[Muratfaik]

Hi everyone,

I was in a business trip at the Northern part of Turkey on the last week of 2010. And I moved down to the Southern Part of Turkey for new years day. My new toy was arrived just before I left Ankara and I had some chance to test this nice piece on the way. I am talking about a new high quality 35 mm lens adapter: Showtime 35mm Adapter!

Although it is a bit pricey (I paid 600 USD, including 3 day shipment), it only consists of basically a tube and a high quality close up lens. But, I found this device quite useful and vignetting was gone from 3x on my TM700 camcorder. I saw easily my lenses real capabilities via this adapter. I uploaded 3 quick bird footages.

Here is Syrian Woodpecker:

http://www.vimeo.com/18420202

Here is Eurasian Jay:

http://www.vimeo.com/18411239

Here is European Serin:

http://www.vimeo.com/18421411

I took 15+ species video footage in two days, spending 2-3 hours around the places that I stayed. It is hard to miss a species on the field with this set up. Because this set up gives me approximately 300mm to 3600mm autofocus (manuel helped) zoom without vignetting. I believe that this set up can only be comparable with Kowa 883+TSN-WA3 eyepiece (+same camcorder). But my set up is under 40 cm long and is 11 cm width (widest extension). Kowa has one 88mm pure fluorite element on the front glass. But Pentax has 4 very special big lens elements on the front block. These are 3 ED glass (Starting 77 mm to smaller, and ED feature is far better than today's ED glasses), and a tantalum and niobium oxide containing high refractive index glass, which was only used in very special lenses i.e. leica noctilux.

Considering Showtime 35mm adapter; I bought this adapter from a Taiwanese guy, who is also a birder: Frank Wu. I believe he designed the adapter and produced in china (I have to confirm this). He is very helpful and a good birder. Here are his bird samples with canon 300mm lens and this adapter:

http://www.vimeo.com/2880285

Like every beauty it has a drawback: the image on the lcd is upside down and until you get some experience, it is quite hard to find the birds. I am looking for a prism or mirror that the lcd image flip. But if I can not find a basic device I will continue as it is. On the other hand, the recorded footage is also upside down. It can be easily converted via a suitable software. An other prism system can be added to this adapter to flip the image, but every element you add to the system will degrade image quality and increase vignetting. So I am very satisfied with this set up, and I recommend it to those who can live with the 180 degree flipped image. I have some bigger monster lenses i. e. Contax TeleApoTessar 400mm and Nikkor 180-600mm f8 zoom, and I believe image quality can be a bit higher than this. But optimization for the field is important for me and this set up gives me only 1.5-1.7 kg weight, which is same weight of the lightest high quality scope on the market (Kowa 883).

The camcorder records 50 frame per second. So I did some framegrabs from my footages. The samples are attached. If someone considers using this with a compact digital camera or a DSLR, I am sure he/she can achieve better results.

Another issue is; I found some amount of chromatic aberration on some of my footages. I am sure Pentax lens is an apochromatically corrected lens (almost). But I noticed that, when I did not focus the lens precisely, although the image is sharp, there occurs some CA.

I will continue to upload my footages. Any questions are welcome. Best wishes for 2011.

Murat F. Özçelik

[Sandpiper]

Hi Murat,

Thanks for sharing your footage. Your setup has great potential. If you are able to find a way to correct the upside down image it should make life much easier for shooting video.

Mike

[Muratfaik]

Hi Mike,

I want to update my conclusions about this set up: Although it is very very sharp at the end of zoom setting, which gives c. 3600 mm tele effect, this set up is a bit hard to use in the field. Because the old Pentax's manuel focus mechanism is also older type and very hard to focus when you compare newer ball based MF mechanisms. That is why when you try to focus at the maximum zoom setting (you have to do this, since focus point is changing when you zoom in your camcorder), you easily loose the bird. For finding bird again you have to zoom back and then again zoom in and focus. So it is a nuisance. Another issue is; although vignetting is going from 3X camcorder zoom, until full zoom setting of camcorder there is a blur area (not vignetting) around middle circle. Perhaps this is a result of converting the lens to the Nikon mount. But it is also annoying. It may be due to the bigger front lens, that detoriate conical glass construction of entire system. But I tried this adapter with other two lenses, one of which is converted from olympus, and there is no such a vignetting/blurring. So I am planning to buy a very high quality 180-200 mm smooth focusable lens.

Considering image upside down issue, I learnt two different technic: One is open the camcorder and add a switch that convert's image. It is not suitable for me because I am not very good at electro-mechanical issues. Another method is comparatively simple bur may be dangerous: You put a magnetic piece at the right side of camcorder's LCD. Strangely this piece converts image upside down. But I will also not try this :-) I saw a video that show how it happens but this can be for a specific model of Panasonic camcorder.

I am taking some more test footages with different lenses. I will add them soon. But notice that Vimeo convert my second HD footage (Syrian Woodpecker) to an SD footage and it is highly degraded (Vimeo allows one HD footage per week.).

Murat

[Sandpiper]

Hi Murat,

Thanks for your update. The idea of attaching a camcorder to a telephoto lens to shoot high magnification video appeals to me.

You mentioned a "blur area" in the centre of the image. I have the same problem when videoscoping at scope magnifications above 40X with either my Sony PC330E camcorder or Canon 7D. I can remove the "blur" which I think is either caused by overexposure or possibly reflections within the scope or camera lens by manually closing down the aperture by at least one stop. This method works well on the 7D but I cannot manually override the aperture setting on the camcorder.

Looking forward to seeing more of your footage very soon.

Mike

[Muratfaik]

Hi Mike,

Using 35mm lenses on latest generation camcorders is really appealing. This idea was established on my mind several years ago but till today I did not find a high quality connection unit. Thanks to Showtime 35mm adapter I am excited to test every lens that I and my friends have. These set-ups easily show objective's limits in a very basic action.

The "blur area" that I mention is not at the middle of the image. Actually it is 'around' the image (as a peripheral circle). But the problem is, it is bigger than I expected. And according to my experience, I suppose it is due to mismatching of newly added Nikon bayonet mount. My camera repairman (Nazmi Kilicer, who is a master such issues, and master on Hasselblad & Leica systems.) used a second hand Nikon bayonet for conversion. But for Zuiko 200mm f5 lens, he used a brand new Leitax bayonet and it works flawlessly. I will test on a Nikon DSLR soon. But again it may work on DSLR buy may not work on such a system. This is a common issue. For example when you attach an APO lens on a camcorder (via adapter) sometimes there occurs some amount of chromatic aberration. Because the lens is optimized for an SLR. When we attach another optical device, depending on the quality of the connection part, sometimes optical axis may detoriate and in this case we can see CA. Anyway I will try some bayonet adjustment soon and I believe this problem can be solved. But as I mentioned hard focussing is bigger problem. Altough I liked Pentax lens, it seems that I won't use use it on camcorder.

On the other hand, today I tried my Nikkor 500mm mirror lens. Naturally high magnification bring more detail. It is also sharp and contrasty. Interestingly I found a blurring and vignetting at center of image, until I zoomed camcorder to the 8X setting. I suppose it happens due to secondary mirror. I will post HD sample next week. I also tested my nikkor 180-600 f8 zoom lens. It is out of this class. It's image was extremely sharp and contrasty at close range. I will also post samples soon.

I hope big firms i.e. Canon and Nikon makes such adapters soon. But until they produce a modern device, I will use this adapter and share my footages. I will be very happy if you can kindly share your footages, indicating the setup (and distance) info, so that we can have some more idea considering several situations and set-ups and relations between them.

Best wishes.

Murat

[Bob Thompson]

A friend of mine has the showtime adaptor which she uses with a Canon 400mm lens. The video results are quiet astounding. She uses the small magnet to invert the LCD screen and a "red dot" sight for quickly finding the bird, she has even been able to do flight shots with the setup. The video camera she is using is a Sony 550.

[Muratfaik]

Hi Bob,

May be a nonsense question, but is the camera recording also an invert image when a magnet attached or only lcd image is flipping down? I wish manufacturers could add a digital menu to flip the recording image. Although I am very satisfied with the quality, rotating a huge amount of movie data takes quite a long time for me. On the other hand the most easy to use combination for me, is the one with the 500mm nikon mirror lens. Because this lens has silky smooth focusing and very short and lightweight.

Murat F. Özçelik

[wengchun]

Hi Murat

I also brought the Showtime 35mm adapter from Frank Wu early this year, although I haven't actually go out and shoot video of birds. I know the quality is impressive but somehow to locate the bird is not easy task with the setup (especially without the red dot). I have a red dot scope but I need to fabricate a proper bracket for it - to attached to the setup.

Well, I have have the same thought as you. The manufacturer should add a option for invert image in the menu for the camcorder.

I use a Canon HF200. Bought it at a bargain price.

Regards.

[Muratfaik]

Hi Weng,

I practice this adapter with several lenses and found that it is easier to use it with short lenses. For example I am pointing the birds as if I am aiming with a shotgun. I take a sight among the adapter's hotshoe and lens's tip. When I get tree point in a line, I start zooming. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Murat Ozcelik

[wengchun]

Originally Posted by Muratfaik

Hi Weng,

I practice this adapter with several lenses and found that it is easier to use it with short lenses. For example I am pointing the birds as if I am aiming with a shotgun. I take a sight among the adapter's hotshoe and lens's tip. When I get tree point in a line, I start zooming. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Murat Ozcelik

Thanks for the advice. I will try to apply this technique when I take the adapter out for a field test. Do you have any videos to share?

[wengchun]

Murat,

Have you tested the adapter with an erecting prism, which i think would probably help to invert the images.

Regards.

[Muratfaik]

Hi Weng,

I thought this option. But bigger prisms i. e. 2 inch prisms, are generally 45 degree (or 90 degree). On the other hand, I need Z type big prism for this adapter which I did not find a good one yet. Otherwise vignetting will be a big problem. Another thing is that such extra optical elements will degrade image quality (teoreticaly). Because Showtime adapter has only one diopter element which effects I.Q. minimum.

Murat Ozcelik

[wengchun]

Originally Posted by Muratfaik

Hi Weng,

I thought this option. But bigger prisms i. e. 2 inch prisms, are generally 45 degree (or 90 degree). On the other hand, I need Z type big prism for this adapter which I did not find a good one yet. Otherwise vignetting will be a big problem. Another thing is that such extra optical elements will degrade image quality (teoreticaly). Because Showtime adapter has only one diopter element which effects I.Q. minimum.

Murat Ozcelik

Probably, it will degrade. But I believe there are 35mm adapter with high quality prism built-in. Price could be on the high end though.

[Muratfaik]

Originally Posted by wengchun

Probably, it will degrade. But I believe there are 35mm adapter with high quality prism built-in. Price could be on the high end though.

Actually there is one as far as I know: The Leica TO-R adapter. This adapter converts Leica R lenses to a monocular or scope. I have this adapter. I also have the Nikon one. The difference is the exit pupil between Leica and other brands. Leica adapter has 3.74 mm exit pupil but the others including Nikon are 2.5 mm. These adapters gives normal view instead of upside down. Leica TO-R adapter has one other advantage: it has 28mm screw in filter threat (male). So I tried this adapter with my TM700 but, camcorder's lens is restricted more than half centimeter. I used 46 to 28mm step down ring but vignetting is gone almost at 18X full zoom and it is too much power for videoscoping. I will design a special 46-28mm step ring (when I find time) and I plan to test with several adapters. My plan is that to have a very high quality short tele lens and 3 adapter together with my Panasonic TM700 camcorder. It will give me 3.6X, 7.2X and 14.4X consecutively for a 180mm lens. The system will not exceed 2 kg. In a few week I plan to test these combinations.

Murat Ozcelik