Why did you pick your 35mm adapter?

R

rgolchuk

Member
Why did you pick your 35mm adapter?

Can some folks explain why they choose the make and model they did, over others. What they thought was better and why? Was it a close race or did you know from the start what you were buying?

I'd love to hear comments and details.


Thanks,

Ryan Golchuk
 
I bought my adapter 2 years ago, a Letus Extreme. At the time the Extreme was to me the best bang for the buck. It's compact (flipped module rolled into a single unit), it's cheaper than the competitors and it was the most light efficient adapter at the time. If memory serves this was a period when Letus was the only company to incorporate a flipped option into its adapter, and back then when you buy an adapter you pretty much have to budget for an external monitor too so you can flip the image on set. The fact that I don't have to do that really lowered the cost of entry and made the Letus a no-brainer.

Since then the adapter field has changed and I've grow with the Letus. I've spoken with Hien Le at Letus several times and he and his company has always given me the best service. I upgraded my Letus to the optimized achromat last year and since then have been very happy with it. There have been new adapters coming out such as the SGblade, the M2e and the G35 but for me the difference in feature doesn't warrant changing adapters.

BTW, one of the main reason that I prefer my Letus is because of its excellent Canon FD mount. I own a very nice collection of Canon FD glass that IMO rival the Zeiss glass at a much cheaper price. The only downside with the FD is that you need to modify the lens slightly in order to change aperture once its on a mount. With a Letus FD mount I don't have to do this since the design already takes it into account; just snap the lens on and go. I don't understand why no other adapter manufacturers are offering this option, because it can be really annoying to have to modify the lenses and have it screws up on set.
 
I read about all the adapters on the net and made my choice based on the information I got. It left me with only two choices: The Letus or the Blade.
I went for the Blade because of the price and the manufacturing quality i.e. durability of the GG and the possible GG choices. Iam happy I made this choice.
Though I know most Letus users are also happy with their choice, so don't get me wrong....................
 
I really liked the look of the Redrock M2....found a great package used with a Nikon mount so I could use all the lenses...and really like it. I don't use it all the time, just for certain shots, wouldn't want to over-do the DOF thing!
 
ZazaCast said:
I really liked the look of the Redrock M2....found a great package used with a Nikon mount so I could use all the lenses...and really like it. I don't use it all the time, just for certain shots, wouldn't want to over-do the DOF thing!
Click to expand...

EVERY NEEDS DOF. Don't listen to Za.:beer:

I picked the Letus Extreme for basically the same reasons that Kholi did. It is a great piece but after a while It became a pain in the ass to use.
 
Cinemek - G35
Simply because is it a solid piece of optics that attaches via Bayonet mount. It is built like a tank. You don't have to charge a motor and there is no need to service. Ease of use. Needs more light, but for me that is fine. It becomes like a lens attachement really. Just pop it on, secure it and go. I have an extra one I will be listing in the marketplace in the next few days.
 
I purchased the Letus Extreme 1 year ago to film a movie. Back then it was the only adaptor available in that pricerange for the EX1. The Letus did get the job done and I brought it all the way to Bamako, Mali. During the production I had to send the Letus in for servicing because one of the columns did not vibrate. They fixed it and sent it back within days. My feeling is a spinning adaptor is probably more reliable than a vibrating adaptor so if I had to do it now I would probably get a GBlade. However I will tell you more after the premiere.
 
It was down to the Letus or the Blade. I did months of research and settled on the BLADESKI.
I had only previously worked with the Redrock adapter without the flip and knew I wanted to try one of the others.
I think most of the adapters are pretty comparable so don't fret about it too much but if your spending the big dough do the research. Keep an eye on the marketplace and if a good deal comes along, investigate it.
 
I own a SgBlade and I've purchased it after a good experience with the previous Shoot35 adapter. The SgPro.
Before the SgPro which I bought with the non-flip module, I've worked as a DP in a couple of projects with a RR, also without flip.
I've found the RR setup a pain, to say the least!... After that, when I decided to buy an adapter I've put the RR right out of the equation and ended up with the SgPro.
The price was just right, well built even if a little heavy, but I''ve became a fan just after the first images. The image was simply amazing for the price tag!
When upgrading the choice was obvious: SgBlade. Not only because this new adapter came with the same fantastic bokeh from the SgPro, but with the option to change screens.
The built is fantastic, as is the after sales support from Shoot35 team.
I don't have any experience with Letus adapters but from what I read only the much more expensive Ultimate can be a contender for the SgBlade.
Until this date I didn't have any issue with it, and I was one of the first buyers, upgrading the somewhat problematic optics for the new one. To be honest, I didn't noticed aberration that could made a shoot any worse, but then I'm shooting with a XH-A1 and the issues regarding chroma were reported with EX1s and the likes.
Edge to edge definition doesn't come much better than this for the price and is way better than the new RR which one of the production companies that I work for has.
The only downside I regret form the SgBlade is the motor noise, which is higher than my previous SgPro.
Aside that I can only wish this amazing adapter could weight half of it's weight.
Hope that helps
 
I purchased my Letus Extreme in late 2007, at the time it was the best option for me and I still love it. The flip and light loss were the winners for me. Lots of new and different options out there now.
 
ZazaCast said:
:huh:...so he copped-out and got a still camera that shoots video as a side note with all kind of limitations...but it works for him.

:):beer::):beer:
Click to expand...


Wait, the 7D shoots stills?

Lol Za, that's pretty much it. The only, and I mean the only reason I'm still not using my original hvx/lex set up is because life called and I needed the money. But after shooting with the 7D, I can live with it.

Adapters are still a great piece of equipment to have. If I had a choice it would be the SG blade with the HPX170
I just couldn't spend that kind of money at the time.
 
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