
pmgmedia, I think you mentioned some where that letus is the only adapter that you have used so this might be an "unfair" queation for you but I will put it out there anyway.

What are the main differencs in Letusfl and M2 besides the cost?

I mean if you include the rod support and all the extras the letus is about $900 and M2 indie bundle is about $1200.

So is the images quality pretty much the same?
what about ease of use?
and also future prooof? I plan to upgrade to HVX early next year does that make any difference?

I understand that a lot depends on the DP, the lighting, the lenses but I have yet to see footage of exact some thing shot by M2 and Letus.

I am this close to buying a 35mm adapter and keep getting confused.

Anyway, I appologise if i digress from letusfl discussions.

Cheers mate,

-Kris
 
Using an adapter is a commitment, not only of money but also of patience and effort. Do not think that any adapter is "plug and play" even if you buy the most expensive one. (Check out the forums for frustrated posts by purchasers of the M2 or whatever who just got their adapter and can't take a few hours to make it work right. They sell it a week later.) I look at these things as hand-made "cracks" to the original camera - and they require careful use and experimentation to get working. You are not buying a new button for the DVX that instantly gives you filmic DOF. Oh, and yes you have to light when indoors. That is the other commitment you need to make mentally. Think of it as converting your DVX to 16mm film camera loaded with daylight stock. You can't shoot in a basement lit only by candles without pushing the stock and getting grain. So you light it.

I love the Letus35 FE, but I have not used anything else to compare. The biggest difference for me is that the M2 image is still upside down on tape. You pay 1K and still have to deal with an upside down image in the field and in post. When you shoot a ton of footage the extra step of rendering it all out flipped adds time and drive space requirements to your project. Hassle on set, hassle in the edit suite. IMHO.

Of course in the right hands the M2 is amazing. And they have an SD version and then when you buy your HVX, you can get the HD acromat upgrade. Look at this footage from motivity pictures:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=67936

But then again look at this from a Letus35 FE:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=75851

I found my LetusFE cheap from a motivated seller on dvxuser. I suggest you buy a used Letus or M2 from the Marketplace and try it out. (There are at least two used M2's for for sale right now.) If you hate it, sell it. You might lose a few bucks on the effort, but consider it a no-limit rental to try it out.
 
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pmgmedia, thanks. Yes it makes sense. I will look around the market place first and see if i can find a used letusfl. I guess you need to know what you are doing otherwise even a mini35 or movietube (high prised adapters) will look like crap.

Thanks Again,

As always the people on this site are amazing.

cheers,

-Kris
 
guys I am getting my DVX100B tomorrow. What is all this talk about adaptors. Can someone please explain? That footage was amazing!
 
Looking Gooooooddddddddddddd!

Looking Gooooooddddddddddddd!

The footage looks great and I think whatever hassels you have to deal with are well worth it. How else could you get such results with the DVX and no adpator?
One question, how did u compress your footage we just saw? what program? what settings?

thanks
 
Here's another clip of LetusFE stuff I shot when I took the family for a day out in the Virginia countryside. No lights, no planning, no field monitor to check focus..mostly just fooling around, but some nice shots in there:

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

(right click and save as..)

I cc'd it (just black levels and sat.) and added the vignette. The compression is just exported from fcp using quicktime. Sorenson 3, data rate under 1000kb, at 15fps to save space.
 
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pmgmedia,

I'll be coming through Occoquan on the 22nd if you still need the DOF t-riser. Lemme know.

e
 
35mm adapter info

35mm adapter info

seanstockman said:
Where do I buy a lens for this? Plese tell me more about the adaptor.
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www.adapterplace.com

The one I bought is the Letus35 Flip Enhanced. It is an attachment you put on the DVX and then you attach Nikon (or Canon) 35mm SLR photo lenses to it. What happens then is you are videotaping what the Nikon lens sees, which is projected onto a little focus screen inside the adapter. It gives you the power of 35mm lens photography with shallow depth of field. Now your subject is in focus and everything in the background is super soft. Looks like a 35mm feature film!

So you not only need an adapter, you also need Nikon lenses. (I got 4 different ones on ebay for between $20-80 each).

There are several adapters you can choose from:
Letus35, Letus35 Flip Enhanced, Redrock Micro M2, Brevis35, SGpro, Go35, Ifocus HQ, and more.
Do a search on these terms in dvxuser to find out prices and where to buy. Many people make their own as well...

For a more detailed background on adapters check out the top two sticky threads in the "DIY" section of dvxuser.
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/forumdisplay.php?f=47
 
overlandfilms said:
pmgmedia,

I'll be coming through Occoquan on the 22nd if you still need the DOF t-riser. Lemme know.

e
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You mean the 15MM X 60MM O.C. LENS RISER BRACKET FOR USE WITH DOF CONVERTED LENSES, CAT P405?

I probably need it..How much is it?

I actually got the curved t-riser already from B&H (it came back in stock) but I need the round ring to secure the barrel of the Letus. That is what part p405 has, correct?
 
They changed this part recently, going from a wire to nylon webbing (like a dog's leash). The webbed version is P405 / Cavision R15-LS25. The full bracket is $72.50. On their site and ours, a lens cap is placed inside the strap for illustrative purposes.

e
 
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overlandfilms said:
They changed this part recently, going from a wire to nylon webbing (like a dog's leash). The webbed version is P405 / Cavision R15-LS25. The full bracket is $72.50. On their site and ours, a lens cap is placed inside the strap for illustrative purposes.

e
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Actually, I already ordered it from B&H. Thanks.
 
seanstockman said:
So with this adaptor can you be mobile with the camera or do you need to have another tripod for it? I am not sure how it all works. Can someone send a picture to me of hte whole setup?

sean.stockman@us.behrgroup.com
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There is a picture of the whole setup on the second page of this thread. For all the info you need about lenses, check this thread:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=51963

Also, you might want to try using the 'search' tool before posting. There is tons of info from previous posts on the questions you ask. Some people get irritated (not me of course) on this site if you don't search before asking questions about background information.
 
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