HZ-CA13U PL Mount Test Footage at DVinfo.net

Tim Dashwood · January 28th, 2007, 02:00 PM

I'm back from Sundance and have uploaded the results of my impromptu test with the HZ-CA13U PL mount adapter.

HZ-CA13U Sundance Test

The test has been downconverted to 480P and heavily encoded using H.264 Quicktime to get the file size under 30MB for the 3:30 clip. Therefore you will need Quicktime 7 and a fast enough processor to view this smoothly.

My "models" were JVC's Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, Creation Products (cool looking guy with sunglasses) and filmmaker/composer Nathan Fleet (paparazzi guy.)

There was only one prime PL lens available to test (16mm FL) and I didn't have any additional ND filters with me for the matte box.
Since this adapter has an imperceivable amount of light loss, and I wanted the aperture open to at least F2.8, I had to increase the shutter speed to compensate - sometimes as high as 1/1200. This is why there is practically no motion blur.

I didn't have a 1stAC, so I was pulling focus myself as I shot handheld. As you can see from the size of the rig with all accessories, this wasn't easy. Therefore, some of my focusing will not be perfect.

Typically I set the aperture to T2.8 in the sun and opened to T1.3 in the shade (adjusting the shutter speed to obtain correct exposure.)

The bottom line is that this thing works very well, and unlike the rest of the popular lens adapters, there is no ground glass, and hence no added grain or barely any stop loss.

Everything was shot "overcranked" at 720P60 and is playing back at 24fps. See this thread for info on how to do this on a mac.

Jonathan Nelson · January 28th, 2007, 02:11 PM

Simply incredible

Thanks for posting this information. I am really considering this adapter after seeing your footage. I still can't believe jvc made this thing.

Awesome rig pics too! Looks like a perfect run & gun setup, lol.

Jonathan

Hayes Roberts · January 28th, 2007, 02:48 PM

WOWWW!!! Tim--you the man!! What was your setup for the "purple guy"?
Looks great---any inside word on when the unit will hit the streets? Thanks for posting this-awesome!

Eugen Oprina · January 28th, 2007, 03:05 PM

Absolutely incredible.
When and where can we buy this?

Joe Bowey · January 28th, 2007, 03:16 PM

Excellent, What shoulder mount were you using? I have been in the market for something like that.

Brian Drysdale · January 28th, 2007, 03:53 PM

Very clean pictures, interesting to try the lens at T1.3 and also to test a zoom lens (although that could be a long rig).

Is that a bit of CA on the extremely hot areas on top RHS of the end shot?

Michael Maier · January 28th, 2007, 07:32 PM

The DOF looks great. But I'm not impressed at all with the sharpness. I seem to get sharper results with the stock lenses on extreme close ups such as the ones in that clip. I have also seen sharper images from the home breed DOF adaptors like the SGpro. On the top of that I think I see CA too. But it really makes the difference for the DOF.
Did you use any filtration to soften it? Was it shot with a Zeiss Super Speed?

Craig Yanagi · January 28th, 2007, 07:35 PM

Here's what the "rig" consisted of:

- Chroziel matte box kit with 16x9 follow focus and handles (courtesy of Birns & Sawyer, Hollywood, CA)
- Arri 16mm/16mm film lens (courtesy of Birns & Sawyer, Hollywood, CA)
- HZ-CA13U film lens adapter (rods clamp and brace courtesy of Birns & Sawyer, Hollywood, CA)
- GY-HD200CHU ProHD camcorder
- IDX battery system with new HWR-HD250KIT U-bracket kit for 200 series
- DR-HD100-80 hard disk recorder

The HZCA13U is due to ship in the latter part of February, arriving into dealers in March. There has been a delay in shipping in order to make some final design adjustments. Availability will be limited as each piece is hand crafted.

Burk Webb · January 28th, 2007, 11:06 PM

YESSSS!!!

That stuff looks great, thanks so much for taking the time to shoot and post it! I must get my hands on one of these puppies!

Tim Dashwood · January 28th, 2007, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Maier

The DOF looks great. But I'm not impressed at all with the sharpness. I seem to get sharper results with the stock lenses on extreme close ups such as the ones in that clip. I have also seen sharper images from the home breed DOF adaptors like the SGpro. On the top of that I think I see CA too. But it really makes the difference for the DOF.
Did you use any filtration to soften it? Was it shot with a Zeiss Super Speed?

Keep in mind you are looking at a heavily compressed/downconverted file. I found that the edge to edge sharpness definitely exceeded anything I have ever seen from any ground-glass based re-imager, and probably even the stock 16x zoom lens. I'll output and upload a couple of frame grabs from the 720P source to see for yourself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayes Roberts

WOWWW!!! Tim--you the man!! What was your setup for the "purple guy"?

I used the same setup for every single shot in that test (except for slight aperture and shutter changes.)
I remember that I used the cine gamma, lowered the knee to 80% and stretched the black all the way to "5". Other than that, I can't remember specifically what camera settings I used.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Drysdale

Is that a bit of CA on the extremely hot areas on top RHS of the end shot?

I don't think so. I think the green fringe you are seeing in the overexposed area is something else...possibly caused by the detail circuit being left on NORMAL. (I forgot to turn it down before the test.) I have to explore this phenomenon a little more, but I think it is safe to say that it isn't an optical aberration, it is something electronic.

I was actually quite surprised to see hardly any sign of CA in any of the images. This is one of the great benefits of shooting with a prime, but the nice thing is that the optics inside the HZ-CA13U don't seem to be distorting the image in any way.
I think the most extreme example of CA was at the point when the white SUV drives by in the background (in front of Hungry Moose) and you can see the tiniest bit of green/magenta fringing.

Taylor Wigton · January 29th, 2007, 12:53 AM

Shockingly impressive.

Drew Curran · January 29th, 2007, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig Yanagi

The HZCA13U is due to ship in the latter part of February, arriving into dealers in March. There has been a delay in shipping in order to make some final design adjustments. Availability will be limited as each piece is hand crafted.

This thing is amazing.

Does anyone know if this will ne available in the UK? If so how much?

If not can we buy it from the US?

Andrew

Fabrice Hoffmann · January 29th, 2007, 06:30 AM

Amazing pictures.

I'm wondering what kind of used lens can fit on it. I know it's a pl mount, but i'm really not aware of brands that can fit on it. Will it be hard to find used lenses ?

What kind of research can I do, to see if I can invest in this tool (plus an HD251), or if the prices of lenses brings it to far from what i can afford ?

Brian Drysdale · January 29th, 2007, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fabrice Hoffmann

Amazing pictures.

I'm wondering what kind of used lens can fit on it. I know it's a pl mount, but i'm really not aware of brands that can fit on it. Will it be hard to find used lenses ?

What kind of research can I do, to see if I can invest in this tool (plus an HD251), or if the prices of lenses brings it to far from what i can afford ?

With an adapter you can also use Arri Bayonet mount lenses. These are 16mm film lenses, manufacturers include Zeiss, Cooke, Optar, Canon, Angenieux, also Arri Ultra series.

You can find used lenses, although the demand will have increased because of the RED and SI 2k HD cameras.

Bill Ravens · January 29th, 2007, 08:56 AM

As I could have expected from the previous comments, the video shown here is stellar in its clarity and crispness. I would expect no less from the HD200 and the lens you used. The DOF, however, doesn't appear to me to be terribly shallow, nowhere near 35mm DOF, actually.

Can you shed any light on the nature of the optics in this adapter? Is it reflective or refractive optics? If there isn't a GG, what is the focal plane for the prime?

January 28th, 2007, 02:00 PM	#1
Tim Dashwood Wrangler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 3,637	HZ-CA13U PL Mount Test Footage I'm back from Sundance and have uploaded the results of my impromptu test with the HZ-CA13U PL mount adapter. HZ-CA13U Sundance Test The test has been downconverted to 480P and heavily encoded using H.264 Quicktime to get the file size under 30MB for the 3:30 clip. Therefore you will need Quicktime 7 and a fast enough processor to view this smoothly. My "models" were JVC's Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, Creation Products (cool looking guy with sunglasses) and filmmaker/composer Nathan Fleet (paparazzi guy.) There was only one prime PL lens available to test (16mm FL) and I didn't have any additional ND filters with me for the matte box. Since this adapter has an imperceivable amount of light loss, and I wanted the aperture open to at least F2.8, I had to increase the shutter speed to compensate - sometimes as high as 1/1200. This is why there is practically no motion blur. I didn't have a 1stAC, so I was pulling focus myself as I shot handheld. As you can see from the size of the rig with all accessories, this wasn't easy. Therefore, some of my focusing will not be perfect. Typically I set the aperture to T2.8 in the sun and opened to T1.3 in the shade (adjusting the shutter speed to obtain correct exposure.) The bottom line is that this thing works very well, and unlike the rest of the popular lens adapters, there is no ground glass, and hence no added grain or barely any stop loss. Everything was shot "overcranked" at 720P60 and is playing back at 24fps. See this thread for info on how to do this on a mac. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Tim Dashwood

January 28th, 2007, 07:35 PM	#8
Craig Yanagi JVC America Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Wayne, New Jersey Posts: 198	GY-HD200 Cine Rig Here's what the "rig" consisted of: - Chroziel matte box kit with 16x9 follow focus and handles (courtesy of Birns & Sawyer, Hollywood, CA) - Arri 16mm/16mm film lens (courtesy of Birns & Sawyer, Hollywood, CA) - HZ-CA13U film lens adapter (rods clamp and brace courtesy of Birns & Sawyer, Hollywood, CA) - GY-HD200CHU ProHD camcorder - IDX battery system with new HWR-HD250KIT U-bracket kit for 200 series - DR-HD100-80 hard disk recorder The HZCA13U is due to ship in the latter part of February, arriving into dealers in March. There has been a delay in shipping in order to make some final design adjustments. Availability will be limited as each piece is hand crafted. __________________ Craig Yanagi - National Marketing Manager JVC Professional Video Division, JVCKENWOOD USA Corp.

January 29th, 2007, 12:53 AM	#11
Taylor Wigton Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 50	Shockingly impressive. __________________ Taylor Wigton DP, Los Angeles

January 29th, 2007, 06:30 AM	#13
Fabrice Hoffmann Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Grenoble - France / Figueres - Spain Posts: 61	Amazing pictures. I'm wondering what kind of used lens can fit on it. I know it's a pl mount, but i'm really not aware of brands that can fit on it. Will it be hard to find used lenses ? What kind of research can I do, to see if I can invest in this tool (plus an HD251), or if the prices of lenses brings it to far from what i can afford ? Last edited by Fabrice Hoffmann; January 29th, 2007 at 07:33 AM.

January 28th, 2007, 02:11 PM	#2
Jonathan Nelson Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kingman Arizona Posts: 298	Simply incredible Thanks for posting this information. I am really considering this adapter after seeing your footage. I still can't believe jvc made this thing. Awesome rig pics too! Looks like a perfect run & gun setup, lol. Jonathan

January 28th, 2007, 02:48 PM	#3
Hayes Roberts Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Naples FLA Posts: 89	WOWWW!!! Tim--you the man!! What was your setup for the "purple guy"? Looks great---any inside word on when the unit will hit the streets? Thanks for posting this-awesome!

January 28th, 2007, 03:05 PM	#4
Eugen Oprina Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bucharest Romania Posts: 221	Absolutely incredible. When and where can we buy this?

January 28th, 2007, 03:16 PM	#5
Joe Bowey Major Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 217	Excellent, What shoulder mount were you using? I have been in the market for something like that.

January 28th, 2007, 03:53 PM	#6
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,152	Very clean pictures, interesting to try the lens at T1.3 and also to test a zoom lens (although that could be a long rig). Is that a bit of CA on the extremely hot areas on top RHS of the end shot?

January 28th, 2007, 07:32 PM	#7
Michael Maier Trustee Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,269	The DOF looks great. But I'm not impressed at all with the sharpness. I seem to get sharper results with the stock lenses on extreme close ups such as the ones in that clip. I have also seen sharper images from the home breed DOF adaptors like the SGpro. On the top of that I think I see CA too. But it really makes the difference for the DOF. Did you use any filtration to soften it? Was it shot with a Zeiss Super Speed?

January 28th, 2007, 11:06 PM	#9
Burk Webb Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 249	YESSSS!!! That stuff looks great, thanks so much for taking the time to shoot and post it! I must get my hands on one of these puppies!

January 29th, 2007, 08:56 AM	#15
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	As I could have expected from the previous comments, the video shown here is stellar in its clarity and crispness. I would expect no less from the HD200 and the lens you used. The DOF, however, doesn't appear to me to be terribly shallow, nowhere near 35mm DOF, actually. Can you shed any light on the nature of the optics in this adapter? Is it reflective or refractive optics? If there isn't a GG, what is the focal plane for the prime?