i am trying to sell my hvx at the mo!

Me too actually, buy mine and I'll buy yours ; )

you getting any sniffs of interest? What you buying instead? Did you ever use your hvx?

Hi Phil,

I was wondering how much in sterling your Brevis ended up costing with delivery and any duty paid?

I am looking to buy and still swithering between the revis and the SGPro...

Also, what lenses would you recomend for a bloke on a budget?

Still havent managed to watch your Channel 4 documentary - 4oD REALLY need to get some Mac support!


Jim

Well I just listed it so we'll see. I haven't used it other than turning it on to make sure it works. I don't know if you read it in my other post but I was considering having the stock lens removed and body adapted to C-mount or bayonet mount for direct use with 35mm adapters, but was going to have my own relay lens assembly designed. This coupled with the built in features of the HVX and ability to record o P2 make it one heck a killer combo! I'm still not overly fond of HDV, like I said before I'm torn in which direction to go. I'm currently using Canon with the PS Technik mini35.

don't bother the first doco was pants, my stuff was less than a quarter. The stuff with most of the brevis and m2 footage airs in a couple of weeks or so...you can get them off bittorrent!

Brevis and duty came to around a thousand quid...lenses look for f1.8 used manual focus nikkors. work a treat

Ing, thanks for taking the time to look at my first little test of the Brevis and the HVX for that matter. What I have not done is taken the time to read all of this thread, hopefully later tonight I will.

Regarding that 85mm test, I had just broken the FW connection to the mobo on my notebook which records via DV Rack, so I was kind of upset, in a hurry and just wanted to try an outdoor and the 85mm. The Dynamic Range of light between exposing the background and subject was too broad. I should have setup a light/CTB. My observation of this shot is that the Brevis functions well with amazingly low levels of light, even though we did a poor job of scene setup.

I hope this is not too late in the thread to reply and this is my first post on DVi, first Brevis test and early days as a user of the HVX. In a few weeks from now, I will have some more tests and setups to share.

edit: Thanks to Steve Madsen, some of the test footage is from his HVX/Brevis combo 720p25. My HVX/Brevis combo 720p24. Great to have two cams and Brevis' and be only a relatively short drive away.

I'm still going to do my tests with the ND filter and Low Contrast filter, but since they're special-ordered they're taking quite some time to come.

Hi Christopher, thank you very much for paying attention to this thread especially to my comment on your quick test (without even acknowledge you first ;p). I am going away for 2 weeks chinese new year holiday from 18th Feb, these days I just busy on buying gift to my family. I find it is too hard to justify between SGPro & Brevis so I hold up myself to make decision now.

If you can help to produce more test, that would be very helpful to me especially you are from Australia, plenty of sunshine at the moment :D.

I will see you all after holiday :D.

Ing, the Brevis is on the road at the moment. I should have it back around the time of your return, so I hope to soon thereafter have a few more tests uploaded.

Have a good break/celebration.

those were very artistic shots man, did you use the 20mm with the brevis35 can you post any grabs how sharp was it !!! thanks

http://web.mac.com/philip.bloom/iWeb...evis%2035.html

thanks!

click the link above and look at the stills from the film. picture 2 and 4 are the 20mm

Wow is that ever a long rig! Now I know what I have to look forward to. Hey, at least it works. -Until the relay comes about.

Is that the professional tripod plate I see under your camera? Does this help in some way? Did you already say what rails you were using? Thanks.

yes the jvc has front and back sony professional tripod mount connectors for the VCT14u plate and my tripod is a vinten vision 11. It does help as the camera is completely secure. It needs to be with that weight and balance.

The rods on the JVC are cavision ones but I recommend the ones from DVTEC. Cheaper and better made.

Hi Phil....
If not relay lens, what about the one made by Les Bosher in UK?
Will that kind of adapter will work in achieving DOF in JVC HD201?
I'm a newbie here and still don't have any DOF adapter yet.

Great test, thanks foir doing this, have some questions though;

What do you mean with the M2's edge to edge issue?

How do you read/ can you use such a resolution chart for setting up your adapter?

Farishad, you're from Jakarta? Me either=)

Yup, I read your posts. Did you get your adapter yet? I'm thinking of getting either SGPro or Brevis...it's for an indie feature length that I have plan to shoot this June, pending for the rainy season now...:)

No, I haven't get the Brevis yet=( You may pmail me (it's: iansalim@yahoo.com) for an enchanting discussion about adapters=) Rainy day is a mess, just make sure you don't do indie feature about FLOOD =)

As promised, a quick test of the Brevis and Low contrast + ND filter:

This is with Low contrast filter power 5, and a .9 ND Filter
Brevis + FX1, Canon 55mm f1.2 at f5.6:

http://www.frozenphoenixproductions.com/tests/test1.mov

Some may say "but wait! That filter just makes things look washed out." It provides more detail in the shadows and I like it because it provides an image much more keen to color correcting as well as evens out the image for better latitude.

Ben, the bokeh of that footage doesn't look very good. Is it just me?

I hope so :) I spent an extra $100 for the CF3 just to get that bokeh looking right. Watch the specular highlights on the car; you get that perfect, well-shaped disc; not the 'desired' (whatever that means) "neutral" bokeh, but the hard-edged bokeh. This is what you most commonly see in film productions, and I'm going for film emulation, so...

Farishad.


Les Bosher's adaptor is for putting another lens directly on the video-camera.

( Video-camera >> Les Bosher adaptor >> SLR lens >> Subject. )

It is a metal ring with video-camera mount on the rear end and new lens mount on the front end. Les Bosher's adaptor is not a groundglass based relay adaptor.

Les Bosher's adaptor could be used to fit a SLR still camera lens to the video-camera. On front of this lens can be fitted a good close-up lens.

These all could then become a relay lens for a groundglass based relay adaptor.

( video-camera >> Les Bosher adaptor >> SLR lens >> Close-up lens >> groundglass based image relay adaptor >> SLR Lens >> Subject. )

This is nearly the way Quyen Le does it for the Letus35 except he removes the Minolta mount from the Minolta 50mm still-camera lenses he uses.

He then puts a new specially made JVC HD100 or Canon XL mount on back of the Minolta lens. He also uses a biconvex lens between the close-up lens and the groundglass.

Ben, I like it with the contrast filter. I've used the FX1 and it loves to clip the highlights and drown the blacks so I think that was a good investment. Which brand did you end up getting again? Thanks.

This was the Low Contrast #5 filter by Tiffen.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

I like how the filter looks, but I think I see grain from the Ground Glass. Are you seeing that? You might have to turn up the oscillation some on the Brevis.

Ken, thanks for reminding me. Since I started experimenting with the CF3 and tighter apertures I have been meaning to fix that.

Thank you very much Ben for your test footage and it looks very good, much lower contrast and it proves to me that a lot of careful work is required when using adapter. I find the edge to edge isn't sharp, more like looking at the TV box through a thin layer of glass, but the center of the image look beautiful.

I understand that both Brevis & SGPro are still improving, I will hold my decision until June (the time I pack-up and go back home to continue video business ;p).

thanks again :).

I have a sneaking suspicion this is because of the RR achromat, which I am supposed to be getting replaced with the Cinevate achromat. It has other problems as well such as chroma aberration which is apparent in the test video.

Ing, there's much better footage out there from the Brevis. I can get edge-to-edge sharp no problem with my HD100. But on the HVX not so much (not at anything below F4 on the camera lens). Best to ask Dennis about your concerns with your specific camera.

Thank you Chad, yes I have bothered Dennis many times before and I see both Brevis & SGPro are both improving a lot over time, so I will hold down everything until June and see which one give me the best option...

Kind of a sad day to me, I injuried my knee 2 months ago and doctor said I might need a surgery and put some screws into the bone... and I can never play sport anymore...

life is hard, I am just 33...

Wow man. That is sad. I feel for you. But there are lots of stories where people prove doctors wrong by a lot of hard work and rehabilitation. So don't give up yet. You may not be able to take it to the max anymore but there's a lot you might be able to do yet.

Thank you very much Chad :).

Yes, I now try to stay positive and make my mind gone away.

20 years ago I've broken my right arm, although I didn't get fully recovered but I still feel a bit lucky as it is my "right" arm... I am a lefthander.. now I got my left knee injury.. perhaps it is my faith to do something else.. mm.. be a good cameraman, the one who can't run.. urh!

Sorry to hijack this interest 35mm adapter topic, I will go quiet for a while...

Thank you everyone in DV forum especially Phil, Ben, Dennis, Danny, Ian & many more who love to see things behind a window frame...

Ben -
Any suspicion as to what is causing the blue fringing on the white highlights of the portion of the frame with the tree?

That is chroma aberration caused by the achromat. I just ordered a better one which is on it's way.

you can shoot nice stuff without an adaptor...
 

http://web.mac.com/philip.bloom/iWeb...%20Winter.html

Shot mostly on my DSR 450 but also on the HVX 200 with no adaptor.

I get quite a few emails from people asking about which adaptor to get for which camera...I can't really answer that any clearer than in the shootout. But I do think people are thinking it is the solution to getting beautiful pictures. It isn't.

Take a look at the above link then compare it to my "Richmond Lock" short. http://web.mac.com/philip.bloom/iWeb...horts%202.html

Sure, what you get with an adaptor is that lovely shallow DOF but not having one should never stop you producing lovely stuff! Most of the shots in the "Syon House" short are not about shallow DOF but about composition, using exposure, ND, Shutter, white balances (and Matte box) in the best way you are able to. I could have done just about every one of those shots using my z1, or jvc, or HVX etc...all with no adaptor.

I love my adaptors but sometimes you don't have to use them!!

Best,

Phil

Very well put, I think the idea is very much lost quite easily behind the array of tools available today, including the SGpro. Nothing will look lovely unless shot properly.

Phil, as much as those were beautiful shots I couldn't help but notice the over-sharp "digital" feeling melt away toa more organic film look when the Brevis adapter is used. Maybe that is compression and not the actual footage?

Watching the short on the screen at full res here and yes it doesn't look quite the same as stuff done using the adaptor but things like sharpness (yes it is sharp, but not too sharp) are all things which can be tweaked in the settings.

Shots like the clouds rolling over the sun can not be acheived with an adaptor due to my using a 20x zoom with 2x extender to get it.

Don't get me wrong I am not knocking adaptors. I will always be first in line to sing their praises, the point I am trying to raise is too many people are thinking it is the answer to making their stuff look better...there are so many things to do first before taking that leap.

Once that leap has been made be prepared to have a steep learning curve because shooting good stuff consistantly on an adaptor is tough. It takes much longer, is much slower and there are so many limitations. Don't forget the cameras out there are all capable of shooting beautiful pictures, as long as you know what you are doing! After all a good stills man can take cracking pics using a cheap digital camera...it's how you use the tools you have!

I use my Brevis a lot to achieve a certain look for some projects. It is a tool for me, like my Matte box is a tool and my Dolly and track is a tool.

By the way, have a look at my Virtual Water piece on my site. I had a lot of fun making it, all done on the XDCAM hd and all post done on final cut pro. I was going to use my Brevis but I just didn't have the time, the shooting schedule was too tight. I am very happy with the end results.

Phil,
Great work, as always, with Syon footage. Absolutely lovely and beautiful. I think it is inspiring to remember that tools alone do not make for great work.

(That said), with all the tools in your arsenal, why did you shoot that piece on the DSR and not the XDCAM HD? Just curious.

Oh, and despite what I said....tools can be great and fun, and I finally ordered my Brevis yesterday.

B