Reader Mailbag: TwoNeil DIY35mmPRO 35mm Adapter Question

Welcome to the DOJO!

Yes, I know, it’s been way too long since my last post on here.  And, yes, I know I haven’t finished my Top 10 Essential Equipment for Filmmakers list.  Things have gotten a bit hectic here over the past couple of months and I have been neglecting my responsibilities as the Film Sensei.  I am hoping to make up for things and get back to posting and shooting videos for this site here in the next week or two.

An interesting thing has happened here since I put up my initial post on the TwoNeil DIY35mmPRO 35mm Adapter (the TwoNeil to most people):  I have been getting a ton of traffic and half a ton of questions about the thing.  It looks like there are a lot of you out there with a Canon HV20 or its newer counterpart, the Canon HV30, who are on a budget and looking for a low cost alternative to high priced 35mm adapter rigs. 

Now, before I get to today’s reader email, I do want to point out a couple of things.  First off, these DIY static adapters (and even vibrating/rotating ones) are no replacement for the higher end units like the Brevis or Letus (or Redrock or one of about 10 other ones out on the market now).  Anyone expecting to get the same results from a $200 homemade unit that they would from a $1500 manufactured one is going to be sorely disappointed.  They are two completely different things and can’t really be compared.  However, for what it is, the TwoNeil 35mm adapter can produce some very spectacular results if you know what you are doing.

Second, the TwoNeil 35mm Adapter is based on a design which is readily available online (and even TwoNeil points that out) for free.  If you have the technical ability and the patience, you can save a few bucks by building one yourself.  That being said, if you’re like me, building one can be a scary thing to consider.  I would rather spend a few extra bucks and have an expert put one together for me.  Not only does that guarantee the unit will be put together properly, but it also gives you someone to ask questions about its operation and design.  For me the slight extra cost of purchasing an assembled TwoNeil adapter versus building one myself was completely worth it.  As I mention below, the unit I received (and the help I received) from TwoNeil was easily worth the money I spent.  Even with the long lead time (TwoNeil is a one-man shop) and the often slow email response time, I have absolutely no complaints about the TwoNeil 35mm Adapter and feel that it can give an experience user results far beyond the price I paid for it. 

Anyone who asks me about the TwoNeil DIY35mmPRO 35mm Adapter gets the same response, “Every lowbudget filmmaker should absolutely have one of these babies in their arsenal of guerilla filmmaking tools…at its low price there is no excuse not to.” Full Story →