B4 adaptor?
 

Well, the day came. It's $3,500! For a relay lense? Sorry but I'd rather buy a mkii.
-C

Creating a relay lens for 3 x CCD imaging systems is not as easy and straightforward as it may seem on the surface. I've tried at an enthusiast level and failed.

You might be hard pressed to buy any other lens for a B4-Mount camera system any cheaper.

The cost likely reflects the complexity of getting it right without undue artifacts like chromatic abberation coming into the picture.

To be fair pricewise, this is a purposed lens for a limited market, maybe limited production runs, for high value cameras, so the cost per unit benefit of mass-production may not be available to the same extent as for higher volume consumer products.

Hi
Now we have the B4 adaptor, what about a B3 adapter (sic.) - for us half inch folk.....?? I think I saw on the Letus chatboard that one was being considered/developed - having done the B4, how difficult would a B3 be? True, there is the B4/B3 mount but there is the problem of focal length increase and maybe other optical nasties. The EX3 could use one as well as the XDcam 3xx series.

Best wishes to all - Godfrey

done a little blog on it (very fanboyesque i know but everyone knows I love the Letus products)

Philip Bloom Blog Archive The Letus Relays are almost upon us!

I hope to get my hands on the prototypes very soon to do some full on testing!! Don't get my wrong if they are rubbish I will say so. This is a lot of cash but I am confident Hien can and will deliver.

Philip.


I read on your blog comments that the Letus relay actually zooms as well as focus. It will be interesting how wide the view can be made to be with the zoom function.

There appears to be the remote possiblity to also use it on the P+S Technik Mini35-400 which has no 2/3" option. That the Letus relay is tailored to the condenser element used in the Extreme and Ultimate may rule this out however.

It also appears to be a retrofocus lens.

It might be a contender for the SI2K and Ikonoskop digital as well and a bonus for apparent resolution if that bit of extra field-of-view can be had from a recentred Letus Extreme. I don't know what the effect of using a lens adjusted for 3x sensor prism systems would be on a single sensor system.

Philip Bloom CVP.com: Letus B4 Pro relay

here is my video made for CVP.com

Apologies about the hyper fast delivery, think I had too much caffeine that day and boy do I need to get back to fitness! Cameraman's bad back is a killer for staying in shape!!

Phil.


If you are getting a "back", try wearing a lightweight backpack with shoulder straps shortened or lengthened for best comfort against the "bad" portion of the back and incrementally add some sand ballast in plastic bags into the backpack to best comfort whilst operating the camera handheld or stooping over a tripod.

Letting the thing slip low instead to exert counterforce against your butt may also help. You need a piece of plyboard in bottom of the backpack to keep it spread out and the sandbag forced to outward (rear) side by padding for this to work best.

A backpain sufferer's corset may also help but pride usually stops people from wearing these things pre-emptively. They are hot, uncomfortable, send intra-abdominal compression through the roof and you find yourself wanting to pass bad wind at the worst moments all day.

Most importantly, ask your medic or back specialist before you even contemplate this.

Hey Phil - You forgot to mention in the video if you thought the adaptor is worth the money.
Cool tests - your buddy looked cold. Loved the Zeiss glass.

-C

I am a little new to the 35mm lens world, although i have learned a lot, and i keep hearing about how great the B4 relay is. And i also keep seeing it described as the relay for 2/3" cameras but i've seen it used on the 1/2" EX3. So i guess what want to know is what is the simple layman's term benefit of the relay and is it for the most part any camera that has a removable lens system compatible with the relay. Oh and have you heard of the Cinevate Relay which seems better..