back focus check

Cees Mutsaers

Cees Mutsaers

Veteran
I wanted to check if the back focus of my HPX out of the box is correctly set using the Siemens star and the description on page 4 of the manual of the Fujinon lens.

1. In which position should the focus ring be BEFORE I start with the direction under c. ??

2. Focussing on the star in wide position at 3 meters is not possible at all using the evf/LCD, the star is just to small.


Is there not a other way to do it?
 
Using the Focus Assist will at least give you a 1:1 zoom on the LCD, makes it possible to check focus at both ends. Ideally, though, an HD monitor will give the most accurate results.
 
So much still to buy and a HD monitor which is quit expensive is not on top of my list. I just hope Panasonic did a good job when testing my cam.
 
I would advice you to set it up. As my 301 came new from Pana it was set incorrectly and I lost nearly two days of work. You've not seen it on the LCD while working with it - but after all in the editing system.
If you push up the peaking to plus 5 and set it to high either you can also set it with your LCD. Not as good as a HD Monitor of course but also working in my opinion.

For better understanding, after I unpacked my brand new HPX301 every back focus done shot was looking like this one: http://www.biberfilm.de/server/public/hpx301_sharpness.tga
 
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What about my first point :

1. In which position should the focus ring be BEFORE I start with the direction under c. on page 4 of the manual of the Fujinon lens??


Edit : ok I tried it with the expanded focus and increased the peaking but it is still not possible on the lcd (the star is only at most 2 cm wich is to small. I think I need to borrow a HD monitor from the dealer.



maxemanuel said:
I would advice you to set it up. As my 301 came new from Pana it was set incorrectly and I lost nearly two days of work. You've not seen it on the LCD while working with it - but after all in the editing system.
If you push up the peaking to plus 5 and set it to high either you can also set it with your LCD. Not as good as a HD Monitor of course but also working in my opinion.

For better understanding, after I unpacked my brand new HPX301 every back focus done shot was looking like this one: http://www.biberfilm.de/pictures/hpx301_sharpness.tga
Click to expand...
 
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You need to buy a HD monitor to get proper back focus adjustment:-)

I bought a Marshall SDI monitor and no frames are out of foucus now:-)
 
But that is very expensive for just correcting the back focus ones (maybe hire one for a half day). Is it possible to connect a 24 inch Apple cinema display (which is full HD) directly to the HPX and check the back focus?


Nacka said:
You need to buy a HD monitor to get proper back focus adjustment:-)

I bought a Marshall SDI monitor and no frames are out of foucus now:-)
Click to expand...
 
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Hoi Cees,

Je PM werkt niet...

Ik ben erg blij met de camera, beetje verkennen nog. Die sachtler van jou is wel zwaar genoeg denk ik hoor.

Ik heb trouwens nog een setje zacuto rods over die je kunt gebruiken als mattebox support. Interesse?
 
Hmm je kunt me geen pm sturen?
Ik kreeg de indruk na het zien van die foto dat je al veel ervaring had met deze camera gezien je setup. Ik heb de camera net 1 week en zit nog in de beginfase van verkenning. Zoveel settings en van vele wordt de werking niet echt goed toegelicht in de manual. Wordt tijd dat Barry G. een boek gaat schrijven over de 300. Moet deze week een HD monitor huren om te checken of de backfocus goed staat (stond deze bij jou goed "out of the box"?). Ik kon trouwens de 18PII nergens in de Sachtler cat. vinden (wel video18SB), is het een specialty? Is setup zo zwaar dat een Video 15 SB te licht is?

Ok ga even kijken waarom mij pm niet werkt.

groet
Cees


balster said:
Hoi Cees,

Je PM werkt niet...

Ik ben erg blij met de camera, beetje verkennen nog. Die sachtler van jou is wel zwaar genoeg denk ik hoor.

Ik heb trouwens nog een setje zacuto rods over die je kunt gebruiken als mattebox support. Interesse?
Click to expand...
 
Die 18II is gewoon iets ouder, die 15 kop van jou is prima. Backfocus kan ook op een goede sd monitor hoor.

Kijk even of jij iets hebt aan die zacuto rods:
Zephyr300-MAIN.jpg


Ik heb ze over.
 
Balster,

I just understand Dutch very little but I believe you're telling Cees that the Sachtler 15SB will suffice for the complete outfit you use of the HPX300 + mini35c + Zeiss ZFs + Mattebox + FollowFocus? Is that correct or I'm misunderstanding? I am just trying to decide between both, the 15SB and the 18SB heads... I'm also planning to have the BT-LH80W on board which is almost 5 lbs with a Noga arm -less batteries... Any imputs?

Did you already get the rods from Chrosziel to replace your Zacuto Zehyr300 and attach the mini35c to the HPX? Do they work perfectly as the Zacutos's?

Cheers!

Henry.
 
Ok I will continue in my poor English because of our fellow members. I contacted the moderator about the fact that nobody can send me pm's anymore he changed something but it still does not work (at least I get a strange message when I try to send a pm to myself).

Can you still mount the HPX on the tripod with the Zacuto rods attached (buy the way do you have the original Panasonic tripod plate)? Why did you buy other rods ? What is the type number of the rods? My first priority is tripod/head but maybe in the near future it could be interesting.


balster said:
Die 18II is gewoon iets ouder, die 15 kop van jou is prima. Backfocus kan ook op een goede sd monitor hoor.

Kijk even of jij iets hebt aan die zacuto rods:
Zephyr300-MAIN.jpg


Ik heb ze over.
Click to expand...
 
Cees,

For your info, Panasonic changed the way LWS (Lightweight Support) Plates attach to the bottom of their HPX300 cameras. That's why you might need dedicated LWS plates for the HPX300 to adjust and align a mattebox to the lens of the camera.

Zacuto came out with the Zephyr 300 for the HPX300 which works perfectly with a Quick Release Tripod Plate -like the Panasonic SHAN-TM700.

I understand that other brands like Cavision also have dedicated options for the HPX300.

H.
 
CinemaElectronika said:
Balster,

I just understand Dutch very little but I believe you're telling Cees that the Sachtler 15SB will suffice for the complete outfit you use of the HPX300 + mini35c + Zeiss ZFs + Mattebox + FollowFocus? Is that correct or I'm misunderstanding? I am just trying to decide between both, the 15SB and the 18SB heads... I'm also planning to have the BT-LH80W on board which is almost 5 lbs with a Noga arm -less batteries... Any imputs?

Did you already get the rods from Chrosziel to replace your Zacuto Zehyr300 and attach the mini35c to the HPX? Do they work perfectly as the Zacutos's?

Cheers!

Henry.
Click to expand...

Yes back to english...

No the 15sb will not be enough for my complete setup, I use an 18 head. But for Cees whom only uses the standard lens (as far as I know) a 15 head will suffice. And yes the Chrosziel rods are the same grade as the Zacuto's. But they are the only ones you can mount the P+S technik on.
 
Today I bought a cable with BNC at one end and a composite (tulip) at the other side. When I connect my HPX to the CRT (SD, about 26 inch diagonal) I get live video and can play back recorded video. However there is no sound!!
I thought composite was a combination of 2 video signals and 1 audio signal ?

I tried to use this setup to check my back focus but if I focus at tele (also using expand) and than go to wide the Siemens star is so small (even on the 26" display that I can not even see whether it is in focus or not. So I really need to hire a Marshall HD monitor? This monitor is only 7 inch diagonal so the star at tele will be at most 1,5 inch in diameter at wide so still very small. Do you really think I can optimize back-focus on this.

When I called the guy to hire the HD monitor he told me that I can also do it with a wavemonitor. Is the one on the HPX good enough and how should the wave form look like when in focus? He told me it should be a horizontal line which goes down at the edge which seems to be the case in tele. However when I go to wide you are not able to get this even if you change the focus.

Ok everybody tells me that checking/correcting back-focus takes at most 1 minute but for me it seems not so easy (probably I am stupid) !!! Any suggestion are wecome :-))
 
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Cees,

The distance should be about 2,5 meters then the star won't be that small. Zoom in, focus, zoom out use back focus and zoom back in, focus and out back focus... An SD monitor should work fine.

About composite: It's two signals: black and white image + color. No sound, this is only possible thru an SDI connection.
 
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