letus35 flip enhanced

[Andrew Dean]

Originally Posted by Sean Michael

how many stops of light did it cut?

You know, i wondered the same thing before i got it, but once the adapter came i never properly tested it.

I'm not entirely sure how much light loss to credit to the adapter and how much to the lens. If i had to guess: 1.5 to 2 stops... That really is just a blind guess though. I was still able to shoot indoors with moderate light with the adapter on. I dont care for the fx1's low light handling so cutting any light out of an indoor scene, much less 2 stops and I dont think its a viable shooting option. That said, with some moderate lighting, i didnt feel encumbered by the adapter indoors.

If i can figure out a good way to test the light loss, i'll post the results.

[Andrew Dean]

I'm not totally sure what you are asking.

The adapter displays the image on a piece of vibrating ground glass that your camcorder then focuses on and records. You can zoom, but you'd be zooming into a flat piece of glass.

Basically, when using a depth of field adapter, the camera's zoom and focus controls become useless. You are focusing on a flat piece of glass and zooming until you dont see the black borders that are all over my footage. Once those two variables are set, you no longer use the zoom or focus controls on your camcorder. If you want to zoom you either put a zoom lens on the adapter or move your camera physically.

Losing all autofocus controls is a bummer. Takes a lot of practice to hand focus the 35mm lens when you are spoiled by modern camcorders with reliable autofocus.
On the other hand, the camera's white balance and exposure controls all seem to work perfectly. You can control the aperture on the 35mm lens solely to control depth of field, letting the camcorder set the exposure.

Imagine if you had one of those tiny casio tvs and were videotaping the image off it. Thats roughly what is happening, only instead of a little lcd screen, you are recording off a piece of glass. If you really want to control the image on the little tv... you'd adjust the camera feeding the tv, not your camcorder.

That help?

-A

Originally Posted by Chris M Watson

Stupid question but can you zoom all the way through on this thing? Or do you have to be on wide? Love the imagery this thing produces and would love to add it to my arsenal.

Chris Watson
Watson Videography
www.dynamovideo.com

[Chris M. Watson]

I think that clears things up. I'm a wedding videographer and zooming is part of the equation in my job. I was just thinking an adapter like this would really be cool for prep and detail shots where the subject is pretty much in one place. Thanks for the help.

Chris Watson
Watson Videography

[Steve Mullen]

Originally Posted by Andrew Dean

You can control the aperture on the 35mm lens solely to control depth of field, letting the camcorder set the exposure.

Good explanation, but:

1) If you let the camcorder control exposure it means that it may be changing the aperature. But, too open or too closed -- and the lens will lose quality. You really want to keep it at f/4 or f/5.6. Which means you need to control exposure using the 35mm lens -- which means in bright light you may have to close the lens thereby defeating the decreased DOF.

2) which means you'll need ND filters on your 35mm lens. :(

3) Without being able to zoom-in to get focus, it will be almost impossible to get focus.

[Andrew Dean]

1. i think you might be overemphasizing the change in quality in the built in lens as you change aperture. I doubt once you go through a $30 lens and a wiggling ground glass that any softening of the built in lens would make a tangible difference.

2. at least for my fx1 there are 2 neutral density filters built in.

3. yeah, thats a problem. Although... its not like you can zoom in to focus using film cameras. With some setup and a follow focus, you could probably focus "hollywood style". The z1u can do a focus zoom while shooting. The fx1 can do it, but only while you arent recording (a pretty stupid feature if you ask me).

I dont mean to contradict your points, i mean, i concur that there are some complications possible when letting the camera auto expose, and focus will be a pain in the butt... but thats pretty much the cost of using dof adapters.

They arent ideal. i'd WAY rather have a full sized ccd, but its hardly a show stopper to work around if you want that look. Its good practice for when we all move up to shooting film in the future. (haha)

Originally Posted by Steve Mullen

Good explanation, but:

1) If you let the camcorder control exposure it means that it may be changing the aperature. But, too open or too closed -- and the lens will lose quality. You really want to keep it at f/4 or f/5.6. Which means you need to control exposure using the 35mm lens -- which means in bright light you may have to close the lens thereby defeating the decreased DOF.

2) which means you'll need ND filters on your 35mm lens. :(

3) Without being able to zoom-in to get focus, it will be almost impossible to get focus.

[Bill Porter]

Unless I'm misunderstanding you, Steve, actually most lenses (whether on still or motion cameras) don't permit you to zoom in to get focus, then zoom back out to frame your shot: focus is lost when you zoom in or out.

There's a term for this but it escapes me at the moment.

A good example of this is the Angenieux 28-70mm F2.6 constant in the old G35 Vespa test footage. Neat lens, but if you are focused and change the focal length in or out very much, you need to refocus. Most lenses are this way, just some are worse than others.

[Richard Hunter]

Originally Posted by Bill Porter

Unless I'm misunderstanding you, Steve, actually most lenses (whether on still or motion cameras) don't permit you to zoom in to get focus, then zoom back out to frame your shot: focus is lost when you zoom in or out.

There's a term for this but it escapes me at the moment.

Hi Bill. Not sure if this is the term you meant, but what allows the lens to hold focus through the zoom is the back focus adjustment.

Richard

[Bill Porter]

Yes, that is a real term for sure. There is also an adjective that describes lenses that can hold focus throughout their zoom range. I'll find it again someday in my web travels, LOL

[Marc Aitken]

Hi Andrew
came accross your Letus FX1 footage tonight (May 12) looks fab! I wondered if you were using the picture profiles to get your Cineframe 25 and if so was it the PP4? I ask as I use CF25 all the time and Love it but I recently uploaded a custom profile I got online that I tweaked and I think it's David Lynch in a bottle!!!

Either way good luck with your future ventures
Regards
Marc

[Robin Davies-Rollinson]

Originally Posted by Andrew Dean

The z1u can do a focus zoom while shooting. The fx1 can do it, but only while you arent recording (a pretty stupid feature if you ask me).

Are you saying that you can't zoom and focus at the same time with the FX1?
Strange - I'm sure that I do it all the time...

Robin

PS, nice looking pics by the way - almost selling me on that "film look" - as much as I hate to say it :-)

[Andrew Dean]

Heya Marc.

I'm using a picture profile, but it doesnt have much to do with the default profile. cf25 is on, film gamma is off and the colors a punched a bit. (not sure why, but using a DOF adapters makes the colors look less saturated to me)

If anybody is curious, i'd be happy to upload the settings... although frankly i dont think i cooked up anything special. The letus is the magic to me.

cheers!
-A

Originally Posted by Marc Aitken

Hi Andrew
came accross your Letus FX1 footage tonight (May 12) looks fab! I wondered if you were using the picture profiles to get your Cineframe 25 and if so was it the PP4? I ask as I use CF25 all the time and Love it but I recently uploaded a custom profile I got online that I tweaked and I think it's David Lynch in a bottle!!!

Either way good luck with your future ventures
Regards
Marc

[Andrew Dean]

Heh. i guess it sounded like i was saying that.

Next to the record button on the right is an "enhanced focus" button that zooms your image up full screen to allow detailed focusing. It doesnt affect the zoom of your lens. Its basically a "digital zoom" but zooming up to 100%, and only for the purpose of focusing.

On the fx1 it only works when you arent recording. On the z1, you can poke it while recording and get a few seconds of detailed focus time but the image it records remains unchanged (except for any focus adjustments you do of course)

So, you can zoom and focus at the same time using the built in lens, but you cannot do a "enhanced focus digital zoom" while you are recording. And, since i'm using a 50mm prime lens with my letus... i cant zoom at ALL! heheh.

hope that clears it up.

-a

Originally Posted by Robin Davies-Rollinson

Are you saying that you can't zoom and focus at the same time with the FX1?
Strange - I'm sure that I do it all the time...

Robin

PS, nice looking pics by the way - almost selling me on that "film look" - as much as I hate to say it :-)

[Robin Davies-Rollinson]

Ok Andrew, thanks for that!
I didn't realise that the Expanded Focus worked like that on the Z1 - just assumed it was the same as the FX1.
I'll have a look at that today...

Robin

[Luis de la Cerda]

The term Bill was looking for is parfocal.

[Marc Aitken]

Hi Andrew,
thanx for the reply, film gamma off??? wow never saw that coming hah hah! I'm welded to mine , must make a note in diary, be open to new ideas, start tommorrow!, joking aside would be interested in the settings if you can be bothered sometime. also do you have a URL for the Letus guy/s tried to follow a few threads a while back but drew a blank.
keep up the good work.
Marc