I'm new to the mini-35 adapter area and have been researching the options heavily the last week with no real conclusive evidence about which adapter is the best (most of the info seems to be spread everywhere and everyone has been relatively opinionated to whichever they own).

So I thought I'd make a quick post asking for what people thought and what are the pros and cons of each system.

My situation is as follows :
I have a XL2 and a GL2 (optional) that I'd be using this with, but I will most likely be upgrading to HD in the near future. I have a collection of Pentax K-Mount lenses - which is a big selling point for me because of the costs of picking up another set of lenses. I shoot mainly indie dramas and desire a strong cinematic look. I shoot more on tripods/cranes but would like to have the flexibility of doing some shoulder-mounted hand-held shots as well.

Here are the low(er)-cost systems that I've found so far that seem to be leading contenders... I've made some notes about pros and cons. I'd really like to hear some feedback on these observations and any additional comments as well!

M2
~$1,250 for a functional HD base system
Pros
Lots of accessories.
Has been around for a while
Good bokeh and the image has strong cinematic qualities
Good job at handling grain and flicker at high shutter speeds
Solid/professional construction
Turn around time seems the fastest currently
Made in US (saves on shipping cost and time for me)

Cons
Heavy
Loss of light
Vignetting? (can anyone comment?)
Takes a while to set up, focusing on the diffuser is apparently tough as well.

Questions on M2
Because of it's weight and size - is it nearly impossible to do work off of the tripod with it?
Is it difficult to use natural lighting and achieve satisfactory results?

Brevis
~$1,100 for a functional base system
Pros
Small, doesn't need rod support system
Interchangeable diffusers
Only a little light loss
Rechargeable battery

Cons
C1 & C2 Diffusers seem to have mediocre bokeh & cinematic qualities- apparently C3 fixes that but I haven't seen any footage.
Doesn't have a Pentax K-mount adapter (Hurts me)
Very noticible grain and flicker at high shutter speeds and a few other settings.

Questions regarding the Brevis -
How long does the battery last on a full charge?
Has anyone had quality issues with their images?
For those who have achieved quality footage - what settings and accessories did you use (ie. ND filters, etc)?
I haven't seen much HD footage with the Brevis - can anyone comment on how it holds up with higher resolutions?

SGPro r2 (I know the least about this system at the moment)
~$1000 for a full system + $144 for int'l shipping
Pros
Relatively inexpensive
Build quality seems strong
Very good support
Impressive image quality

Cons
Shipping is steep

Questions regarding the SGPro r2
I haven't seen as many photos of the SGPro r2 attached - can anyone comment on the size/weight and how it compares to the other two? Is shoulder-mounted use possible?
How is the light loss of the SGPro compared to the Brevis and M2? Is natural lighting an option?
How is the video noise compared to the others? At high shutter speeds?
How is it powered (ie. rechargeable batteries? power plug? 9v?)?
How is the HD performance compared to the others?
How is the ease of set up compared to the others?

Any thoughts, clips, or screen grabs are appreciated. Also, are there any other systems of this price/quality range that should be included?

Thanks!
- Zack

Questions regarding the SGPro r2
I haven't seen as many photos of the SGPro r2 attached - can anyone comment on the size/weight and how it compares to the other two? Is shoulder-mounted use possible?
How is the light loss of the SGPro compared to the Brevis and M2? Is natural lighting an option?
How is the video noise compared to the others? At high shutter speeds?
How is it powered (ie. rechargeable batteries? power plug? 9v?)?
How is the HD performance compared to the others?
How is the ease of set up compared to the others?



I have replied to your email but thought I would post here as well.

We offer a Pentax K mount. these 2 image were taken with the SGpro Rev2, DVX100 and Pentax K mount:

http://www.rimeligok.no/pentax-fru.jpg

http://www.rimeligok.no/pentax-fru2.jpg

Here is a little pic of the Canon XL on the SGpro. Note, the rods can be extended out further for mattebox/followfocus: http://www.sgpro.co.uk/rig.jpg

In the shootout done with Phil Bloom, the SGpro had less lightloss then the M2, but the Brevis had a little less lightloss then the SGpro (however, the bokeh/cinematic feel was not as good with the Brevis standard diffusser). Natural indoor lighting works well.

I have had the FX1 shutter all the way to 1000th shutter with no problems, this is the big advantage of a spinning type GG.

The SGpro is powered via 1 or 2AA batteries depending on GG speed required.

The new R2 achromat and GG work great with HD. i've had many of my customers state its 'resolution lossless'.

The SGpro is pretty much plug and play. With a common camcorder like the XL, the support system arrives setup. Camcorder slides onto the plate, and the SGpro onto the rails, then the SG is screwed onto the camcorder. Done.

Hope this helps a few others.

Brevis
~$1,100 for a functional base system
Pros
Small, doesn't need rod support system
Interchangeable diffusers
Only a little light loss
Rechargeable battery

Cons
C1 & C2 Diffusers seem to have mediocre bokeh & cinematic qualities- apparently C3 fixes that but I haven't seen any footage.
Doesn't have a Pentax K-mount adapter (Hurts me)
Very noticible grain and flicker at high shutter speeds and a few other settings.

Questions regarding the Brevis -
How long does the battery last on a full charge?
Has anyone had quality issues with their images?
For those who have achieved quality footage - what settings and accessories did you use (ie. ND filters, etc)?
I haven't seen much HD footage with the Brevis - can anyone comment on how it holds up with higher resolutions?


1. Battery lasts about 22 hours on one charge.

2. I had a weird flickering problem with a light, but it happened once and never happened again, couldn't figure it out. Otherwise, grain and lightloss are good. Nearly zero light loss with C1 diffuser and 1.2f attached. I can ramp up the shutter to about 1/210 without any grain appearing, but it could be higher, as I've never tried anything higher. This requires good light, but I usually only use this effect on music videos when I have the proper light blasting the subject anyway.

3. An ND filter helps prevent diffuser blowout on sunny days, but I've acheived great footage without one, just watching my levels otherwise and closing down the lens appropriately. I'm avoiding having to buy one as a 3"x3" .6 ND for my matte box is something like two hundred bucks. Yuck :( You may ask, "what are the settings you used", but luckily the Brevis has crossed the image quality line to the point where you don't ask what settings you need to get a good image, but rather what settings to avoid to prevent a bad image. As long as you keep the shutter speed down to appropriate speeds to avoid grain appearing, and apply basic common sense like you would to any 35mm adapter, you really can't go wrong.

4. My Brevis and FX1 combination is a DOF powerhouse. Cranks out fantastic images but again, it's also in the lenses you use and the lighting.

In general, I find the Brevis to be less of a limitation than any 35mm adapter I've used before.

Ben, thanks for those kind words on the adapter :-) At some point, we should upgrade your unit to the new drive system. You'll have even better image control, and should be good for much higher shutter speed too. It's about 75% quieter.

Small addition to SGPro R2: It's about 2 kilos (4 lbs ish?). It looks and feels even lighter than this. Use on-camera handle and SGpro handle together and it will feel very solid in your hand.
Cosmetics of the box design are something to get used to. I've been told my cam looks very "futuristic" with it. Makes you look a lot more pro as well. Would look great with a decent matte box.

Has anyone tried to use the M2 / SGPro r2 with a camera that has a shoulder rest (ie. XL2, JVC GY-HD100U, etc) and how successful were you? Did you need additional equipment or take any special measures?

I know the Brevis doesn't need support bars so it shouldn't interfere in that regard.