simple-joy
Senior Member
- Messages
- 1,150
- Reaction score
- 1,674
While the scanner it was used in (Screen Cezanne Elite FT-S5500) gained some popularity (due to the fact that it is among the most impressive scanners of its kind) the lens is almost unknown. Why? Well, there's a number of reasons:
1.) if you have got a scanner like that (it was VERY expensive) you likely don't want to risk anything by removing the lens because according to some information online it's very difficult to get the lens back into its place in the same accurate position as it came from the factory
2.) there's no inscription on the lens, so it's hard to reference. Neither the manufacturer of it is known for sure, nor the specs.
3.) it has a deep red filter on it which (sometimes, but not always) can be a sign, that it might not be great as a taking lens.
So, even though it would theoretically make sense to check out the lens in a scanner, often referenced as "the best of its kind", it has likely only been done a couple of times. One of the people who did is (you guessed it) Robert OToole, but he never published his results. He mentioned it not performing as well as he had hoped, given the impressive specs and called it "just good to very good".
Well, if there is someone out there who doesn't automatically dismiss lenses, which are "only very good" that must be me then... so of course I was curious about it.
Thankfully I got in touch with the person who had introduced Robert to that scanner and its lens and thanks to this very nice and generous fellow I finally got one of those lenses myself.
I'm still not very familiar with it spec-wise and am also in the process of figuring out what to use it for, but I certainly got the impression that it's a worthwhile lens to give a real chance. It seems to be similar to some other scanner lenses with a focal length of around 85-90 mm and a wide-open aperture of f/4. I'm pretty sure it not up to the excellent Agfa-Gevaert 107 mm f/4 wide open, but my impression is, that the difference will likely disappear slightly stopped down... it might even be better.
It certainly seems better corrected for CAs and while the lens is not overly impressive in terms of sharpness wide open, it does some really interesting stuff with its OOF rendering, that I still need to explore some more.
Here's a lot of information on the scanner:
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?33565-Screen-Cezanne-Users-Unite
Here's an interesting blog-post and video by Austrian photographer Markus Hofstaetter, who got one to scan large format plates:
https://blog.markus-hofstaetter.at/2022/04/bringing-a-73kg-high-end-scanner-back-to-life/
and as usual, here are some of my sample shots:
Can't say I nailed it... but still it's a wrap!
Wrapped up in the Christmas rush
The flame is gone, the fire remains
Wrapture
So very ice of you to stick up for us
Crisp-mas
https://flic.kr/p/2o5hyFC
--
Experimenting manual lens enthusiast.
1.) if you have got a scanner like that (it was VERY expensive) you likely don't want to risk anything by removing the lens because according to some information online it's very difficult to get the lens back into its place in the same accurate position as it came from the factory
2.) there's no inscription on the lens, so it's hard to reference. Neither the manufacturer of it is known for sure, nor the specs.
3.) it has a deep red filter on it which (sometimes, but not always) can be a sign, that it might not be great as a taking lens.
So, even though it would theoretically make sense to check out the lens in a scanner, often referenced as "the best of its kind", it has likely only been done a couple of times. One of the people who did is (you guessed it) Robert OToole, but he never published his results. He mentioned it not performing as well as he had hoped, given the impressive specs and called it "just good to very good".
Well, if there is someone out there who doesn't automatically dismiss lenses, which are "only very good" that must be me then... so of course I was curious about it.
Thankfully I got in touch with the person who had introduced Robert to that scanner and its lens and thanks to this very nice and generous fellow I finally got one of those lenses myself.
I'm still not very familiar with it spec-wise and am also in the process of figuring out what to use it for, but I certainly got the impression that it's a worthwhile lens to give a real chance. It seems to be similar to some other scanner lenses with a focal length of around 85-90 mm and a wide-open aperture of f/4. I'm pretty sure it not up to the excellent Agfa-Gevaert 107 mm f/4 wide open, but my impression is, that the difference will likely disappear slightly stopped down... it might even be better.
It certainly seems better corrected for CAs and while the lens is not overly impressive in terms of sharpness wide open, it does some really interesting stuff with its OOF rendering, that I still need to explore some more.
Here's a lot of information on the scanner:
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?33565-Screen-Cezanne-Users-Unite
Here's an interesting blog-post and video by Austrian photographer Markus Hofstaetter, who got one to scan large format plates:
https://blog.markus-hofstaetter.at/2022/04/bringing-a-73kg-high-end-scanner-back-to-life/
and as usual, here are some of my sample shots:
Can't say I nailed it... but still it's a wrap!
Wrapped up in the Christmas rush
The flame is gone, the fire remains
Wrapture
So very ice of you to stick up for us
Crisp-mas
https://flic.kr/p/2o5hyFC
--
Experimenting manual lens enthusiast.
