Testdrive March 2010: My Quest for the Perfect DOF Adapter and the Redrock M2 Encore
Testdrive March 2010
My quest for the perfect DOF adapter and the Redrock M2 Encore...
A story one year in the making...
This month's Hardware Testdrive is different from the previous articles. This special edition is a summary and a wrap-up of one year of shooting "digital film" using the Sony EX-1 HD camera with the Redrock Encore. A wonderful experience and example rendition of the nearly-elusive filmlook. This all for the Dutch short movie "Vrije Val", formerly known as "Birth of a Song". A story about HIV, Aids and prejudice.
For this production we wanted to render the film look as good as it gets; being filmmakers used working with s-35 and s-16mm film-stock, we had some tough requirements for this new digital film phenomenon...
This article also tells the story of my quest for finding the perfect DOF adapter, that has not only cost me dearly, but also got me a few extra gray hairs...
I want to kick off with an excerpt from the Redrock Micro website, that elaborates on the "Elusive filmlook". Courtesy of www.redrockmicro.com.
Abstract: Digital filmmakers –visual storytellers who use digital video or HD as their preferred medium – have in recent years have developed an arsenal of cinematic tools to enhance the look of video towards more of a “film quality.” The Micro35 adds the last and arguably the most critical element – film-style cinematography – to achieve truly ‘film style’ digital video.
Film-Style Cinematography and the Redrock M2 Cinema Lens Adapter
And yet, there’s still something not quite right.
There remains one last key characteristic of Mini-DV and HD that spells “video” from a mile away. And that is the lack of cinema-style depth of field. Because Mini-DV camcorders acquire their images through small CCD sensors that are limited by the way light travels to them from the lens, there is very little that can be done at the camera level to address this issue – larger CCDs would solve the problem, but the modified camera would become prohibitively expensive as a result, thereby defeating the purpose. Unlike 24p and Gamma and 16:9 resolution - aspects which can be easily manipulated in post-production where the camera is not able to accommodate - any attempt to digitally alter footage via rotoscoping and using masks to blur in post to simulate depth of field quickly becomes tedious and futile as a result. If you were trying to emulate Citizen Kane, so be it. Otherwise, you would be stuck – your otherwise “filmic” production would be instantly labeled as “video” because each shot would have EVERYTHING in focus. No rack-focus shots. No pull-focus. This spells “video.” And there would be absolutely nothing you could do about it… Until now…. Until the Redrock M2. A new revolution is upon us.
Film-Style Cinematography and the Redrock M2 Cinema Lens Adapter There remains one last key characteristic of Mini-DV and HD that spells “video” from a mile away. And that is the lack of cinema-style depth of field. Because Mini-DV camcorders acquire their images through small CCD sensors that are limited by the way light travels to them from the lens, there is very little that can be done at the camera level to address this issue – larger CCDs would solve the problem, but the modified camera would become prohibitively expensive as a result, thereby defeating the purpose. Unlike 24p and Gamma and 16:9 resolution - aspects which can be easily manipulated in post-production where the camera is not able to accommodate - any attempt to digitally alter footage via rotoscoping and using masks to blur in post to simulate depth of field quickly becomes tedious and futile as a result. If you were trying to emulate Citizen Kane, so be it. Otherwise, you would be stuck – your otherwise “filmic” production would be instantly labeled as “video” because each shot would have EVERYTHING in focus. No rack-focus shots. No pull-focus. This spells “video.” And there would be absolutely nothing you could do about it… Until now…. Until the Redrock M2. A new revolution is upon us.
Please read this very interesting articles about Depth of Field and the filmlook we were after:
One remark before i start: i've used the DOF adapter with the Sony EX-1 camera, but the techniques, procedures and workflows described in this article apply to almost any prosumer HD camera.
Having quoted this, let's kick off with a little jump back in time...
January 2009: Karel Hamm and i have completed the first drafts for a short movie for the good cause, with the Aids Fund as benificiary. A short 25 minute movie about HIV, Aids and prejudice. A silent movie with music only, to be composed by composer Kevin Bachus. While evaluating the draft script into a budget estimate (considering S-16mm film), we eventually decide to switch to digital filmmaking using the new Sony EX-1 "Cine Alta" camera. While considering the technical implications of this choice, we also learn that the aforesaid Elusive Filmlook can only be achieved by means of an extra optical device; a Depth of Field adapter. Compared to using our Eclair S-16mm camera plus 16mm filmstock plus development plus filmscanning, the purchase of a Sony EX-1 and a DOF adapter all equaled out, with the benefit of owning the equipment afterwards. Since we had a limited budget partly raised from sponsors, partly our own private investment, we eventually decided to dedicate 20,000 euros to the production. This should cover all costs, including cast&crew, music recording, rentals, catering, editing, filmfestival fees, release party and limited DVD production. This could be done, we figured, because all cast & crew voluntarily cooperated on this movie. We reasoned that also all facilities such as location services/catering should be provided by means of sponsoring in return for filmposter/credits appearance. With this non-profit concept in mind we were able to arrange a star cast and professional crew free of charge, solely having to pay out of pocket costs (such as gel filters, makeup, special travel costs and other expenses and consumables).
After the EX-1 camera was purchased, it almost immediately became evident that the depth of field adapter was a real necessity in order to create a picture that did not breath VIDEO. A bit of a disappointment still, but we were confident that our purchase of a $1,762.00 "Brevis" DOF adapter would change our EX-1 into a magic lantern...
So, there it was the Brevis DOF adapter by Cinevate. It took only a week to get from Canada to the Netherlands and installation was a breeze... The Brevis is a DOF adapter that uses a vibrating ground glass to make dust less visible on the intermediate ground glass. Buying the Brevis turned out to be my first big mistake... The Brevis is mainly a lightweight sheet-metal tube with a kind of carbon coating that houses the essential optical parts. Problem: cleaning the interior did nothing to get rid of the loads and loads of carbon dust that settled on the vibrating ground glass. The ground glass gets electrically loaded because of vibrating in stationary air. The vibrations should make dust less visible, but in practice this means that the black carbon particles show up as small pools of gray. The vibration is semi-circular and has a given amplitude. Our first test footage with an initially well-cleaned Brevis turned out disastrous on three points: the dust, vignetting (darker edges) and NO edge to edge sharpness. After much Googling and going through the fora, we learned that Cinevate was well aware of the fact that the Brevis did not perform well i.c.w. the EX-1 camera. I confronted the manufacturer with my findings, test footage, stills and pictures of the setup. The answer: we have never experienced this with our product, you must do something wrong! Have you read the manual..? Yes i did... Cinevate support stopped being supportive after my complaints and didn't even bother to get back to me eventually. We were very depressed with the results, specially because we were now stuck with a 1,700 dollar device that had made a serious impact on our budget. My collegue Karel Hamm agreed on selling the Brevis, putting up with the loss and finding another solution. I was able to flog the Brevis after much advertising for a measly 900 euros.
I had to do some more research and do my homework better this time...
March 2010: I came to the conclusion that the vibrating ground glass was NOT the technique i was looking for, so the DOF adapters featuring a rotating ground glass would be favorite. After going through numerous websites, usergroups, and manufacturer's sites, there seem to be just a few options that i, at that moment in time, i summarized as:
Letus 35 Elite + flip unit + rods + EX-1 optimized optics, $2,500.00 - around 1 F-stop light loss, but above our budget (+US shipment costs)
RedrockMicro M2 Encore + flip unit + rods, $1,998,00 - below 1 F-stop light loss, but still just above our budget, (+US shipment costs)
Shoot35 SG-Blade + flip unit + rods + EX-1 optimized optics, $1,400.00 - around 1 stop light loss, looking smart, European based company, low shipping costs!
Cinemek G35, solid state, EX-1 optimized optics, $1,770.00 - around 1.5 stop light loss, no moving parts, airtight, pricy!
The choice was made: i decided to get in contact with the manufacturer of the Shoot35 SG Blade. I wanted written confirmation that this specific unit was to operate flawless with the Sony EX-1. So it was, i was told. Edge-to-edge sharpness, no vignetting, superb sharpness and just below one F-stop of light loss were the specs of this DOF adapter. That sounded good! After some more correspondence on the subject of EX-1 compatibility AND after explanation of the non-profit character of our production (hoping to get some discount) AND after being confident in making the right decision this time, i ordered the full SG-Blade DOF adapter package for the EX-1, with Nikon lens mount.
So there it was... The Shoot35 SG-Blade! Very nice looking piece of equipment. Nice sleek and compact. Nice rods, nice everything.... Time to put it on the camera! There we were in for a nasty surprise.... Do you see a pattern emerging here..? I had some sleepless nights about what is going to follow. I am even brave enough to admit that i literally cried on one occasion and getting pretty suicidal... This was another 1,400 bucks down the drain - and me here having to answer to my fellow producers and sponsors...
The SG Blade, though looking spectacular, did not - by far - came close to performing as spectacular as promised... NO edge to edge sharpness, not even close. Strong vignetting, even after zooming in on the ground glass as per instructions. Flickering image because of too low ground glass revolution speed. Not suitable for frame-rates above 25fps. Battery loader did not work. Spent days and days of meticulously tuning and tweaking the condenser lenses, flip unit, camera connections, rod raisers and all the such, in order to try to get an acceptable image out of this unit. I confronted the manufacturer with my findings, test footage, stills and pictures of the setup. The answer: we have never experienced this with our product, you must do something wrong! Have you read the manual..? Yes i did...
Could it be that, after 25 years of filming with almost every breed of film camera and working with numerous optical benches and other specialized optical equipment, i misunderstood or misinterpreted the whole principle of the thing? I was lost and getting really depressed - specially since it was only one month to the first shoot...
So, i decided to take the SGBlade, together with the camera, to optics specialist Jorgen Escher at - of all places - the Fraunhofer institut in Darmstadt, Germany. A four hour drive. He could test and adjust the setup with his optical bench testing equipment, laser collimators and other fancy equipment he privately owns, normally used to service the high range Arriflex cameras and lenses. This was going to be expensive. The rates were around the 300 euros per hour. But Jorgen was very kind, supportive and full of sympathy, when after almost three hours of going through a number of tests, the whole system was rated as "a piece of shit". There was no way of adjusting it, without altering the hardware, to get a edge-to-edge sharp and vignetting-free picture. Simply because the internal optics where not aligned in a professional manner, in respect to the EX-1 lens optical axis. The internal optics also delivered much of what is called "Chromatic Aberration", where contours of highlights show green and magenta color shifting. Accidentally hitting the SGBlade against the furniture changed the alignment significantly, resulting in a better picture! So we decided to bump it into a number of objects and seeing what happened. What a joke... Jorgen Escher just charged me one hour because he felt pity for us.
And then...? We had to go on. First shoot was coming up. We decided to use the SGBlade selectively. We used the SG Blade on a number of shots that called for specific DOF. The rest we shot with the naked EX-1.
We were pretty disillusioned and very very disappointed. Using a DOF adapter was becoming a nuisance and an irritation, both on the set and when viewing the results. The whole frivolous idea of creating a film look using prosumer HD video equipment was turning into a major misstep, with only me to blame...
April 2009: Karel and i decided to postpone shooting after much discussion. Two thumbscrews have broken off the SGBlade's rods system just by turning them by hand, and the crappy batterycharger had killed the batteries INSIDE the SGBlade. Replacement took a few weeks and this meant taking the whole thing apart. So now we had not even a working DOF adapter.... We decided to postpone shooting to the month of may; altogether hoping for better weather conditions too, to buy some time to solve our DOF problem. What a dilemma, what a mess... Expenses on camera and DOF adapters together where now over 10,000 euros, or half of our budget...
To ventilate some frustration, i dedicated an article to my experiences on my weblog. This resulted in an unexpected yet very welcome reader-response!
I received a message from Brian Valente, partner at Redrock Micro, who'd read my article and had learned about our project, and offered me to evaluate a Redrock Encore 35mm adapter for a limited time, without the obligation to buy.
Of course i had some reservations at first, but after going through the web, fora and the numerous user videos on YouTube, i decided that the Redrock Encore was probably my best option. Being offered to evaluate the Encore free of charge came as a perfect offer with perfect timing. And so it was done! I agreed with Redrock Micro that i'd use the Redrock Encore on our first shoot and do a future review as well.
The Redrock Encore arrived around the end of april and included a flip unit, optimized achromatic lens for the Sony EX-1, a battery charger, camera plate w. riser and a rods system. I put the box on my workbench at the office and looked at it for three days. I couldn't get myself to assembling and testing it; afraid that i was in for another disappointment soon. I was suffering from something called adapterphobia...
In the last week of april, i found the time and guts to assemble and test yet another 35mm adapter. Mounting the flip unit onto the camera lens had become a routine job for me. Done so many setups by then, it was all stupid simple. So was setting up the rods and camera plate. So was aligning the Redrock Encore unit. So was setting up a picture in the camera. Hey! It took me less than an hour to set up a new 35 mm adapter AND get a reasonable first picture out of it!
May 2009: We spent over a week running tests with the Encore, and i couldn't conclude otherwise, than to say that the Redrock Encore is THE BEST dof adapter we have had our hands on! Absolutely superb. The Encore brought CA-free, edge-to-edge sharp, vignetting free images – something other DOF adapters had failed to achieve. The images were sharp, and the setup lost very little light – around just 1/2 F-stop. I decided to put it to work directly the week after, on the first new shoot for the Vrije Val movie. I felt confident in doing so, regardless of Karel's reservations on the subject. It felt good. Finally. I even managed to get my hands on a few beautiful Nikon prime lenses. A 28mm. f1.4, a 35mm. f1.4, a 50mm. f1.2 and a 75mm. 1.4. Beautiful stuff. I agreed with Redrock Micro to use the unit on that shoot and return it afterwards. I didn't want to run to conclusions yet at that point, but i already had in mind to discuss the option of keeping the unit, because of the positive results so far.
On may 12 2009 was our first shoot (again) for our short movie. Setting up the Redrock Encore with the EX-1 was a breeze and the pictures were indeed sharp, free of CA and vignetting. It took me some time though to get acquainted with controlling the manual exposure on both the camera and the lens, the zooming-in on the ground glass and manual focussing the Nikon lens. It became quit a stressful day in that regard, and i wished that i had get more comfortable with the Encore earlier that week. Nevertheless, the images were great. Probably because of the novelty of the thing and the concentrated dedication to filming with shallow depth of field; these are still the best pictures we shot the whole year, in regard to capturing the film look and shallow DOF!
Some pictures and frame grabs of the first two days :
This are a few sample videos from that day, using the Redrock Encore for the first time:
This is not a finished product, but unshaded uncorrected footage. Only added fades. Both: Lens: Nikon 35mm. f1.4, Aperture on lens: f1.8, Aperture on camera: f2.8 Copyrights Marvels Film - all rights reserved. Do not use without written consent.
Filming "Vrije Val" in 2009: The working title for Vrije Val has been "Birth of a Song" for nearly a year, after which we were forced to change the name because of a rights problem. The publisher of Indian writer K.S. Dugal demanded a fee for the film rights that we couldn't afford. We decided to change the title into "Vrije Val" which is Dutch and translates "Free fall". It's also the title of the first song in the movie. The Targeted duration of Vrije Val is 25 minutes, is due to be released before the summer of 2010 and features Dutch actress Aukje van Ginneken en actor/musician Erik Rooseboom.
While shooting went on during may, june and july - mostly during weekends - film music composer Kevin Bachus recorded 16 minutes of music, including four tracks with Dutch band "RoodWitBlauw". At the end of 2009, when all filming was done, another 8 minutes of music were composed to "fill up the gaps". 75% Percent of all shots were interiors and we had to re-shoot one exterior to match weather conditions.
We decided re-shot three other interior scenes with actor Eric Rooseboom to replace the SGBlade DOF footage. I filmed a number of scenes without the DOF adapter and a few with the SGBlade that looked too soft. This took us another day, but was worth the trouble. A first day is always different, so this time things were much more relaxed.
We decided not to send the Redrock Encore back to the manufacturer, but to keep it and make it our tool-of-trade. We were able to sell the SGBlade and took our losses... With well over 10K spent on the camera, we were already running into financial problems at the end of the summer. I donated another 5K from my saving money to get things going again.
Before i elaborate further on my experiences with working with the Redrock Encore, i feel it's time for a conclusion...
Conclusions on My Search for the Perfect DOF Adapter: A year has gone by and it has been very exciting, in both the positive and negative sense. We paid a sour price for relying on information supplied by manufacturers. Relying on commercial hype, non-biased reviews by other digital filmmakers who's names i'll not mention in this respect, demo videos on the web that can not be judged in any way and always lack a "raw" download, pictures and footage that have clearly been tinkered with for the sake of commerce.... It has costed us dearly and yet we didn't learn from... ;-) Well, OK, i've learned my lesson now! This all evolved into My Quest for the Perfect DOF Adapter, but i never intended it to become that!! Just wanted to buy instant film look. A bit naive maybe..?!
More conculsions? There is without any doubt one manufacturer that lived up to the specs and expectations and that was Redrock Micro with their Encore adapter. In this article, it was the only one... I can't speak for Letus. I did rent a Letus years ago, and it was again a vibrating groundglass type, with -in my opinion- a pretty weak construction. Buying a Redrock Encore right away had saved me over 1.000 dollars! It delivers edge to edge sharpness on one of the most difficult cameras when it comes to optical alignment: the Sony EX-1. It renders vignette-free and CA-free pictures with little light loss. The price of the Redrock Encore is reasonable. Ordering and shipment is fast and affordable. The rods that come with the unit are made of carbon fibre and are very light, but very tough. The clamps, camera plate - the whole shebang - looks and feels good, professional and durable. I know that this is all sounds like a Redrock commercial, but -hey- these are the facts.
Critical review points re. the Redrock Encore? Yes there are, of course. The Quest for the Perfect DOF Adapter has been halted right at the moment Redrock offered me to test the Encore AND seeing the stunning results. There are much more expensive and advanced DOF adapters available for the happy few that can afford them. The prices go up to well over 5.500 dollars. If they deliver a better performance, who knows - i am so bold to doubt that... There are a few minor things i don't like about the Encore. It maybe's not a very sexy design, but a square box that sits on the rods. I don't mind. Mac users normally do ;-) You choose: a sexy piece of shit or a machine that delivers! Further, the flip unit is pretty heavy. It is heavier than the flip units of the other brands i've seen. That contributes to the fact that the whole structure with lens, and maybe a mattebox, becomes pretty front-heavy. The reason why it's heavier is simple: it's bigger than the others! It's field of view (width and height of the input and output window of the flip unit) is much larger, which is another great plus. Some vignetting and sharpness problems i've seen in other units were partly coming from a too narrow flip unit. More critique..? No not really. The Encore has it's peculiarities, that are "usual" for 35mm DOF adapters, so are not typical. Operating a camera with a DOF adapter remains a lot more technical and requires additional camera-operator skills, without doubt. Operating the Redrock Encore is not different in that respect. Having to work with two lenses, each with their own focus and aperture, needs some getting used to. After a few shooting days, your DOF adapter has become a commodity...
Points of advise. Buy a 35mm DOF adapter that you've seen working in real life, or have seen test footage of from a reliable source (that's NOT the manufacturer). Learn from my experiences. Don't buy an adapter with a vibrating groundglass. Don't buy an adapter that can't be easily cleaned. Don't believe the "manufactured in a clean room" nonsense. You don't live in a clean room, do you? So it will get dirty the moment you take it out of the box; static electricity will take care of that. Also be realistic. Paying under 1.000 dollars for a DOF adapter plus special achromatic lenses and a flip unit is ridiculous. Don't expect any value for your money. Don't expect anything professional or even useable to come from India or China. Buy a "fast" lens with a minimal aperture of 1.4 or even 1.2. Photo lenses with a 35 or 50mm length are perfect; you'll still be able to do some zooming in and out on the ground glass. I've mainly used the Nikkor 28mm 1.4 and a Nikkor 50mm 1.2 lens. Beautiful stuff.
Don't forget to read Philip Bloom's review of the Redrock Ecnore here.
It's time for the intermission! This is a 5 minute impression i've put together, showing (-off) some Redrock Encore footage from "Vrije Val". Watch it in HD!
OK, where were we..?
Working with the Redrock Encore: I read about other fimmakers that use the DOF adapter selectively. I've never done that. It is fixed to my camera for a number of reasons. First of all, i hate to take it off my camera after i'm happy with the results. Putting it on again always includes some cleaning and adjustment and i don't like that between shots. Secondly, the image changes too much to my liking. The way light is captured through the DOF adapter (bokeh, highlight diffusion) is so much different from the direct signal, that there is too much difference in the picture to my liking. Of course, different camera picture styles can compensate color and sharpness and maybe some differences in gamma, but your "filmlook" will be gone. So, i kept our adapter fixed to the camera from day one. For Vrije Val, i used a Canon 7D as B-camera for some shots in a small car interior. The difference in footage was even then shocking. I absolutely value the EX-1/DOF adapter combo far over any video DSLR camera. Detail, resolution and "film style" are superior with the EX-1. Even the Bokeh is better than the 7D when used with the Encore adapter. To anticipate a flood of user comments: i know, Bokeh of the 5D is much better/different.
About the rotating ground glass principle: The Redrock Encore is using a rotating ground glass that spins around with such a speed that the ground glass doesn't show up when using frame rates up to 60fps or more. The spinning ground glass technique is intended to hide dust and dirt that settles on the ground glass.
The ground glass is made from a special plastic material that, besides shallow DOF an Bokeh, adds a pleasant diffusion of the highlights without touching the overall sharpness of the image. It mimics film stock in that respect too! It adds a more "organic" look to the picture, just as film stock does.
The ground glass is translucent but still has some density which is scientifically defined. Make the ground glass too transparent and the picture will show a hot spot in the centre and underexposed areas at the corners. Make the ground glass too dense and you'll lose to much light and exaggerate the highlight diffusion. So, the ground glass is of great significance to the picture it renders. Every DOF adapter manufacturer comes up with it's own solution, advertised as "the most beautiful Bokeh rendition". Honestly, the Encore's ground glass is the only one i've used that renders a well balanced picture, meaning that they have put some serious time into it's development. You can as well say, that the ground glass is the real heart of the machine!
Connecting the Redrock Encore adapter to the camera and setting it up: I used to connect the adapter to the camera as per spec following the instructions on the manufacturer's website. After becoming more experienced with the gear, and having to switch cameras a few times, i developed my own "manner" of setting the adapter/cam up. Not a better way, just a different way that suited me better. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to read my workflow under "Appendix I".
Each day before a shoot i'd check the camera/adapter combo. I cleaned out the Encore, which is easy because it has a built-in dust trap. This means that you can blow compressed air into it's body and the dust is literally trapped in a separate compartment that can be vacuumed-out. I'd check for any dirt on the condenser lens or Nikon lens, by shooting a bright sky or highlighted wall/ceiling/etc. While the aperture closes on the EX-1 camera (auto aperture), and the aperture on the Nikon lens is dialed down, the depth of field between the camera and the DOF adapter get's so big, that each dust or dirt particle in it's optical path becomes visible. That's not what you want while shooting, but it helps with cleaning and setting up. Dirt on the condenser lens (a built-in optical part) shows up as a translucent pool of grey. Dirt on the rotating ground glass doesn't show up easily; only when it get's too dirty and/or particles are pretty large, you'll see a semi-circular light-grey line across the screen, like a rainbow. Cleaning the ground glass is very easy. Apart from blowing compressed air over it's surface, you can always use a soft brush. Read different hands-on procedures for cleaning and maintenance at the bottom of this page, under "Appendix II".
After cleaning and checking, i put the camera+adapter on the tripod and use an old Fuji film-resolution test-chart to judge the image. I light the chart with a 1000 watt redhead. The chart shows a typical test image with patterns, crosses, black and white patches and colors.
I always attach the 28mm lens for this test. I put the camera aperture on manual and wide open for this test and then dial the lens aperture down until the picture is acceptable. Then iregard the picture and zoom in on the (spinning) ground glass somewhere between the Z value of 78 and 82. I focus the camera lens roughly and then work on the focus of the 35mm. lens. Because the depth of field between the camera and the ground glass is minimal, you'll hit the correct focus point eventually. If really shooting later on, i'll dial down the camera aperture and thus creating more depth of field and thus a broader margin for the camera-to-adapter focus to operate in. If there is any vignetting visible, the zoom factor is not correct and the camera lens needs to zoom further in on the ground glass.
Just before any shoot, i'd pick the correct lens for the scene and follow the following procedure to set up the camera with the adapter. Assuming i'm already on the lighted set and ready to shoot.
Switch on the adapter's power to spin the ground glass
Put the camera temporarily on automatic aperture
Focus the front lens
Dial up the 35mm front lens until the camera aperture is just full open
Zoom in roughly around Z-80 on the camera
Focus the camera on the ground glass
Dial down the 35mm front lens until the camera aperture moves towards f4 (don't go over it for now)
Check exposure with camera moves, checking the zebras.
Lock the camera's exposure at the deepest point by putting the camera on manual
Check zoom
Check focus again, should be perfect now ;-)
press record!
I always try to keep the camera aperture on a lower number than 5.6 and the front 35mm lens on a lower number than 5.6 too. Using higher apertures with a 35mm adapter have proven to result in typical artifacts such as the ground glass showing up in the picture ("grey rainbow") and dust in the lens(es) showing up. If there is too much light, you can choose to turn down the camera gain to -3 or switch on the ND filter(s).
The Redrock Encore and the great outdoors; schlepping it around...: During spring and summer 2009 we shot all exterior shots for "Vrije Val" on several locations in the Netherlands. We shot on the beach, with both bad weather and sunshine. We went into the woods and through wetlands. Eventually we wrapped things up during the fall, around the water-mill where Vincent van Gogh painted some of his famous pictures. (That's less than a mile from my house.)
I'd a special flight-case tailor-made that can carry the EX-1 with rods, shoulder mount and the Redrock Encore adapter altogether without having to take it apart. Ideal, but a bit bulky. It's padded with foam, cut to snugly fit the whole thing. I'd put it in the back of my car or in our production van. I eventually strapped two cheap skateboards to it, in order to have it follow me through the street ;-) One battery charge lasts all day with continuously shooting. At the time i write this article, it's almost a 11 months ago - give or take a few weeks - that i received the M2E and the battery is still performing the same as far i can judge. I switch the thing off between shots of course, so it never get's the chance to fully drain. I recharge before each shooting day.
Our first exterior shoot was at a rough beach. Strong winds, sand, rain and salt blowing around. I was afraid that the camera and the adapter would be salted, sandblasted and soaked - so i wrapped the whole thing in plastic foil and gaffer tape...
Here are a number of pictures from our outdoor adventures...:
Appendix I - Connecting the Redrock Micro M2 Encore adapter to the EX-1 (or other prosumer video camera) - a "double dutch" alternative
Ever since the summer of 2009, i use a slightly different approach in setting up the Encore for our EX1: the other way around -> front to back instead from back to front. Yep, I'm Dutch...
Here are the straightforward steps i have eventually followed, giving me the best optical alignment with the least mechanical strain on the EX1 body. It's just my particular way of doing, you might find the regular way more to your liking of course. This is a hands-on installation, not a scientific test-charts-at-the-ready set-up.
take the Encore body, loosely mount the flip unit to the Encore via the blue coupler ring
hold the flip unit towards you, keep the front capped, and shine a flash light through the flip unit's entry, into the unit
look through the flip unit at the exposed condenser lens and rotate the flip unit until the lens frame is neatly centred in the image
tighten the four screws; just snug them up - applying force will drive them into the coupler ring and prevent future precision alignment
attach the achromatic lens and screw-on the blue coupler
attach the blue inner-ring to the EX1 lens via the 77<>72 step-down ring
attach the camera to the baseplate, but not too tight
loosen ALL the screws under the riser block and rod support
put one raiser shim (not the thinnest one, but the #2) under the rods, tighten the rod support clamp
put the camera on the riser block via the baseplate, tighten the baseplate, and make sure the whole structure is as wobbly as hell
loosely tighten the two screws closest to the BACK in such a way, that the camera can be moved left/right but not up/down
slide the rods in, tighten the rods support clamp
slide on the RedrockMicro Encore body, move it towards the EX1 while manoeuvring the EX1 in-line with the approaching Encore
if there is no vertical alignment, chang the shim under the rod support; thinner lowers the Encore, thicker brings it up
let the EX1 and Encore smoothly connect, and gently push camera and Encore together (holding the EX1 by the lens), tighten the Encore thumbscrews
gently tighten the screws on the blue coupler, one by one, without moving the EX1 (keep pushing them together), make sure the screws are tightened proportionally, by tightening opposite pairs - each time you feel the slightest resistance, switch to the opposite screw
without putting to much strain on the whole structure, and keeping the EX1 still, tighten the screws under the rising block
now you have fused the EX1 and Encore together and you'll have a structure that you can use as a sledge hammer ;-)
now, switch on the camera, uncap the encore, switch it on
do not be alarmed if you see that the frame of the flip unit is not centred -> the EX1 optical path moves in mysterious ways...
zoom in to a point between Z-75 and Z-78 (zoom/focus settings can vary from camera to camera) the best setting is the one that looks best to you... Put the EX1's MACRO switch ON
attach a long lens (>=50mm), apply enough light (overcast sky daylight is top), take a high-detail subject or a professional test chart (brick walls are unforgiving focus test objects) and balance the focus between centre of the image and the area a quarter off the right or left edge while keeping the camera's aperture (on manual) around F4-F5.6; use the front lens aperture to adjust the light - try to focus on the picture by finding the sweet spot of both the front and camera lens
This way our Encore is setup with the EX1 with the best results. For best results, attach a full-HD monitor. I can heartily suggest the budget ($250) Samsung 2333HD FullHD monitor with component connectors.
Appendix II - Cleaning the M2 Encore adapter and some tips from the battlefield...
Here are some extra Encore tips "from the battlefield" (FOLLOW AT YOUR OWN RISK):
- If you want to clean the Encore's condenser lens, because you see gray off-focus dust specks in your picture, try the following:
open-up the Encore's top-lid by removing the thumbscrews
watch your picture, while you set the focus of the camera towards the back (closest-by setting)
take a cotton-swap, without touching it with your fingers, rub it with a microfibre/lenscloth until it get's fluffy, blow on it with compressed air (not with your mouth...)
hold the swap between your finger tips, angled towards the condenser lens (you might even want to bent the swap slightly)
use the fluffy swap to clean the front and back of the condenser lens (through the little iron grate (back) and just behind the rotating groundglass (front)
move it from left to right like a window washer, moving fast and furious...; watch your action on the monitor
do NOT start blowing compressed air into the compartment, or you can start over again...
The procedure above will also change (reduce) the electrostatic load of the condensor lens. Because the groundglass rotates through the stationary air like crazy, an electrostatic field is formed. It can be both friend and foe; dust particles will stick to certain parts of the mechanism and stay there (until you start blowing air like crazy) , OR it will attach to the condenser lens and stay there. Until... you wipe it with a fluffy cotton swap.
If you run into dust settling problems on the condensor lens (important: ALL DOF adapters suffer from this, but the Encore has one major advantage over all the others: you can open the box and do the magic cotton-swap-trick), there is one final solution - moving the dust further out of focus: (this is not for the weak-hearted)
remove the flip unit
remove the four corner screws from the Encore's backside
gently remove the whole backside (groundglass is also attached to this part)
make sure that the shiny side of the groundglass is pointing towards you, if not, put it all back together again and we will say no more about it... ;-)
remove the screws at the front of the groundglass (thus loosening the groundglass)
turn over the groundglass, replace the screws (not too tight) so that the matted side of the thing is now pointing towards you
put it all together again - you might want to blow some clean air in and OVER the thing, but you might want to opt for the magic-cotton-swap-trick if needed later on...
you will see that the focus on the groundglass has moved a few millimetres towards the front, thus moving the condensor lens further out of the field of focus
The above is a quick-and-dirty trick to solve severe dust setteling problems, that should honestly be addressed in a more professional matter: have it cleaned by a professional. If you want to do this yourself, take the condenser lens out and clean it with a dedicated lens-cleaning fluid and a clean microfibre cloth. Don't blow or breath on it with your mouth please... Again, my experience is that you should not unleash jets of compressed air into the Encore's structure - you will only blow new dust in, and disturb "old" dust, unless you are doing so in a professional clean room wearing special clothing, and a shower cap...
I repeat, the above is our "modus operandi" - just applying common sense.
Karel Hamm and i have completed the first drafts for a short movie for the good cause, with the Aids Fund as benificiary. A short 25 minute movie about HIV, Aids and prejudice. A silent movie with music only, to be composed by composer Kevin Bachus.
So there it was... The Shoot35 SG-Blade! Very nice looking piece of equipment. Nice sleek and compact. Nice rods, nice everything.... Time to put it on the camera! 
The working title for Vrije Val has been "Birth of a Song" for nearly a year, after which we were forced to change the name because of a rights problem. The publisher of Indian writer K.S. Dugal demanded a fee for the film rights that we couldn't afford. We decided to change the title into "Vrije Val" which is Dutch and translates "Free fall". It's also the title of the first song in the movie.
I read about other fimmakers that use the DOF adapter selectively. I've never done that. It is fixed to my camera for a number of reasons. First of all, i hate to take it off my camera after i'm happy with the results. Putting it on again always includes some cleaning and adjustment and i don't like that between shots. Secondly, the image changes too much to my liking. The way light is captured through the DOF adapter (bokeh, highlight diffusion) is so much different from the direct signal, that there is too much difference in the picture to my liking. Of course, different camera picture styles can compensate color and sharpness and maybe some differences in gamma, but your "filmlook" will be gone.
Each day before a shoot i'd check the camera/adapter combo. I cleaned out the Encore, which is easy because it has a built-in dust trap. This means that you can blow compressed air into it's body and the dust is literally trapped in a separate compartment that can be vacuumed-out. I'd check for any dirt on the condenser lens or Nikon lens, by shooting a bright sky or highlighted wall/ceiling/etc. While the aperture closes on the EX-1 camera (auto aperture), and the aperture on the Nikon lens is dialed down, the depth of field between the camera and the DOF adapter get's so big, that each dust or dirt particle in it's optical path becomes visible. That's not what you want while shooting, but it helps with cleaning and setting up.
regard the picture and zoom in on the (spinning) ground glass somewhere between the Z value of 78 and 82. I focus the camera lens roughly and then work on the focus of the 35mm. lens. Because the depth of field between the camera and the ground glass is minimal, you'll hit the correct focus point eventually. If really shooting later on, i'll dial down the camera aperture and thus creating more depth of field and thus a broader margin for the camera-to-adapter focus to operate in. 
During spring and summer 2009 we shot all exterior shots for "Vrije Val" on several locations in the Netherlands. We shot on the beach, with both bad weather and sunshine. We went into the woods and through wetlands. Eventually we wrapped things up during the fall, around the water-mill where Vincent van Gogh painted some of his famous pictures. (That's less than a mile from my house.)