How do I get a sharp in focus image with my G35!

F

Filmkid2003

Well-known member
Hey everyone. I'm trying to get the hang of my G35 adapter but, I can't seem to get my subject in perfectly sharp focus like I see on many vimeo videos! I have an HPX170, a Cinemek G35, and a Nikon Nikkor 50mm prime lens. This is how I set everything up:

1. I fasten the G35 adapter onto my HPX170
2. I set the iris on my HPX170 all the way open
3. I zoom the camcorder lens within the edges of the G35 adapter until there is no vignetting whatsoever
4. I screw the Nikon 50mm lens onto the G35 and set the aperture wide open
5. I focus the image projected on the G35 ground glass as sharp as I can using a 9" Small HD monitor (hooked up with component cables for 1080i) as my reference
6. I focus my subject using the focus ring on the Nikon lens as sharp as I can

This is on a sunny day outside so, there is plenty of light but, not too much light. The problem is, when I play the footage back on my 47" LCD HDTV, the subject I thought was nice and sharp IS STILL NOT SHARP and NOT completely in focus! Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong? Am I missing a step in my setup? Am I doing things out of order? Is there a formulaic way of doing this so the image is nice and sharp on the ground glass every time I set it up? Someone please help me. I really want to use the adapter but, I need my subject to be in focus first! By the way, my subject was a large perfectly still tree. Thanks.
 
Hey Filmkid,

I'm using the exact setup (a 170 with the Cinemek and Nikon glass). The G35 should have been had the flange distance set up correctly at the factory - mine seems to have been.

I have heard a couple of cases where the "collar" (look for the set screw) was either too far forward or too far back. This will effect the back focus and make it impossible to achieve a sharp image.

If you place a small piece of tape along the barrel where the collar currently is, you can slide it backwards and forwards to try various placements. This should let you zero in on the exact correct placement of the collar along the barrel of the G35. Then simply tighten the set screw and your done.


Hope this helps.


: )

dmc
 
Thanks, DMC. Hey, I saw this in another post where the guy was explaining how he would set up his G35. Can you explain to me what he means by "got the peaking on the grain of the ground glass"? What does that mean? Here is the quote:

"I went about the usual procedure of focusing on the ground glass: I
stopped the SLR lens all the way down and set it at infinity focus;
with the camera's iris wide open I focused until I got the peaking on the grain
of the ground glass."
 
Filmkid2003 said:
Thanks, DMC. Hey, I saw this in another post where the guy was explaining how he would set up his G35. Can you explain to me what he means by "got the peaking on the grain of the ground glass"? What does that mean? Here is the quote:

"I went about the usual procedure of focusing on the ground glass: I
stopped the SLR lens all the way down and set it at infinity focus;
with the camera's iris wide open I focused until I got the peaking on the grain
of the ground glass."
Click to expand...

Hes just saying he has the peaking settings on the camera. Some cameras have color peaking, like the Z1, and the XH-A1 just has Peaking. The peaking looks for sharp edges, sharp edges occurring primarily with things in focus. After finding these sharp edges it boosts their signal making them noticeable with colors or just higher brightness. So if your camera has no peaking, than just stop the ground glass on your adapter, stop down on the slr lens, and focus on the grain. Peaking just helps and makes focus easier to distinguish.
 
Oh okay. Thanks, Juice. I think my problem is that I didn't set the 50mm lens to infinity when I was focusing on the ground glass. I'll go back and try that and see if it resolves my problem.
 
When it comes to the backfocusing and getting it right, use the HPX's focus assist, that will digitally zoom in the picture far in so you can see the detail better when setting the focus, works for me =)
 
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