Alex,
What I understand from reading the thread is that particular GG is unacceptable because of markings.

John, that is correct.

That particular focus screen line is also the only static one I know of without any grain.

All we have to do is figure which screen type is microlens-based but *without any markings*.

I'm not a Minolta user, unfortunately.

My email to minoltausa.com is 4 days old without any response so far.

Does anyone in this group know the answer?

James, Amazing
 

James the footage looks great!!! I have been away from all things Adapterlike for the DVX and came back to find this!!!

Great video.

Can you provide a detailed breakdown on your build, or can I pay you to make a setup for my DVX100.

Thanx
taylor@moorefilms.com

to James Webb
 

<<<-- Originally posted by James Webb : Thanks guys.

Filip-
I'd be glad to post a larger file for downloading (if I can). What size? What codec? -->>>
============================================

just any type/format/codec. i can find solution to transcode it. i do not care about that. what i (and maybe others) need is:

a) possibility do DOWNLOAD your work (i do not have pro version of quicktime player, so i can't download *.mov files)

b) to have bigger frame size (say, half pal minimum)
c) reasonable compresssion - to have possibility to see how your GG works etc.
d) some uncompessed freeze frames!!!


thanks

filip

Re: Minolta.

You may find US representatives of Japanese and other overseas companies less helpful than the people in Japan because they are effectively resellers and such enquiries are financially unproductive for them. You likely won't get a reply unless it seems you will buy.

When I have enquired to source in Japan, on all occasions so far (Ohara Glass and Fujinon) I have found the people genuinely helpful and offering comprehensive information. Be mindful of common courtesy and good manners when you make your enquiry and keep the English concise and uncomplicated.

In your closing sentence, say who you are and a bit about yourself.

The material for the screens may be something Minolta buys in or has made by subcontractors. They may be able to direct you to the source.

images posted
 

All-
I exported some full-frames from my lastest test using .jpg compression.
http://homepage.mac.com/dvx100/PhotoAlbum8.html

Taylor-
You can see my adapter here.
http://homepage.mac.com/dvx100/PhotoAlbum2.html
I made mine to work with my lens (Konica). I'm not sure how successful I'd be with another type lens :)

Thanks guys.

reflexite ground glass
 

Hello all -

I just spoke to the folks at Reflexite Optics - the makers of Beattie viewing screens.

http://www.intenscreen.com/about.htm

They'll custom make an unetched focus screen to our specs for a minimum order of 50 pieces.

Anybody interested? Would 52mm (for a 55mm filter ring) work for most of us?

- Damion

James, great looking video and stills. Nice shots of your actor, great location and cool music. The images look nice and sharp except around the edges where they blur out. This is partly because of your diopters as you've already established, but I suspect it might be aggravated by your "condensor" lens not being the optimal piece of glass.

Nick, I just got my internet connected again and was finally able to watch your MP4. Looks good. There is some barrel distortion in the images (noticable in the shot by the 105mm) that is most likely because of the DVX100A itself, on account of how close you are focussing to the GG. Probably the only way to fix that would be to move your GG further away from your DVX but that would require another diopter. What zoom number did you say you were at? Your condensor also needs working out, I think. I wonder if a larger diameter condensor would help with the edge blurring.

Beattie screens
 

Damion, I've been following the thread where that's discussed, but I'm wondering if anyone has tested the Beattie screens yet to see how well they work out. They seem like they'd have good potential, but they might possibly show fresnel rings in the image if you look at how they are made. Have you seen any samples?

Joel-
I believe you're correct. Getting a real PCX is still on my list of changes to be made. But I've also just accepted that some blurring is part of "the look" of this adapter ;)

Thanks dude!

Joel,

My condenser definately has issues that need to be worked out. I was thinking the same thing about the condenser being a larger diameter. My filter rings are 55mm while the diameter of my condenser is only 50mm, so I had to mount it in there as best as I could. I'm thinking about picking up something a little larger so that the outer edges of the condenser are past the edges of my ground glass which hopefully may help that edge blurring.

Right now with my ground glass immediately after the +3.5 diopter I'm at Z69 and MF00, and that just about makes it to fill a 35mm still frame. I have a feeling I'm gonna need to pick up another diopter, I'm just worried that putting a 55mm +10 after my 72mm +3.5 might produce some kind of unwanted effect.

Damion - I'd be interested in trying out one of those Beattie viewing screens. Do you have any idea on how much it would cost for that kind of order? Has anyone used any still cameras with these focusing screens before?

Damion, if the screen does not show any grain (how to verify it?) then I'm in.

beattie screens
 

I've checked out Beattie screens. Stock models are all square/rectangular so I haven't tested one, though I suppose simply cutting one down is an option, albeit a risky one - and if successful would obviate the custom route. I imagine that their function in a camera viewing system is identical to what we need, no? Holding one up to the light certainly shows it to be a great deal brighter and cleaner than any ground glass I've been able to produce.

beattie screens
 

I guess the easiest test would simply be to sandwich a large format beattie screen between the halves of the adaptor and hold it there while running some tests. The stores are closed tomorrow - I'll try it Sunday and let you know -

- Damion

What a night
 

I just got through my first night of grinding/acid etching. What a pain. Here are my results:

I started out by acid etching some spare uv filters using the sandwich technique I was curious about. It didn't work as I had thought. The cream is so thick that it's almost impossible to sandwich the glass without getting air bubbles between the two pieces. Air bubbles are no good, for obvious reasons.

Next I tried putting a big glob of the stuff onto a piece of flat plastic, evening it out as much as I could, and then I laid the glass down on top of it... still no good: air bubbles, and some strange pattern that I couldn't account for.

I was running out of spare glass, so it was coming down to the moment of truth... to take the dive and actually attempt to acid etch my condenser's flat side. Despite the three or so other failures I decided what the hell. My condenser is a 72mm macro +10 that I bought on eBay for 20 bucks, so I figured I could just get another. The glass is set pretty far down into the ring so I needed a lot of the stuff and I was starting to run low. I poured almost the rest of the container onto the glass and just began using James' procedure. Anyway, maybe because of how far the condenser was set and how much of it was gobbed up on top I was almost immediately able to get a very uniform spread of the stuff. I just kind of lightly wiggled the stuff around using the toothbrush and never actually touched the glass with the bristles (at times I kind of wondered if I even needed to be using the brush at all... or just let the glob sit there for a bit)...and when the first five minutes were up what I had was very very impressive. There were a few uneven patterns, but for the most part is was very diffuse, bright, and to my eye totally grainless. I decided to go onto step two since I figured this is where you even out any area's that still aren't quite right... big mistake... it was all downhill from there. I don't know if the glass wasn't totally dry in areas (obviously that would dilute the acid in spots and theoretically cause those areas not to be etched as much) or if the second time, since I had less of the acid left, I ended up kind of scrubbing the glass with the bristles of the brush... regardless, after the second five minutes were up what I had looked way way worse. I finished up the procedure as James explains, but it never really got a lot better.

I cleaned everything up, plopped down on the couch and started grinding with a pieces of optical tissue and some 600mesh diamond compound. Within about 20 minutes it started to even out, but of course the 600grit started to give it a visible grain. I'll probably keep working on it with the diamond compound until it's perfectly even, and then I'll move on to a smaller grit... I have a 1200grit and a 3000grit diamond compound that I can use next.

Anyway, I don't want to discourage anyone else from trying the acid etching... we definitely need more people experimenting with it. I certainly have some ideas on what to do (or rather not to do) next time I try the acid. I will say that the hardest part for me was working with those damn gloves. I mean, I'll admit, the acid did kind of freak me out and so I was trying to be extra careful... but I was a total klutz with those gloves... it definitely slowed me down... which probably caused me to rush in other areas of the process where I shouldn't.


John