let's compare our Zoom and Focus settings for Letus Extreme + HVX200

Hi guys:

Just did a shoot yesterday with my LEX. My settings are as follows:

HVX-200
Zoom is 20.6/74
Focus is 5.51/50 with Nikon 50mm 1.4 and Nikon 85mm 1.8

When I used Nikon 28mm 2.8, my focus stays the same but zoom has to go all of the way to 26.9/81 to get rid of vignetting. When I compare the field of view between the 28mm and 50mm, the 28mm zoomed in further is definitely a lot wider than the 50mm zoomed back wider but it feels like I am giving up about 20-30% of the wide field of view from the 28mm to get rid of the vignetting.

I see no vignetting with the 50mm or the 85mm at all.

Best,

Dan
 
Congrats on your first shoot with your Letus, Dan. Hope it was exciting and it worked out for ya!

Here are my updating Settings:

Focus: 5.64
Zoom: 27.3 - 31.0

The 5.64 is the middle compromise between sharp center and edges.

I'd also like to note that if your backfocus is set differently with any of these adapters then another persons settings won't match up for you the same way. It's best to probably grab a focus chart and run some tests like Lenny suggests. Not to really see how sharp the adapter is, however, but more to find your settings for your shoots.
 
On my A1, the GG of the LEX was way right also. I kept the lens mount loose and kept making slight adjustments until it was centered and then tightened it all down. This was partly due to the Cinevate riser being on a single post. That allows the camera to sit slightly off parallel to the rails.

With the GG centered my zoom is set to 70 with no vignetting except on my 28mm.
Usually Z73-74 takes care of that.

Here is a still from Saturday night's shoot.

A1 Zoom 70
A1 focus 4.5ft
Canon FD 50mm f4

nick_shotgun_sm.jpg
 
Thanks Kholi!

Overall I'm pretty pleased with how all of the footage came out.
Loving the LEX with my A1! It stays on the camera almost all of the time.

Next is a good HD field monitor. I hate finding out a shot is soft in post.
Just waiting until after NAB to see what is announced.
 
Room39 said:
With the GG centered my zoom is set to 70 with no vignetting except on my 28mm.
Usually Z73-74 takes care of that.
Click to expand...

Wow, you are lucky. On my A1 I have to go in at least 75 on a 50mm to get rid of vignetting and around 80 on a 24mm.
 
Kholi said:
Here are my updating Settings:

Focus: 5.64
Zoom: 27.3 - 31.0

The 5.64 is the middle compromise between sharp center and edges.
Click to expand...

Glad to see you're using mm settings. They are very close to mine using older Nikon manual focus lenses.

Focus is always 5.64' for any lens
Zoom is between 20mm and 25mm with the average being 22mm.

The wider Nikkor 20 & 28mm require 24-25mm to prevent vignetting
The 35, 50 & 85mm lenses work well between 20-22 mm.

Compared to my FE, the LEX is giving me about a half stop more light and the FE required at least 30mm zoom on the HVX.

It's taken some practice to become proficient with the LEX. Have to admit... I've blown a few shots by either forgetting to turn the motor on or twisting the focus slightly off 5.65.

In the samples below, shot with the 35mm Nikkor @ f2.8, I've added a vignette in FCP 6.02 only because I like the way it draws the viewers eye into the center of the image.
 

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Room39 said:
On my A1, the GG of the LEX was way right also. I kept the lens mount loose and kept making slight adjustments until it was centered and then tightened it all down. This was partly due to the Cinevate riser being on a single post. That allows the camera to sit slightly off parallel to the rails.

With the GG centered my zoom is set to 70 with no vignetting except on my 28mm.
Usually Z73-74 takes care of that.

Here is a still from Saturday night's shoot.

A1 Zoom 70
A1 focus 4.5ft
Canon FD 50mm f4

nick_shotgun_sm.jpg
Click to expand...


how did you center the GG with your A1 and LEX? Mine is also to the side and would love to fix this to save a few zoom units when it deems helpful.
 
PaPa said:
how did you center the GG with your A1 and LEX? Mine is also to the side and would love to fix this to save a few zoom units when it deems helpful.
Click to expand...

Hello Papa,

I left the ring that threads onto the camera loose and LIGHTLY twisted the camera and LEX alignment until it looked centered. It only takes very small adjustment to make major changes to the alignment so be careful. I had the grid display on and had the GG zoomed slightly to fill the inner box and used that as a guide. Once it was centered I slowly alternated tightnening the allen screws to secure the ring.

Probably not the ideal way to do it but it worked for me.
 
snp said:
. Have to admit... I've blown a few shots by either forgetting to turn the motor on or twisting the focus slightly off 5.65.
.
Click to expand...

TELL ME ABOUT IT! When I filmed my short, one day I filmed for an entire hour and my adapter was turned OFF. I had to reshoot everything under the gun as I had 2 more actors to fillm that day and was running out of time at the park...

talk about stress!

Now I am constantly checking thet red light, always checking, paranoid I have become :angry:... But better safe than sorry!

I really wish there was a beeping alarm sound when the camera is turned on and the adapter is not. That would really help. or a way to have the adapter turn on automatically everytime you turn on the camera...
 
Deuceofspades said:
TELL ME ABOUT IT! When I filmed my short, one day I filmed for an entire hour and my adapter was turned OFF. I had to reshoot everything under the gun as I had 2 more actors to fillm that day and was running out of time at the park...

talk about stress!

Now I am constantly checking thet red light, always checking, paranoid I have become :angry:... But better safe than sorry!

I really wish there was a beeping alarm sound when the camera is turned on and the adapter is not. That would really help. or a way to have the adapter turn on automatically everytime you turn on the camera...
Click to expand...

Hi Faith:

Did you ever get your dying LEX motor resolved? What happened?

There is a really easy fix for the forgetting to turn on the motor. Buy two sets of AA alkaline batteries, when you set up your first shot, turn it on. Leave it on. At lunch or in the afternoon, turn off the LEX, replace the batteries, then turn it on and leave it on. Works for me, I did a shoot with mine last weekend and did exactly that. Didn't end up with any shots with the motor turned off. Those batteries last quite a while.

Dan
 
HVX achromat?

HVX achromat?

Did anyone's zoom settings change with the new Achromat for the HVX? If so, what are they for you??

Thanks
marksu
 
sukram said:
Did anyone's zoom settings change with the new Achromat for the HVX? If so, what are they for you??

Thanks
marksu
Click to expand...

Yes. IIRC, the HVX was zoomed in to about 80 with the original and about 72 with the new. Same lens (Zeiss 50mm 1.4). Zoom point was to get past all vignetting once the image frame was levelled by turning the adapter.

Working from memory here though - I only used the original briefly for some testing. I still have it though, and may do some further tests before I send it back for the rebate. I'll post an update if I do.

The results are excellent otherwise too - much better e2e sharpness. Well worth the cost IMO.
 
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