35mm Adapter Static Aldu35

[Filip Kovcin]

there is also another possibility - you can use filter called hotspot, with VIrtualDub program. both are free.

filip

[Dino Reyes]

here is some footage of a new updated version of my lens, i finished off the inside with flat black paint, more fine tuning. the codec i used on this version cut about +30% of the color saturation of original uncompressed-so the uncompressed footage is very juicy in terms of color and depth.

i had originally planned on shooting a dv version of short in-camera edited film we were working on at a closed bar in midtown new york, but due to many time constraints i wasn't able to. the footage you see here [sorry it's upside down still] are some actors waiting at a bar before their scene and some others going through a walk through of parts in the background...

http://www.dinoreyes.com/images/test11B.html

i think VERY promissing overall...
-d

[James Ball]

http://www.glassmart.com/etching_cream.asp

http://store.artcity.com/arp-150xxx.html

Here is a safe alternative to HF and H2SO4 based etching solutions.

It's about $7 to $10

Do a vivisimo or google search on glass etching cream to find more.

http://www.rhoadescameras.bizland.com/Camera%20Creation/Ground%20Glass/ground_glass.htm

is an example of a piece of glass treated with some cream.

[James Ball]

http://www.greatlakeslaboratories.com/cne1.htm#Coverage

has a MSDS sheet for the material. It is phosphoric acid based so all you need is proper ventilation, goggles, gloves, and water nearby to rinse off should you get spattered.


From what I've been reading you must clean the glass very well and leave the etching cream on a long time at the proper temperature to get an even etching effect.

I would wash using ammonia in a sonic bath (jewelry cleaning bath) if you have access to one. Otherwise just let it soak overnight. Then remove the glass holding only by the edges with latex gloved hand. Rinse with tap water then add the cream.

I'm going to be trying this out soon. I'll let everyone know how it works.

James the Chemist

[Jonathon Wilson]

Hey All, hope the addiction is treating you well-

I thought I'd pass along a discovery. I was frustrated with the amount of grain in my ground glass, so I was trying some other materials. One of the batch was a 10-pack of "Clear Project Files" from Office Depot. they are 8 1/2" x 11", Item #741-341. Office Depot brand.

These are translucent files for putting paper in. I used my ground glass (removed from the holder) as a template and found the cleanest, scratch-freeless spot on one of the folders and traced my ground glass. I carefully cut it out with scissors, giving me two circles of this translucent plastic the same size as my GG. I put both circles into my holder, put the retaining ring back in and tried it out.

Its significantly better than my ground glass, and I can't see any grain. It actually showed me that I have scratches on my condensor which I didn't know I had (next problem, I guess)...

At any rate, it was good enough for me to say I'm sticking with this instead of my GG. The ten-pack of folders was around $5

It's super cheap, super easy - might give it a try and see if you get similar results. Just passing it along. Enjoy :)

[James Webb]

http://homepage.mac.com/dvx100/iMovieTheater1.html

[Ernest Acosta]

Hey Jonathan, can you post some footage of your static adapter using the Clear Project Files translucent material?

[Jonathon Wilson]

I'll try and put something together later tonight -

[Dana Jan]

<<<-- Originally posted by James Webb : http://homepage.mac.com/dvx100/iMovieTheater1.html -->>>

James,

That looks fantastic! I would love to see a larger res file of you test! I am considering getting the DVX100 and want to build a static adapter for a short I'm working on.

Could you give us more information on your adapter? Perhaps post some pics of the camera with adapter or a brief explanation of your approach. Or email me with some info? I was very impressed with your results.

Thanks,
-Dana

[Jonathon Wilson]

I put up some clips of the File-Folders-As-Ground-Glass as requested by Ernest.

At the very top of my adapter page is a link to my own server. Not sure how well this will work, and these are also first attempts at encoding clips for the web, so there's lots of potential problems here :) Let me know if any of it doesn't work for y'all.

http://home.austin.rr.com/aqua99/adapter/

Follow the link at the top to ALTERNATE GROUND GLASS MATERIALS: and (hopefully) you'll get a page with some links to the movies at the bottom.

I'm hampered by both my out-of-date gear and my experience level :) but there ought to be enough here for you to decide whether to drop $5 on some file folders or not. Enjoy-

By the way, these tests showed that the file-folder may work for some projects, but bloom the heck out of highlights. Not the right 'look' for everything. I might try some drafting mylar sheets next.

[John Heskett]

Your "bloom" maybe the result of using 2 layers of the folder material. You may want to try only one layer, perhaps supported by the glass from the uv filter ring.

[James Webb]

Thanks Dana,

I'll put some info together soon.

I consider the images to be very good (@f1.8) although the grain on the GG becomes pronounced @ about f4-5.6. I think the GG is about as clean as I can get it (WAO 5) but I can still see a few tiny specks (e.g., dirt, scratches). Not sure. I haven't had the time to check to see what they were. Maybe on the condensor.

I've found that the GG is the key. I'll definitely continue to search for the best material for the GG.

[Dana Jan]

Thanks James,

I am really looking forward to your information! What lens are you using in that demo? Are you changing your aperture (on your SLR lens?) or are you leaving it wide open?

I can hardly wait to hear more details! Ooh, and pics :)

-Dana

[James Webb]

Dana-

Yeah, I was changing the aperture on the 35mm lens from f1.8 to f4 or f5.6 (I don't remember exactly). The iris on DVX remained wide open @1/25.

My lens is an old (50mm) Konica.

I'll try and put some stuff together by the weekend.

-J

[Ari Shomair]

Just tried Myler sheets; its a no go, the grain is too large