Redrock M2 VS. Cinevate Brevis

It's finally here, the unofficial review of the Texan Redrock M2 versus the Canadian Cinevate Brevis35.

Some background;

This review was conducted so that I could see the differences in how these two 35mm imaging adapters handle light, DOF (depth of field), focus, edge to edge focus and color. These tests were not conducted under controlled light so results may vary. Be your own judge.
Out of the box;

The Redrock M2 took about 6 1/2 weeks to arrive at my doorstep upon ordering the unit. [Note: Ordered May 2006. Rumors have it that it now takes between 2-3 weeks for delivery.] The M2 unit currently runs at $550 for just the adapter pictured here. To properly use this thing, you will need to get the whole package. I chose the HD package which includes the M2, rails, baseplate, 72mm HD achromat and a fancy baseball cap.

The M2 comes in a nice box with custom hard foam inserts. If desired, these foam inserts can easily be placed into a Pelican case for safe travel. The first thing I noticed was how solid the construction build was on the M2. It is a very professional, solid piece of equipment. Simple but solid. It is essentially a box with a spinning piece of hard plastic (ground glass). The videocamera lens attaches on one side while your choice of lenses go on the other. Simple, simple, simple. The one thing that was not simple was the setup time for the M2. It takes a good 1-2 hours to setup the device before you can use it. I use the Panasonic HVX, so the M2 requires a SHIM kit which makes everything level. You also need to take a little time adjusting the motor of the unit otherwise it will be in your shot. After you set the M2 up, it takes between 4-6 minutes to attach it to your camera everytime (time includes setup of rails/baseplate). I usually just leave mine on.

The M2 is very cumbersome and bulky. It is not really made for handheld work with the type of camera I have, maybe the JVC HD-100 is better because of the shoulder mount, I don't know. It weighs a ton as well and can be strenuous if you're doing a lot of handheld work like I do. Better get a good tripod..

After using the M2 for a while, I've been very pleased with the image. The biggest qualms I have with the M2 would have to be the weight of the unit and the loss of light. Redrock claims very little light loss but I find that false. You definitely need a fast lens or bright lights to use it properly.

After using the M2 for 3 months, I decided to invest in the Cinevate Brevis35. I heard good things about it and the user footage looked sufficient enough to take the dip. The Brevis is a little more expensive than the M2, costing $796.55 for just the adapter. I paid $995 for the adapter + achromat. Cinevate has a rail system and additional diffusers (ground glass) which is a nice plus. Total; you're looking at $1214 for a decked out Brevis and $1300 for the M2 HD package. The Brevis took around 10 1/2 weeks to get to my doorstep from the time I ordered the unit. [Ordered late August 2006. Cinevate says this turnaround time will drastically decrease. They recently changed achromatic suppliers] The Brevis comes in a small Pelican 1150 box. In the Pelican case is the Brevis with the 72mm HD achromat already attached and the charger/power adapter. It took 45 seconds for me to take the Brevis out of the box and start shooting with it. It literally just screws right onto the front of your lens, you then focus on the ground glass, turn it on and you're ready to go. The Brevis uses a vibrating ground glass which Cinevate refers to as a diffuser. The diffuser element can be swapped out which is very nice. As far as I know, the Redrock doesn't implement swappable ground glass elements.

BRIGHT BRIGHT BRIGHT : After using the M2 for awhile now, the Brevis is a light lovers dream come true. It pushes between 1.5 - 2.5 stops more light as compared to the M2. For a run and gun, dogma shooter like myself, this is awesome. The Brevis is also very lightweight, requiring no rail system when using smaller sized lenses, your pasty cheeto-loving flabby arms will thank you. The Brevis feels more like an extension of the camera rather than an accessory like the M2 does. To each is his own I suppose. Both look cool in their own ways. : )

SHOW ME THE PICTURES

I did a few tests comparing the two adapters. Nothing substantial, but it will definitely let you see the differences. You will need QUICKTIME 7 to watch this video.

CAMERA : Panasonic HVX-200
FORMAT : 1080 24PA
LENS USED: Nikon 28mm f/2.8 Nikon 35mm f/2 Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Nikon 85mm f/2

All the tests were conducted under natural light. Since I decided to not attach the rail system to the M2, it only took a minute to screw it on the front of my HVX. Light did not change too much in between setups because of my fast turnaround time between shots. Some of these shots have been color corrected. The Unicorn clips have not been color corrected. Pay close attention to the mid-tones of these images. The Brevis has a faint yellow cast which I am still trying to figure out while the M2 has a faint blue cast.

http://www.richard-darge.com/m2brevis.htm

Some things I've been seeing...

The Brevis definitely needs a few ND filters in order to use outdoors or in bright indoor spots. Cinevate has advised against using your cameras built-in ND filters because if light is not cut down before hitting the diffuser element, your highlights and focus will begin to smear and you will notice visible grain and strange vibratory movement while stopping down your lens to compensate. These vibrations are clearly seen when using the in-camera shutter, 1/250 and beyond. Visible grain is very difficult to achieve with the M2, even while stopping down to f/22 and using a 1/1000 shutter. Edge focus and distortion seems to suffer less with the Brevis. The M2 appears to give shallower DOF than the Brevis, however I am still testing to see if this rings true. I would be curious to test Cinevate's new diffuser element to see if that achieves deeper DOF. Let the imagery do the talking. Vignetting/Spotlighting is not nearly as noticeable with the Brevis, especially when using wide angle lenses like my 28mm used in the vignette test.

Overall I have been pleased with both products. They both have their share of pros and cons. One thing that they do great is give you an alternative to the crystal clear focus we've all grown accustomed to when using these video cameras. That's worth it's weight in gold.

THE PROS & CONS OF LIFE

M2

Pros
-------
Very solid build construction
Excellent staff and customer service
Faster turnaround - 6 weeks for me, 2-3 weeks now
More products available from Redrock and interchangeable with current design and rails
Rails are nice for addons down the road (mattebox, follow focus, etc.)
More professional and intimidating design, ie LOGO and descriptive text
Simple design (box with a spinning GG)
Sharp picture under the right lighting conditions
Quiet operation, spinning GG
Good price for everything you get


Cons
-------
Heavy
Bulky and cumbersome, difficult to do handheld work for a long time
Darker image, needs more light
Ground glass is circular, you are only focusing on a slice of the circle for your image so you are bound to get vignetting and other anomolies
Takes about 90-120 minutes to setup the unit for the HVX - takes 5 1/2 minutes to attach to camera after initial setup
When battery dies, you have to take the plate off and swap out a 9v, no recharging


Brevis

Pros
------
Easy and fast to setup
Lightweight (perfect for run and gun)
Brighter image
Handheld without rails
Portable
Rechargable battery!
Power adapter included
Sleeker, less discreet design, looks like its apart of the camera
Less edge focus distortion/ vignetting
Flat, even image when zoomed out
Takes 30 seconds to attach to the camera - the unit is literally ready to use right out of the box
Ability to swap out different diffuser elements (2 to choose from)
Upgradability

Cons
-------
Wait time
Some highlights smear outside, need to invest in ND filters
Visible grain when stopping all the way down or using a high shutter




That's all for now! Thanks for reading and look forward to future reviews!

rgdfilms@gmail.com