adapter advice

H

hermes7

New member
Hi everyone,
We are in pre-production for a short film which we will shoot using the HVX200 and we would like to use a 35mm adapter and lenses. We've been reading allot about the various adapters and lenses out there in the past few days and currently we seem to be contemplating between using the p+s technik, redrock m2 or possibly the SGpro.
We have a modest budget, Our DP is a novice to the 35mm adapter arena, we have one interior location which we may shoot with available lights and we would like to complete our 11pages/three locations script in one weekend (our shot list consist of fairly simple setups).

Which adapter should we go with? Any advice is welcome. Thanks :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
None.

If you DP isn't up to snuff on the use and drawbacks of an adapter then there is a lot of time wasted. If you are shooting in available light the issue of light loss with an adapter is compounded.

Spend the money you would on an adapter on some lights. You will get infinitely better results.
 
That's quite harsh, but still thank you for your response...
We will bring lights with us in case we need more light, but we would like this specific location to be generally under lit with patches of lights.
We will also go to our locations on a test shoot ahead of time, and my DP isn't a novice with cameras ( he worked on a couple of features) but he never worked with the 35mm adapter before.
So my question is still which adapter is best for our needs? Easy to learn and use, cuts as less light as possible and relatively cheap to rent?
Thanks again for your input.
 
thx for the tip matty i'm reading this RedRock M2 versus Cinevate Brevis blog article, interesting stuff, this adapter might be exactly what we're looking for as it is easy and quick to use, "likes" available light and light in weight which is great for handheld purposes. Here is the url for anyone who wants to know a bit more:
http://gearbrain.blogspot.com/
still I couldn't find the cinevate rental section on their web site but i'm currently studying the adapter pros and cons, more info or peoples experiences with this adapter are highly appreciated.
 
Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as harsh.

But my opinion still stands. Adapters are not something you pick up overnight and are shooting the next day at 8am with no hassle.

But if you really want an answer I would suggest the Brevis as well. The SGpro looks fantastic but comes out in batches, and I cannot comment on the Letus EX as I have never used one. I have a Brevis and love it to death. Light as a feather with a small 50mm on.
 
The Letus extreme is amazing with available light, but you'll need a rail system for that. I have the Letus economy which is light enough to use sans rails with a 50mm lens, and it's got the guts of the letus extreme
 
My experience is that if shooting in low light levels is the most important issue for you than get a Brevis. it is noticeably faster.

However it will have a little more depth of field than an SGPro or a Letus. So there are trade-offs only you can decide on. SG Pro and Letus are more similar look with slight trade offs on speed and flip etc.

Check out my recent comparison on this forum for more info. I would suggest one of those three from my experience, but availability may be key for you. Redrock will still give you a good picture. P+S is expensive and loses alot of light - nice picture though.
 
William_Robinette said:
None.

If you DP isn't up to snuff on the use and drawbacks of an adapter then there is a lot of time wasted. If you are shooting in available light the issue of light loss with an adapter is compounded.

Spend the money you would on an adapter on some lights. You will get infinitely better results.
Click to expand...

I agree. Not completely on the statement of the DP not being up to par (I got fantastic shots first time out with my SGpro rev3), but on the "available light" situation.

An interior with just available lighting? and add an adapter on top of that? I don't think you'll be happy with the results.

I think we can all agree that when adding an adapter to the arsenal, with it comes the necessity of learning light.
 
I guess really the question is what are the light levels in your available light location. test it our with your HVX and see what exposure you need, or try checking it with a light meter. That will tell you whetehr you can shoot with an adapter at all.
 
William_Robinette said:
Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as harsh.

But my opinion still stands. Adapters are not something you pick up overnight and are shooting the next day at 8am with no hassle.

But if you really want an answer I would suggest the Brevis as well. The SGpro looks fantastic but comes out in batches, and I cannot comment on the Letus EX as I have never used one. I have a Brevis and love it to death. Light as a feather with a small 50mm on.
Click to expand...

Baloney.

You can pick up an adaptor one day and get fabulous results the next, assuming it's well built and your DP understands cameras.
Adaptors are not rocket science. The first time I set my hands on an adaptor was on a job two years ago in Jamaica. We checked the gear out (Varicam/PS tech) on a Thurs in NYC and were shooting on Saturday. Here's the link: http://www.timnaylor.com/musicvid_richiespicevideo.html. Never touched an adaptor prior to that. It's like any piece of specialized optics. Light goes in, gets knocked about, light goes out the other end. You just need to understand how to control it. It begins with the on/off button....

If your DP doesn't have a lot experience don't worry if he's a good DP who knows camera gear. You don't need a special "adaptor certified" guy to get good results - just a conscientious DP who has enough humility to understand what he needs to research. But adaptor basics are just that - basic. Make sure it fits, it's aligned properly, your back focus is set and secure, know your shutter / f stop parameters before artifacting, and away you go. Account for about a 1 to 1.5 stops more light in your lighting package. If you used an inky make it a 650......

If your guy has DP'd for a while I'm sure he's come across far more complicated pieces of gear. If he's threaded a Panavision or navigated the menu on a Varicam, he'll figure out the adaptor in half an hour. It has one button, a thread into the camera and rails mount (requires an 8th grade education to put together). I've only run into problems with adaptors that were built by people who never really used them professionally or adequately beta tested them before releasing them to market. They tend to be built like potato chips and require extensive jerry rigging. I'll only mention the ones that I think have a "pro" build.

The beauty of adaptors is that they're god awful simple to use and you get amazing results. I rent out my gear all the time. Recently I rented to two Hungarian cameramen who never even shot HD in their lives (everything they've done up to that point was 35mm - lucky them). It took me an hour to show them everything and they did amazing things with the adaptor/HVX. That's what happens if you hire a real DP. They're trained to think like that. If they understand the basics behind imaging systems (lens, camera, medium) the adaptor should pose no daunting problems.

My personal fave is the SG PRO because I find its bokeh better, build quality more like the film gear I was reared on (low tolerances), spinning shutter allows higher stops and shutter speeds. I'm testing it against the new Letus Extreme tomorrow. Let me mention the Letus is built for war. Never seen anything like it. You'll definitely have a problem explaining it at customs. Can't wait to see its performance.

Tim Naylor - DP
www.timanylor.com
 
Last edited:
Tim Naylor said:
Baloney.

You can pick up an adaptor one day and get fabulous results the next, assuming it's well built and your DP understands cameras.
Adaptors are not rocket science. The first time I set my hands on an adaptor was on a job two years ago in Jamaica. We checked the gear out (Varicam/PS tech) on a Thurs in NYC and were shooting on Saturday. Here's the link: http://www.timnaylor.com/musicvid_richiespicevideo.html. Never touched an adaptor prior to that. It's like any piece of specialized optics. Light goes in, gets knocked about, light goes out the other end. You just need to understand how to control it. It begins with the on/off button....

If your DP doesn't have a lot experience don't worry if he's a good DP who knows camera gear. You don't need a special "adaptor certified" guy to get good results - just a conscientious DP who has enough humility to understand what he needs to research. But adaptor basics are just that - basic. Make sure it fits, it's aligned properly, your back focus is set and secure, know your shutter / f stop parameters before artifacting, and away you go. Account for about a 1 to 1.5 stops more light in your lighting package. If you used an inky make it a 650......

If your guy has DP'd for a while I'm sure he's come across far more complicated pieces of gear. If he's threaded a Panavision or navigated the menu on a Varicam, he'll figure out the adaptor in half an hour. It has one button, a thread into the camera and rails mount (requires an 8th grade education to put together). I've only run into problems with adaptors that were built by people who never really used them professionally or adequately beta tested them before releasing them to market. They tend to be built like potato chips and require extensive jerry rigging. I'll only mention the ones that I think have a "pro" build.

The beauty of adaptors is that they're god awful simple to use and you get amazing results. I rent out my gear all the time. Recently I rented to two Hungarian cameramen who never even shot HD in their lives (everything they've done up to that point was 35mm - lucky them). It took me an hour to show them everything and they did amazing things with the adaptor/HVX. That's what happens if you hire a real DP. They're trained to think like that. If they understand the basics behind imaging systems (lens, camera, medium) the adaptor should pose no daunting problems.

My personal fave is the SG PRO because I find its bokeh better, build quality more like the film gear I was reared on (low tolerances), spinning shutter allows higher stops and shutter speeds. I'm testing it against the new Letus Extreme tomorrow. Let me mention the Letus is built for war. Never seen anything like it. You'll definitely have a problem explaining it at customs. Can't wait to see its performance.

Tim Naylor - DP
www.timanylor.com
Click to expand...

Everything you need to know here. Good DOP, put everything together and shoot. SGPro is very easy to work, with good fast lenses, of course.
 
If you can trust that the adapter has back focus set properly then most of the new ones are pretty easy. We rent ours out often with an hour check out time at the most.
Probably the SGPro because its a spinner is ultimately the most fool proof, no checking for dust, no set-up issues, fewer worries about static grain etc. But none of thema re rocket science. I think an HVX is alot more complicated if you've never used one .
If you are buying one then I think its possible you may need to spend some time making sure everything works right and is aligned.
 
Thank u everybody and especially tim for the positively energized response, however is seems that we would go with the redrock m2.
We do understand that the m2 doesn't work best in low light situations so we will take a light kit with us and see how that works. Also it is heavy which makes it hard to use in handheld situations, however we're looking for a lynchy dark and eerie look and it seems that the m2 is best at producing this kind of imagery.
We'll be testing it this weekend on location with the HVX200 and various nikon 1.4f lenses. Any input on the m2 is appreciated and again thanks for the comments so far. This forum is a life saver :)
 
hermes7 said:
Thank u everybody and especially tim for the positively energized response, however is seems that we would go with the redrock m2.
We do understand that the m2 doesn't work best in low light situations so we will take a light kit with us and see how that works. Also it is heavy which makes it hard to use in handheld situations, however we're looking for a lynchy dark and eerie look and it seems that the m2 is best at producing this kind of imagery.
We'll be testing it this weekend on location with the HVX200 and various nikon 1.4f lenses. Any input on the m2 is appreciated and again thanks for the comments so far. This forum is a life saver :)
Click to expand...

Never heard of one adaptor being better for dark and eerie over another. It's like saying Canon's are better than Nikons for horror, when we all know Pentax are the best for the "Eraser Head" look. Kidding aside, best thing for the mood you want is a DP who knows how to light it and choose the right lens, etc.

Good luck.
 
William_Robinette said:
Sorry,

Guess my education doesn't reach this high and mighty 8th grade level. Discount my comments.
Click to expand...

I was just referring to what it takes to put together. I've done more complicated stuff in 7th grade shop wood shop class. But I'm from the pre-electronic Battle Ship generation - you know the days of woodshop, autoshop and metal shop. To actually use an adaptor - I would upgrade to 11th grade education or what it takes to read the instructions. Point is, one should not be intimidated by them in the least and embrace their simplicity.

Tim
 
Right on Tim! I hear u loud and clear, everything is possible as long as you do your homework and believe in your ability to achieve it. I guess I'm from that generation myself :)
Regardless, have you or anyone else on this forum has any interesting experience to share about the M2 as far as ease and speed of use under these conditions (indoor, low light, eerie mood)?
 
i dropped my letus extreme today.

i thank the manufacturers that it's built like a tank.

awesome!
 
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