dv3productions.com/Letus35/Letus35.bmp

I would say one of the best features about the Letus is the fact that you can shoot into lights with it. it has ZERO reflections of a spinning GG.

Example:
dv3productions.com/Letus35/Letus_light.bmp

That is just too gorgeous!

Thanks ..

Grazie

it's sick, I feel like my production value on ANYTYING I point the dvx at has increased 10fold, feels like cheating!

Hey Obin, is that just plain DVX100a or Realstream? Looks good. Could you post a short clip of that?
So, am I right in assuming you think the Letus with a better achromat and condensor is better than the M2? You sure sound like you think so.

I have no answer to that, as both products are still not really the final thing.

I like the Letus35 in many many ways

dv man, no reelstream

So that was just DV? Looked very good. Which achromat and condensor did you use?
I would still like to see the clip those stills came from, if possible.

the clips look even better, really really nice stuff, it's a joy to cut it ;) I will send a finished spot when it's done, ok?

micro35 achromat and Letus35 adapter

I would say the 35 adapters are like shooting 16mm and doing a DVCAM transfer, it's the same thing, but done in-camera with the lens system ;)

and you spend way less $$, and your wait time for the lab is gone ;)

course film gives you more range Stop-wise, but that is what the reelstream is for ;)

Yes, it would be really great if you cold upload at list a short clip when you get the chance.

If DVX100a DV is like 16mm, 720p might be like 35mm :D
Those are really great times.

Come to think of it, yes, kinda.

720 is only about 1/3 of the resolution of 16mm. 480 is of course 1/4 the res of 16mm. However, 1080 can be indistinguishable from 35mm (which is the equivalent of about 3000p). So since 720 is up toward the thousand-px mark, maybe you're right.

But regardless of res, DV is a wonderfully easy to work with and liberating media form!

REALLY rought cut, wide bars are crappy...but I know many are waiting for professional footage...so hear ya go!

www.dv3productions.com/Letus35/Letus35-1.wmv

Looks very good Obin. It really looks like 16mm footage in many ways. Hard to believe it's just plain old 24p DV. Good job!

Hey Obin, the footage looks great. Its encouraging to see since my unit is in the mail and I also have a DVX. Could you sum up what modifications you made to the Quyens original unit? You added an extra 2 AA's to get more speed out of the motor. Do you find you need a macro (if so what make are you using) or is the DVX lens able to focus that close on its own?

Thanks for the posts, looks like its going to be a nice piece.

Jon

I think Quyen should do something about the speed of the motor to correct the problems mentioned.
I think Obin said he's suing the Micro35's macro, because the one which comes with the letus35 wasn't sharp enough.

Micro 35 macro
 

Well if he's using the macro that you buy for the Do it your self kit, that's one thing becase I have 6... But if he's using the macro for the M2 it's $150.00, then that's another...

Craig, which Macro is it for $150? The Century Optics one?

Not sure really..
 

Not sure really.. It's on their web site... Do you know which one it is? thank

Thanks guys! it's going to be a nice spot

using the micro35 pro achromat, the letus one is crappy
using the micro35 rod system(awesome rails!!)
built a brace for the letus that attaches on the rails, can't shoot without it, to much lens shake when you focus the thing...

Is there a way to buy the micro35 pro achromat and just that? Obin can you post a pic of what your dvx setup looks like? I'm gonna get one for my dvx and want footage as good as yours.

I'm shooting Letus35 with the HC1 right now. Very tricky setup. The HC1 is not that good in low light and the Letus35 on that and an extra glass is really complicated to shoot with. I'f I shoot a medium close up of a person four feet away the nose will be in focus but not the ear. It's absolutely impossible to tell focus on a small LCD or in the viewfinder so I got a 7,5" high res LCD and mounted it with the camera for critical focus. In HDV 1080i resolutions the grain from the GG is really too big. The result reminds me of old analogue telecines done in the 70's. And I'm having trouble with dirt specs moving around on the GG. I'll post clips later.

Hey Martin, looking forward to the clips.

Thanks Obin, so thats a 72mm macro or are you stepping down to a 58mm macro? I'm guessing since it came with the micro35 its 58mm

Jon

everyone is allways bitching about the grain, I love it, it's half of the "filmlook" IMHO, I would never want to get rid of it....but that is me, some like crisp video I guess...

I have shot tests in HD on the dvx100, I don't feel it's to big at all, I am using the 4AA system too though, maybe that is the issue, try you HC with a 4AA setup

video
 

I will have to say that the video looks really good.

Hey Obin,
do you, by any chance, know the motor's amp rating and voltage rating?
I guess you're running 6V now, correct?

What exactly do you mean by HD on a DVX? Sorry if this was explained earlier. Cheers.

No I don't know the rating, I would have to ask what it is, if I am using to many cells it still works well, I guess I could burn up the motor, but it looks like a $3 item to me, and it's worth the extra picture quality


Reel-stream.com is what HD dvx is

Thanks Obin.

Ah, yes, reel-stream, that one I was aware of. NICE!
And thanks for the reply.

That sounds to me like a shallow depth of field and not a function of the Letus or any extra glass. What lens are you using?

So Obin, are you going to tell us what macro the Micro35 uses?

Yes, that would be cool to find out what macro is in use!

they will not tell me, but it's not half bad at all, coudl it be better? IMHO yes it could, but it works well

All the best
 

Ah, isn't it nice to see a product grow up? I really think it will get there quite soon. I can only hope the father of this product keeps up the healthy attitude of maturing it as good as possible.
Perhaps with better opticals, a sturdier motor (perhaps with a single 9v battery?), etc. it will be a bit more expensive to produce, but I'm sure most people wouldn't mind paying for that. After all, it wouldn't make sense buying the best (and certainly not the cheapest) primes, just to loose optical quality in the adapter.

As for the macro, could it be that every camera prefers it's own combination? The difficulty for Quyen must be to figure out which one fits all best. I could be wrong. But I'm sure he collects the data from the testers and uses it for the best.

I wish I could post some footage. But until then, I'll shut up.

Noise?
 

Obin,

I have been following your' posts in various forums around the web for a while. You are a great shooter and an informative guy. Thanks for all the good info!

Since you added the extra batteries to make the glass move faster, has the rig gotten noisier? (audio-wise)

Also, if I bought this unit how easy would it be to replace the achromat and the GG?

How does the grain on the Letus35 compare to the grain on the M2?

M2 has same flare problems as the 300 series mini35's?

Is there any chance, in your' opinion, of attaching any of these adapters to the adapter part (w/out converter) of the mini35 for XL1 or JVC. Any other way of accomplishing the same goal of eliminating the weakest lens element?

Also, have you seen anything from the Pico35?

Cine-One?

G35?

Thanks for all the pioneering.

-Aaron

Problem with that concept is that, if you have to replace the lens and the GG, you are basically paying 300 bucks for an aluminium empty shell, since the motor seems to be cheap ($3 as suggested by Obin).

test test test

Obin,

I have been following your' posts in various forums around the web for a while. You are a great shooter and an informative guy. Thanks for all the good info!


Thanks for the good vibe!

Since you added the extra batteries to make the glass move faster, has the rig gotten noisier? (audio-wise)

audio level is the same, it's not bad at all, high end shotgun mics don't pick it up at all on shoots

Also, if I bought this unit how easy would it be to replace the achromat and the GG?

GG is great, I don't see a way to make it better
achromat is easy to replace, really you can take the whole thing apart in about 10min or less..

How does the grain on the Letus35 compare to the grain on the M2?
M2 is much finer with the issue of having the double image, non m2 on the micro35 is the same as the Letus

M2 has same flare problems as the 300 series mini35's?

as far as I can tell you will get the issues with ANY rotating GG system, vibrating seems to be MUCH better with artifacts of many types, jsut make sure the GG vibrates fast enough!

Is there any chance, in your' opinion, of attaching any of these adapters to the adapter part (w/out converter) of the mini35 for XL1 or JVC. Any other way of accomplishing the same goal of eliminating the weakest lens element?not sure, you would need a relay lens system to use Letus on Xl2 etc type camera, it would be MUCH better with a relay but as you know the dvx has a built in lens.

Also, have you seen anything from the Pico35?
never heard of a pico35

Cine-One?
never used it

G35?
I talk with him, but he has never sent me a demo unit for HD testing

Thanks for all the pioneering.

-Aaron

Obin,

In one of your post, you said you have asked about the achromat and people refused to answer, is that the new achromat or the one you used in the unit? Can you take measurement of the achromat you are using? I believe it's rectangular but what is the size? Thanks.

Quyen

It would be nice to have a chart that lists the best and worst achromats. These aren't really the heart of the units people are selling, so it would just give others a choice if they want to upgrade on the one they are using. Also they seems to be interchangeable, which is a good thing.

Sorry if that's how it came across but, yes, that is not what I'm saying (at least about the not needing a lens part) It seems to me that the staging is as follows:

1)Camera body
3)35mm Adapter (with proprietary mount)
4)Still lens

Which would be nice as this would eliminate the "Pinocchio" effect from stacking lens, devices, on top of the XL series's already very long 20x lens.
Maybe I am reading it wrong but since Johnathan makes mention of both a "threaded" mount and a "bayonet" mount, this leads me to believe
that this is indeed what will appear in the production units.
If you read something else into it please straighten me out.
Just don't crush my spirits as I really want a bayonet mounted adapter! Ha Ha!