century optics anamorphic adapter

L

LaFinDuMonde

Active member
Does anybody have any info(inside?) about the upcoming century optics anamorphic adapter for the DVX? I emailed century and they told me this:

We are indeed working on a 16:9 widescreen adapter for the DVX cameras. At this time, I don't know when it will become available and its cost. I know that we will be showing it in Amsterdam at the IBC show in Sept. If you are not familiar with Century Optics you will find that our line of accessories are the leader in the industry for quality, performance, and longevity.
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Can it be much different then the current panny adapter?
I mean, it could be made of metal instead of plastic, but what else could they change? B/c if its not gonna be much different im just gonna buy the panny adapter and not wait. But if the century one is going to have some better(easier) focusing properties, or somehow allows one to use OIS, then that would be advantageous.
 
Re: century optics anamorphic adapter

What I've heard about the Century version is it will be the SAME panny adapter - and I mean they are actually just using the Panny adapters - just tricked out so that it can accept filters, mattebox, etc.
 
Re: century optics anamorphic adapter

[quote author=Todd_Mattson link=board=Links;num=1091646576;start=0#1 date=08/04/04 at 12:18:51]What I've heard about the Century version is it will be the SAME panny adapter - and I mean they are actually just using the Panny adapters - just tricked out so that it can accept filters, mattebox, etc.[/quote]

Not sure where you heard this, but I don't think it's true. Century has been working on prototypes for quite some time and I can't imagine them OEMing the optics for what will be a premium priced DV lens. It sure wouldn't be taking all this time if all they had to do was redesign the lens barrel.
 
Re: century optics anamorphic adapter

From what I understand of the Century adapter, it could be quite superior to the Panasonic -- but that superiority will be reflected in the price tag.

The Panasonic is an exceptional piece of glass for the money. The drawbacks to the Panasonic are mainly that it's made of plastic (not the glass, the housing); the sunshade design prevents the use of most accessories, and the non-adjustable vertical/horizontal astigmatism makes focusing difficult (hence the publication of the anamorphic adapter guide).

The Century is supposed to be based on the new line of adapters they just released for other cameras: see http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/new/index.htm

That adapter will likely have easier access to matteboxes, etc. The key distinction appears (appears, mind you, because we don't know the facts yet) that it will have a separately-focusable element for the verticals. This should mean, theoretically, that you could obtain perfectly sharp focus at any distance and any zoom setting *without having to stop the lens down*. The Panasonic requires you to stop down the iris in order to get acceptably-sharp focus at certain zoom settings. The Century could theoretically overcome that, meaning you could get full-telephoto, full-wide-open iris, and completely sharp imagery all at the same time. If that is in truth how it works, that would be a substantial improvement over the Panasonic.

That improvement will not be cheap however. The Century is rumored to cost at least $2,000 and I have heard it may be as much as $2500. That would give it a "street price" of somewhere around $1600 to $2000, or effectively twice as expensive as the Panasonic.
 
Re: century optics anamorphic adapter

You gotta wonder why it has taken so long for Century to come out with an adapter for the DVX.   Could it be because the stock lens is so wide that it make it more difficult to engineer a piece of glass that works properly?
 
Re: century optics anamorphic adapter

wow thats a hefty jump in price...if its really going to be that much more expensive...I'll probably stick with the panny one. Although, the better focusing feature is definitely a plus but jesus $2000!. It should make breakfast at that price.
As to using the current panny adapter, Barry I havent gotten your book yet, but if i get the adapter i will. What is big focusing disadvantage(other than it takes more work).
 
Re: century optics anamorphic adapter

It's not just "more work", it's that you have to understand the relationship between the vertical plane and the horizontal plane, and how distance and aperture affect them. You can't just use a production monitor and hope to get it right, because at certain settings you simply have to stop the lens down to certain f-stops... and you can't just rely on autofocus because autofocus only focuses on the verticals, ignoring the horizontals and basically ensuring that your picture is out of focus. In the guide I publish tables and cross-reference guides that tell you what f-stop and what focus setting to use for just about any circumstance, to guarantee sharp focus.
 
Re: century optics anamorphic adapter

on Aug 4th, 2004, 12:18pm, Todd_Mattson wrote:
What I've heard about the Century version is it will be the SAME panny adapter - and I mean they are actually just using the Panny adapters - just tricked out so that it can accept filters, mattebox, etc.
 
Not sure where you heard this, but I don't think it's true.  Century has been working on prototypes for quite some time and I can't imagine them OEMing the optics for what will be a premium priced DV lens.  It sure wouldn't be taking all this time if all they had to do was redesign the lens barrel.

Heard it from a rental house in Austin who ONLY carries Century Optics for their adapters. I asked them why they weren't going to be carrying the Panasonic version, and what was up with the Century verson, and this is what they told me, which came directly from the Century rep. Kind of like a Ford versus a Shelby Ford was the analogy he told me.
 
Re: century optics anamorphic adapter

I can assure you the rental house got it wrong. The Panasonic adapter looks nothing like the new series of Century adapters, which all have focusable elements for the verticals.
 
Re: century optics anamorphic adapter

i cant speak for all rental houses, but the one i go to definitly has their head up their arse... just before NAB the guys at that house i rent from were like, "yup, canons gonna anounce the xl2 this week, and its gonna be HD and its gonna be 16x9...blah blah blah" i was like, "yeah, hmm, how do u know that..?" "oh we got our sources"...yeah, your arse for a source. whatever, they always work with me on my rentals....just wont count on them for insider info....

uh, just thought i drop that in there.... :D

peace
 
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