Letus Extreme on AC130 or DSLR

[Scott Hutchcroft]

I currently own a Panasonic AG-AC130a and the vast majority of the stuff I shoot is run and gun real estate auctions and some weddings. Recently I have been picking up more commercial work and all of my clients want the shallow DOF look. Here is my quandry... should I invest in a Letus Extreme for my AC130 plus a few Nikon lenses? Or should I just buy a DSLR? i really like using a real professional camcorder like the AC130 and have resisted DSLR's. I know that right now the move is toward large sensor camcorders like the AF-100, FS100, FS700. i will probably get one of those in a few yrs, but for right now I need a cheaper solution that will garner decent shallow DOF results. Would it be stupid to get a Letus Extreme for the AC130 (Letus plus 50mm Nikon= about $1200). Or would it be better to just get something like a Canon T4i for around the same price. ANY suggestions will be most helpful.

[Karl Walter Keirstead]

Have you considered how many fstops you will lose by attaching a lens adapter to your AC130?

[Nate Haustein]

You can find used DOF adapters for next to nothing these days. No reason to spend so much on one. I always liked the look of the footage from my old SGblade, but the setup time, size of the rig and light loss were really a killer. Go find a used T3i or something and use that - you'll thank yourself later for saving the trouble with better results. Or buy my AF100 for sale in the classifieds. All valid options, just make sure you want to take on the, er, "responsibility" of a DOF adapter. Try before you buy...

[Bob Hart]

Rather than re-invigorate a recent similar debate, here is a link to it instead.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/alternat...letus-dof.html


I personally like the 35mm adaptor footage on good small-format video cameras versus a Canon 7D but there are some practical realities.

You have to practice-practice-practice to build the necessary skills to run a camcorder/35mm adaptor combination intuitively. You have to deal with two lens systems. At the wide-open lens apertures of f1.2-f1.4, the real-world practical light loss through a groundglass can be up to 1.5 f-stops. Some adaptors chew up light more than others.

The DSLR will give you much more leeway in conditions of low light, however value-adding with lighting is not something you should do away with just because you can.

As much as I am sentimentally attached to 35mm adaptors, you might be better served with an affordable 35mm sensor camera as a companion to your existing AC130 and shoot on both as conditions fit.

If you can get hold of a 35mm adaptor at an affordable price, give it a shot. If you find you cannot live with it, then the lens you buy for it should be good for the DSLR if you decide to go that route.

Heed the input of others who post here in response.