Daniel Hamilton

Should be fairly fast. You shouldn't have to adjust the "back-focus" (I assume you mean the focus of the HVX-200's built-in lens) at all when switching lenses, because you're focused on the ground-glass inside the adapter itself, which shouldn't be moving during lens changes if you've set the whole thing up properly; it's threaded onto the front of the HVX, so heat expansion should be the only factor in changing that focus. That said, it's always a good idea to check your ground-glass focus often. Personally, after every focus check I tape down the focus ring so that it can't be bumped during the middle of a shot. Make sure you have a VERY nice monitor; this is critical for all of these 35mm adapters. You really need the monitor to be sure that you've got your focus right on the ground-glass; on the camera onboards it's damn near impossible to tell precisely. Also, make sure that your AC knows to focus on the FRONT of the ground-glass (farthest from the camera), not on the back. This is where the image thrown by the 35mm lens will land, and the ground-glass disc itself is about 1/8" thick, enough to ruin your day if you're not careful. Also note that even with everything precisely calibrated, your image WILL be just a bit soft. You're shooting a ground-glass, not through pure optics. You're also macro-focusing like a madman to get focus on the ground-glass, so keep in mind that your plane of focus at that short a distance is not actually a plane. It's spherical, and you can see this in your image. The edges of your frame WILL be softer than the center. There's no way to avoid this with these adapters, except by closing down a couple stops. But if you're going to do that, you lose all the depth of field you spent all that money on those 35mm lenses for anyway. Don't blame your AC. :)

Hello, Are there any AC's out there who have attempted to create their own camera slings for 35mm? I'm working on one now based on a modified SAW machinegun sling (the only sling I could find that's rated for the types of weight 35mm entails), you can find it here: http://www.specialforces.com/store/custome...=294&page=1 Obviously the final mounting hardware will have to vary for each camera it's used with, but I'm replacing the lightweight metal clips on the ends of the sling with heavy-duty D-rings cross-stitched into the nylon. I imagine I'll use climbing carabiners to clip into these D-rings, and various and sundry attachment methods using 2" climbing web to fix the carabiners to the camera. This sling is also very nice because it's three-point, so you can adjust the camera position without having to adjust the way the sling fits on your body. The sling would of course only be a security measure, especially useful in handheld situations on treacherous terrain, but it's always seemed like it would be a good idea to have the ability to secure a camera to your body just in case. Anyone else have any similar homebrew solutions? -Daniel Hamilton 1st Asst. Camera Los Angeles, CA

Thought that Primos were Nikon?

I just don't really understand the design logic behind a handle like this...why put a handle on something if you're not supposed to pick it up by that handle? The more experience I get with Panavision cameras the less inclined I am to recommend them to producers or to D.P.s who consult me before putting together equipment lists. They're just full of stupid, useless design elements like this, and while I understand that the movements are superb and the Panavision glass is great (thanks to Nikon...), there are a lot of great cameras out there and most most of them make a bit more sense. If you're not supposed to pick it up by either of the mag port handles, what are you supposed to pick it up by? Someone here mentioned the magazine itself, which seems to be inviting disaster, and really the only other firm gripping points on these cameras are the matte box rods (which unless you tighten so tight that you can never loosen them again, are prone to slip) or the video assist/eyepiece prism assembly directly above the lens port?which, again, seems like a very stupid place to be picking up a forty to fifty pound camera setup. I carry the camera on my shoulder whenever I can, but you still have to get it ONTO your shoulder in the first place. I honestly don't know much about Panavision's history in the industry or how they came to be such a powerful force in modern cinematography, but after working with several of their cameras I can say that I don't believe solid, user-oriented design has much to do with their dominance.

Hello all, I'm currently working as a 1st AC with the Panavision Gold II in L.A., and had a rather...interesting...experience on set with it today. I've always been very, very wary of Panavision's dubious decision to make all the non-handheld carrying handles attach to the magazine ports; it just seems stupid and like you're asking for trouble. A dedicated, body-integrated or at least body-mounting carrying handle makes a lot more sense, and with a mag set up in the shoulder-carry position, the only handle available on the top of the VERY heavy camera is the magazine port cover handle on the top port. Today, my fears were confirmed when, after completing a troublesome handheld shot, I was bringing the camera back to our tripid set-up to secure it and check the gate with my 2nd right next to me. I was carrying the camera with one hand on the top mag port handle and another on the bottom handheld adjustable pistol grip. Without warning and without being bumped against anything or given a shock, the top carry handle just popped entirely free from the mag port lock mechanism, and as I was using that handle to support most of the camera's weight and was using the bottom handle mostly just to steady it and take some of the strain off my right arm, the camera swung away and went crashing to the ground...the mag port handle still grasped firmly in my right hand. My 2nd and I went into full scramble mode as everyone else on set froze (it was already tense after the DP and the Director had exchanged some choice words), working to secure the light leak now coming through the totally open top mag port, to get the back-mounted mag off so that she could get it into the bag and make sure the impact hadn't broken it and flashed a couple hours' worth of work. My first thought was that I had improperly mounted the top handle onto the mag port locking mechanism, that it had been at a strange angle and wasn't seated properly, or that I hadn't locked it all the way, but the lock switch was still firmly all the way to the right andboth stages of the click-lock were engaged, and I distinctly remember being very, very careful in seating the handle when we converted the camera to hand-held mode. Doing some testing once the exposed film was secured, I found it impossible to mismount the mag port handle and still be able to engage the locking mechanism; any misalignment caused the lock to jam and not close. The gaffer helped me out and took a firm grip on the camera, and I found that by pulling hard on the re-attached mag port handle I was actually able to flex the metal around the locking mechanism, conceivably enough to break the light seal and to pull the handle right off the camera. I spent a few minutes make sure the camera was okay and still working properly (luckily, our matte box took the brunt of the crash...the whole thing splintered and accordioned in on itself, probably saving the lens in the process), and we were back up and running about fifteen minutes later once I was totally satisfied that the camera was in operating condition, but I used some photo black matte tape to tape the hell out of the port cover (now using the simple flat port cover, without the handle) I was so nervous. Our DP told me he'd heard of this happening before, but I've worked with a Gold II quite a few times now and I've never heard of this kind of equipment failure... At the end of the day I did some more inspecting and I'm satisfied that everything was installed properly and fully locked down...the lock just flexed from the weight of the camera (not a light one, the Gold II), until the dovetail on the handle slipped from the catch and the whole camera dropped to the ground. This is the first time I've dropped a film camera (I dropped a DVX a while back, and never forgave myself) and I'm pretty upset with myself...I know it was an equipment issue, and the DP holds no blame on me at all and is being very cool about the whole thing, but I still feel like I should have known about it and been prepared. Has anyone working with a Gold II ever had the same problem? Did you talk to Panavision about it? What did they say? I haven't yet worked with more modern Panavision cameras (XL2, etc.)...do they have the same top mag port handle design, and have you ever heard of handle failures on those cameras? And, in general, what do you do if you drop the camera? I have to admit that I was so shocked and embarassed that I lost my tongue for a while and it took me a while to get back in stride. Are there any DPs who have advice for young ACs on how to deal with mistakes like this? Thanks, Daniel Hamilton 1st A.C. Los Angeles