Sold to Todd, thanks.

Also, thought I'd give you all an update on my adapter:



Added a Cavision rod support, changed the battery input, and replaced the existing macro with a Century Optics +7 diopter. Footage and other pics are at

http://frozenphoenixproductions.com/misc/rod/

Total cost, by the way, of this adapter is 350 + 200 + 150 for the adapter, achromat, and rod system, respectively. I got the adapter for 180 and the achromat for 70 off ebay though. Cheers.

lol....eehh..

Ben - You want to be my cinematographer?

Hey guys,

I've got the M2 adapter from redrockmicro, and while I haven't used it on any official projects, I did shoot some test footage with it for the first time last Saturday.

I'm using a Canon XL2 with the adapter and a 50mm Canon FD lens.

Here's the link.

Jeff,
Nice footage--but that flickering I'm seeing...is that the ground glass not spinning fast enough? Or is it wobbling on the z axis as it's spinning? Any way to correct that, like an adjustable rotating speed? Otherwise, looks good. Did you CC it?

Oh yeah man, MAJOR flickering, which I'm trying to figure out over at the redrock forums. I've discussed a lot of possibilities with the people over there, and I have a lot of solutions that I've yet to try, but it's something that can definitely be fixed.

It's a really cool look! But I wouldn't use it in general I think. I'd use it for it's specific effect.

I suppose I missed something, but in funkbomb's picture at the top of page 3 I see a battery box attached to the adapter. I've read through the post but I don't see anything mentioning the addition of a vibrating motor to the adapter. Maybe I just missed it. If so I apologize. What kind of motor are you using to vibrate the GG? That is the last thing I am trying to figure out before building one of these. Thanks in advance for the help.

It's a dime-sized vibration motor that sits right underneath the ground glass, which is mounted on plastic sticks that allow it some movement. You'd have to email Quyen Le at http://www.adapterplace.com for technical specifics, as I don't know them.

If, by "addition of a vibrating motor to the adapter" you're referring to my old static adapter, I've sold that one. This is a Letus35 available at http://www.adapterplace.com. I snatched it off ebay when Quyen was selling his earlier versions, I've since modified it. He'd be better suited to answer your questions.

This is directed primarily at funkbomb.

I'm considering buying a Letus35A. Seeing as how you have one, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions about it before I take the plunge.
1) Does the vibration cause any noticable noise? I try to use external microphones whenever possible but would the built in mic pick up on this noise, if present?
2)Is it possible to achieve deep DOF with the adapter? And if not, how hard would it be to match footage shot with and without the adapter?
3) Have you noticed any other letdowns in performance?

Thanks a lot for your time and dedication to this thread!

Hi Toby,
1) The letus is so goshdarn quiet I've run through batteries because I've forgotten to turn it off when I'm done. I'm considering adding an LED indicator to let me know it's on--it's getting expensive running through these AA batteries...

2) Deep DOF can be acheived simply by closing the iris on the SLR lens you're using. Of course, this makes the image darker, so make sure you're shooting in acceptable light.

3) Some people have reported visible grain on stock versions of the Letus, and some require modification--adding a battery, opening up the unit and making a few changes--to make the GG vibrate more uniformally. Ultimately I don't think the Letus35 is a good adapter for those who don't want to tinker around with things a bit.

Hope that helps.

Funkbomb, I've got more then a month until I shoot my next production on a GL2. Really hoping to get a 35MM Adapter, Letus35mm or otherwise.

Normally cost wouldn't be as much of an issue, but having to buy a lot of the equipment at a faster pace then I expected, so $400 is the "Cap".

What would you suggest in terms of the best route to take, build my own or buy one? I think I've got the skills to build one and most the tools needed, but is it worth it financially. Like enough savings?

Thanks :P

You can probably build one for well under $150 including at least one prime lens.

Question - can you zoom in and out on the ground glass image while still maintaining focus (effectively negating the need for several primes)?

quote:

You can probably build one for well under $150 including at least one prime lens.

I don't know about that, but if you could your image would look like @#&%!. It's better to invest in a good adapter than to make some static adapter that gives you an ugly, grainy blurred image.

I'd recommend either building the Thorlabs tube adapter:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=37296

or buying a letus35:

http://www.letus35.com

Both are good options, but the Letus is better, and if you're in a rush, it's good to know that Quyen (maker of Letus35) ships really fast. *plus*, click on "handyman's corner" and buy a metal mount swappable Letus35 for $375 and clean it out yourself, since you're a DIYer. Trust me, that's a great way to go.

The cost of a premade adapter has essentially reached the cost of making it yourself and achieving less than optimal results.

Answer to Evan - No, you need a lot of macro power to focus on the ground glass if you zoom in past the edges of the ground glass. I don't see why you'd want to though--the grain would become more noticable.

Hey guys, another update,

I replaced the GG element that came with the stock Letus with a $94 Beattie Intenscreen. The advantage here is that it's specially designed to do exactly this--diffuse the image. It's a one-piece GG with a matte diffuser on one side and a concentric ring-etched fresnel lens on the other to minimize light loss. The result is a fantasticly crisp image.

www.frozenphoenixproductions.com/misc/letus/beattie/test.mov
www.frozenphoenixproductions.com/misc/letus/beattie/testoutside.mov

Here's what the screen looks like installed:



And finally my overall setup:

And yes, I'm posting that image to show it off, although the adults on this site and young adults who actually use film cameras will chuckle. But after spending this much money on a setup, showing it to other people is basically required by law.

That's where I am now. This setup really changes things because it's reached a point where the image is crisp enough to use for a full-length feature, rather than just for a specific look.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: funkbomb,

Has anyone else had experience with the letus35? What about the letus35 flip? I'm wondering why it costs the double.
Also, would there be a difference if I used it with a camera that has a smaller filter size, with a step-up adapter? By the way, I'm using a sony HDR HC1.

funkbomb,
you surely have a Big future with that kind of thinking.
I hope I could meet you sometime

quote:

I'm wondering why it costs the double.

There's a complicated mirror/pentaprism system involved in flipping an image optically, I'm sure there are expensive parts that are difficult to accurately align. Quyen probably puts a lot of effort and money into them, I'm not surprised that they sell for $600--and they do sell, believe me.

There's no real downside to using a smaller camera and a step up ring, I would just recommend using a rail support system like I do.

*raises glass* Cheers andrew. Maybe we will meet some day.

Hey Funkbomb I noticed Quyen has an optional Archomat for $50 (letus35a), but you went ahead and bought one for $200. How much better is the one you got?

I'm thinking I'll go ahead and get the letus35a most likely, since it appears to be an awesome deal

Weeeeell it's hard to say. I bought my Letus35 back when Quyen was selling them on ebay, so my model was O-L-D. Since then, I've upgraded the macro to a Century Optics achromat and upgraded the screen to the Beattie. That's about $300 worth of improvements. Not to mention the rod system that you'll need if you don't want your shots to be shaky when pulling focus. So I think mine is better, but it comes with a price

The Letus35a is, without a doubt, indeed an awesome deal. Go for it.

I'll be very interested in seeing how the lens holds up to production shots: moving and panning, people walking in and out of shots, changes in background and depth of field.