Russian Primes on Mini 35?
 

I know this side of the Forum is in decline, but I'd like to get any info from past (or present) Mini 35 users with regards to lens choices. I bought a Mini 35 recently, and I'd like to experiment with it (as there seems to be so much development in the AF100 style end of the market at the moment I decided to wait a few months to see if Canon will release a competitor in the near future - I figure the Mini 35 will keep me busy until I can make up my mind which way to go)!

To begin with:
Has anyone ever tried using Lomo lenses on a Mini 35?
I see a company called Raf Cameras used to make an OCT-19 to Mini-35 adapter which would allow the use of Russian Cine lenses, but they dont make this adapter anymore. Does anyone have one for sale, or know where they might be found?

Also, did anyone ever try to adapt M42 mount lenses onto a Mini 35? Any adapters available for that job?

Thanks!

Re: Russian Primes on Mini 35?
 

P+S Technik's line-up of mounts for their IMS system for the Mini35,Pro35 and SI2K camera system does not seem to include an OCT19 mount.

Likely they could make one up for you but it may be a relatively costly one-off. I would be surprised if they do not already have the CAD design for it, just have not built stock due to low likely demand.

P+S TECHNIK | Professional Cine Equipment Manufacture | WEISSCAM Digital Highspeed Camera System | WEISSCAM HS-2


A maker of precision mount adaptors is Les Bosher in the UK. He will also build to order. He may have a profile for the OCT19-mount system as he mods Konvas cameras for PL-Mount.

Les Bosher - Camera Engineer


M42 to Oct19 or PL mount might be a bit difficult because of the shorter flange distances of the M42 lenses. Some M42 lens bodies may be too wide to fit inside the Oct19 or PL-mount structures.

An IMS ( bare mount on the Mini35 ) to M42 adaptor may also exist as an existing but unstocked P+S design. It would be a fairly easy one to make as the flange to focal plane of the bare IMS mount is quite close. A wider choice of M42 lenses may be possible.

The IMS bare mount is very similar to the PL-Mount and I think shares the same clamp ring and bayonet profile. The IMS inner shoulder is a smaller diameter than the PL-Mount shoulder. An IMS adaptor can be offered up and secured in a PL-Mount. There is no donkey trap built in to prevent you from doing it.

You will discover this soon enough when you expereince a stills-camera lens which will simply not focus and will have unwittingly fitted a PL-Mount adaptor into the IMS receiver then fitted another type of IMS lens adaptor to the PL-Mount, which places your lens well forward of where it should be.