testing 1,2,3... is this thing on?

So camera tests, lens tests, cranial resilience tests, patience tests... filmmaking is all about testing.

Currently testing the alignment on the new Letus35 FE adapter I have for my HVX200 (see clip below!) - went to Van Cortlandt Park here in the Bronx a couple of days ago to test the contrast of the lenses I am currently using (24mm Canon FD lens f2, 50mm Canon FD lens f1.4) and I likey likey! The contrast with these little buggers is nice and smooth, the sharpness is razor - the only thing that blows is that the FD mount doesn't allow for iris adjustment when on my dinky little FD mount adapter. I have read on DVXuser that you can jam little bits of credit card in the wee little crevices, but honestly, I bought these things for their depth of field and bokeh to begin with - so mucking about with them seems a bit ... dumb.

As for the tests, edge to edge sharpness on the 50mm is something of a joy. It is crisp out to the edges and follows a nice flat plane without perceivable curvature - great for trying to get the all-too-realism of New York City to come through in the frame. The 24mm is a bit more prone to vignetting and the edge to edge sharpness is good, just not what the 50mm's is. I think it will be a great lens for some of those very still up-close moments in the film when all hell is breaking loose behind Bart. Who is Bart? He's the lead - played by the great and funny Jason Madera. He's an amnesiac that finds himself smack dab in the middle of NYC ... in hospital pajamas. The film is about his attempts to piece his life back together and figure out who he was, who he is, and where he is going. And yes, I am a Gauguin fan.



The contrast settings of Bloggers auto video conversion tool are set a bit strong - so keep that in mind. I will try and post a better version that more accurately reflects the quality of the optics and the actual contrast ratio. Oh, and I am rating the camera with the Letus35FE at an ASA of 80 when using a lightmeter (sekonic Studio Deluxe 2)