Jim McMahon

I have used the 35mm adapter for the XL1s, and the depth of field was EXTREMELY SHALLOW. I mean, ridiculously shallow, and we ended up not using them because it would have been nearly impossible to finish our project under the very short time constraints. I thought we were doing something wrong, but now it seems like that's just how it is. Damn! So, do you find the depth of field to be more or less shallow than shooting actual 35mm? Thanks for all of your answers. David, your answer really brought it home for me. Thanks everyone! Sincerely, Jim

Thanks for the help everyone! I was interested in giving my DP more than just a 15-minute basic class at the camera house, as we're shooting a feature drama and don't have time to mess around. Additionally, the link you provided actually leads to a site where they DON'T have HVX200 classes. Here's the excerpt from their site http://www.dv24p.net/operators.html: HOWEVER, HD Bootcamp has just announced another LA-based class on the HVX on July 29th! Hooray! They're the only people on which I've been able to find great reviews: http://www.hdbootcamp.com/ Thanks again for everyone's help! Cheers! Jim

I have a quick question: Why exactly is the mini-35 adapter an immediate throwaway because of the "type" of production? What makes a documentary different from a drama, in regard to image quality? All else being equal, I would assume that the more filmic a documentary appears, the better it will be received. I guess I understand about having the 1st AC for focus needs, but not 100% of the time. Take for instance stand-ups and sit-downs: the focus remains essentially the same, and I don't think anyone would argue that the film lenses don't make those particular elements much more appealing to the eye by eliminating distracting background elements and creating a more texturized image for long interview segments. No AC needed for interviews! (Note that I completely agree that this would be impractical on a run-and-gun shoot, but even most run-and-gun shoots take time to interview their subjects, shoot establishing shots, etc. ESPECIALLY since you're not concerned with mixing different qualities of footage, AND that you want to acheive certain looks. Why just throwaway the wonderful opportunities gained through shooting with a decreased DOF and that sweet filmic look?) Thoughts? I guess I'm of the opinion that regardless of the "type" of project, the image should look as brilliant as possible, given the specific set of circumstances of course. The EASY way would be to just say "don't use the Mini35 it because you're shooting a documentary and documentaries can look less than perfect as long as the subject is sufficiently intriguing," but why not try for both an intriguing subject AND brilliant cinematography, if at all possible? Cheers! Jim

Geez. I'm kinda bummed out here. I can't believe in all of Los Angeles, the center of film production, there aren't any hands-on classes for HVX200. Does no one have any leads on HVX200 classes? Even a little bit? It's sooooooo much better to have a professional give hands-on instruction, rather than just renting the camera and going thru the user's manual. Thanks y'all! Sincerely, Jim

Thanks for all the replies. Nice to know the Mini35 adaptor works on the HVX200. Regarding the anamorphic adaptor, I am trying to find one that uses every bit of chip resolution, but gives me a squeezed 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Doing a center-cut is of course the fall-back option, but then we lose resolution. Here's an odd question. What happens when you use anamorphic lenses with the mini35 adaptor? Has anyone heard of this, and what were the results? Thanks a bunch! Jim

Hello, Has anyone seen an anamorphic adaptor for the HVX200 yet? I googled it, and also checked Century, but no luck. Side note, and possibly more importantly, will the PS-Technic 35mm lens adaptor for the DVX100 fit the HVX200? Anyone heard of this being done successfully, or know when they plan to release a version for the HVX? Thanks! Jim

Hello, Does anyone have any leads on some HVX200 hands-on classes? I've seen the "HVX200 Boot Camp" and think that looks good, but they're not doing any local classes anytime soon. Does anyone have the ultimate class to take? I'd like to send my DP asap, hopefully during July 2006. Thank you! Jim