35mm adaptors dead?
 

Well more than just a few somebodies still love 'em.


YouTube - Village Kid - Munich


Techspec.


Cameras.

JVC GY-HD111.
JVC GY-HD250.


Supplemental recording system.

JVC HDV camera tapes.


Primary recording system.

Focus Enhancements DR-100


35mm adaptors.

P+S Technik Mini35-400.
P+S Technik Mini35 Compact.


Lenslist.

Nikon 14mm f2.8, Nikon 35mm f2.8, Nikon 50mm f1.4, Nikon 85mm f1.8.


Lighting including outdoors daylight key.

2.4K HMI
1.2K HMI
650watt tungsten fresnels


Camera support and motion.

P+S Skater with tripod foot cups.
Steadicam rig. ( Model I don't know.)
Handheld.
Vinten Vision 10 Fluid Head on Sachtler Sticks.


FOOTNOTE:

I think we had Paolo Ciccone's Trucolor version 3 in there as well.

Beautiful!

Hoping to pickup a used 35mm adaptor for my gy-hd200ub after my Nikon D7000 pre-order goes through. This just makes me even more excited.

Did you use the FE DR-100 just for the convenience factor or is there a quality upgrade between that and your straight to tape footage?

The file based recordings from the DR-100s are much more convenient than capturing the tapes which remain undisturbed and tail-out as the backup archive. The JVCs have always been very good as far as recordings go. I don't recall ever seeing a tape dropout but there is always that risk. The DR-100s record via the firewire. The data limitation is the same so no better picture but all else being well, less risk of dropout.

You also have the benefit of being able to record to .mov files for Final Cut (Macs) or .avi for Premiere, Vegas etc.. (PCs) On this one my instructions were that it was to be edited on Final Cut so I selected .mov files in the Firestores but it ended up being cut in Premiere. The files were converted back to .avi in Cineform's HDLink.

Tape capture from the JVCs to PC has been a bit flakey. The DR-100s might be a bit inelegant to look at as they sit sidesaddle in their weird cradles but they do the job well.

The owner of the HD250 has moved on to the HM camera family and Nano recorders.

As for the adaptors, you have to be obsessive on getting the backfocus exactly right. The only way as far as I am concerned is to use a big display and a resolution chart, set it initially with the groundglass motor stopped focus on the groundglass texture and then again with the motor running and using the resolution chart. Once you have got that sorted, then you have to be obsessive with the lens focus.

You would be amazed just how many camera operators just want to wing it and focus by eye.

If you can patch in a monitor then well and good. With or without a monitor, a siemens star on a letter or A4 sized piece of paper is your best friend plus some determination in getting people to take the time out for focus checks.

FOOTNOTE;

In case it is misinterpreted that I was high up on the creative food chain, I must point out that I was but a humble assistant-lensmonkey and switched a few lights on and off for this project.

It was a good gig, watching the setups and the steadycam operator doing his smooth thing and somehow not bowl anything over as he threaded his way through light stands and props.

"MERANTAU" Movie.
 

Interestingly, this was shot on the Panasonic HPX-500 with a P+S Technik PRO35 adaptor on front. With all the production value adding like lighting and sets, you can see just how good groundglass work can be.


There is a generous library of behind-the-scenes videos on the same vimeo site and on the rental DVD.

Case Study
 

Problem:
Got a call the other day, a client wanted me to grab some pickup shots in a couple hours. Problem was that I've shot the entire project up to that point with a 7D & didn't have time to get my hands on one before he needed me.

Solution:
Dust off the old Letus Extreme, pull the HV20 (only thing I have that can do 24p) out of tape capture duty & go to work.

Result:
I got the shots, but MAN I missed the 7D. Sooooo much easier, no vignetting, better edge to edge sharpness, no having to worry about all the little gotchas of using an adapter & I can use it with my Merlin. Far more flexible tool, far less hassle.

Conclusion:
I should have just bought my own 7D a long time ago.
I'll keep the Letus around just for moments like this, you never know when you need a certain tool to save your bacon. More than likely it'll become a paperweight again, & in 10 years I might be able to sell it for decent $$ when they're considered retro, cool, or quaint.

Yes it's a hassle to use this adapters BUT in no way is the 7D or any other dlsr for that matter a replacement. Cmos skew, aliasing, form factor, acquisition codec, zebras, waveform, etc. etc. Even with the new cameras coming out (AF100 and F3) I'm still going to buy probably a new adapter. Even this new cameras have cmos related problems. I for one can't stand looking at skewed video. I'm allergic to it!

Sorry, don't wanna derail this topic. It just warms me up when somebody mentions this dslrs as a professional tool.

Anyway the Merantau trailer looks nice despite the bad rez...

For sake of interest, this is a grab from the prototype Cinevate varifocal relay/Brevis/SI2K. I'm waiting for a CF1 diffuser before doing furthur tests.

long live 35mm adapters
 

I agree with Sanjin, there is no replacement for 35mm adapters for professional use on cameras shooting 4:2:2. DSLR makes many compromises to shoot 35mm films on it, which in itself I don't think is worth it. But if they improve over time who knows what possibilities will exist 5 years from now.

Remember the group that hacked the DVX to shoot raw out of it? That would be a cleaver feat for the DSLR era and likely give RED a run for the money.

What about Sony F3 ? Doesn't this alter the equation, also $-wise ?

The Sony is not out yet, and it has some serious design problems. I will stick with my EX3, Letus, NanoFlash until the Sony F5 comes out.

I just shot this with the above combination. The Nighttime shots were done with a Canon 5D2.

YouTube - 1791 Diamonds Engagement Rings

I would definitely consider the F3 over the AF100 due to being a more proper industry standard as far as sensor. So many decisions to make, and definitely some difficult ones ahead !

Kandahar Break
 

Just watched a movie titled "Kandahar Break" and recommend it.


The behind-the-scenes featurettes indicate the camera was a 2/3" video of some type, Sony possibly but the images were of apparent 35mm format.

Then in one short shot with some hard sky as backdrop, there was the signature of a P+S Technik converter and a lens being set tighter than about f5.6. Otherwise the system did not draw any attention to itself, which is the way it should be. Kudos to the crew too in managing the system.

The camera was obscured by black cloth being used to keep the sun out of the monitors so I was unable to get a close enough look in the behind-the-scenes footage.


Like Merantau, also shot with a groundglass adaptor, this story was shot by a UK director and mixed Pakistani and UK crew in remote and difficult locations. There's some good stuff being done outside of the mainstream.

I will need to find those movies!

Bob I think you and I are the only ones left in this thread... haha.

I just saw a mini35 400 sell for $700 somewhere on here a couple weeks ago... I wish I could have snatched that up. I'm looking to buy one back now for "fun" since I sold mine back in 2008 when I left video to pursue 35mm still photography for a bit. Well, a lot has changed since then. Although I've owned the Canon 7D for stills since 2009, I haven't shot video on it.

I sure do miss the mini35 discussions..