Testing the Brevis35 MP.1 HD Imaging 35mm Adapter

I spent some time yesterday with Cambridge filmmaker Adam Woodworth setting up the Cinevate Brevis35 Flip adapter to my HVX200 for some film work we'll be doing this Fall.

The adapter will allow us to use our range of Canon and Nikon prime lenses with my Panasonic HVX200 for beautiful depth-of-field and seriously cinematic HD images, with minimal loss of light to the sensor.



Cinevate claims approximately a half-stop loss depending on lens configuration. I can say that based on the limited test shooting we did with a chart, as well as some night shooting in Central Square with a Canon 50mm f1.4, the performance was impressive--certainly less than a full-stop of loss. There was some slight corner vignetting noticeable on the test chart but with a little re-tweaking, I think it can be mostly eliminated.

Getting the lens elements aligned was the most difficult part, but with patience, it all came together as the manual promised. More testing is needed in other lighting scenarios, but the first impression is very exciting!



This has the "Flip" option, so the image is changed to right side-up for viewing convenience--and as a bonus, reportedly improves image quality by correcting for chromatic aberration.



The carbon rails system is strong and super-light. I was getting comfortable enough to where I believe that handheld shots could be a real possibility for certain circumstances.

I'm looking forward to putting this rig through it's paces on a real set soon!