Letus extreme for XL h1

[Oskar Sjodin]

Does someone know if/when the letus extreme will be available for the canon XL h1.

[Tim Bickford]

That goes for the XL2 too! Thanks...

[Paul Mailath]

I might be way wrong here but shouldn't the lex fit already?

Mine is for my A1 and it attaches to the 72mm thread on the front of the lens. Assuming the H1 takes 72mm filters as well it should fit straight on. Unless you think the Lex will replace the lens - which it can't because you need a lens on the camera to focus on the GG.

but then maybe I've got it all arse about....

[Rafael Metz]

Originally Posted by Paul Mailath

I might be way wrong here but shouldn't the lex fit already?

Mine is for my A1 and it attaches to the 72mm thread on the front of the lens. Assuming the H1 takes 72mm filters as well it should fit straight on. Unless you think the Lex will replace the lens - which it can't because you need a lens on the camera to focus on the GG.

but then maybe I've got it all arse about....

I guess they´re talking about a connection w/o the XLs front lens. I´d like to have that option, too. But it does require, as you said, another lens.

[Bob Hart]

Paul.

You can put the Extreme on front of the Canon XL and JVC HD but the operator ends up with a long and awkard combination.

They are after direct relay to detachable lens style cameras to by-pass the camera's own lens, make the whole thing shorter and less strain on the lens mount and the camera operator's back.

The now older direct relay models add a 50mm Minolta still-camera lens modified with a custom mount for Canon XL or JVC HD100 and dioptre on front, into the path between the flip enclosure (mirror box) and the camcorder.

Somebody with skill and resournce could probably hack the relay section belonging to an existing Letus35 XL or HD100 model to work with the "Extreme" but the existing limitation of the smaller field of view across the groundglass would remain.

Relaying a wider image from the groundglass may be what Quyen is working on. His replacement relay lens may likely be one of 35mm to 40mm focal length with a dioptre on front or a custom lens in this focal length range able to focus directly upon the groundglass.

These are not available as SLR camera lenses at a price which would not force up the cost of the "Extreme" unrealistically. So he might be trying to source a more suitable lens elsewhere and thus it might be worth the wait.

All wild speculation and guesswork on my part with no foundation in fact whatever, so don't take too much notice.

[Steven Dempsey]

A relay version of the Extreme is in development and will be available very soon. It will connect directly to the XL series cameras. Letus is also developing a relay for the HD100

[Christopher Drews]

In order to affect the 1.9x zoom factor which plagues the LetusXL series, the length of the relay portion must be extended. So, I'm sure the LetusXL Extreme will be longer than its predecessor.

I'd be very interested in a relay version for the HPX-500 (bayonet connection).

-C

[Oskar Sjodin]

Thank you all for the answers

Bob
Your speculations and guesswork are good enough for me :)

Steven
Do you have any idea of when "very soon" will be.
I mean for me, waiting for the Letus Extreme XL is like waiting for Santa

[Steven Dempsey]

I believe it is a couple of months out right now. You would need to contact Letus yourself for a more accurate ETA

[Aaron Pinto]

There is no need to wait if you are in a hurry. The XL & HD relays will be modular add-ons for the existing Extreme. We have several customers who are planning on using the Extreme on the end of a lens until the relays are ready.

[Oskar Sjodin]

I got his from www.letusdirect.com and Aaron

We will be releasing a modular add-on for the Extreme in January that
will allow you to attach it directly to an XL body. We have many
customers with XL series cameras who are buying the Extreme now and
will use the "thread-on" method until the modular relay lens is ready.
Once that is shipping, it can be ordered and attached directly to the
Extreme / XL body. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you,

So January it is :)

[Martin Saxer]

What about relay models for the announced Sony Z7? That would indeed be awsome...

Martin

[Phil Bloom]

isn't it the same mount as the jvc hd series? if so that is top of their list along with the xl

[Bob Hart]

Phi.

The relay optic and the barrel they put it in will likely be the same as is the Mini35.

The camcorder end will require separate development and is as likely as tough as any precision engineering Quyen has taken on. The benefits of using a premium optic if that is where they are going, will not be realised otherwise.

As for which comes first, Canon XL family or JVC GY-HD--- family, they might engineer for both to be introduced together. The camp which stamps its foot and hollers the loudest might get its relay module first but don't do that, we are all well brought up and good mannered here aren't we, - right? ---- guys? --- guys? ( Just kidding here just don't do it.).

Slightly off-topic, is the Letus Extreme front-end set up the same or similar to the plastic Latus35 front-end or is it metal.

If it is metal, then there my be scope for a user adjustable backfocus if there is enough meat there to cut a 0.7mm left-hand filter thread. The plastic one was a bit too thin to be doing such dodgy things as compliance in the material was likely to result in the threads jumping.

It would be nothing flash, just a modified rip-off of the older Nikon f1.2 50mm focusing system with a Nikon mount in the end instead of a piece of glass in a hole. Would not be cheap to make outside of Asia though.

[Bob Hart]

Phil. - Sorry about the typo on your name. I only just observed the error on this read-again of the post.


General. - In second-last paragraph the text reads :-

"If it is metal, then there my be scope for ------" This should read "If it is metal, then there may be scope for -----"


Le Brothers. - My comments have tended to be Quyen centric for reason Quyen was the original enthusiast of the team who published here and became identified with the Letus35 adaptor.

I have not intended to sideline his brother Hien who is identifiably now part of the family team when more recent posts are read.

Finally, I used the words "rip-off" which is an unfortunate turn of phrase. I would normally be given to the more pedantic words "emulation of".

The usage of the counter-driving threads to add or subtract distance is not just Nikon's.

Just in case any interpretation can be made that I am privy to inside information, if the Le brothers are actually applying such a design to future products, let it be clear that I have no knowledge of any such intended or actual developments.

I normally proof-read my posts a little more thoroughly than on this occasion, so I am a little vexed with myself for having been a little unthorough. I blame the current hot weather, global warming and a confluence of allergy seasons which amplifies the effect.

So if any misinterpretations are made from the text of my previous post above, then please accept my apology for my chemically induced laziness (allergy medication.).