Lens adapter for run & gun ?
- Thread starter Cheerios
- Start date
Wave of Light
Carbonite Member
pmgmedia
Well-known member
Using a lens adapter adds several levels of adjustment and monitoring which are more difficult to keep consistent in the field. Among other things, here are examples:
- Adapters suck the light from a scene. Not an issue for daylight exeriors, but if you are indoors and running/gunning, you may have to deal with low light situations. If you are using a 35mm lens that is not a f1:1.4 or faster, you might have a dark scene or two.
- You are maintaining focus and aperture twice: once with the DVX on the adapter's project screen and then once with your 35mm lens
- The 35mm lens is farther down the barrel of the camera, or rails if you are using them, so if you do not have a good follow focus system, it can be awkward to change focus, unless you have long arms
- An adapter, lens (and possibly rails) change the camera weight and balance, which add to the shakiness if you don't have a shoulder/other kind of stabilzer
- Prime lenses on the adapter need to be swapped out when differing focal lengths are called for (zoom lenses can be used, but they sometimes cause backfocus issues and you need to refocus the DVX on the adapter screen often)
- The shallow DOF makes it tough for some to maintain focus using only the LCD
- Sometimes you forget to turn on the adapter (spinning gg ones) and get grain
If you are running and gunning at an event that just requires you 'hose down the area' for broll, then these shortcomings can be overcome by just shooting a lot. If you are covering something with several 'one opportunity only' shots, however, then using an adapter could raise your chances of missing a shot due to the above mentioned shakiness, focus, wrong lens focal length issues.
- Adapters suck the light from a scene. Not an issue for daylight exeriors, but if you are indoors and running/gunning, you may have to deal with low light situations. If you are using a 35mm lens that is not a f1:1.4 or faster, you might have a dark scene or two.
- You are maintaining focus and aperture twice: once with the DVX on the adapter's project screen and then once with your 35mm lens
- The 35mm lens is farther down the barrel of the camera, or rails if you are using them, so if you do not have a good follow focus system, it can be awkward to change focus, unless you have long arms
- An adapter, lens (and possibly rails) change the camera weight and balance, which add to the shakiness if you don't have a shoulder/other kind of stabilzer
- Prime lenses on the adapter need to be swapped out when differing focal lengths are called for (zoom lenses can be used, but they sometimes cause backfocus issues and you need to refocus the DVX on the adapter screen often)
- The shallow DOF makes it tough for some to maintain focus using only the LCD
- Sometimes you forget to turn on the adapter (spinning gg ones) and get grain
If you are running and gunning at an event that just requires you 'hose down the area' for broll, then these shortcomings can be overcome by just shooting a lot. If you are covering something with several 'one opportunity only' shots, however, then using an adapter could raise your chances of missing a shot due to the above mentioned shakiness, focus, wrong lens focal length issues.
pmgmedia
Well-known member
Wave of Light said:
Yes! It's perfect for that rock climbing shoot you were planning.
pmgmedia
Well-known member
I have brought my Letus3FE on run&gun shoots and have gotten some great shots. Same with the P&S Teknik mini35 - I got a great outdoor interview and broll with that one. I have also gotten to a location, surveyed the situation, and opted to shoot without the adapter several times as well.
pmgmedia
Well-known member
For run and gun stuff I like using a monopod . With an adapter I would recommend a belt stabilizer that allows you to put the weight of the camera on it..something like this:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...211&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...211&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation