Anamorphic a-jigglin

[Hans Moleman]

This might be a tad paranoid, but when I screw on the LA7200, i can get it do thread on and scre for a while, until it stops at a weird angle. Then I adjust as per the lines and tighten the lil facet on the side. But it looks like it's still loose on the opposite side and moves a lil when I touch it. Normally i wouldn't worry about something as unnoticable as this, but thats a $750 piece of glass hanging out there and I just wanna be sure this is proper.

 

[khmuse]

The installation and removal procedure of the adapter is a bit counterintuitive for many. The set screw on the adapter "locks" the adapters threaded ring from rotating. This is useful for the beginning of the installation cycle and then again after the adapter is fully threaded to allow for alignment.

Basically, the cycle is:

1) lock tight, thread adapter onto camera
2) continue to rotate adapter until it is fully threaded and rotation comes to a stop
3) loosen lock, rotate adapter (in the righting direction only) until aligned
4) lock tight to retain position

The final step should take up nearly any excess movement that would be left.

 

[DVX100Shooter]

What is the purpose that that lens has to go on in what sounds like a complicated way? I have been thinking about getting one but I have heard many people complain that they can't get it off once they put it on or I hear about them stripping the screws that hold the lens on etc.

 

[HansK]

What is the purpose that that lens has to go on in what sounds like a complicated way? I have been thinking about getting one but I have heard many people complain that they can't get it off once they put it on or I hear about them stripping the screws that hold the lens on etc.

I have one and haven't experienced any problems with it. Maybe the ones having problems simply don't follow instructions and end up forcing it and breaking it. But, that doesn't excuse poor design. It is a bit confusing.

 

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Its not very complicated. Its just counter intuitive. You have to read the instructions because you have to tighten it to remove it.

It must be on in a particular way, the rigamorole you have to go through stems from the fact that it is a rectanguler lens that is being put on with a screw mount. Which means its end point after rotation will vary from camera to camera as you screw it on unless you have some additional sytem in place.

This is the reason you have to have a matte box to use a graduated filter, because it has to be at a set orientation.

the threads on the screwmount on the DVX vary in their position from camera to camera as I found out when using my letus 35 for the first time. When I screwed it on the rectangular glass element inside was on a diamond angle making it impossible to zoom through. It had been tested on 3 diff DVXes before it left the letus 35 shop but mine was a little different -- no problem, just screw it on to the dvx, pull the body of the letus housing off, align the rectangular element correctly and then push the body back on the ring still screwed into the DVX, then unscrew and there you go it will now be ailgned to screw on for my camera.

So Panny sought to avoid having you take the ananmorphic apart by coming up with a system that allows you to adjust the alignment.

As for the wiggle -- mine always wiggles. My screw is stripped however. It still won't fall off. I just have to make sure it's aligned.

My peeve with the anamorphic s the fact that it's not dust proof. Finally - to avoid having to take it apart all the time to clean out the inside, I put electrical tape around the on the insider areas that frame the two glass elements. It looks cheesy when you hold it in your hand, but ended dust problem and has not affected performance.