How do we mount lenses with the micro35?
 

Hi guys. New to the idea of a 35mm adapter, so I was wondering how do we mount lenses onto the micro35? I'm assuming that different lens manufacturers use different mounts, so how do we connect them to the micro35? Does it use some sort of standard mount and we use an adapter to adapt from the standard to whatever type for the lens we want?

I've heard people talka bout Lomo lenses (cause they are cheap) and so I'd assume we'd need a special Lomo to micro35 lens mount adapter?

Aaron

That was what I was about to say...but the one in the middle must be the 50mm of course because that's the most standard one around.

I wish I had a 70mm lens for the DOF and indoor shooting. For outdoors or on a big set a bigger lens, 135mm or more, would be useful.

there are different mounts avail...
 

Aaron, welcome to the discussions...

James is implementing the common 35mm lense types ie. Nikon, Canon for sure... not sure about others like Pentax.

Getting Nikon lenses is the safe bet as their system is the "uniform" for most (all?) their lenses...

That being said, James has outfitted the adapter for use with LOMO lenses (ie. Russian spy satellite lense company that evolved to make lenses for film cameras in Mother Russia) - that is what Larry McKee's group used and that's what is meant on James' site about "LOMO prototype"...

Hope this helps - if you take half a night and comb the posts, you'll find all you need to know...

Does LOMO produce zooms? And if so, given the fact that we're essentially going to DV and through another piece of glass (If you're using DVX etc) then would the apparent "inferiority" of zooms really matter? I'm asking because if I could get away with a nice zoom, it could save some $$ no?

Aaron

If at all possible. I would be inclined to try to keep all the lenses rather than break up a set. It will be more hlpful if you later decide to sell your Lomo lenses.
An intact set is more likely to be marketable. Also, mixing and matching later when buying a replacement for the lens you sell may introduce difficulties such as colour between different replacement lenses.

Well - I suggest the 35 to the 28 (partly because that's just how I shoot, but that's just me) because he will have to get some more wide lenses - probably a 25 and an 18 (and you can find both for not too much), and once he has those wider lenses he's going to wish he had the 35, not so the 28.

You do see Lomo's up to 80, but I don't recall seeing one longer than that. You usally get moved on to Jupiters (which I believe use a different lens mount and have to be adapted to OCT-19, but I could be wrong). 100 and a 135 Jupiter wouldn't be a bad choice, but personally I'd get some wide stuff before I got longer lenses - but again that's just me.

For zooms, you're looking at Fotons. They're big and heavy and not terribly sharp or fast - I've seldom seen them below T3 actually. If you have a good set of primes, and you're locked into a russian mount, I'd say forget the zoom. You could probably get an angenieux or something and adapt it to a russian mount (or adapt all of your russian lenses to a PL mount) but either way, it can get expensive fast and really cancel out the money you save buying russian primes. Personally, I'd say forget the zoom.

Single Chip Cam's 37mm filters
 

Hey guys. I'm curious will the micro 35 work with single chip cameras that have filter mounts as small as say 37mm?

It sure will!

james
www.micro35.com

which ones..
 

just a suggestion... but KEEP THEM ALL....

the little bit that you get now will cost you more later.... keep the set...

im working with one right now with a micro35. my camera is a pv-gs50 and has 27mm threads.

How much for the one you are selling?
 

I'd be interested in any of those LOMO's. Let us know which you decide to sell and for how much.

Andy

Buying that lens
 

Do you still have that lens available? If so, do you have a PayPal account I can transfer the money to? A lot easier than mailing paper around the country!

Brian I will buy your lens..can you send me pics please?

obin@dv3productions.com

Hey guys -

I can't believe you remembered this post!

Here's the deal: I have a couple of nikon lenses I picked up expressly for the Micro35. A 50mm and a 105mm. They are nice lenses! I am going to hang on to them for now until I get my OCT-19 mount for my lomos. At that point, I'm willing to part with them.

BTW - you can also check eBay - look under mf nikon lenses category. You can still get basically the same lens and price. I've seen a bunch there.

Andy,
I'd be selling only one (probably the 35mm) and only with the Konvas 2 - 35mm film camera. It will make thecaera a little easier to sell.

thanks for asking

I'd keep 'em all absolutely. One thing that would help you is to check the serial #s of the lenses. the first two numbers are the year they were made. If they are 80 or later, they are probably pretty good lenses. Anything before that I've heard sketchy stuff.

But really, if you are going the 35mm route, why would you give up a lens for maybe $80-100?

PLUS you may consider pulling the OCT-19 mount off the Konvas and keeping it (or maybe even sending it to James - sorry james - ) since it could greatly help you get an OCT-19 mount much sooner.

This is the route Larry took, and he's the Micro35-Lomo god!

Lomos
 

Hi everyone. Been lurking finally posting. I am a composer turned filmmaker and am a noobie when it comes to things optical. I own a DVX 100a which I am very happy with. Really want 35mm DOF and plan to purchase micro35 when it is available. On that note...

I purchased these lenses on ebay from www.kievcamera.com for $25.00 each. Seller has a lot of good feedback. These are from the early nineties according to the serial #'s and the photos look like they are in good condition.

I am awaiting their delivery. Hoping I found something good and that I didn't waste my money. Figured it was worth a shot. Anybody care to comment about the quality of these lenses and if they will work with the planned micro35 LOMO mount.

35mm movie camera Lens OKC 2-100-2 100 mm LOMO "MINT"

35mm movie camera Lens OKC 1-50-6 50 mm LOMO "MINT"

Welcome, James! As far as I have read at micro35.com, the LOMO mount which has been tested is the OCT-19.

I emailed you off the boards about Kiev Camera. Please post here when you get a opinion about the lenses you bought.

Regarding Nikon Af, Ai, AIS, Zooms, etc...

Nikon has had the same physical mount since something like 1940. The Ai and AIS designations came later, and refer to connections in the lens for cameras with electronic metering (and here may be a difference for cameras with DOF buttons as well? My knowledge doesn't go back that far!). But essentially, any Nikon Ai, AIS, and AF lens should work on a current lens mount. For Nikon still bodies, you would lose some things like metering (and obviously AF if you had a pre-AF lens). But none of that applies to the Micro35 anyway, as the lens will be strictly manual; the mount is just "holding the lens in place" with no mechanical/electronic coupling.

Nikon AF lenses in such a scenario will just be MF lenses, and the focusing ring will work normally (though some consumer AF lenses will have TINY focusing rings.) A couple Nikon lenses (for instance some of the 80-200 2.8 zooms) have an AF/MF switch on the body as well. Some people feel that many AF lenses just don't have nice focus damping, some of them do feel a bit "loose" to me as well; you could visit a photo rental place and handle theirs to see what you think.

Also, "IF" in the lens number means "Internal Focusing". "ED" signifies (as I recall) their low-dispersion glass.

There are many websites with spreadsheet-type comparisons of Nikons (and Nikon mount sigmas, vivitars, etc). Some Nikon lenses are stellar, other are so-so. Some of their very old, non-ai lenses are legendary for sharpness and flare control as well... they've made fab optics for decades.

Better Nikons lenses will be (in the 65mm and longer ranges) the fast ones, generally speaking. If you get a zoom, get a 2.8, not a 4.5-5.6 (Which would kill the whole reason you want 'em for a Micro35 anyway, right?) Many wide Nikons under 35mm length are decent to stellar as well, as these weren't of consumer interest. Some of their 20's are classics.

You might consider, when going with Nikon, to get their AF lenses; this way you could get a D70 or D50 affordable digital SLR and have a "pro-ish" digital still as well. (The D70 is actually a bit better then the D100) (Same goes for Canon EOS I suppose).

Also, there's a wealth of focusing tubes, close-up sets, reversing rings, and teleconverters for Nikon, so if you want to get esoteric with extreme closeups (or shooting wierd textury stuff for compositing), these could be fun as well. And photography rental houses should have a huge stock of Nikon glass, up to the $12,000 400 F4's.

Some wonderful Nikon AF's: the 50 1.8... the 85 1.8 (considered one of the best fashion lenses of all time--gorgeous and compact)... the 180 2.8, and just about any of the (huge) 300 and 400 2.8's. The 300F4 is stellar; The 80-200 2.8AF is one of the most useful lenses you could own for long work; it just seems to have "soul" with it's sweet compression and color rendition. (You can get these on ebay cheap; they're a tough pro-lens that came in several variants). The 18-35 3.5-4.5 is nice, if a bit slow (but can be found for under $400)... the fast wide-zooms are excellent but very very expensive.

Hope that helps! --MC

Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 MF
 

I picked up a cheap 50mm Nikon f/1.8 MF lens off ebay for like $30. Is it comparable in quality to the 50mm AF lens?

Michael - that was one of the best posts I've seen! Would you mind if I borrowed it for the Micro35 forum over at Redrock? I will give you full credit.

Brian

Obin - your web site is the bomb! Everyone should check it out. Nice demo reels too!

Any lomo experts out there?

Hoping someone can tell me if these lenses will work with the micro35?

LOMO OKC 2-100-2 100 mm

LOMO OKC 1-50-6 50 mm

Thanks, & feel free to re-post, etc.

GREAT LENS INFO LINK:
User-report database of lenses... tons of Nikon, and I assume lots of Canon, Sigma, etc.:

http://www.photozone.de/active/news/index.jsp

Dig around & find the "user reports database" (or somethin' like that...) Someone may want to cross-post this to the general Micro35 area? If you feel the link is gold, you may want to sticky it for a while? It's been a real boon for me, when considering dropping my hard-earned cash for a lens I haven't rented or tested before.

Oh... hope I didn't P.O. any D100 users... but, the D70 (digital SLR body) has faster startup and image processing (I can fill up an entire fast CF 256mb card on large & fine JPEG at full motor drive speed without a hitch), a compression engine that is generally considered a little "smoother" than the D100, and (IMHO) a much easier to use menu structure. However, the D100 *does* have that nice vertical grip available...