35mm Adapters

WhiteWood

WhiteWood

Carbonite Member
Okay, simply put: The only reason that I post so many topics is because EVERYTIME I search for something on this site, it NEVER shows up. In addition to me wanting more specific info on MY inquiry. I'm about to buy a 35 MM adapter because I have to. I'm in LA now and I'm playing with the big boys.

Okay, I seen this chart:
1204921230.jpg

1.)Flat out, in YOUR opinion, what is the BEST 35MM adapter between the four well knowns? (SGPro, Brevis, Letus and RedRock) Why?

2.)What is your LEAST favorite? Why?

And I seen this is a camera with SGPro.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieRe_GRPFVI
 3.) That's ALOT of stuff on that camera. Is there a video tutorial on what EACH one of the things attached to that camera do so that I can decide how important each thing is and whether I need it or not?

4.) What's the difference between a 'Vibrating' and 'Rotating' Design?

5.) What does 'Light Loss' mean? And how does it matter?

6.) What is 'Modularity'?

7.) What's the difference between a 'Hard' and a 'Soft' mount?
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deedive said:
take a look at this page, may help u with a few of your questions.
http://www.freshdv.com/tutorials
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THIS IS MEEEEEGA helpful. I'm REALLY INTO this tutorial:
http://www.freshdv.com/2007/10/how-to-setup-and-configure-the-brevis-35mm-adapter.html

And this is one of the best tutorials I've EEEEVVEEEER seen!:
http://www.freshdv.com/2007/09/freshdv-film-school-the-art-of-pulling-focus-part-3.html

1.)What is Vignetting mean though? Can you post a picture or video as to what that looks like?

2.) How many MM is the lens's focal length on a DVX?
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So i assume you understand light loss (f stops)

Vignetting is the black around the edges, its more commonly seen in fisheye lenses
 
Austinv said:
So i assume you understand light loss (f stops)

Vignetting is the black around the edges, its more commonly seen in fisheye lenses
Click to expand...

No, I don't know what an FStop or Light Loss is.

Here are some stills from some of my productions. On each of these pix, there's one side that's kinda red and one side there's a sliver of black.
which an EXAMPLE of Vignetting?:


n8099637221_824982_4419.jpg



n8099637221_779326_7340.jpg


n8099637221_578124_4939.jpg

And lastly, how do I prevent it??
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Ok Fstops is the amount of light allowed into you iris. F16 is very dark and the iris is almost closed, F1 is very bright because the iris is fully open. Try this on your camera using the iris control.

So light loss on 35mm adapters all depends on which one.
on the Letus Extreme it losses half a stop (.5) of light so if your iris was at F1 it would go to F1.5.

An example of vingnetting is http://www.nikonweb.com/e2n/e2n_samples/e2n_vignetting_18mm.jpg

To lose the vignetting on some 35mm adapters you need to zoom in on your camera until you get zero vignetting then you are good to go!

http://www.vimeo.com/980419 Theres a good video on vignetting

Vignetting is almost always not wanted in movies, but it can give a very artistic look to your film and is often done in post production programs.
 
Which adapter is best?

All of them.

Why?

It depends what you want/need.

Something I have learned from this site, if you want to play with the big boys, write a better story then they write and shoot it. A 35mm adapter isn't going to make a bad movie great.

But as far as adapters are concerned, I have decided to go with the SG. I am currently waiting to see what the blade is like, but I love the look of the SG far more then the other guys. You however might not.
 
zergtherobot said:
Which adapter is best?

All of them.

Why?

It depends what you want/need.

Something I have learned from this site, if you want to play with the big boys, write a better story then they write and shoot it. A 35mm adapter isn't going to make a bad movie great.

But as far as adapters are concerned, I have decided to go with the SG. I am currently waiting to see what the blade is like, but I love the look of the SG far more then the other guys. You however might not.
Click to expand...

Why do you like the look better?
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Austinv said:
Ok Fstops is the amount of light allowed into you iris. F16 is very dark and the iris is almost closed, F1 is very bright because the iris is fully open. Try this on your camera using the iris control.

So light loss on 35mm adapters all depends on which one.
on the Letus Extreme it losses half a stop (.5) of light so if your iris was at F1 it would go to F1.5.

http://www.vimeo.com/980419 Theres a good video on vignetting
Click to expand...

I didn't understand ANY of this.

So is 'Light Loss' another word for 'FStop'?
Which 33MM Adapter is better when it comes to FStops?

That video was helpful as HELL about vignetting though! Because I've never shot witha 35MM adapter, I've never heard of it before. (Over an hour later:) I'm almost done watching EVERY VIDEO on his channel. This stuff is AMAZING. It's making me itch on the INSIDE to hurry up and get an adapter so that I can start production on my first film! OMG!
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Whitewood, you need to brush up on the basics. All of your questions are filmmaking 101 and are answered already in numerous threads. Without even having to do a search, here's a few STICKIES that answer your question right on the 35mm adapter on the forum

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=98071
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=51963

And here's a wikipedia article on f-stop

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_number

35mm adapters aren't pick up and play. They require basic understanding of how optics work to get the best results. There are HUGE hidden costs beside the adapter itself. Stop looking for quick answers. Browse the 35mm section and educate yourself before making a purchase, or else you're just gonna be wasting your money.
 
Huy Vu said:
35mm adapters aren't pick up and play. They require basic understanding of how optics work to get the best results. There are HUGE hidden costs beside the adapter itself. Stop looking for quick answers. Browse the 35mm section and educate yourself before making a purchase, or else you're just gonna be wasting your money.
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Checking out that Wikipedia article out now

When you say that there are more cost than the adapter itself, it's all included in that chat in the first posting in the first page, isn't it? Like Between $1,000-$2,000 for everything, right?
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I spent twice as much on accessories for my adapter as I did for the adapter itself. There's rod support, lenses, follow focus, monitors, accessories for monitor etc. Nearly $2500 now, and still spending.
 
Huy Vu said:
I spent twice as much on accessories for my adapter as I did for the adapter itself. There's rod support, lenses, follow focus, monitors, accessories for monitor etc. Nearly $2500 now, and still spending.
Click to expand...

But all of that is included in the price chart on the first page though, right?
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No. That chart doesn't include follow focus or lenses. Those cost me nearly $800 more.

Plus better get a beefy tripod to handle the new camera rig. Add another $700 or so.
 
Whitewood, you should not get an adapter, its a lot more complicated to use than a regular camera, you have to worry about a lot more things.

IMO you should make a few films and read, then read some more, then some more and maybe then you can have an idea on how to use a 35mm adapter.

I have to agree with Huy Vu, you do not have the basics down, read up on just general filmmaking terms and techniques before you go out and spend thousands on equipment.
 
Austinv said:
Whitewood, you should not get an adapter, its a lot more complicated to use than a regular camera, you have to worry about a lot more things.

IMO you should make a few films and read, then read some more, then some more and maybe then you can have an idea on how to use a 35mm adapter.

I have to agree with Huy Vu, you do not have the basics down, read up on just general filmmaking terms and techniques before you go out and spend thousands on equipment.
Click to expand...


I'm 23 years old. I feel as if I'm dying of old age. I have a goal (Laugh if you want) of winning an Academy Award before, yet around, the age of 30. I have 7 years to shoot as much as I can (Maybe 2,3 features) and cram as much info as I can.

I don't have Time to wait while these are 19-year-old white kids are out here with the adapters shooting music videos for the BackStreet boys. While there are 22-year-old guys shooting $100,000 pilots for Fox and starring in films helping him to support his film career, with agents and carrying on.

I've been shooting with the DVX since 2005, shooting a short film per month. While it was fun, I'm tired of it's ugly, half-assed quality. The DVX looks like a amateur's video who had money to burn and bought a nice camera. It BLEW ME away, 3 years ago, and then the red was introduced. I REALLY want a Red but where am I ever going to get $32,000? But a quick fix toward the look I'm going for is this adapter, which I CAN afford. I'm trying to get my first film into production by the end of this year, early next year. In the past week, I've been doing studying on these adapters, reading all forums and tutorials, and watching all the videos I can to know as much as I can before I make my choice.

You guys of ALL people should know that the best way to learn any aspect of film is through hands on trial and error. So why discourage me from getting the adapter just because I don't fully understand FStops? I come to this site to learn about equipment and technology, not be given career and financial advice. I've never HAD to know about FStops while working with a regular DVX. But being forced to learn about new things once I buy this adapter will enhance my knowledge like no video tutorial can.
 
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