ExposureRoom - Tutorials - Setting Aperture on Canon EF Lenses for use with a 35mm adapter

Over a year ago I discovered quite by accident this neat technique of stopping down (changing the aperture) of a Canon EF lens for use with my Letus35 Extreme. Since then a number of people have asked me how to do this while almost everyone else was surprised that one could use Canon EF lenses with their 35mm adapter and have the option to stop down these lenses in order to control exposure and/or Depth Of Field.

So I decided to make a video tutorial on just how to do this.

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size: 31.08MBwxh: 640x360

Updated: 1 months ago

Short

Duration: 00:02:50

Definition: This Video is a High Definition (HD) Video

Dimensions: 1280 x 720

Size: 74.05MB

Cinematography/Videography: Peg Futrell Rating: 4.00

Tags: Aperture Control How To Tutorial

Equipment:

Editor: Shiv Kumar Rating: 4.00

Tags: Aperture Control How To Tutorial

Equipment: Libec LS 55M Canon HV30 Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 Sennheiser ew100-ENG G2

Shiv, you are just really interesting to watch :)

These little tips, I'm sure, are like finding gold nuggets for some users. Keep them coming.

Thanks Steve! I figured, since I'm nowhere as good as you are when it comes to making interesting shorts I should at least do what I can.

These little videos are a great exercise in editing I must say. And yes theres more coming...

Shiv,
I don't have any 35mm adaptors for my A1, but I see people's videos and I am very interested in this. But first, some notes on your video.

I noticed this in the last one but it didn't really *click* until just now, I want some head room at the beginning of your video before you start talking. It's like I click "play" and you are talking before my eyes even drift up a 1/4" into the player window. Maybe just a second of black, or a title card. Or nothing, it's just my opinion. Take it or leave it.

Otherwise I liked it a lot. The zoomed, drop-in pieces were much more smooth and natural this time. Did you have two cameras running instead of one? Very nice.

Will

Update: I have posted a review of this video in the review section.

Will,

I think you’re correct about the lead in aspect. I should either include some B roll or a black screen or something. Good point.

In both these videos there was only one camera shooting so the close up were done after the primary shoot. The primary shoot leads the way in terms of audio and video and I drop in the close up to match during the edit. In both instances some of the close up didn't match in terms of the timing and or angles and so I couldn't use them.

This has been quite an experience from the aspect of shooting for editing. I think everyone should try something like this just because it’s really part of the "job".

I know what you mean about shooting for editing. I do a lot of product information/installation videos, like my most recent one, and I usually begine with one video/audio track leading the whole thing.

Then, just as you mentioned, I drop in my zooms and various detail shots in key areas(like your close-ups of the aperture opening and closing.) Or, if I need to cut away for some reason (host messed up, I bumped the tripod, whatever)it's good to have this b-roll stuff to cut to.

The problem is, while shooting the main action or event of the video, I need to remember which areas (or steps in the process) that I want to shoot a different angle or come in closer for more detail. Sometimes I forget to go back and get some of these detail shots (like your close-ups of the aperture changing). Any pointers?

I guess it just comes with time. I need to work at it more and keep shooting.

Will,

I tend to storyboard the whole thing in my head so I know the kinds of shots that’ll be required. However, for these short video what I’ve been doing is literally re-shooting the whole thing from start to finish, except it’s a very tight shot. The second shoot does have a lot of start stops since I know I’m not going to be using the audio but from the moment of action, I am repeating what I said and the actions I do so as to sync as much as possible with the first run and help with continuity.

But, I still end up with just 50-60% usable close up shots due to things like, in the actual shoot I didn’t have trouble dismounting the lens but in the close up version I did. Or the angle of my hands was not right and stuff like that.

Finally, I’ve found that during the editing process using parts of certain close ups rather than the whole shot works really well. By that, what I mean is say you have a close up shot from “action” to “cut” that lasts 5 seconds. When you overlay this close up you end up not using the beginning parts and the end parts in order to give the viewer that “continuous flow” feeling. And like with any other editing task, half a second here or there of cutting to or away from one shot and the next makes all the difference.

I recommend this kind of thing highly form a practice/experience point of view.

Yes, definitely. I find that having my "talent" go through and do everything again is best. Then I can go, "Ok, stop here. I need to see this part in more detail." And I zoom in.

But just like you said, only 1/2 of those shots are useable (hand in wrong position, holding part backwards or at a different angle.) It's a process. But things are getting better.

Each video is a little cleaner than the last, or has something different in it that I tried out.

Controlling Aperture on Canon EF Lenses

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