35mm Adaptor for PMW-EX3

[Jose Figueroa Baez]

I have been very interested in this new system by Sony since they showed it off at last years NAB show. I have been looking online for a 35mm adaptor specificaly designed for this camera since it has the interchangeable lens capability but have been unsuccesful. I have heard of using Letus or Red Rock using the lens that the camera comes with but I feel there should be a better way, like the EOS adaptor available for Canon's XL series that does not use the lens. Anyone know of such a device?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

You need to have a lens on there for the most part, as just an adapter, for say a PL mount, wouldn't get you the DoF which most people look for (though a good PL lens would be a plus regardless).

Granted 1/2" chips aren't the same beast as 1/3" you normally find, and I've gotten good DoF on my EX1 w/o my letus, but were I to really strive for something 35mm like, I'd probably recommend a Letus Ultimate on the EX3 or the Movietube which is incredibly expensive but very much so worth it.

[grant mcphee]

P+S Technik do a version for it:

 

http://www.pstechnik.de/en/digitalfilm-pro35-ex3.php

[Ralph Keyser]

There are adapters that will let you mount other lenses directly to the EX3 (I've seen them for B4, PL, Nikon, Canon - I'm sure there are more). There are a couple of folks doing these, and I've seen Mtfservices and Adaptimax. I'm not sure how useful this is because of the magnification effect due to the sensor size. It's something like 5.5x for 35mm lenses. Of course, if you want extreme telephoto, this might be a good choice.

 

Most of the time, however, I think you'll get better results from one of the converter units.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but Adrian, what do think are the selling points of the Letus Ultimate? If you were renting, would you choose it over a P+S unit?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

A big point of it would be that it's probably a bit cheaper to rent, not to mention there is a bit of loyalty build into that, as I own a Letus Extreme, so I'm used to it and I know, relatively, how it will perform. It looses very little light and the Ultimate allows you to change the speed of the ground glass vibration to shoot deeper stops or at varying shutter speeds.

I for one like the Ground Glass adapters as it adds just a bit of diffusion to the image, which can help HD look a little less harsh, on occasion.

That being said, for the most part, the adapters are more trouble than they're worth. I own the letus, but I only use it when I know I'll be under controlled situations/settings. If anything I rent it out as a piece of kit far more than I use it myself (which I can't complain about it's already almost paid for itself!)

[Andy_Alderslade]

That being said, for the most part, the adapters are more trouble than they're worth.

 

Thats too true - sometimes they can be a real headache.

 

Do you find with your Letus you sometimes get this weird black hair-line around objects and bokeh?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Can't say I've noticed a black hair line 'round the Bokeh as of yet. Biggest thing I have problems with is back focus on very wide lenses.

[Satsuki Murashige]

... what do think are the selling points of the Letus Ultimate? If you were renting, would you choose it over a P+S unit?

I AC'd on a short last year where we started with the Extreme, switched to the Ultimate (which died on us), then switched back to the Extreme. The built-in backfocus ring on the Ultimate is very nice, much better than the four hex screws on the Extreme that you have to loosen, move the barrel back and forth, then retighten. The Ultimate still has a little rubber band that moves the ground glass and if that breaks (as ours did) then you're screwed, as the unit needs to be shipped back to Letus unless the rental house has spares. I don't know how often this happens but for $5000 you'd think they'd build something more robust. The P+S is more solid and reliable IMO.