35mm Adapter for Canon XL2?

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yaltunin

Member
Hey All,
Long time reader first time poster. This post is strictly for the Canon XL2 as I haven't found any solid posts referring relating to this topic. I currently shoot documentaries and short films with a Canon XL2 which has served me very well and caused me to develop a unique shooting style, so I stubbornly refuse to part with it for now. Recently I decided to purchase a DOF adapter for the camera since I'm moving strictly to film and would like some help picking out the perfect one.

My budget is $1200 give or take a few hundred, just for the adapter itself, including support rails and a flip module. Which adapter would best work for me? I need something with these parameters:

~ must have slip module
~ works best with the XL2
~ Still lenses and cine lenses compatible
~ Adjustable back focus and not (that much of) a pain to work with

Now I've been doing research on DOF adapters for a few months now settling on brands like Letus, Brevis and Shoot35 due to their pros and cons. My question to all of you is what your experience has been with such adapters (not restricted to the above), what has worked best for you and which ones have made you pull your hair out? Which one helped you best express your inner artists so to speak?

I just need something that won't let me down.

Thank you in advance to anyone who reads and throws in their two cents.

Cheers,

Yaro
 
Lenny, thanks for the offer. I'll keep you in mind as I get everything together for a purchase and will contact if the unit is still for sale.

Spartacus: Hahaha, I guess I'll have to deal until I can afford a relay. I heard people were using wide angle lenses in place of a relay. Any comment on that?
 
I bought and used the SGblade (Shoot35) for about a year and it was awesome. Great build quality, sturdy engineering. My only complaint was that the Rotorazor 2 imaging element, which is the most cinema-like bokeh rendering, eats light for breakfast. I think I was losing anywhere in the vicinity of 1-1.5 stops of light, and since I was using it on a 320 ASA rated camera at -3db, the full rig was putting me in the 60-80 ASA range which meant I had to literally BLAST my sets with light just to get exposure. So shooting interiors with the SGblade with Rotorazor 2 was a little bit of a challenge, but for exterior day shoots it was a dream come true. Extremely cinematic bokeh rendering, high image quality, easy to use and long battery life. Also, interchangeable mounts for still and cine lenses.

I didn't have a chane to test out Rotorazor 1, which is a little less cinematic as far as bokeh but is better in low light....it's advertised to lose about half a stop. I imagine that'd be much better for shooting interiors, because for me and Rotorazor 2 it was a nightmare.
 
yaltunin said:
Spartacus: Hahaha, I guess I'll have to deal until I can afford a relay. I heard people were using wide angle lenses in place of a relay. Any comment on that?
Click to expand...

When we had the XL2, we always rented the mini35 with relaylens (only option at this time, there were no P+S alternatives...) - maybe you can get a good deal on a used one, they are built like a tank and may become cheap now with all the VDSLR buzz...
 
I have the LEX, too. It works very well with the XL2... But you really need some Rod-extensions, if you're shooting with it.

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Unfortunately finding a Mini35 for my budget will be difficult unless I can find someone in a very charitable mood. But I was eyeing the SGblade and the more I research the product the more I fall in love with it. People seem to be very happy with it, even with the light loss.

I remember shooting on one of the Redrock prototypes years ago and its was way more then 1/1.5 stops.
 
Don't get me wrong thats an amazing deal, but it took me a few long months to get together $1300. Roughly tripling that would take me much longer.

But thank you all for replying and sharing your experiences. From all your help and scouring the board for info I have decided to go with the SGblade, its just too much versatility with a great build and a good price at that. So thanks again.

~Yaro
 
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