How to Use a 35mm Adapter for a Corporate Video
Consumer and prosumer video cameras can achieve the look of film without the expense with 35mm adapters. There are a number of 35mm adapters on the market, yet they all work by allowing you to attach 35mm film and still camera lenses to the front of your video camera. This will give you the grain and shallow depth of field that make an attractive film image.
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Instructions
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Connect your 35mm adapter package to your camera. Follow the manufacturer's manual for precise instructions. However, this often involves attaching the adapter unit to the video camera, and then attaching a 35mm lens to your unit. Make sure you have the appropriate lens rings to fit your particular video camera model. You can contact the adapter manufacturer and they will help make sure you have the right hardware.
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Choose your lens. The benefit of using a 35mm lens adapter is the ability to use a wide range of film and still lenses. For most corporate video work, a good lens to use is either a 50mm "normal" lens or an 85mm "portrait" lens. When choosing lenses, make sure your adapter is configured to your particular lens mount. A common lens mounting option for 35mm adapters is the Nikon F mount, as Nikon still lenses are readily available and often inexpensive. Most 35mm adapters can hold a wide range of lenses. However, you may need to purchase additional lens mounts.
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Lock down the zoom on your video camera. To use a 35mm adapter effectively, you will often need to zoom in a fair amount to shoot through the adapter unit without any vignetting. Consult the 35mm instruction manual for the precise zoom specifications for your particular camera model.
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Set the back focus of your video camera by focusing the video camera on the static ground glass inside the 35mm adapter box. The camera is properly focused when you are able to discern the grain in the glass clearly. Once again, your adapter manual will have recommended settings for your video camera model.
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Light your subject. Working with a 35mm adapter, you can expect to lose between 1 and 3 stops of light. When working with a subject, you will need to either shoot outside on a sunny day, or provide adequate lighting.
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Turn on your 35mm adapter and shoot. The 35mm adapters are powered either by batteries or AC power. Connect your adapter and turn it on. With the video camera on, you should be able to see the ground glass spinning inside the unit and a clear image through the viewfinder. With the adapter running, shoot as you normally would.
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Tips & Warnings
A considerable amount of weight can be added to your camera rig by a 35mm adapter, so make sure your tripod can handle the additional weight.
Remember that 35mm adapters tend to burn through batteries fairly quickly. So either be prepared to connect to AC power, or bring plenty of spare batteries.
The lenses you choose will largely determine the quality of your image. Look for high-quality lenses that are free of scratches and dust.
Some older 35mm adapter units will produce an upside-down image. When shooting, connect an external monitor flipped upside, and correct the footage in post-production.
