The Letus35 Redesigned :)

Andy Gordon · January 21st, 2006, 08:27 PM

With my set up I have the GG about 55mm from the GS400, with 2x 120mm FL PCX lenses between GG and cam (back to back next to the GG) and no achromat. You can see very slight vignetting if you push the contrast in post but it's good enough for me. The image size is 50mm diagonal (the full size of my tube), but that is after the condensers magnify it a little so it's round about 36x24mm.

Ben Winter · January 21st, 2006, 09:11 PM

I originally wanted to use the non-achromat setup, but with my Century Optics there's no reason, really, other than to make the adapter smaller. There's no chroma aberration and for some reason the macro helps with the vignetting.

If you guys just want low-light test footage, here's some stuff that I shot indoors with it. I made it nice and big so you can see how crisp the images are.

http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/test.mov

That last shot of the cat was in very low light.

Aww...you guys want pictures of the inside? You mean I gotta take this thing apart? Yawn...ok, fine.

http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/pic1.JPG
http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/pic2.JPG

And a pic showing what I mean by pulling out the stoppers, plus adding some glue so they don't go anywhere:
http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/pic3.JPG

I'm a really good mood. this screen made my day. $94? Worth every penny.

Francois Poitras · January 21st, 2006, 09:26 PM

Thank you, Ben!

Leo Mandy · January 22nd, 2006, 12:08 AM

That is some beast you have there Ben. Great job, it looks good. I didn't know the Beattie was convex - I thought it was flat!

Michael Maier · January 22nd, 2006, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Winter

I originally wanted to use the non-achromat setup, but with my Century Optics there's no reason, really, other than to make the adapter smaller. There's no chroma aberration and for some reason the macro helps with the vignetting.

If you guys just want low-light test footage, here's some stuff that I shot indoors with it. I made it nice and big so you can see how crisp the images are.

http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/test.mov

That last shot of the cat was in very low light.

Aww...you guys want pictures of the inside? You mean I gotta take this thing apart? Yawn...ok, fine.

http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/pic1.JPG
http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/pic2.JPG

And a pic showing what I mean by pulling out the stoppers, plus adding some glue so they don't go anywhere:
http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/pic3.JPG

I'm a really good mood. this screen made my day. $94? Worth every penny.

Looks great! This I much better than the plastic thing.
So this is a Bettie or an Interscreen or they are the same thing? If it’s an Interscreen is it really the part number 82430 (for the Contax RTS II) that Francois mentioned? Otherwise could you give us a part number?
You say it’s possible to use it without an achromat, but does it vignette?
Very well done Ben. Maybe Quyen could offer this as an option for Letus35 customer who want to pay a little more for quality. By the way, which version of the Letus35 are you sing? Is this possible with both flip and no flip?

Francois Poitras · January 22nd, 2006, 06:57 AM

Michael:

www.intenscreen.com

Dennis Wood · January 22nd, 2006, 07:51 AM

Looking good Ben. How much gain (if any) was your cam dialing in? Can you comment on light loss? Any hope of an EIA1956 with and without the cam? They are nice tools to evaluate any distortion too.

How can you tell my spinner is in grave danger?

Andrew Todd · January 22nd, 2006, 08:56 AM

is there a way to order that screen online? It doesnt have a canadian option for dealers. how much did you pay ben?

Ben Winter · January 22nd, 2006, 10:04 AM

Akkk! Bombarded with questions! :)

Whew...ok...

1. Yes, the one I'm using is the Contax RTS whatever. This is where I ordered it from:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

2. I tried holding the screen up to the camcorder without an achromat, and it didn't appear to vignette, so I would have high hopes for anyone who wanted to try to build a non-achromat version of the Letus. Maybe in the future I'll pick up again on that design I had going.

3. I'm not really sure which version of the Letus I have--I don't have the flip version, if that's what you mean. I had the original Letus (back when Quyen sold them on ebay), and then when I sent it in last month to get the mount replaced with the metal version, he switched out the vibration mechanism with the shorter sticks and different plate. So I suppose I have the newer Letus version, but the only thing that I've kept from the original design is the metal housing pipe, the vibration mechanism and the mount. All the optics have been switched out. Therefore I would assume this is possible to achieve with the flip version also.

4. This footage was shot with zero gain. I hate gain, I never use it--if the shot is too dark, I either bump it up a little in post or go find some lights ;).

5. Dennis, I'll get on that res chart today. I have a lot of test footage to shoot...whew. Better get started.

Feel free to fire any more questions my way.

Dennis Wood · January 22nd, 2006, 10:33 AM

Ah, the price of early adoption! We've been discussing the use of the Contax for a few weeks now, to supercede our spinners, and have both disc and cylindrical pager motors. My plan was not to use Quen's design at all, but to do it with an aluminum plate and the same bushings used to suspend cd player motor/slider assemblies. These bushings isolate the units, but can be tightened to reduce or increase compliance (vibration frequency) So Ben, your success makes spending the $100 bucks for an intensescreen a bit more palatable. I also have some concerns about z axis movement using this setup.

Due to my spinner design, I can't the cam close enough to test for vignetting (1.6") so I'll have to do this with another setup.

Thanks very much for your work posting your results. It's very much appreciated!

Michael Maier · January 22nd, 2006, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Winter

All the optics have been switched out.

Thanks Ben. I know you're using a Century achromat, but what PCX/Condenser are you using if not the one that comes with the Letus35?

Mark Wisniowski · January 22nd, 2006, 10:45 AM

I've posted a few questions here : http://pana3ccduser.com/showthread.php?t=7056

Ben Winter · January 22nd, 2006, 10:53 AM

Michael, you don't need a PCXL when using the Beattie.

Jim Lafferty · January 22nd, 2006, 01:35 PM

Does the Beattie show grain at all? I thought it was etched in concentric circles, without grain.

Ben Winter · January 22nd, 2006, 03:57 PM

The Beattie has very, very little grain. It does have concentric circles, but on the fresnel side. The ground glass side is just a dull matte texture, like the Nikon D but much more refined.

January 21st, 2006, 09:11 PM	#47
Ben Winter Trustee Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hollywood, CA Posts: 1,675 Images: 1	I originally wanted to use the non-achromat setup, but with my Century Optics there's no reason, really, other than to make the adapter smaller. There's no chroma aberration and for some reason the macro helps with the vignetting. If you guys just want low-light test footage, here's some stuff that I shot indoors with it. I made it nice and big so you can see how crisp the images are. http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/test.mov That last shot of the cat was in very low light. Aww...you guys want pictures of the inside? You mean I gotta take this thing apart? Yawn...ok, fine. http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/pic1.JPG http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/pic2.JPG And a pic showing what I mean by pulling out the stoppers, plus adding some glue so they don't go anywhere: http://www.frozenphoenixproductions....attie/pic3.JPG I'm a really good mood. this screen made my day. $94? Worth every penny. __________________ BenWinter.com

January 21st, 2006, 09:26 PM	#48
Francois Poitras Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Québec (Canada) Posts: 133	Thank you, Ben! __________________ François

January 22nd, 2006, 06:57 AM	#51
Francois Poitras Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Québec (Canada) Posts: 133	Michael: www.intenscreen.com __________________ François

January 22nd, 2006, 08:56 AM	#53
Andrew Todd Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Saint John, CANADA Posts: 633	is there a way to order that screen online? It doesnt have a canadian option for dealers. how much did you pay ben? __________________ video : xl2 / letus35xl / bogen 503 photo- canon 1dmkII - bronica etrsi

January 22nd, 2006, 10:04 AM	#54
Ben Winter Trustee Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hollywood, CA Posts: 1,675 Images: 1	Akkk! Bombarded with questions! :) Whew...ok... 1. Yes, the one I'm using is the Contax RTS whatever. This is where I ordered it from: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search 2. I tried holding the screen up to the camcorder without an achromat, and it didn't appear to vignette, so I would have high hopes for anyone who wanted to try to build a non-achromat version of the Letus. Maybe in the future I'll pick up again on that design I had going. 3. I'm not really sure which version of the Letus I have--I don't have the flip version, if that's what you mean. I had the original Letus (back when Quyen sold them on ebay), and then when I sent it in last month to get the mount replaced with the metal version, he switched out the vibration mechanism with the shorter sticks and different plate. So I suppose I have the newer Letus version, but the only thing that I've kept from the original design is the metal housing pipe, the vibration mechanism and the mount. All the optics have been switched out. Therefore I would assume this is possible to achieve with the flip version also. 4. This footage was shot with zero gain. I hate gain, I never use it--if the shot is too dark, I either bump it up a little in post or go find some lights ;). 5. Dennis, I'll get on that res chart today. I have a lot of test footage to shoot...whew. Better get started. Feel free to fire any more questions my way. __________________ BenWinter.com

January 21st, 2006, 08:27 PM	#46
Andy Gordon Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Perth WA Posts: 103	With my set up I have the GG about 55mm from the GS400, with 2x 120mm FL PCX lenses between GG and cam (back to back next to the GG) and no achromat. You can see very slight vignetting if you push the contrast in post but it's good enough for me. The image size is 50mm diagonal (the full size of my tube), but that is after the condensers magnify it a little so it's round about 36x24mm.

January 22nd, 2006, 12:08 AM	#49
Leo Mandy Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 749	That is some beast you have there Ben. Great job, it looks good. I didn't know the Beattie was convex - I thought it was flat!

January 22nd, 2006, 07:51 AM	#52
Dennis Wood Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 916	Looking good Ben. How much gain (if any) was your cam dialing in? Can you comment on light loss? Any hope of an EIA1956 with and without the cam? They are nice tools to evaluate any distortion too. How can you tell my spinner is in grave danger?

January 22nd, 2006, 10:33 AM	#55
Dennis Wood Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 916	Ah, the price of early adoption! We've been discussing the use of the Contax for a few weeks now, to supercede our spinners, and have both disc and cylindrical pager motors. My plan was not to use Quen's design at all, but to do it with an aluminum plate and the same bushings used to suspend cd player motor/slider assemblies. These bushings isolate the units, but can be tightened to reduce or increase compliance (vibration frequency) So Ben, your success makes spending the $100 bucks for an intensescreen a bit more palatable. I also have some concerns about z axis movement using this setup. Due to my spinner design, I can't the cam close enough to test for vignetting (1.6") so I'll have to do this with another setup. Thanks very much for your work posting your results. It's very much appreciated!

January 22nd, 2006, 10:45 AM	#57
Mark Wisniowski Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 31	I've posted a few questions here : http://pana3ccduser.com/showthread.php?t=7056 __________________ Mark Wisniowski www.probe3.com

January 22nd, 2006, 10:53 AM	#58
Ben Winter Trustee Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hollywood, CA Posts: 1,675 Images: 1	Michael, you don't need a PCXL when using the Beattie. __________________ BenWinter.com

January 22nd, 2006, 01:35 PM	#59
Jim Lafferty Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 636	Does the Beattie show grain at all? I thought it was etched in concentric circles, without grain. __________________ Realism, anyway, is never exactly the same as reality, and in the cinema it is of necessity faked. -- J-L G

January 22nd, 2006, 03:57 PM	#60
Ben Winter Trustee Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hollywood, CA Posts: 1,675 Images: 1	The Beattie has very, very little grain. It does have concentric circles, but on the fresnel side. The ground glass side is just a dull matte texture, like the Nikon D but much more refined. __________________ BenWinter.com