Does ANYONE DIY 35 Adapters for their FX1/Z1u ?!?
 

I initially started my adapter some time ago fashioning it for a dVX100a/b. Used it for that, liked the footage - but now I'm stepping up to a FX1 ( maybe a Z1u if my budget permits its just that I don't see in the forseeable future needing PAL - though the other list of add-ons are favorable).

Anyhow, I noticed that from macgregor to pretty much everyone else who has used a 35 adapter with their sony hdv's - they're all buying as opposed to "diying".

Has anyone out there fashioned their own diy adapter for the sony hdv? I was thinking there were 3 major issues to be had that'd I'd had to do to alter my existing unit:

1) it'd have to be converted to spinning due to the higher resolution

2) the ground glass would need to be larger because of the larger area of the native 16:9 (which sucks because I have a red dot nikon d screen that I'd love to use for this, but I'm afraid would be too small) - which may inadvertanly mean adjusting the focal distances

3) I read something about the hood assembly on the sony hdvs being restrictive which is why one of the adapters (g35 i thought) used a bayonet mount despite the camera having the same 72mm threading as the dvx100.

Are these the only limitations as to why most people seem to be going the G35, Letus, M2 route with their sony hdv cams as opposed to diy? I'd just like to make sure before I fork out for something I might be able to do myself granted I have a lot of the raw materials at my disposal and to some degree already assembled.

I think the Letus35 flip has a newer larger GG from what I read, so you might try that - haven't heard anything in a while about problems with FX1.

Also, I wish I had the money to get a FX1, let alone move from a DVX to a FX1 - I must be in the wrong job!

The size of your CCD's in no way correlates to the size of your 35mm frame size. The fact that you have a bigger 16/9 native chip doesnt mean that you cant use your nikon screen. your supposed to zoom your camcorders lens into the Ground glass until the 36mm by 24mm frame size fills the frame in your viewfinder, or moniter, or tv. that way, all your camera is doing is sitting there, recording a 36mm by 24mm plane. thats all. even if your GG is a different 35mm frame size, that also doesnt matter, your supposed to zoom up until that frame fills the frame of your cameras sensor. becoming your new image.

so it doesnt suck at all, you can use it.

Hmmm...what happened to my post before this one?

Anyhow Forrest, that's what I thought initially until I started reading post referencing using larger ground glass. Well that at least takes the worry out of that end. That's good to know.

Only thing is though, granted these cameras have higher resolution it'd prolly be foreseeable that in order to avoid grain I'd have to build a moving gg solution (though grain isn't always a bad thing, just depends on the look yer goin for).

And if the gg has to move, granted I'd already be zoomed in...I might end up having to get a bigger ground so that it can move freely without worry of the edges of the frame coming in and out of the picture. But we'll see...I'm gonna try static first though I'm sure on an hdv grain is probably going to be pretty visible...back to the drawing board. Thanks Forrest.

So, do you mean youve realized you can use your focus screen? i didnt understand fully that part.

Spinning is a good start. remember, your target size on the ground glass is only going to be 36mm by 24mm (thats a standard 35mm frame size) but since your doing 16/9, you wont be recording the top portion and bottom of the glass, so it turns into something like a 36mm by 20mm target size. so regardedless of how big you want your glass to be, your only going to end up using a space 36 by 24mm in the end. because the SLR lens is only meant to spread light on that size of a surface. If your camera cant zoom up that much that close, thats where youll need to put a macro lens infront of your FX1. Static is good for tests, but with dust and dirt and stratches and everything else. overtime, youll want something in motion. If you already knew all this, then i hope i didnt annoy by telling you again. good luck on the GG.

36mm x 24mm is not 35mm motion picture film frame, so if you are wanting to be faithful to the format, then use the smaller frame of 24mm x18mm or a more practical - as near as you can get to the vertical height of 18mm without hotspotting. The 18mm height is cheating a little but sharpness of the disk is slightly better than the true 35mm cropped widescreen frame.

My path as published before here:-

Nikon SLR f1.8 lens >> Glass GG (A05 finish) >> 2 x prism flip >> 7+ Century Optics acromatic dioptre ( a 58mm for PD150 in a 72mm to 58mm custom stepdown ring) >> FX1 set at full zoom in and best relay focus with LCD distance numbers reading 1.4 to 1.6 metres.

There is an obsolete design for this at www.savefile.com. You'll find the address under recent posts in Agus Casse's original thread.