Did I miss a memo?

[Suave]

What's up with this: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=canon+fd+28mm+f2&_sacat=0&_sop=16

Is this a new reality? Or just people losing sense of said reality?

 

[verybiglebowski]

What's up with this: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=canon+fd+28mm+f2&_sacat=0&_sop=16

Is this a new reality? Or just people losing sense of said reality?

 

[ProfHankD]

What's up with this: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=canon+fd+28mm+f2&_sacat=0&_sop=16

Is this a new reality? Or just people losing sense of said reality?

It’s a video hype. There were very famous Canon K-35 cine line, which was optically very similar if not the same as their SSC line. Since the post production in video is more time and resource demanding, it is not that easy to achieve a specific look. Rare SSC lenses, such as 28/2 went significantly up in prices, because they are still much cheaper option to re-house than original K-35.

That sort-of makes sense... although I don't see the 28/2 here nor here -- rather the 24/1.4.

This was a ~$400 lens new, a little less than the 24/2 and more than the 20/2.8. About 1/3 the price of the 24/1.4... so I don't want to think about what that might be selling for now....

I'll stick with my old Minolta MC 28mm f/2.5. ;-)

 

[Tomasg71]

What's up with this: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=canon+fd+28mm+f2&_sacat=0&_sop=16

Is this a new reality? Or just people losing sense of said reality?

It’s a video hype. There were very famous Canon K-35 cine line, which was optically very similar if not the same as their SSC line. Since the post production in video is more time and resource demanding, it is not that easy to achieve a specific look. Rare SSC lenses, such as 28/2 went significantly up in prices, because they are still much cheaper option to re-house than original K-35.

That sort-of makes sense... although I don't see the 28/2 here nor here -- rather the 24/1.4.

This was a ~$400 lens new, a little less than the 24/2 and more than the 20/2.8. About 1/3 the price of the 24/1.4... so I don't want to think about what that might be selling for now....

I'll stick with my old Minolta MC 28mm f/2.5. ;-)

There s a mint Canon 24/1.4 L for 5000 usd in a Canon FD group on FB. EDIT: it was sold.

 

[verybiglebowski]

What's up with this: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=canon+fd+28mm+f2&_sacat=0&_sop=16

Is this a new reality? Or just people losing sense of said reality?

It’s a video hype. There were very famous Canon K-35 cine line, which was optically very similar if not the same as their SSC line. Since the post production in video is more time and resource demanding, it is not that easy to achieve a specific look. Rare SSC lenses, such as 28/2 went significantly up in prices, because they are still much cheaper option to re-house than original K-35.

That sort-of makes sense... although I don't see the 28/2 here nor here -- rather the 24/1.4.

This was a ~$400 lens new, a little less than the 24/2 and more than the 20/2.8. About 1/3 the price of the 24/1.4... so I don't want to think about what that might be selling for now....

I'll stick with my old Minolta MC 28mm f/2.5. ;-)

Not all SSC lenses originated K-35 line, originally there were only four lenses - 24/1.4 (T1.5), 35/1.4 (no analogy in the SSC line, 35/2 concave being the closest pick), 55/1.2 (T/1.4) and 85/1.2.

Later I think they added also 18/1.4 (No analogy in SSC line).

However, they all (SSC) have similar color transmission, another crucial thing when it come to video production, lower contrast and beautiful flaring and ghosting (as per retro video look)

The need to expand the line to fill the gaps added also 28/2 and 20/2.8 in a focus of interest.

24/1.4, 55/1.2 AL and 85/1.2 AL SSC are the most expensive of all SSC for a long time, but even the 35/2 SSC with a concave element went almost 10x in price compared to a few years ago.

I think I already posted the link with a nice video about Canon SSC lenses for video.

In my advertising film projects I always preferred Cooke S2 for a soft organic look and Zeiss Super Speed III for a little more punchy but still cinematic look. Mostly however, clients wanted a clean, technical look so we opted for Zeiss Ultra Primes.

--
http://verybiglobo.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/viktor_viktor/

 

[John Crowe]

I was shocked last year by the 24/1.4 L. Had not realized it spread to the 28/2. I sold my 35/2 Concave 15 years ago. Will have to check those out. I picked up my 55/1.2 Aspherical for a good price last year. They have never really changed. The AL always was a collector's item, and always has been expensive.

 

[F-1]

I guess years of bashing about the painful breechlock mounting system via adapters and the univeral disdain for FD lenses totally undervalued these lenses until now when people realize it's not as complicated.

 

[Volker G]

I guess years of bashing about the painful breechlock mounting system via adapters and the univeral disdain for FD lenses totally undervalued these lenses until now when people realize it's not as complicated.

You are certainly right. The Canon FD lenses certainly belong to the cream of the crop and all the whining over the compexity of the mount is just wearing off. Nethertheless, to pay over 1000 euros for a FD 28 mm f/2 SSC lens is just pure madness, given the usual slide bearings problems with those lenses (just count another 150 euros for a repair/ CLA). My sample only cost me 30 euros two years ago but i've needed several hours of work to get it going again (diaphragm, focusing, floating elements, fungus cleaning).

 

[E Dinkla]

The 1960's Kowa cine lenses seem to be attractive too, they are rehoused by a UK company. Mainly for their character; low contrast and exceptional flare are mentioned.

TLS Store | True Lens Services repair, service and test film and video lenses. Lens engineers who are specialists in all aspects of precision engineering

Broadcast and Cine lenses available from UK TLS

www.truelens.co.uk

Searching Kowa lenses I found that information.

I wonder whether that character is also available in my last purchase: last weekend I bought a dead Kowa E / Kowaflex SLR camera with a fixed Kowa 50mm 2.0 for 15 Euros. The lens is already removed and I start to make an FE mount adapter.

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !

 

[verybiglebowski]

I wonder whether that character is also available in my last purchase: last weekend I bought a dead Kowa E / Kowaflex SLR camera with a fixed Kowa 50mm 2.0 for 15 Euros. The lens is already removed and I start to make an FE mount adapter.

The thing is that for the video production, it needs a color/character consistent line of a focal lengths, usually between 18-20 and 75-85.


So, if there are other similar lenses in the range, you might have a valuable item.

Finally, they need to be recognized by the community.

 

[ProfHankD]

I wonder whether that character is also available in my last purchase: last weekend I bought a dead Kowa E / Kowaflex SLR camera with a fixed Kowa 50mm 2.0 for 15 Euros. The lens is already removed and I start to make an FE mount adapter.

The thing is that for the video production, it needs a color/character consistent line of a focal lengths, usually between 18-20 and 75-85.

I certainly understand why the Kowa Cine Prominar line would be popular for video... although I'm a bit surprised that there are companies doing nothing but re-housing old cine lenses (I didn't think that was such a big market).

Of the older non-cine lenses, I always felt the Minolta MC/MD line had the most consistent rendering of color... certainly, Minolta used to brag about that as being because they were unusual in literally making not only their lenses, but the raw glass used to make them. In comparison, Nikon colors seemed to be all over the place. Canons tended toward warm renderings, but were wildly inconsistent -- basically, blue light was missing until you stopped down a bit on many FD/FDn lenses, and I would think color shift on stopping down would seriously hurt video applications. Pentax seemed almost as consistent as Minolta in tint, with deeper (more reddish) tones than Minolta, but intensity of the colors varied more across their line.

My point is, I get why old Minoltas are generally viewed as fitting for video use, but why Canons? Is it the JJ thing about liking the wildly structured flare many FD/FDn lenses produce? Is the rendering of higher-end Canon lenses, such as these faster-than-f/2 wides, more consistent than the cheaper Canons I've used?

So, if there are other similar lenses in the range, you might have a valuable item.

Finally, they need to be recognized by the community.

Well, that's always the overriding factor on pricing. For example, I have a Minolta 58mm f/1.2 and I certainly understand why it's considered special, but it really shouldn't be a $500 lens used (I waited until I could get a clean one for $255; realistically, I think the rendering justifies up to about $300 price).

 

[E Dinkla]

I wonder whether that character is also available in my last purchase: last weekend I bought a dead Kowa E / Kowaflex SLR camera with a fixed Kowa 50mm 2.0 for 15 Euros. The lens is already removed and I start to make an FE mount adapter.

The thing is that for the video production, it needs a color/character consistent line of a focal lengths, usually between 18-20 and 75-85.

So, if there are other similar lenses in the range, you might have a valuable item.

Finally, they need to be recognized by the community.

No, it is not that I implied that this lens would fall in that category and be usable for that purpose or ever fetch a price like that. But made in the same period it could have a similar character. Like the FDs had with the Canon Cine range.

Edit: curious whether my FD 135mm 2.5 ever got a cine-mod I found this and also my FD 55mm 1.2 included. https://www.cinemacamerarentals.com/lens-specs/canon-fd-cine-mod-primes

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !

 

[E Dinkla]

I wonder whether that character is also available in my last purchase: last weekend I bought a dead Kowa E / Kowaflex SLR camera with a fixed Kowa 50mm 2.0 for 15 Euros. The lens is already removed and I start to make an FE mount adapter.

The thing is that for the video production, it needs a color/character consistent line of a focal lengths, usually between 18-20 and 75-85.

I certainly understand why the Kowa Cine Prominar line would be popular for video... although I'm a bit surprised that there are companies doing nothing but re-housing old cine lenses (I didn't think that was such a big market).

Searching further on cinemod cine modification shows that there more companies offering that service. Not really rehousing but replacing aperture rings with T rings + gears etc.

Of the older non-cine lenses, I always felt the Minolta MC/MD line had the most consistent rendering of color... certainly, Minolta used to brag about that as being because they were unusual in literally making not only their lenses, but the raw glass used to make them. In comparison, Nikon colors seemed to be all over the place. Canons tended toward warm renderings, but were wildly inconsistent -- basically, blue light was missing until you stopped down a bit on many FD/FDn lenses, and I would think color shift on stopping down would seriously hurt video applications. Pentax seemed almost as consistent as Minolta in tint, with deeper (more reddish) tones than Minolta, but intensity of the colors varied more across their line.

My point is, I get why old Minoltas are generally viewed as fitting for video use, but why Canons? Is it the JJ thing about liking the wildly structured flare many FD/FDn lenses produce? Is the rendering of higher-end Canon lenses, such as these faster-than-f/2 wides, more consistent than the cheaper Canons I've used?

There are some places that do a cine-mod on Minolta SR lenses. There are RED camera mounts for SR lenses. I think when vintage lenses are used it is for their character, flare etc that can not be found in the modern cine lenses. Maybe the Minolta SR lenses were already closer to that modern level.

https://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92246-Minolta-Rokkor-Survival-Guide/page22

Cine-Mod FAQ

Duclos Lenses began offering their Cine-Mod service almost 10 years ago and has expanded and refined the process many times over. As with any custom service, there are a lot of variables involved w…

thecinelens.com

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !

 

[ProfHankD]

There are some places that do a cine-mod on Minolta SR lenses. There are RED camera mounts for SR lenses. I think when vintage lenses are used it is for their character, flare etc that can not be found in the modern cine lenses. Maybe the Minolta SR lenses were already closer to that modern level.

https://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92246-Minolta-Rokkor-Survival-Guide/page22

Very interesting! Not that I want to pay $500 for a lens adapter, but....

I'm wondering what this "positive locking" mechanism really is, because it sounds like a potential way to make 3D-printed mounts more secure. My guess is that it's essentially treating SR like a breech lock, perhaps with a set screw?

Edit: Oh -- I get it now -- PL stands for positive lock mount; there's nothing special happening on the other end of the adapter. Still, my misunderstanding here leads me to at least think about the possibility of "doing an inverse Canon" and making an adapter that treats bayonet-mount lenses like a breech lock....

 

[verybiglebowski]

I wonder whether that character is also available in my last purchase: last weekend I bought a dead Kowa E / Kowaflex SLR camera with a fixed Kowa 50mm 2.0 for 15 Euros. The lens is already removed and I start to make an FE mount adapter.

The thing is that for the video production, it needs a color/character consistent line of a focal lengths, usually between 18-20 and 75-85.

So, if there are other similar lenses in the range, you might have a valuable item.

Finally, they need to be recognized by the community.

No, it is not that I implied that this lens would fall in that category and be usable for that purpose or ever fetch a price like that. But made in the same period it could have a similar character. Like the FDs had with the Canon Cine range.

Edit: curious whether my FD 135mm 2.5 ever got a cine-mod I found this and also my FD 55mm 1.2 included. https://www.cinemacamerarentals.com/lens-specs/canon-fd-cine-mod-primes

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer !

Lenses longer than 85mm were very rarely used in a standard Super 35mm film production. There are many reasons why, it would take long to explain. However, with a raising popularity of a full frame sensors, I expect the range to shift to 24-135 recently.

It is possible that 135/2.5 someone re-housed for video but I am not aware that it was made originally in the K-35 line.

SSC 55/1.2 not aspherical is not that much regarded (but still a nice lens, albeit softer than aspherical). K-35 was also aspherical. Blue AL is very rare, thus the price is very high and it should have exactly same optics as K-35 (hand polished aspherical element).

Video trends are unpredictable and goes in a waves, so you never know... Some lenses such as Canon 50/0.95 aren’t that popular among film makers recently, but if someone use it for a viral video, prices can rocket up over night. (despite its only one of a kind).

Commercial video production has usually much bigger budgets than photo production in comparison. Equipment rental, especially lenses are a very small part of the budget, so generally, prices of a pro video-equipment are much higher. These lenses are supposed to stand some serious abuse, both in the sturdiness and reliability. It’s a different world.

 

[John Crowe]

The pros who buy these send them out to be rebuilt into cine mount. They actually only use them for the glass.

A cinematographer in Toronto bought a Kowa 35mm from me last year. It gave him a pair to send to England to have them mounted to a custom cine barrel and mount. They must do two at a time. I believe those conversions cost about $5000 for a pair.

P.S. Someone above already mentioned this.

 

[E Dinkla]

I wonder whether that character is also available in my last purchase: last weekend I bought a dead Kowa E / Kowaflex SLR camera with a fixed Kowa 50mm 2.0 for 15 Euros. The lens is already removed and I start to make an FE mount adapter.

The thing is that for the video production, it needs a color/character consistent line of a focal lengths, usually between 18-20 and 75-85.

So, if there are other similar lenses in the range, you might have a valuable item.

Finally, they need to be recognized by the community.

The cine folk comments on the Kowa Cine lens colors could stretch to this lens. Color constancy may not be available but I like its color rendering. First shot done after adding an FE mount: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65131721 All those blue shades .......


Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !

 

[vivaldibow]

I guess they might have had a wrong currency exchange rate.

 

[Lightshow]

I missed the memo, I had bought the SSC 24/1.4 Aspherical , SSC 35/2, SSC 55/1.2 Aspherical, SSC 85/1.2 Aspherical, and SSC 135/2.5 a few years ago, I thought the 85 was quite expensive, even being on average a few hundred more than the 85L because of the 9 blade aperture in the Aspherical, I got the 55 for around $900 and the 24 for around $700, then last year I traded the 55 for a black Topcor 58/3.5 Macro (which I love), so the person I traded with got a better deal than I had intended after seeing what the Aspherical's are going for this earlier this month. My plan with the trade was to get the rare Topcor in a trade and just re buy the 55 Aspherical later, easy peasy, right? Hmm not so much now....

 

[Belgarchi]

What's up with this: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=canon+fd+28mm+f2&_sacat=0&_sop=16

Is this a new reality? Or just people losing sense of said reality?

Could be a mafia trying to wash money...

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