Letus Extreme rig photos
- Thread starter hennbot
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nathansplace
Member
What mattebox fits the letus rails? What is the cheapest? I was looking at the cinevate one but does it fit? ALso where is the cheapest place to get Filters?
puredrifting
Major Contributor
Hi Nathan:
The Letus rail system will accept any standard 15mm rod diameter matte box.
Your request for the cheapest place to get filters needs clarification. Do you mean the cheapest retailer to buy quality name brand glass or do you mean who manufactures cheap filters? I have found that using cheap filters, I won't mention the brand names, is an unwise decision. Quality glass 4X4 filters begin at around $180.00 ea. to get something decent, not even the best. Some names you should be looking at will be Schneider, B+W, Formatt, etc. Tiffens are okay but definitely not the best filters you can buy, some feel that their raw glass has a greenish tint to it. You should look for filters that use Schott white water glass as their base glass element.
I assume that you are using a 35mm adapter? Think about it, you are already taking your fixed cheap lens and aiming it at a somewhat low budget ground glass that is typically a piece of plastic. The image has been formed typically by a cheap, low end still camera lens. Before you even put a filter over that lens, your image has already been compromised with distortion numerous times. It is very important to obtain the best filters possible to not further degrade your images. You will find that if you are hunting for name brand glass, the prices will all be very close from almost all retailers. I have been huntin for a set of NDs and so far, I have not found anyone who offers a significant discount over what everyone else offers. You will also find that used glass 4X4 filters seem to be very difficult to track down, although its not impossible.
The resin filters like Cokin, Lee and Kodak are just so, so and the unnamed brand of glass filters that sell for around $60.00 to $80.00 ea.? They are really not very good and they do degrade your image significantly.
Just my experience,
Dan
Gavin Garrison
Active member
So. How is it going everyone. I feel like I've jumped from the frying pan into the fire. My Lex arrived yesterday, and low and behold the contraption actually fit together. My question is, and I realize this is the "nature of the beast," as someone said, is how the heck do you counterbalance these things? The balance isn't that bad, but it could be better. Judging from everyone's pictures, I moved the cam and plate as far back as possible. Adding a MB and FF are just going to aggravate the situation. In any event, I'm happy, though rather intimidated, to finally have her up and running. Would not have been possible with out everyone here, so thank you all.
Also, I don't really see how I could fit an MB on these rails without another set. That brings another problem: the rails flex A LOT when they are pushed all the way forward like this. If they're not pushed forward, there's barely enough room for the LEX itself. Maybe I'm missing something. These are the IndiRailsPro XV, BTW.
PS I tried to look excited with my rig.
Also, I don't really see how I could fit an MB on these rails without another set. That brings another problem: the rails flex A LOT when they are pushed all the way forward like this. If they're not pushed forward, there's barely enough room for the LEX itself. Maybe I'm missing something. These are the IndiRailsPro XV, BTW.
PS I tried to look excited with my rig.
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mvansomeren
Well-known member
Have you tried moving the rail clamps to the front of the riser? That should reduce the flex. If that's not enough, maybe give Tim a call and see if you can buy a second set of clamps so that there is one in front and behind the rizer. By the way, moving the clamps to the front of the riser would of course give you more reach with the rails (for that Mattebox) but you would still have the flex issue.
Gavin Garrison
Active member
Yeah thanks for the tip, I moved it back up front. I believe it ships with it up front. I had moved it back to create some space up front.
Postmaster
Dark Side of the Camera
..and an other rig.
(yeah, bad photos - I know)
I got 2 of those handy lens supports (last picture).
One goes into the LEX´s thread the other one is for large lenses.
2 of my Zeiss middleformat lenses got a thread for that reason.
For all other lenses the supports have 2 ball bearings or rolls.
It is not THAT tight with those bearings, but you can even support the part that is turning.
Frank
(yeah, bad photos - I know)
I got 2 of those handy lens supports (last picture).
One goes into the LEX´s thread the other one is for large lenses.
2 of my Zeiss middleformat lenses got a thread for that reason.
For all other lenses the supports have 2 ball bearings or rolls.
It is not THAT tight with those bearings, but you can even support the part that is turning.
Frank
Attachments
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ozzymandius
Active member
Where do you get those lens supports? I have a couple of macro Canon lenses that are pretty heavy, and want to get a cheap support to take the weight off the Lex.
Postmaster
Dark Side of the Camera
ozzymandius
Active member
Thanks. Just picked one up.
ecking
Veteran
Is that the indian follow focus? How do you find it compared to what's out there? It looks like the redrock does it function just as well?
Adam J McKay
Veteran
I have been wondering the same thing about all those products from india.
Postmaster
Dark Side of the Camera
Mattebox, FF and rod support are from India - so I can call it a IndiCam 
I´m more than happy with the FF. The play is minimal and it works fine also does the rodsupport (thou it was not made for snorkel up adapter use).
I put 2 of them together (upside down) et voila!
The lens support is great to have.
About indian Quality:
1. Thou the indian gear is the cheapest on the market, I still think it is too expensive for what it is - as all film gear.
Even $150 for a simple plastic cup (matte box) and some nuts ´n bolts is too much. You can find way more complex gadgets at Toys r Us for $15
And don´t tell me that´s because it is such a small market - Cinecity allone makes $2.3 millions a year.
2. Everything is a bit coarse, threads are sometimes weak but if you handle it with care and replase some bolts your fine.
3. If something is broken or don´t work they send you an other one the same day or you got your money paypaled back within hours - No questions asked. The response time of the service/support is pretty fast and nice.
Some other vendors could learn a lesson in India regarding customer care and responsibility.
Frank
I´m more than happy with the FF. The play is minimal and it works fine also does the rodsupport (thou it was not made for snorkel up adapter use).
I put 2 of them together (upside down) et voila!
The lens support is great to have.
About indian Quality:
1. Thou the indian gear is the cheapest on the market, I still think it is too expensive for what it is - as all film gear.
Even $150 for a simple plastic cup (matte box) and some nuts ´n bolts is too much. You can find way more complex gadgets at Toys r Us for $15
And don´t tell me that´s because it is such a small market - Cinecity allone makes $2.3 millions a year.
2. Everything is a bit coarse, threads are sometimes weak but if you handle it with care and replase some bolts your fine.
3. If something is broken or don´t work they send you an other one the same day or you got your money paypaled back within hours - No questions asked. The response time of the service/support is pretty fast and nice.
Some other vendors could learn a lesson in India regarding customer care and responsibility.
Frank
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Douglas Villalba
Well-known member
One more rig photo.
It is a Cavision bellow shade and rails on top and IndiRails bottom with an IndiFocus FF. I used the Cavision camera mount in the back to hold the FS-100 and or wireless receiver.
I haven't done any tests but it looks very good.
The only thing that I have notice is that Nikon mounts would have to be replace. It is just to lose to pull focus fast and accurately.
It is a Cavision bellow shade and rails on top and IndiRails bottom with an IndiFocus FF. I used the Cavision camera mount in the back to hold the FS-100 and or wireless receiver.
I haven't done any tests but it looks very good.
The only thing that I have notice is that Nikon mounts would have to be replace. It is just to lose to pull focus fast and accurately.
Attachments
Douglas Villalba
Well-known member
The top rails are from a Cavision Rail mount system to the bellow shade. It came with the handles. I bought one of the first Cavision systems a way back. I first used it with the JVC GY-DV500u and then with the Sony FX-1.
The bottom is a IndiRail XV System that I just got with the FF. It is an 18" rail and at the end you can see the Cavision camera mount holding the FS-100.
The bridge is achieved with the Letus rod support.
armisiano
Veteran
Just got my Letus Extreme today, couldn't be happier. I love it. I've got a pretty basic setup, just the LEX, a DVX100B, some rails, and a handful of lenses, but I'm happy. What I really need now is a decent tripod. I've spent enough on lenses and other equipment, anyone have any recommendations for a good, not too pricey, tripod? Even just the head? Anyway, here are my rig pics.
