What is 35mm DOF lens adapters?
I am afraid I may be considered a noob asking this question, but I have been wondering for a while, why so many people, mainly in the US go through lenghts to make or buy themselves a 35mm adaptor.
Is this only to ensure, that only the subject is to be sharp and the rest less than with the standard cam?
I also believe that such a big contraption wil not be praticle to use for traveling. So do you guys use it only on static shots? Always on a tripod?
sounds like you need a basic seminar in the fundamentals of photography. google 35mm adapters and research depth of field. there you will find the answers you seek.
A 35mm adapter (and the necessary arsenal of manual focus, 35mm still camera lenses to go with it) is not something the average vacation and birthday shooter needs or wants. (Do you have the saying in the Netherlands, "Ignorance is Bliss"?)
The HV20 is capable of producing better video than many similar cameras in its price range -- so much so that it has attracted the attention of starving indie filmmakers. By and large, those are the people willing to undertake the expense, effort and added complexity of using 35mm adapters (and yes, the most common reason for doing so is to achieve "shallow depth of field," where focus can be sharp only where the filmmaker wants it to be).
Wasnt so long ago we were begging for faster cameras to get greater Depth of Field. Funny how things change!.
Thanks to all to fill me in, but dr jones sure underestimated me . . .
I bought my first SLR in 1962, an Exa 1b . . .Originally Posted by dr jones
Jo
Perhaps he should have said...you need a basic seminar in the fundamentals of film-ography
;-)
A 35mm adapter help you to realize a very shallow depth of field. Theat means - only one layer of what you see on the screen is sharp, everything before or behind is fuzzy.
Now why do you want to mess up your picture like this?
First of all - it looks more like a film camera and less like a video cam. Minority complexes aside, the shallow DOF helps the cameraman to guide the viewers eye. The layer that is sharp is important. It mimics our own field of vision. We only analyze a part of what we see, the part where we look at, the rest remains blurry... especially if you need specs like I do.
It is not the holy grail of making your video look better or more professional. It is one technique that can proove useful for you image language. If you like deep DOF you don´t need to think about these adapters.
The DOF of the HV20 also becomes shallower when you maxmize the optical zoom, I´ve seen some nice looking videos using this trick.
Danke schön, Herr Kaffee!
Now I am on speeking terms again with some more items in this forum.
I have won several prices on film festivals. Even without an adaptor.
In my perception the technics is only a carriage to bring your message. The quality of the film is between the ears. Or in the clips. Or in the sequences.
you asked for it!
Jo -
You did admit that you were afraid of being labeled a 'noobie' for your question, so it's not surprising that people underestimated your age and experience!
But c'mon boys, tell the truth - most of us are simply geeks, whether we want to admit it or not, we like to tinker and modify things and would rather buy a cheap camera and customize it than take out a mortgage and buy a fancy do-it-all camera that leaves little room for customization.
I think a better point would be to ask why so many on the forum are concerned with making their beautiful LITTLE HV20 so big by adding Matte-boxes and over-sized lens shades. But hey, whatever floats yer boat.
Me, I'm still playing with super-8 cameras 'cause I can make them do cool things. But truth be told, I'd have made more films by now but maybe not have learned as much if I had gone straight to video years back...
To acknowledge my age and experience, please have a look at me, holding my DIY Rig, with my previous camera on it.
Later on I added the remote control of the cam to the hoop and I guided the signal to the eye of the cam with a glassfiber cord.
Intend to do the same with the hv20. Making use of the recomendations by someone on this forum, i.e. mounting a reflector near the front of the cam.
In case somebody would like to also build such Rig, please call out. I could addapt the drawings by translating the dimensions to inches.
In case you would like to have one, but do not have the skills and/or the tools to make one, I have one spare Rig available (made a series of 5) and I could sell it for $175, excl. shipment. It comes with the Manfrotto Quick Release Adaptor as shown and the Rig itself is black paint enameled.
Last edited by VideJo; 2007 September 6th at 12:02.
What is 35mm DOF lens adapters?
What is so special about 35mm lens adapters? Do i relay need one to achieve a "good film look"? If so can some on recommend one for $20 or less. (not on e-bay, if it is sold at a store the store needs to be close to Van Nuys, CA 91406)
-Chris
Have a look here.
http://hv20.com/showthread.php?t=2306
Even a DIY adapter will cost you a few hundred dollars to make, so it´s not likely to find one for 20 bucks.
If you'd like a good breakdown of the difference between a 35 mil adapter and none check out this video;
http://www.redrockmicro.com/footage/...r_stringer.mov
UPDATE: nevermind
a 35mm adapter for 20 dollars, LMAO!
seriously though.. if you have to ask "do i really need one?" than a 35mm adapter is NOT for you.
I think you may be able to put a cheap-o adapter together with a shoe box and tissue paper for the ground glass. But then the lens might put you over that budget...never mind!
Seriously though, if you can ever get your hands on an adapter and try one out and see, first hand, the differences it makes in your video, then you will most likely agree that it's worth the small investment. $200-$300 for a DIY or about 1K for a real one.
The main advantage (the only advantage?) is greater depth of field as I understand. Wouldn't 406/2.8 give enough DOF (406 mm is the equiv. 35 mm-focal length)?
I know that there are those that love the adapters and then there are those that hate them. Each have their own reasons to use or not use an adapter, but in my experience, and preference, there is no substitute for a 35mm adapter.
Don't you loose quite a lot of light using a focus screen, which would lead to more gain and more noise? I really would like to try a 35 mm-adapter, but they are too expensive. I already got lots of Canon EF-lenses as I do still photography too. Is there a simple way of just playing around with it before you buy/build something too expensive? Like using a very thin paper as a focus screen, just holding it between the lense and HV20?
Yeah you could certainly play around with it and "try" the concept out. But it has already been tried and proven. You will never know what the full quality is like unless you buy or make the real thing. I tried with similar material like a piece of obscured plastic. But until I made one with the right materials, I never got even near the image quality and the potential that a 35mm adapter can have.
I have actually made and sold several of these adapters. If you are interested just send me a private message and I will give you the details.
Oddly enough, the HV20 actually has pretty good DOF qualities for a cam itself.
I can't afford an 35mm adapter, but if my film is a hit, well, who knows.
Then again, if my film is a hit, I'll probably step up to a RED.
Jo:
You seem to be pretty handy. You can order plans and a ground glass disk and build your own Redrock type 35mm adapter at redrockmicro.com.
The whole point of 35mm adapter is to simulate the depth of field of 35mm film cameras by using 35mm lenses and thowing the image on a ground glass that is thereafter taped by the video camera. The result is an image with the same or similar characteristice of 35mm film.
Thanks to all for clearing up my lack of understanding.
The only thing I do not grab yet is the ground glass thing. Is this a real glass circular "lens" that it to be mounted between the 35mm lens and the camera? Does it by any chance have a frosted surface?
dude.... use the search function. i don't mean to sound rude... but holy crap. there are millions and billions of threads exactly like this one. you can easily wiki or google it too. besides, who buys a 1000 dollar camera and doesn't understand the most basic concepts of photography?
it seems like everyday people are getting dumber.
no, the advantage is LESS depth of field. acheiving greater depth of field is exactly what you don't want when you use a 35mm adapter.
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