aaton video tap

rob spence · April 28, 2005

Hi everyone,

I need a video tap for my aaton ltr 54. The pellicle and internal video optics have been stripped out by a previous owner. Visual Products sell an internal black and white camera which uses a

1/3 inch CMOS chip camera and they can supply a pellicle. Has anyone used one and if so are they good? Also does anyone else make a reasonably priced tap? Thanks -Rob

Rik Andino · April 29, 2005

Visual Products is a reliable camera service center and dealer

And they will reinstall a pellicle & the internal video optics which no LTR-54 has.

Off the top of my head the cheapest place to get a video tap

AZ spectrum: http://members.aol.com/azspectrum/index.html

(I know they have a crummy website)

Talking with an Aaton Tech N. Milford (he's on the forum search for him)

He says go with the Visual Products tap they're more reliable than A Z spectrum

But AZ spectrum does have a color video tap for the LTR-54

Which Visual Products don't.

I recommend (as if my advice mattered) to check them both out.

Personally I'm very interested in the results you find

As I might want to upgrade my LTR-X from the VR30 to something less bulky.

Anyways I'm sure someone else will give you better input soon

Good Luck

Stephanie Zimmer · January 23, 2006

Hi everyone,
I need a video tap for my aaton ltr 54. The pellicle and internal video optics have been stripped out by a previous owner. Visual Products sell an internal black and white camera which uses a

1/3 inch CMOS chip camera and they can supply a pellicle. Has anyone used one and if so are they good? Also does anyone else make a reasonably priced tap? Thanks -Rob

Hi,

I was just researching video taps to purchase for my Aaton XTR and I came across this old post. I was wondering what you ended up doing with your LTR? I want to invest in a decent color tap but on the other hand, I'm looking for an affordable option for the moment. Do you have any suggestions from your experience? Thanks for your time,

Stephanie

Mitch Gross · January 23, 2006

You can also try a handle mount tap, which steals light from the viewfinder prism. Addy Boltersdorf makes them in Long Island (Abel sells them) or you can check out the one from Serious Gear Co. I have the Addy model, but that's because the other one didn't exist at the time. I've been told that they are superior. Because they steal light from the prism there is no need for a pellicle.

Tomas Koolhaas · January 23, 2006

Hi everyone,
I need a video tap for my aaton ltr 54. The pellicle and internal video optics have been stripped out by a previous owner. Visual Products sell an internal black and white camera which uses a

1/3 inch CMOS chip camera and they can supply a pellicle. Has anyone used one and if so are they good? Also does anyone else make a reasonably priced tap? Thanks -Rob

Hi,

I actually had Visual Products install the internal video tap in my Aaton LTR 7, and it works really well!

I actually used it this weekend on a short and it is a good video tap! firstly the fact that it is internal is good, as it takes up no space on the outside of the camera, which is always nice. It was clearer than a lot of B+W video taps I have used in the past.

The image is very contrasty though! and the inevitable questions arose; "Is it going to be that dark/contrasty on the negative" or "are the highlights really going to be that blown-out" but to someone who understands what a video tap is, it gives a very acceptable image. Also it is quite sharp: my AC bet me he could judge focus from the video tap (not during a real take of course), I thought there was no-way, but he did a series of racks from the tap and set marks, then we checked them in the viewfinder and measured them, he was almost spot-on every time. Obviously you should never judge focus from the video-tap, but it just shows that the visual products tap produces a clear image.

Cheers.

rob spence · February 20, 2006

Hi

Eventually had a sony pulnix tmc-x ccd colour camera fitted. It has a manual iris and works really well. The only downside is that you can't fit the aaton battery directly onto the camera now...but I think someone will make some sort of extention bracket so that one could be.

Cheers

Rob Spence