Letus35 Ultimate: Community Help and Opinion at DVinfo.net

Alex Manning · January 25th, 2009, 01:40 PM

I'm seriously considering purchasing my first 35mm Adapter. The Letus35 Ultimate Adapter Starter bundle for my Canon XH-A1 seems right for me.

---> Letus35 Extreme Starter Bundle*::*Letus Bundles*::*LetusDirect

I was wondering what the DVI community's overall thoughts on the adapter are. Does anyone here prefer another brand and why? I've heard about HD Achromats - what's the purpose? Here are the specifics I'm purchasing with the bundle. If any options are incorrect or incompatible for the XH-A1 please let me know.

Thread Size: 72mm
Lens Mount: M42 Screw Mount (Is that compatible for all lenses?)
Rod Support System: 30cm + 15cm Complete System (Is this the correct size for a standard xh-a1?)
Additional Thread Size: None
Additional Lens Mount: None
Camera Optimization Kit: None
Quantity: None

And for heaven's sake...if your know anyone selling one -please let me know!

Thanks again everyone!

Alex Manning · January 25th, 2009, 08:48 PM

Anyone....?

Marcel D. Van Someren · January 26th, 2009, 09:23 AM

One of the reasons you probably haven't gotten a response is that this is posted in the wrong section of the forum. You should go to the "Alternative Imaging Methods" section. That's where they discuss adapters.

Now that you have that wonderful information, I'll take a stab a some of your questions:

First, there's a little confusion. You mention you are considering the Letus Ultimate but you posted a link to the Extreme. Those are two entirely different animals, not only in function but in price. Both are excellent adapters, by the way.

The extreme uses a vibrating Ground Glass (GG); The ultimate uses a spinning ground glass (GG).

Pros and cons:

Vibrating - lighter more compact but has limits on fstop and shutter speed.

Spinning - more flexible on fstop and shutter speed but is larger and more expensive

Other companies to consider:

Brevis MP.1 (Oscillating GG adapter) www.cinevate.com

SGBlade (Spinning GG adapter) Welcome to shoot35!

M2 (Spinning GG adapter) Redrock Micro: Create the Cinema Experience

There are others but not as well known. Having built my own spinnng GG adapter I learned a lot about them. I ended up purchasing the SGBlade. It's a lot like the Letus Ultimate but a lot less expensive.

If you want Letus, its a very good brand so you won't go wrong there.

John Stakes · January 26th, 2009, 10:04 AM

Im surprised this thread hasn't been moved. It has been a long week for me, maybe it has for our mods also ; ).

Anyhow. Save yourself the headache and stick with Letus. Extreme, or Ultimate if and only if you have the $$. The other adapters are nice but you should really do a search you will find some great GREAT discussions. Lens mounts BRAND specific.

Start here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/alternative-imaging-methods/

JS

Marcel D. Van Someren · January 26th, 2009, 12:25 PM

Sorry, John, but I have to disagree with that advice. I think it's well worth the headache to do the research and compare different brands to be sure Alex is getting what he needs. There may be specific aspects about the type of shooting that Alex plans to do that would perhaps be benefitted more by one adapter over another. For example, yes, the Letus is a great adapter. However, it has only one "look" with the image. Adapters such as the Brevis, M2, and the SGBlade allow you to change the GG to get a different look and different level of light loss. Also, if Alex plans on shooting with higher shutter speeds, or stopping down more, he would benefit more from a spinning GG adapter than a vibrating one. They all offer different lens mounts so that shouldn't be a factor.

It's always best to do the research and make sure that what you are about to spend lots of $$ on is what you need.

Chris Hurd · January 26th, 2009, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcel D. Van Someren

One of the reasons you probably haven't gotten a response is that this is posted in the wrong section of the forum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Stakes

Im surprised this thread hasn't been moved.

Thread moved to Let Us Discuss Letus, where it belongs.

With hundreds of new posts coming in every day, it's a big challenge to stay on top of thread moves. You guys can really help us out a lot by using the "Report Post" function found to the left of every post on the forum -- that gets our attention quickly, and we try to respond to move requests as soon as we see them. It takes less time to report a post for moving than it does to reply to the thread about its needing to be moved.

John Stakes · January 26th, 2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcel D. Van Someren

It's always best to do the research and make sure that what you are about to spend lots of $$ on is what you need.

You have a point Marcel. I just know I wish I could have skipped the headache! Then again, that is why ppl research, I wouldn't want to rob him of that : ). I guess I was just going off of what the general consencus is. Letus + XHA1 = golden. But sureley, some people may not want that look. I love it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

You guys can really help us out a lot by using the "Report Post" function found to the left of every post on the forum.

Will do Chris, I actually never noticed the bugger.

JS

OH!.....and what I meant about the lens mounts is simply that you have to get a Nikon mount for Nikon lenses, Canon for Canon, etc...from the corresponding lens adapter manufacturer.

Marcel D. Van Someren · January 26th, 2009, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Stakes

I guess I was just going off of what the general consencus is. Letus + XHA1 = golden. But sureley, some people may not want that look. I love it.

No doubt, the Letus + A1 combo can produce some great footage. But, by the same token, I just finished reading a post in another forum by an indie film maker lamenting the limitations of that adapter in some of the shooting situations she faced. Had she had a spinning GG adapter, she may have had some better results in those circumstances. In this case the Ultimate (which costs more than the A1), SGBlade, M2, etc., would have been better suited. Oh, and people rave about the images from those adapters as well. The SGBlade in particular has the option of getting the same film like bokeh as the original SGPro or getting a more Letus, low light loss look, depending upon the GG you choose. The M2 also has it's trademark look, and a lower light loss version by switching GG.

Knowing about all of the options can give you a headache, as you mentioned, when it comes to deciding which adapter to purchase. But I'm sure you agree, that it's better to have that than to discover the hard way that you purchased the wrong one.

P.S., "And don't call me Sureley" LOL (a line from Airplane, the movie...for the un-initiated).

Leonard Levy · February 4th, 2009, 03:10 PM

Couple of points:

1. The spinning adapters are not necc heavier than vibrating ones. The Letus Extreme is pretty heavy for example but the Brevis another vibrator is quite light.

I prefer a spinner if you can afford it not only because you can use higher f stops, but also because you don't have to worry about dust on the screen being seen on the image. Dust will appear as a smudge on a vibrating adapter. I haven't had problems with my Letus, but it was more problematic with my Brevis though people have had problems with both.

The Brevis has changeable screens but I found the problems of getting dust on the screen when changing them a gigantic pain. The standard Brevis screen was until recently the fastest but that may be changing with new additions from SGBlade and the new Redrock Encore.

One other difference is field of view. The SGBlade or Pro will only show you the acadamy (cine) 35mm format or something like it. The letus , Brevis and perhaps the new Redrock will show full 35mm frame.

There are really very many pros and cons of these things though so you are wise to shop carefully. Anything you hear about the Blade BTW is based on guesswork because they are only being shipped this week. That said I expect it to be a very fine unit. Similarely the Redrock Encore has also just begun shipping so there are no reports form users yet.

Lenny Levy

Marcel D. Van Someren · February 4th, 2009, 03:49 PM

I agree with your assesment of spinning vs. vibrating GG. By the way, Brevis says theirs oscillates in a circular pattern as opposed to simply vibrating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonard Levy

One other difference is field of view. The SGBlade or Pro will only show you the acadamy (cine) 35mm format or something like it. The letus , Brevis and perhaps the new Redrock will show full 35mm frame.

Lenny Levy

According to Wayne Kinney: "the size of the Blade GG is based in a 36x20mm frame which gives full FOV in 16:9 - this has allowed us to keep the size of the GG to a minimum."

Academy (cine 35mm) is only 24x18mm

Full Frame (still camera 35mm) is 36X24mm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonard Levy

Anything you hear about the Blade BTW is based on guesswork because they are only being shipped this week.

This is not the case. There were beta testers who posted footage of both RotoRazor1 and RotoRazor2 GG. True, I wish there were more, but there is enough to get a pretty good idea of performance. And these tests were not on the production model which has a new FlipModule and Achromat. So the final should be even better. In addition, the user's manual for the SGBlade was posted which provides a lot of good information as well.

My SGBlade is on the way and I hope to contribute to the test footage posted very soon.

Leonard Levy · February 4th, 2009, 05:08 PM

That's great news about the Blade - thanks I wasn't aware of that.
I am actually a BETA tester of the Blade, but my initial unit had oil on the screen and had to be sent back so i eagerly await the next one.

I hope that's correct on the image size because it is my only reservation on the Blade - assuming that it will work well with the Ex-1 for which i have my fingers crossed.
- Lenny

January 25th, 2009, 01:40 PM	#1
Alex Manning New Boot Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: High Point, NC Posts: 14	Letus35 Ultimate: Community Help and Opinion I'm seriously considering purchasing my first 35mm Adapter. The Letus35 Ultimate Adapter Starter bundle for my Canon XH-A1 seems right for me. ---> Letus35 Extreme Starter Bundle::Letus Bundles::LetusDirect I was wondering what the DVI community's overall thoughts on the adapter are. Does anyone here prefer another brand and why? I've heard about HD Achromats - what's the purpose? Here are the specifics I'm purchasing with the bundle. If any options are incorrect or incompatible for the XH-A1 please let me know. Thread Size: 72mm Lens Mount: M42 Screw Mount (Is that compatible for all lenses?) Rod Support System: 30cm + 15cm Complete System (Is this the correct size for a standard xh-a1?) Additional Thread Size: None Additional Lens Mount: None Camera Optimization Kit: None Quantity: None And for heaven's sake...if your know anyone selling one -please let me know! Thanks again everyone!

January 25th, 2009, 08:48 PM	#2
Alex Manning New Boot Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: High Point, NC Posts: 14	Anyone....?

January 26th, 2009, 09:23 AM	#3
Marcel D. Van Someren Major Player Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Sherman Oaks, CA Posts: 325	One of the reasons you probably haven't gotten a response is that this is posted in the wrong section of the forum. You should go to the "Alternative Imaging Methods" section. That's where they discuss adapters. Now that you have that wonderful information, I'll take a stab a some of your questions: First, there's a little confusion. You mention you are considering the Letus Ultimate but you posted a link to the Extreme. Those are two entirely different animals, not only in function but in price. Both are excellent adapters, by the way. The extreme uses a vibrating Ground Glass (GG); The ultimate uses a spinning ground glass (GG). Pros and cons: Vibrating - lighter more compact but has limits on fstop and shutter speed. Spinning - more flexible on fstop and shutter speed but is larger and more expensive Other companies to consider: Brevis MP.1 (Oscillating GG adapter) www.cinevate.com SGBlade (Spinning GG adapter) Welcome to shoot35! M2 (Spinning GG adapter) Redrock Micro: Create the Cinema Experience There are others but not as well known. Having built my own spinnng GG adapter I learned a lot about them. I ended up purchasing the SGBlade. It's a lot like the Letus Ultimate but a lot less expensive. If you want Letus, its a very good brand so you won't go wrong there.

January 26th, 2009, 10:04 AM	#4
John Stakes Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 558	Im surprised this thread hasn't been moved. It has been a long week for me, maybe it has for our mods also ; ). Anyhow. Save yourself the headache and stick with Letus. Extreme, or Ultimate if and only if you have the $$. The other adapters are nice but you should really do a search you will find some great GREAT discussions. Lens mounts BRAND specific. Start here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/alternative-imaging-methods/ JS

January 26th, 2009, 12:25 PM	#5
Marcel D. Van Someren Major Player Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Sherman Oaks, CA Posts: 325	Sorry, John, but I have to disagree with that advice. I think it's well worth the headache to do the research and compare different brands to be sure Alex is getting what he needs. There may be specific aspects about the type of shooting that Alex plans to do that would perhaps be benefitted more by one adapter over another. For example, yes, the Letus is a great adapter. However, it has only one "look" with the image. Adapters such as the Brevis, M2, and the SGBlade allow you to change the GG to get a different look and different level of light loss. Also, if Alex plans on shooting with higher shutter speeds, or stopping down more, he would benefit more from a spinning GG adapter than a vibrating one. They all offer different lens mounts so that shouldn't be a factor. It's always best to do the research and make sure that what you are about to spend lots of $$ on is what you need.

February 4th, 2009, 03:10 PM	#9
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	Couple of points: 1. The spinning adapters are not necc heavier than vibrating ones. The Letus Extreme is pretty heavy for example but the Brevis another vibrator is quite light. I prefer a spinner if you can afford it not only because you can use higher f stops, but also because you don't have to worry about dust on the screen being seen on the image. Dust will appear as a smudge on a vibrating adapter. I haven't had problems with my Letus, but it was more problematic with my Brevis though people have had problems with both. The Brevis has changeable screens but I found the problems of getting dust on the screen when changing them a gigantic pain. The standard Brevis screen was until recently the fastest but that may be changing with new additions from SGBlade and the new Redrock Encore. One other difference is field of view. The SGBlade or Pro will only show you the acadamy (cine) 35mm format or something like it. The letus , Brevis and perhaps the new Redrock will show full 35mm frame. There are really very many pros and cons of these things though so you are wise to shop carefully. Anything you hear about the Blade BTW is based on guesswork because they are only being shipped this week. That said I expect it to be a very fine unit. Similarely the Redrock Encore has also just begun shipping so there are no reports form users yet. Lenny Levy

February 4th, 2009, 05:08 PM	#11
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	That's great news about the Blade - thanks I wasn't aware of that. I am actually a BETA tester of the Blade, but my initial unit had oil on the screen and had to be sent back so i eagerly await the next one. I hope that's correct on the image size because it is my only reservation on the Blade - assuming that it will work well with the Ex-1 for which i have my fingers crossed. - Lenny