What am I doing wrong?
 

I've included both a capture from my adapter and a pic of my adapter.

https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/Optura-1.jpg
https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/optura%202.jpg

As you can see from the capture image I have a horrible hotspot. I thought my condensor would solve that but I guess it didn't. I ground my uv filter for probably 45 minutes total so maybe that wasn't enough. Anyway if anyone can help me it would be much appreciated. I'm probably missing something very simple.

I think maybe having the +4 close up between the 35mm lens and the GG could be the problem. Try taking it out or putting it between GG and DV cam.

Regards,
Wayne.

I tried moving the condensor between the gg and the camera and the results were the same which leads me to believe my gg isn't good enough. I might have access to another person's gg later this week so I'll try that one.

You are using an optura camcorder? I ask because of the way you named your link. If so I may have a working adaptor tailor made for the Optura30 soon. My adaptor is actually using a wax screen --- Matthew Wauhkonen's method -- with no condensor and no macro...and its giving a relatively good image.

How does the image look without the camcorder? Maybe you should move it further away from the GG.

Yes, I'm using the Optura Xi camera and my design is almost exactly the same as Jim Webb's adapter ( http://www.enormousapparatus.com/35adapter.htm ) I'm going to meet with him again this weekend to get some help and try out his gg. If I move it out a little and zoom in, the camera can no longer focus on the gg, so would the next step be a macro? I'd be very curious to see your design Matt. I haven't seen any opturas with an adapter yet, but I have seen the Pana GS400.

What do you see without the camcorder? Do you still have vignetting?

Yes I did, sorry I forgot to mention it. The light isn't being evenly dispursed over the ground glass. Yesterday I ground it for another 20 minutes in hopes of correcting this, but it didn't.

update: I finally got it all together...ran outside, and though vingette and hotspot doesn't seem to be an issue...the grain I have even with a wax screen is absolutely terrible. However, I did find that using the optura i didn't need any macro to focus on the ground glass, and so all I did was use 3 UV filters and a step up ring (from 34 to 37) on my optura30. the first UV is a spacer, the second is the waxed screen, and the third is the cover. The Optura focused on this screen rather well. Then I drilled a hole in a 2" PVC cap so that the UV filters were inside the cap, and the back of the cap was against the camera and put my lens mount on this...required a little bit of playing to get the distance right, but it worked out.

Overall it is very simple, and if not for the grain would make for an extremly lightweight, small, and effective adaptor. No macro, no condensor, and no zooming in. I'm not sure why I'm getting so much grain using wax...though I am using Parafin.

edit: just to be clear...my distance between camcorder and ground glass is the distance of 1 step up, and 2 UV filters...about 10mm. This is what makes it work for the Optura, but won't work for higher end cams like the DVX since they can't focus that close natively.

If you have spare time, would you mind posting a screen grab from your camera and one of the setup? I would greatly appreciate it.

To see if zooming in would benefit me any I put my +2 lens on the front of my camera and zoomed in as much as I could while still being able to focus on my ground glass and the results were slightly better than the original pic.

https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/w...G?uniq=-tzh26q

I'd love to be able to buy a quality focus screen or make a wax screen, but I'd like to see this through if possible. It's looking more and more like the self ground glass isn't the way to go, at least in my case I guess.

check out ebay for beattie plain screens... also, i believe the microcystaline wax is what you would want to use, not parafin.

I think I may have done this wrong. I don't have a shot of the adaptor yet, but I can show you my screenshots. I may have been wrong...I notice very slight vinegette.

http://www.louisianaloud.com/Mambo/i...daptorshot.jpg

http://www.louisianaloud.com/Mambo/i...s/adaptor2.jpg

These two show what I was talking about with the severe grain.

http://www.louisianaloud.com/Mambo/i...aptorgrain.jpg
http://www.louisianaloud.com/Mambo/i...ptorgrain2.jpg

I kinda think I did my screen grabs wrong...they are showing up very small on my computer...but I think maybe I did that when I did something with my CMS on my website.

I agree...but I've seen better results than this with parafin...so I'm thinking maybe my wax is too thick or I did something wrong.

Isn't it also a lot harder to use?

You can find everything you need to know about wax on the 'Microcrystalline Wax Techniques?' thread. The easiest and best possible way I found after two months of testing, on top of what Frank Ladner and Jim Lafferty already done, is described with images on my site: here
You can get this with paraffine
And you can get this with the much finer micro-wax
It's not harder to use microwax.

OK, so I found out that I have the wrong lens in front of my gg and that's probably the reason behind my uneven light distribution. I should have a PCX lens not a close-up lens. Tomorrow I'll have access to some both a macro and a pcx lens so I'll let everyone know how it turns out. Thanks.

I can see from Oscars pictures that I should be able to get a good result, and from his other pictures my wax is WAY to thick. I'll try and remove some wax, and if I get some good results I post a picture of my adaptor for you...make sure to post if that PCX lens changes things.

Well yesterday I got a hold of a pcx type condensor lens, which is flat on one side and concave(?) on the other, and it completely solve my light distribution problems and even makes it possible to shoot indoors. The only problem is the lens is by itself and doesn't have any threads or means of setting it in to place. Here's the site where my source of the lens bought it at.

http://www.anchoroptics.com/catalog/...d=16&start=426

It's larger than the 55mm lens system I have now, but not by much. If I could get a threaded 55mm version of this lens I would solve my adapter problem.

Actually I just found which lens is the one I have. It's http://www.anchoroptics.com/catalog/...d=16&iid=21287 and even though it says 54mm dia. or something like that it still is a little too big.

Success... Sort of.
 

https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/DOFIndoor.mov

Here's a video of my most recent test. I had to shoot it in my apartment since it was raining here a good chunk of the day, so it's not as good as if it was better lit. I got a condensor which evenly spreads the light on my gg. The only problem is over the past several months, my ground glass has aquired an insignificant chip which is anything but insignificant on screen. Crap! I guess this might be a good excuse to try out a manufactured gg instead. It'd definitely have better light distribution than what I have now. I would try the wax, but I've heard it has a tendency to melt in hot climates.
Just a reminder, this is a Canon Optura XI with a Konica F1.4. Hopefully I can inprove on my design as time goes on.

Hey Riley,

Looking at your adapter, you have a close up lens right next to the 57mm Konica (same one I have). And you have another one farther down, how come?

The one that's closer to the lens is an empty spacer, but the one next to the ground glass acts as a weak condensor and at the same time reduces the length of the adapter slightly.

I took it outside today and didn't see any vingetting in 16x9 mode. I'm really excited and as soon as I can come across a better and more professional ground glass I'll be in business. I don't work tomorrow so I'll post a better video clip and a pic of the setup.

Looks good Riley, keep us posted with some pics!