A depth-of-field adapter puts a large-format lens in front of a small-sensor camera and gives it the shallow focus that sensor could never produce on its own. In 2010 that was how you made a video camera look like a film camera.
Large sensors are cheap now, so the obvious question is why anyone still buys one. There are three real answers, and none of them is nostalgia.
Why these still sell
- You own glass you love. A set of vintage 35mm primes has a character no modern lens replicates. An adapter puts that character on the camera you already shoot.
- Your camera body is not the problem. Broadcast and industrial cameras with fixed small sensors are often excellent in every other respect. An adapter changes the look without replacing a working camera.
- The look itself. A DoF adapter introduces a real ground glass into the optical path. That is a texture — not a defect — and some productions want it specifically.
“Buy an adapter for the glass you already own. Buy a camera for the sensor you need.”
The range, cheapest to most capable
| Model | Price | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Letus Mini | $420 | Smallest and lightest — adapter only |
| Letus Mini Bundle | $770 | Mini plus the parts you need to actually shoot |
| Letus Extreme Bundle | $990 | Step up in optics and build |
| Letus Elite Bundle | $1,410 | Higher-end optics, complete kit |
| Letus Ultimate | $2,400 | Top of the line |
Letus Mini DoF Adapter Bundle — $770
The Mini Bundle exists because an adapter on its own is rarely enough — you need support, mounting and the right rings before you can shoot. Buying the bundle avoids the common trap of a cheap adapter that then needs a few hundred dollars of parts before it works on your camera.
See the Letus Mini DoF Adapter Bundle →Letus Eiite DoF Adapter Bundle — $1,410
The jump from Extreme to Elite is in the optics. If the adapter is going to be on your A-camera for a whole project rather than used occasionally for a look, this is where the image quality justifies the cost.
See the Letus Eiite DoF Adapter Bundle →Letus Ultimate Depth of Field Adapter — $2,400
The Ultimate is for productions where the DoF adapter is a deliberate creative choice rather than a workaround. Best optics in the range, built to stay on the camera all day.
See the Letus Ultimate Depth of Field Adapter →Three things to know before you buy
- You lose light. Ground glass costs stops. Budget your lighting for it.
- Support matters. An adapter hanging off a lens mount is a mechanical problem. The bundles include support for a reason, and skipping it damages equipment.
- Your camera needs to be able to focus close. The adapter projects an image your camera then re-photographs. Not every lens and camera pairing works — check with us first.
We also offer adapter and relay lens servicing for units already in the field. If you have an older Letus adapter sitting unused because something is not right with it, that is often a repair rather than a replacement.
No sales tax. Letus builds and ships from Portland, Oregon, and Oregon has no state sales tax — the price you see is the price you pay. Not sure which configuration fits your camera? Message our team on WhatsApp and describe your rig.