Letus Extreme and... at DVinfo.net

Daniel Alexander · March 1st, 2008, 02:08 PM

I know it's here somewhere but i cant seem to find it. I'm looking to buy a letus extreme for my EX1 but would really like to know exactly what setup others would reccomend (trying to keep prices down to a minimum), i.e. what rail system they are using, lens mount, and most importantly which lens they have purchased to use with the adapter and also any pitfalls or limitations i should be aware of when marrying the ex1 to a letus, thank you.

Dean Harrington · March 1st, 2008, 06:01 PM

is a good place to start. Follow the threads here on the questions you have. It'll take a bit of reading but the answers are there.
http://www.philipbloom.co.uk/Philip_Bloom/Home.html

Steve Cahill · March 1st, 2008, 06:19 PM

Phil has a great blog, also check my blog as well...

http://web.mac.com/stevecahill/Steve...Blog/Blog.html

Phil Bloom · March 2nd, 2008, 01:27 AM

feel free to email me any questions. Am always happy to answer questions.

Max Kaiser · March 2nd, 2008, 10:25 PM

Daniel,

I feel your pain. I basically have the same questions. I've been pretty thoroughly through Phil and Steve's blogs, both are wonderful. So far, what I've found is the Zacuto rail mount system looks awesome. The lenses I'm not so sure about. I often can't tell what people are using. Are folks using the PL mount with 35mm lenses or...? I'm just not sure what I should be pricing out.

Currently, I've got an XDCAM 330 and am looking for a back-up cam with the nifty Letus-style accoutrement to make it even tastier.

Also, I can't tell if the Letus flips or not? On some of Phil's pics he's got a Marshall hooked up and the image looks straight up and down.

Finally, my lead DP is concerned that the Letus will vignette but Phil's blogs swear it isn't so, Steve seems to back that up - any problems out there?

From what I've seen the imagery looks great. For only losing 1/2 stop, if there is no vignetteing this would be awesome. I'd love to see more posted on this - especially about which lenses for us lens newbies.

Max Kaiser

Tyler Franco · March 2nd, 2008, 11:40 PM

I too would enjoy reading a "newbie guide" to the Letus, how it works, the difference in the rails and which ones are needed for what purpose, ect.

Steve Cahill · March 3rd, 2008, 05:36 AM

The best lenses I would use are the Zeiss lenses, I have replaced all my Nikon manual focus lens with the Zeiss lenses. The 20mm, 50mm macro, 85mm are my main lenses. They can be bought at B&H. I find them just as sharp as the Nikons, but I also find the mechnical build of the lenses extremely well built and very smooth to focus with as well, perhaps better than the Nikons. The Zeiss lens come with Nikon mounts.

The Letus Extreme is a "fliped" unit offering the proper image orientation as well. It is all in one unit, well built and it holds up to the rigors to travel. I just returned from Prague with it, and there is one installment on Prague on my blog about this, 2 more to come stay tuned, with footage to be added.

The measure of any adapter is the ease of use, sharpness, and its mechnical
build, but one very important overlooked item is how well it attaches to the camera and what support system to use to "hold it" in place. You do not need a cheap support system that does not work, screws do not tighten, come loose, and then the adapter gets out of alignment.

By far the best system is the Zaucto rail system and it meets the above requirements. Not inexpensive, you get what you pay for, and it is rock solid. I whish the Letus had incorporated in it, holes for a rail system to pass through it for additional support. I have taken additional steps to make it more solid, and will share this is a future blog on my site.

Take the time to explore Philips blog and mine to see pics of the setups, the best thing you can do is take the plunge and get the system based on our experiences. Also check out the other sites for other adapters they have lots of users set-up pics so you can get other ideas. I do strongly suggest a system that is rock solid, adjusts with ease, locks into place so that your travels with the system do NOT turn into a alignment session vers a shooting session. Now get out and shoot!

Jason Bodnar · March 3rd, 2008, 10:14 PM

I too am going to buy a Letus and was leaning toward this package.

http://www.zacuto.com/Letus_cine_kit.htm

Is this a good choise for the Ex1 or will I need some additional parts?

This looks like a killer setup

http://www.zacuto.com/Sony_EX1_Letus_tripod_1.htm

Robb Cox · March 4th, 2008, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Bodnar

I too am going to buy a Letus and was leaning toward this package.

http://www.zacuto.com/Letus_cine_kit.htm

Is this a good choise for the Ex1 or will I need some additional parts?

This looks like a killer setup

http://www.zacuto.com/Sony_EX1_Letus_tripod_1.htm

I think you also need the EX1 optimization kit...

Steve Shovlar · March 4th, 2008, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Bodnar

I too am going to buy a Letus and was leaning toward this package.

http://www.zacuto.com/Letus_cine_kit.htm

Is this a good choise for the Ex1 or will I need some additional parts?

This looks like a killer setup

http://www.zacuto.com/Sony_EX1_Letus_tripod_1.htm

Thats the same setup I have and its truly brilliant. Expensive compared to its competition, yes, but worth the extra expense.

Phil Bloom · March 4th, 2008, 02:58 PM

You can buy cheaper versions but in the end you buy the expensive version as the cheaper versions really just don't work very well!

Wasted a lot of money doing that myself!

Piotr Wozniacki · March 4th, 2008, 03:38 PM

Phil, I guess I'm getting ready to think about investing in the Letus Extreme rig for my EX1. I guess I'm not the only one in Europe who is wondering whether it's best to buy it direct (with the duty and VAT charged at the EU customs), or some good reseller (e.g. in the UK) exist... Can you advise?

Jason Bodnar · March 4th, 2008, 05:01 PM

Robb, I did not see any EX1 optimization kit... do you have a link for this?

Steve Cahill · March 4th, 2008, 07:45 PM

Here is the link to buy the EX Optimization
http://www.letusdirect.com/cart/Letu...treme-p-6.html

Under "Categories"
click on "Letus Accessories "
at the bottom of the page
you will see "Sony EX1 Kit"
The much anticipated optimization kit for the Sony PMW-EX1 XDCAM.
Our price: $349.00

Robb Cox · March 5th, 2008, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Cahill

Here is the link to buy the EX Optimization
http://www.letusdirect.com/cart/Letu...treme-p-6.html

Under "Categories"
click on "Letus Accessories "
at the bottom of the page
you will see "Sony EX1 Kit"
The much anticipated optimization kit for the Sony PMW-EX1 XDCAM.
Our price: $349.00

Or $199 when buying the Letus Extreme.. :)

March 1st, 2008, 02:08 PM	#1
Daniel Alexander Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Midlands, UK Posts: 320	Letus Extreme and... I know it's here somewhere but i cant seem to find it. I'm looking to buy a letus extreme for my EX1 but would really like to know exactly what setup others would reccomend (trying to keep prices down to a minimum), i.e. what rail system they are using, lens mount, and most importantly which lens they have purchased to use with the adapter and also any pitfalls or limitations i should be aware of when marrying the ex1 to a letus, thank you.

March 1st, 2008, 06:01 PM	#2
Dean Harrington Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tokyo Posts: 898	Phil Bloom's blog ... is a good place to start. Follow the threads here on the questions you have. It'll take a bit of reading but the answers are there. http://www.philipbloom.co.uk/Philip_Bloom/Home.html

March 1st, 2008, 06:19 PM	#3
Steve Cahill Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 321	Phil has a great blog, also check my blog as well... http://web.mac.com/stevecahill/Steve...Blog/Blog.html __________________ Regards Steve

March 2nd, 2008, 01:27 AM	#4
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	feel free to email me any questions. Am always happy to answer questions. __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

March 2nd, 2008, 10:25 PM	#5
Max Kaiser Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 66	Feeling it... Daniel, I feel your pain. I basically have the same questions. I've been pretty thoroughly through Phil and Steve's blogs, both are wonderful. So far, what I've found is the Zacuto rail mount system looks awesome. The lenses I'm not so sure about. I often can't tell what people are using. Are folks using the PL mount with 35mm lenses or...? I'm just not sure what I should be pricing out. Currently, I've got an XDCAM 330 and am looking for a back-up cam with the nifty Letus-style accoutrement to make it even tastier. Also, I can't tell if the Letus flips or not? On some of Phil's pics he's got a Marshall hooked up and the image looks straight up and down. Finally, my lead DP is concerned that the Letus will vignette but Phil's blogs swear it isn't so, Steve seems to back that up - any problems out there? From what I've seen the imagery looks great. For only losing 1/2 stop, if there is no vignetteing this would be awesome. I'd love to see more posted on this - especially about which lenses for us lens newbies. Max Kaiser __________________ ---------------- Max Kaiser Director, Hand Crank Films http://www.handcrankfilms.com

March 2nd, 2008, 11:40 PM	#6
Tyler Franco Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 172	I too would enjoy reading a "newbie guide" to the Letus, how it works, the difference in the rails and which ones are needed for what purpose, ect.

March 3rd, 2008, 05:36 AM	#7
Steve Cahill Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 321	The best lenses I would use are the Zeiss lenses, I have replaced all my Nikon manual focus lens with the Zeiss lenses. The 20mm, 50mm macro, 85mm are my main lenses. They can be bought at B&H. I find them just as sharp as the Nikons, but I also find the mechnical build of the lenses extremely well built and very smooth to focus with as well, perhaps better than the Nikons. The Zeiss lens come with Nikon mounts. The Letus Extreme is a "fliped" unit offering the proper image orientation as well. It is all in one unit, well built and it holds up to the rigors to travel. I just returned from Prague with it, and there is one installment on Prague on my blog about this, 2 more to come stay tuned, with footage to be added. The measure of any adapter is the ease of use, sharpness, and its mechnical build, but one very important overlooked item is how well it attaches to the camera and what support system to use to "hold it" in place. You do not need a cheap support system that does not work, screws do not tighten, come loose, and then the adapter gets out of alignment. By far the best system is the Zaucto rail system and it meets the above requirements. Not inexpensive, you get what you pay for, and it is rock solid. I whish the Letus had incorporated in it, holes for a rail system to pass through it for additional support. I have taken additional steps to make it more solid, and will share this is a future blog on my site. Take the time to explore Philips blog and mine to see pics of the setups, the best thing you can do is take the plunge and get the system based on our experiences. Also check out the other sites for other adapters they have lots of users set-up pics so you can get other ideas. I do strongly suggest a system that is rock solid, adjusts with ease, locks into place so that your travels with the system do NOT turn into a alignment session vers a shooting session. Now get out and shoot! __________________ Regards Steve

March 3rd, 2008, 10:14 PM	#8
Jason Bodnar Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 376	I too am going to buy a Letus and was leaning toward this package. http://www.zacuto.com/Letus_cine_kit.htm Is this a good choise for the Ex1 or will I need some additional parts? This looks like a killer setup http://www.zacuto.com/Sony_EX1_Letus_tripod_1.htm

March 4th, 2008, 02:58 PM	#11
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	You can buy cheaper versions but in the end you buy the expensive version as the cheaper versions really just don't work very well! Wasted a lot of money doing that myself! __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

March 4th, 2008, 03:38 PM	#12
Piotr Wozniacki Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Poland Posts: 4,086	Phil, I guess I'm getting ready to think about investing in the Letus Extreme rig for my EX1. I guess I'm not the only one in Europe who is wondering whether it's best to buy it direct (with the duty and VAT charged at the EU customs), or some good reseller (e.g. in the UK) exist... Can you advise? __________________ Sony PXW-FS7 \| DaVinci Resolve Studio; Magix Vegas Pro; i7-5960X CPU; 64 GB RAM; 2x GTX 1080 8GB GPU; Decklink 4K Extreme 12G; 4x 3TB WD Black in RAID 0; 1TB M.2 NVMe cache drive

March 4th, 2008, 05:01 PM	#13
Jason Bodnar Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 376	Robb, I did not see any EX1 optimization kit... do you have a link for this?

March 4th, 2008, 07:45 PM	#14
Steve Cahill Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 321	Here is the link to buy the EX Optimization http://www.letusdirect.com/cart/Letu...treme-p-6.html Under "Categories" click on "Letus Accessories " at the bottom of the page you will see "Sony EX1 Kit" The much anticipated optimization kit for the Sony PMW-EX1 XDCAM. Our price: $349.00 __________________ Regards Steve