funny that you say that because I was going to ask you about 35mm adapters today till I found this... :) If you come accross more educational videos like this let me know. Or better yet maybe there should be a posting on the HG10 Channel for just educational videos?

Yea, and most of the videos are "test" videos. Is anyone producing anything with these things?!

Rhetorical question. Yes, there are lots of great vids produced using these adapters, here for example:

vimeo.com/filmlook

I already subscribe to that channel, and, yes, there are some good shorts being made, no question. However, I think most people would be better off perfecting their film making techniques before turning to a very imperfect solution to a low budget, and having overly high expectations of the equipment suddenly upping their level of production.

And possibly the first step would be to upgrade to a better camera before bolting on a DOF solution, though I fully concede that more than impressive results are being had by some people with budget cameras, a Letus, and lots of skill.

Interesting - thanks for brining this into the discussion. As a professional, how do you feel about people trying to "buy" their way into the industry?

At first glance (1) it makes me cranky, but then I think (2) it won't matter, because when you give a hack a million dollars worth of gear, he's still gonna be a hack and it'll show.

Thanks man ... and nice ears! Yea, I took a step back on the audio on this one (embarrassed to admit: 60Hz ground loop!). Recovered in the "DIY Steadicam" segment, but you are exactly right: I am REALLY struggling with audio. In my garage (so a shotgun won't work). With the Sony HDR-SR7 (which compresses the audio coming in the mic jack). I've even treated about 40% of the space with acoustic foam, but I think I've reached limits to what I can do with the equipment I've got.

Yea, good questions and I think there are three things going on here:
(1) beginners building/buying 35mm adapters without knowing what they are getting into
(2) serious amateurs that have already mastered their camera and have good technique already and THEN they buy a 35mm adapter to enhance their already excellent video
(3) Pros that know exactly what they are doing.

Pixel Viking definitely looks like category (2). He has a $1,000 camera, $1,000 adapter and a pair of nice lenses to work with, so probably $3,000-$5,000 worth of gear. He shoots and fames very artistically, with the eye of a photographer.

The Magic Bullet "looks" stuff is nice, but I think his shots look good without it. MBLooks is a nice shortcut to some cool effects, but (with a little effort and knowlege) you can do the same thing with the tools that come with your editing software - levels, color correction, etc.

Our conversation about "buying into" the profession does not apply here. We mean someone (like a lawyer or stock broker) that quits their job or a bored rich kid that decides to become a "filmmaker" because it looks fun, so they drop $20,000 on gear and decide to make a movie. These people very very quickly learn it takes more than money!

A fantastic example is White Red Panic - vimeo.com/1333375 - Shot with a HV20, no adapter and graded in Magic Bullet Looks. It's amazing!

As for people buying into the industry, who really cares - of course they'll realise it takes more than gear ... just 'cause you drive a Ferrari doesn't make you Michael Shumacher but I'm sure it's a lot of fun anyway :)

35mm adapters, Magic Bullet etc ... they're all just tools. Ultimately, it's about how you use the tools available not the tools themselves.

As for my 35mm adapter ... you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands ;)

Please don't misunderstand me: I think quality 35mm lens adapters + a quality lens *when used appropriately* are great (as you already know). What I'm trying to communicate to people who DON'T already know, is that they aren't magical "Make My Video Look Like Film" devices - which is often how they are portrayed.