Newcomer here - help with 35mm's and DOF lenses

[th3katt]

Okay, so I've got my new hv30, completely stock! Been playing around with it, as I am used to the dvx100's I was using in school.

In anycase, what I will be doing with it is shooting a couple short films. What I want to do is start upgrading it! I have searched the forums and haven't found anything concrete.

I would like to have a manual focus and zoom ring to use with the camera. So here are my questions.

1. Do the DIY DOF 35mm adapters listed in the top 10 accessories sticky thread have both a manual focus AND zoom?
2. The Raynox 6600 seems to be raved about here. Can I use that with the 35mm adapter? Or does it not make sense to do so?

Thats it for now I think, sorry again, I am new to this stuff. However after a couple weeks of creeping these forums seeing some of your guys' awesome rigs, I've finally decided to start working on mine.

Thanks in advance,

Jason

[Joe M]

1. Do the DIY DOF 35mm adapters listed in the top 10 accessories sticky thread have both a manual focus AND zoom?

The DOF adapter (itself) does not need to be focused/nor has a focus... only the lens attached to the front of the DOF adapter will need a manual focus. The HV20/30 has the ability to manually focus. The HV20/30 focus wheel will be used to focus on the projected image made by the DOF adapter. The lens will be used to focus on the subject.

2. The Raynox 6600 seems to be raved about here. Can I use that with the 35mm adapter? Or does it not make sense to do so?

The lens attached to the front of the DOF adapter will need a lens that has a focus ring and a low f (i.e., fast). A low f indicates the ability to bring lots of light into the lens. DOF adapters are notorious for needing the ability to bring in lots of light and/or need the subject to be well lighted.

A 20mm-28mm lens is a wide angle lens that is used for panoramic shots or any shot that needs to incorporate a lot of the surrounding into the picture.
A 50mm is the most popular lens because it is the most versitile and provide good DOF at reasonable distances. IMO, this is my lens of choice for most situations.
A100mm+ is a zoom lens for distance objects.

[fishops]

If you're looking to turn an HV20 into a DVX100 using a 35mm adapter, it ain't really gonna happen. You would probably be happier saving up for an XH-A1 or waiting for the HMC150 to come out, or just getting a used DVX if you don't need HD.

35mm adapters are used to get "film like" bokeh and shallow depth of field from fixed-lens video cameras. They have a lot of disadvantages such as weight, sensitivity to dust, grain and light loss. They aren't a replacement for a lack of manual control inherent to the camera, and they don't work particularly well with zoom lenses.

The raynox 6600 is a wide angle adapter meant to screw directly onto small camcorder lenses. It doesn't need a 35mm adapter because it isn't a 35mm lens. If you're using a 35 adapter, you should find a wide angle lens compatible with your adapter.

[th3katt]

ok, great. you guys have both help simplify this a little! so what is it that I would need to do to get a manual zoom and focus ring for the hv30? or is it just not worth it? Again, I am shooting a couple of short films, so the "film look" is not necessarily a bad thing. so to summarize:

1. Is there a way to get a manual focus and zoom ring on the hv30 like I was using on the dvx100's?
2. Can you keep it under 400$?

thanks again, learning a lot here!

Jason

[Jennzababe]

There's a thread here for a manual focus ring that's sold by a fellow DIY'er. It looks like a good product and there are plenty of reviews if you search the thread.

You already have "zooming" built-in on the HV-30. Nothing extra needed for that.

[Braceface]

If you're looking to turn an HV20 into a DVX100 using a 35mm adapter, it ain't really gonna happen. You would probably be happier saving up for an XH-A1 or waiting for the HMC150 to come out, or just getting a used DVX if you don't need HD.

35mm adapters are used to get "film like" bokeh and shallow depth of field from fixed-lens video cameras. They have a lot of disadvantages such as weight, sensitivity to dust, grain and light loss. They aren't a replacement for a lack of manual control inherent to the camera, and they don't work particularly well with zoom lenses.

The raynox 6600 is a wide angle adapter meant to screw directly onto small camcorder lenses. It doesn't need a 35mm adapter because it isn't a 35mm lens. If you're using a 35 adapter, you should find a wide angle lens compatible with your adapter.

My zoom lenses work great with my Letus. There are more advantages than disadvantages with using a 35mm dof adaptor. If you want to make family videos or whatever, and you don't care much, sure, 35mm adaptors are a hassle, but if you want to make a film a good adaptor is a huge advantage. They ARE are replacement for lack of manual control because they give you manual control. I wonder why the big Hollywood directors use those bulky and hard to deal with cameras they use instead of bare naked HV20s. Oh yeah, because they want better results.