Here's a clip from my $50 mini35
 

It has a non-moving plastic fresnel lens, but it's surprising how little grain there is. It shot through a GS400 in pro-cinema. Just put it together so I still need to tweak it some. I am using to much glass, three close-up filters in a row to get to +6, I need a +7 in a single filter. Lens is a 55mm Pentax.


http://rapidshare.de/files/886450/DOF2.wmv.html

To download, click the link. Scroll to bottom of the page, click "free". Scroll again to bottom of the page and watch the countdown timer, it's usually about a 50 second wait. When it's done, click download at the bottom and it will load.

(opps- make that $75 mini, I forgot the add the $25 m42 adapter)

can we get a photo of the unit mounted to your camera?

- Shannon W. Rawls

That looks alright. Hopefully you'll take my criticisms in stride:

The colors seem a bit washed out -- what cam are you using? Objects "in focus" seem to be slightly unresolved. There's no real way to see the grain as there aren't any pans/tilts in your footage.

Otherwise, you could certainly shoot with it and your average viewer would never be the wiser -- it looks good, and pretty damn good considering the cost :D

- jim

I'm having some trouble with my connection. Any chance of a still frame? I'm very interested.

The WMV file is pretty soft, the orignal capture is sharper.

This morning I adjusted the focus to GG on my computer monitor and was able to squeeze more sharpness out of it. The grain is still pretty decent considering the plastic fresnel screen but the fresnel lines are much more noticeable.

I'll try to get another clip on tonight.

I'd say you're definitely not completely focused on your focus screen, and hence its softness. Upping the contrast in post could help with the colors, but probably best to improve the design to get better colors without post. It looks like light leaking in, making it looked washed out. Hard to tell. Post pics and documentation of how you have constructed your device.

Here's a sharper clip. Didn't have time to set up the tripod so excuse the shakes.

http://rapidshare.de/files/897101/DOF3.wmv.html

http://users.adelphia.net/~jp1/dof3.jpg

Here's a pic of the adapter.

There ya go. Quite usable for a lot of different projects. All that's required now is good concept, lighting, shots, actors, editing, etc. Definitely great for proof of concept/ability stuff :)

Yes, the 2nd clip is much better. Looks good.

Rokta Bija,

Do you have a detailed picture of the setup of you static adapter?

Looks great! Congrats.

Here's a breakdown of it so far.

http://www.fortvir.net/albums/album1...35_adapter.jpg

I will probably replace the m42 extension tube with 55mm spacers and then move the m42-55mm adapter next to the Pentax lens. I will replace the close-up filters with a single +7 or I might try a +10 and then shorten or eliminate the 55mm tube if I can.

Where did you get the plastic fresnel focusing screen? That setup looks great!

I bought everything on ebay, except for the m42-55mm adapter which I got from Joshua Provost.

If I am to understand everything correctly, the focal range from the GG to the lens has worked out perfectly with one of the extenders?