questions re/ Sony EX1 and Brevis

V

vj_jasper

Active member
Hi all,

i hope to purchase a Brevis 35 system, with the rails system.

a few questions, if i may..

1/ what is the best diffuser to choose for the EX1


2/ what type of lens would be good to put on the adapter.. is it necessary to pay a lot of dollars, or are lower priced options just as good?

when purchasing, lens type must be specified.. Cinevate then provides a lens connection specifically for the model specified at point of sale.

i am hoping to do a video catalogue for a model agency, just to practice filming with depth of field, and getting humans in focus, using SLR lens and the EX1's monitor.

please, if anyone could give me some advice on the best lens to begin with on this system.. i am looking for clarity of objects of interest, with a background blur that can turn into a complete haze if required.


3/ where is the best place to buy the Brevis35 system.. Cinevate, or BH Photo Video?

4/ i would like to include the rails system with the Brevis35 system; seems like the total price will approach $2000.

.. apart from a lens, the rails system, and perhaps a 77- 72 step down ring (if it is not already included), are there any other considerations i need to be aware of?


very excited about the idea of filming with narrow depth of field..

thanks in advance for any info or help. :)
 
At this point we Brevis users are waiting with baited breath for Dennis to announce distribution for a new diffuser that will solve the Ex-1 issues. Until then, in my tests the current units will only hold focus corner to corner with the Ex-1 lens at f8. Probably a bit difficult with models on a lit interior.

Re: lens type - Most people go with Nikon because many lenses are easily available. Next most popular is probably Canon and if you have the dough go with cine PL mount but those are very pricey lenses.

Re: which lenses on say Nikon - its a long story with many options.. There are good cheap lenses especialy the 50mm, and if you don't care about speed. There is a ton written about them here. Just look.

Lenny Levy
 
The EX1 is indeed a pain with respect to edge-to-edge sharpness at zoom ranges beyond Z75. Right now, most folks are doing what Carleton is doing as discussed in this thread. There's some pretty footage there too.

That said, Lenny is right. We've been working on an EX1 kit for some time, and have successfully achieved edge to edge sharpness as good as any of our other user's cams. The fix does not involve the achromat, (this cannot fix the issue) and instead uses a technique that has not been used in the adapter world to date. We're working very hard to make sure the system retains edge to edge sharpness as you zoom in to use the system with cine lenses (smaller image frame).

The fix will give you edge to edge sharpness as you'd expect from our adapter with the following features:

1. Under $140 in cost
2. Removeable in 2 minutes or less ( for use with everything else).
3. No changes in light loss or vignetting performance.
4. Full frame widths up to 10% larger than SLR at 36mm

At this point we're just fine tuning and expect to have the kit released in under 4 weeks.
 
cool!

so the solution is on the way..


so, can i ask, what is the best CF for the brevis/EX1 combo?

there was a post from someone who could see their CF's grain in the footage.. was that to do with collimation issues for which they sent the unit back, or was the issue to do with the diffuser strength?

i must say, the new M1 microprocessor to assist micro collimation is a great relief to me ... the idea of unassisted "micro" adjustments makes me nervous, so a micro processor would be a great help. funny thing to say, considering i now work with an EX1 which is so manually adjustable.

quick question: should i hold back on the purchase at this time?
am very keen to get started with the Brevis system, but if i will save money by waiting for the fix to be integrated, perhaps i should wait?

thanks for any info.

Lenny - i will be researching all the lens reviews i can find here.. hoping to find a side-by-side review of lenses as the relate to a Brevis system and an EX1, although that might be too specialised for side-by-side testing?

i found a Zeiss Cine lens here at eBay.. $200 second hand.. they say it is in good condition and the lens is "clear" .. would have to see it in the real world to make a decision..

is that a good one compared to say, the Nikon 50mm with aperture settings on the side?
 
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Our EX1 fix is similar in many respects to our interchangeable imaging elements. In other words, modular and easy for end users to swap in and out.

Patrick Moreau (stillmotion.ca) was just over in the UK and shot a fair bit with the Brevis/EX1 combination handheld (yep, hand held) using CF1le (the recommended element) in "non-fixed" form. I think his footage will be up shortly, but from what I've heard, he's pretty excited about the footage. If you're using the EX1 on fast SLR lenses, and you perform the XY adjustment properly, you should be able to frame properly at Z75 zoom or so. At this zoom level the edge to edge sharpness is good. Dial in f5.6 to f8 and it's excellent.

So should you wait? I'd say only if you're using PL mount cine lenses and framing academy (22x16mm or so). If on the other hand you're shooting with SLR type lenses at full frame, jump in whenever you like :-) The kit is being carefully engineered to drop in, and all of our shipping is next day....
 
okay.. lets get this show on the road.
i will go with SLR rather than PL, unless of course renting PL in the future.

first, quick question session re/ the Element..

in regard to exactly what is being chosen, and for what reason, the elements CF1le, CF2le, and CF3le are affecting the 'edges' of objects and backgrounds, is that correct?
therefore, the edges within image on the element being sharpened or softened.. and

i presume that as regards element choice, the depth of field is of course not affected, because the element is not different in size, nor is focal length being adjusted.

however, there might be an optical magnification of the bokeh that is present in the pencils of light that arrive and shine upon the element?



when checking out the choices, my immedioae decision was for the CF3le, because it seemed to give the greatest background blur, however in retrospect, that may have been at a slight expensive of the clarity of the entire image.

being placed numerically in the middle, CF2le was also a consideration - thought perhaps that was the most balanced choice or tradeoff in background blur and general image clarity.

however, if CF1le is recommended for the Sony EX1, i shall choose that element.


i love narrow depth of field. i think its the most aesthetically pleasing technique of narrative frame composition.
one of the original factors that made early cinema so beautiful. that is why i must ask about these elements in such detail, to gain understanding.
 
vj_jasper said:
i found a Zeiss Cine lens here at eBay.. $200 second hand.. they say it is in good condition and the lens is "clear" .. would have to see it in the real world to make a decision..

is that a good one compared to say, the Nikon 50mm with aperture settings on the side?
Click to expand...


It's a completely different type of lens. I'm not even sure what that zeiss lens is, but it doesn't look like a cinema lens. A google search revealed that it seems to be a macro lens for microscopes.: http://goto.glocalnet.net/savazzi.net/photography/tessovar.htm

davide
 
yes, sorry bout that, i was way out of my depth with the Cine lens info.. heh. thought it was too cheap to be true, so i put the link there just in case it was a massive bargain.

so, i have a question about the Brevis35.. does it have a variable vibration rate, so the ground glass can vibrate faster, in order to avoid any grain showing at high shutter speeds?
 
CF3Le and CF2Le are popular options for our adapter, with CF2Le being the most popular. We never ship CF2le or CF3le standard simply because they achieve shallower DOF at the expense of aperture range, and light efficiency. In other words, using our adpater with CF3Le achieves likely the shallowest DOF of any adapter out there, but you need to use lenses faster than f2.8, and use them wide open. Some shooters really want this option, but we would find it limiting for general use.

What we do believe in strongly is one adapter serving both small and large cameras, as well as offering choices in bokeh. That's what makes interchangeable imaging elements such a powerful option...and what makes the Brevis35 so flexible.
 
i am okay with just using the awesome Fujinon lens at least 30 percent of the time, because this lens is awesome.
So, the Brevis35 is really for shallow depth of field.. therefore i presume the CF3le is the element of choice for me. if not, there is no worries, as the CF2le is there at the online shop.

i film surf during the day, models in the late afternoon, or evening for vibe videos .. studio, forest, beach. .. and music videos, agency portfolios, things like that. hopefully three nikon lenses, f1.4 50mm, f1.4 85mm, and f2.8 28mm will provide adequate lens options for this work. lightsd: little halogen fill, and two sony LBP camera lights, mounted on Manfrotto Nanostands with a special connector. and a warm low watt desk lamp.

if the CF3le is really a silly option for me, i am okay with that, you can tell me. perhaps more light would help make the CF3le work properly? the Sony seems to be okay with low light, so this is another reason why i hope to work with the CF3le.

moderate/acceptable sharpness of the in-focus image is an important factor of course... and just as important, if not more so, are beautiful, completely blurred, bokeh backgrounds.
 
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