[ Tech ] - Sharing C-Mount (cine) lens' photos and gears on M43 bodies

[eooojj]

Thanks for all the suggestions n advice, i have given up trying n returned the lens back.

Hi Icohol,
Sorry to hear that
You could have brought your camera and lens to Chiif and test with his RJ adaptor.
I am sure he could let you try for free before you buy.
I am pretty sure it will work.
I have got no problem at all with my angeiunex lens.
Ed

 

[eooojj]

lovely, keep more images coming!

Received my C-lens recently. It is a vintage uncoated Cooke Kinic 1 inch f1.5. This is how this tiny cute lens looks on my E-P2:

Couldn't wait to take one shot in dim light to check out its swirly bokeh:

loving it! :heart:

Laurie

 

[eooojj]

Hi,
Do try out firmware update at http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/index.html
for your GF1
I heard you just need to scroll wheel to magnify for sharp focusing ...an even faster focusinf from the already convenient focusing procedure!
I will be trying out these few days...those who had tried out do let us know if its cool
Ciao, Ed

 

[rwhite]

Wah... very tempted to get one of these C mount lenses

 

[milaurie]

My friend, Roger, trying to act "cute" in front of the Cooke Kinic lens

The lens is sharp! Below is a 100% crop of Roger's left eye:

...and that swirly bokeh.

 

[raymondluo]

Will have a 1.5-ish kg TV lens to test in a couple of days, gonna have to make a trip to chiif for the adapter!

 

[paisatge]

I'm very interested to know :

1. if there is any need to use any ND filters at all when shooting at such aperture. Some of the pictures look like they were taken under bright daylight.

2. for GF1 users, do you use the LCD to do focusing or the EVF? If the EVF, how useable/good it is for this purpose? This is the dilemma I have choosing between the GF1 (better AF) and E-P2 (better EVF) :dunno:

 

[eooojj]

I'm very interested to know :

1. if there is any need to use any ND filters at all when shooting at such aperture. Some of the pictures look like they were taken under bright daylight.

2. for GF1 users, do you use the LCD to do focusing or the EVF? If the EVF, how useable/good it is for this purpose? This is the dilemma I have choosing between the GF1 (better AF) and E-P2 (better EVF) :dunno:

Hi Paisatge,
From my own f0.95 experience, under the bright Mid Afternoon Singapore sun with wide-open...my 1/4000sec is max out and over...but i had not gotten my ND8 filter yet so i don't care and just squeeze off...but most often the photos came out only slightly over-expose.
The other alternative of course if that you stopped-down and compromise less DOF. ;p

The GF1 LCD is excellent excellent, however again if you are shooting under those bright mid afternoon sun, focusing with the LCD might be a little difficult though not possible. I would love to get a improved GF1 EVF once its available. I don't have a EVF now so i can't comment. Most of my shooting is done at night, indoor or non-midday timing (as i am usually hard at work in office during those times :/)

Hope it helps.
Post your shots soon!!!!

 

[paisatge]

Hi Paisatge,
From my own f0.95 experience, under the bright Mid Afternoon Singapore sun with wide-open...my 1/4000sec is max out and over...but i had not gotten my ND8 filter yet so i don't care and just squeeze off...but most often the photos came out only slightly over-expose.
The other alternative of course if that you stopped-down and compromise less DOF. ;p

The GF1 LCD is excellent excellent, however again if you are shooting under those bright mid afternoon sun, focusing with the LCD might be a little difficult though not possible. I would love to get a improved GF1 EVF once its available. I don't have a EVF now so i can't comment. Most of my shooting is done at night, indoor or non-midday timing (as i am usually hard at work in office during those times :/)

Hope it helps.
Post your shots soon!!!!

Thanks for the info eooojj. Will see what Panasonic has to announce early next month. :think:

 

[milaurie]

GREEN.

E-P2/CK 1 in.

 

[eooojj]

Thanks for the info eooojj. Will see what Panasonic has to announce early next month. :think:

Plz PLz PLz ...give me a revised EVF for GF1!
Or, better still, a GF2 with in-built EVF for the same price!

 

[hydroburn249]

what's the going rate for c mount lenses?

and also, what should we look for when trying to get them?

stuff like image circle etc.

from the website someone posted (spytown or something like that), there were a few lenses being offered, with many image circles like 1/2" 1" etc, so which should we get?

 

[eooojj]

Hi Hydroburn,
Just a quick one as its office hours for me now .
Do check my first post, download the excel file, do your homework by clicking the links.
Once you have narrowed down your choice, go find the prices at eBay.
There is no quick answers to your questions i am sorry.

1" gives a bigger "invisible sphere" around you in-focus and cause less vignetting while 1/2" gives a smaller "invisible sphere" (thus more swirls and OOF) around you in-focus and cause more vignetting for the same f-stop. My advise is to get the 1" unless you loves "permenant" vignetting.

Hope this helps from my limited knowlegde.

Ciao! Ed

what's the going rate for c mount lenses?

and also, what should we look for when trying to get them?

stuff like image circle etc.

from the website someone posted (spytown or something like that), there were a few lenses being offered, with many image circles like 1/2" 1" etc, so which should we get?

 

[milaurie]

人面蜘蛛

E-P2 with Carl Zeiss Jena Tevidon 35/1.9, WO, handheld @1ft.

milaurie

 

[rwhite]

Sorry can i ask 1 dumb question? does 2x crop ratio still applies on C mount lens on m4/3 camera? :what::what::what:

 

[aloyyolaaloy]

Sorry can i ask 1 dumb question? does 2x crop ratio still applies on C mount lens on m4/3 camera? :what::what::what:

definitely

 

[milaurie]

what's the going rate for c mount lenses?

and also, what should we look for when trying to get them?

stuff like image circle etc.

from the website someone posted (spytown or something like that), there were a few lenses being offered, with many image circles like 1/2" 1" etc, so which should we get?

Just to add on to what Ed has said n to share some of my findings about c-lens:

1. Price of c-lens has shot up to almost crazy level ever since the launch of M43 digi cam. used to be very cheap (like US$10 - 50). Now, it is more like $100 to $1-2K. As a rule, those c-lenses that have been tested to have full or nearly-full sensor coverage (esp. thru' nice pix posted at flickr) are keenly sought after and hence priced higher and higher each day. Expect to pay US$300 - 500 for a decent copy.

2. What to look for - a few things:

- some c-lenses cannot be mounted properly because of having too large an outer diameter. some cannot be focused to infinity (needs modification). Sample to sample variation among same lens can be a lot as well. So best to read thru' forum users' experience before buying.

- Image circle: those designed for 2/3, or 1 inch are generally not enough to cover the full sensor of M43, resulting in very dark corners and fuzzy peripheral image quality. As a guide, the image circle must be at least 22mm or more to have full coverage. Most c-lens designed for 16mm or super-16mm are not quite sufficient to have full sensor coverage. More so for anything below 25mm. below is an example image produced by a Kern Switar 25mm f1.4 AR lens. While it can produce nice color and good center sharpness, the dark corners are just too excessive, even with aggressive vignetting correction in PS. (Some might like the vignetting as an art effect thought.)

- Swirly bokeh is not directly related to image circle but image smearing is. When used appropriately, it can produce interesting effect. One attempt:

My take about c lens is that it is great fun to use and can produce interesting results not available from the standard M43 AF lenses. eg. no standard M43 lens can give you the dreamy bokeh of a 0.95 c-lens, nor that swirly bokeh of a Cooke kinic. Cheap replacement for standard M43 AF lenses it is not.

milaurie

 

[hydroburn249]

thanks for the replies milaurie and eooojj

anyways here's a follow up from your reply, particularly this part:

- Image circle: those designed for 2/3, or 1 inch are generally not enough to cover the full sensor of M43, resulting in very dark corners and fuzzy peripheral image quality. As a guide, the image circle must be at least 22mm or more to have full coverage. Most c-lens designed for 16mm or super-16mm are not quite sufficient to have full sensor coverage. More so for anything below 25mm.

so its not the focal length of the lens that will determine if it fits the sensor and reduces vignetting, but more its diameter? meaning 2/3, 1 inch etc.

i've always thought that certain focal lengths will cause vignetting, and not the diameter. did i get it right?

 

[milaurie]

thanks for the replies milaurie and eooojj

anyways here's a follow up from your reply, particularly this part:



so its not the focal length of the lens that will determine if it fits the sensor and reduces vignetting, but more its diameter? meaning 2/3, 1 inch etc.

i've always thought that certain focal lengths will cause vignetting, and not the diameter. did i get it right?

No, 2/3 inch, 1 inch are not referring to the diameter of the lens! It refers to the film format for which the cine lens is designed. 1 inch is commonly known as Super 16mm. See illustration below for 16mm, super-16mm and M43:

You can see that a lens must have around 21-22mm image circle to cover the M43 sensor fully. Most cine lenses are designed for 16mm or Super 16mm and hence generally could not do so (with the exception of a few.) It is true to a great extend that cine lens with focal length below 25mm generally could not cover the M43 sensor fully (unless the cine lens is for larger film format, like super-35mm).

Hope this clarifies.

 

[eooojj]

Milaurie,
Wow! Amazing infomation!
Thanks.

No, 2/3 inch, 1 inch are not referring to the diameter of the lens! It refers to the film format for which the cine lens is designed. 1 inch is commonly known as Super 16mm. See illustration below for 16mm, super-16mm and M43:

You can see that a lens must have around 21-22mm image circle to cover the M43 sensor fully. Most cine lenses are designed for 16mm or Super 16mm and hence generally could not do so (with the exception of a few.) It is true to a great extend that cine lens with focal length below 25mm generally could not cover the M43 sensor fully (unless the cine lens is for larger film format, like super-35mm).

Hope this clarifies.