How to line up Anamorphic Adapter?

[Charles Como]

I got the Panasonic Anamorphic adapter and was wondering if anyone knows how to best line it up once it's on the camera.

Is there a trick to it? Or do you just have to eye it and hope for the best?

Thanks.

Charles

[Barry Green]

Look at the lens cap -- it has an outline for lining it up with. Put the white lens cap on, zoom almost all the way out (don't go to Z00 or the barrel distortion will mess you up a little), point it at a bright light source, and focus to macro. Then you'll see an outline in your viewfinder that you use to square the adapter with your viewfinder.

[Chris Hurd]

Great tip, Barry -- thanks!

[Charles Como]

Wow! Thanks Barry. Funny that they don't include that with the manual.

Charles

[Mark Monciardini]

Charles,

Would you be willing to share some clips with the adapter on the camera?

I have a question sence I don't have the Anamorphic adapter yet.

Do you turn on 16x9 mode when using this adapter and can you still use filters with it?

I'm asking because I have 2 lens. One is a UV and the other is Polorized.

[Christopher Go]

Do you turn on 16x9 mode when using this adapter and can you still use filters with it?

No, you shouldn't turn on 16:9 if you are using the anamorphic adapter.

In this regard, having the Panasonic adapter lens will also require the use of a good 16:9 capable field monitor or LCD in order to focus properly. There will be no guides and the image will appear distorted.

Another drawback of having the Panasonic anamorphic lens is that there is no method of employing filters as of yet. I know some people have rigged their own matte box setups to use filters with the Panasonic lens but otherwise there is no third-party matte box that is marketed to work with the Panasonic lens as of this time.

I understand that Century Optics is going to release their own 16:9 anamorphic lens for the AG-DVX100 later this year. They are also planning on releasing a 16:9 eye adapter to view 16:9 footage along with a special matte box to work with their adapter. All of this will come at a great cost though. Their anamorphic adapter will cost close to $2000 if not more, and that's prior to any matte box prices.

[Chris Hurd]

Howdy from Texas,

you shouldn't turn on 16:9 if you are using the anamorphic adapter

If you do, then you're shooting in 2.35, super wide screen... cinemascope?

[Mark Monciardini]

oh I see. Ok so when you make a new template in Vegas or Premiere you then select "Widescreen" for the setup? Then it stretches out correctly?

I guess it just takes a little experimenting with it.

[Barry Green]

Yes, in Vegas or Premiere you select the widescreen aspect ratio and it'll automatically convert everything to be the proper shape.

And Chris, yes, using the letterbox mode in conjunction with the anamorphic adapter does give you a CinemaScope-like 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

[Rob Lohman]

Isn't it more like 3.5:1 then? [ (16 / 9) * 2 ]

[Barry Green]

No, it's 2.35:1.

Normal video = 1.33:1

Anamorphic adapter is 33% squeeze

Letterbox is 33% "squeeze"

So 1.33 * 1.33 * 1.33 = 2.35:1.

[Stephen van Vuuren]

Barry:

You're going to have write a book:

"Math for DV Dummies" :)

(Rob - Barry had to correct my math yesterday in another thread)

[Rob Lohman]

I know how 4:3 is 1.33 but I'm not sure how 16:9 is also 1.33...
I thought it was 1.7. Can you elaborate on that some more, Barry?

[Barry Green]

The anamorphic adapter "squeezes" the video by a ratio of 1.33:1. It compresses the horizontal axis by 33%. So, effectively, the picture is 33% wider with an anamorphic adapter than without.

So, 4/3 = 1.33:1.

16/9 = 1.78:1

If you take a 4:3 video and make it 33% wider, you will be multiplying 4/3 times 1.33, which is 1.33 x 1.33, which = 1.78. (actually it's 1.3333333333 x 1.333333, which becomes 1.777777 etc, so we're rounding off). So adding a 1.33:1 anamorphic adapter to your 4:3 video results in a 16:9 aspect ratio.

If you then take that 16:9 (1.78:1) image and run it through ANOTHER 16:9 process (such as using the letterbox process) then it's a matter of multiplying 16/9 x 1.33, which is 1.77777 x 1.333333, which = 2.37. Voila, CinemaScope!

(I'm sure you've all fallen asleep. I feel like Ben Stein. "Buehler? Buehler?")

[Joe Carney]

I'm not sure, but didn't Martin Munthe (a member of this board) do something similar with a horror movie he made? using a PD150 and an anomorphic adaptor and 16x9?
Martin, if you are reading, feel free to step in.