OK so I've been looking at the CineMatics converted Zeiss lenses at those super low prices and tried to get my head wrapped around it all and this is what I found...
http://www.pchood.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=122
They have created a sleeve system that fits over most diameters of stills lenses at various sizes (notice they dont have any lenses under 50mm only 50's and 80's so far (thats because thats the only sleeve size they really have. On their ebay site they started doing Canon lenses (which are much less money and might be worth the price)...
BUT
I found the catch. The sleeve was NOT designed to match the focal distances of the lens, those witness marks are ALL the same. They just created this sleeve with a bunch of numbers wrapped around them. Also there is NO way to actually use them anyway because there isn't an actual main witness mark to show what focal length the lens is actually at... Yep thats right, its all fake.
The barrel is just a sleeve made by someone clever trying to copy CP.2's look, but they didn't design them correctly and its all for show, the lack of a main stationary witness mark means none of that stuff works. In fact since the housing covers up the original witness marks on most of the lenses they rehouse, it actually makes it literally impossible for you to know what your focal distance is set at.
Now their zoom design for the 28-80 is similar, though it seems that it could be redesigned to put a real main witness tab on it, though the marks will still be generic.
This is my thought.... Since the jig is up and I know they literally just made a cover that is not functional other than to ad gear teeth and make lenses the same front dimaiter and "look" professional I say this...
Get rid of the fake witness marks, instead leave it blank and smooth. Redesign the houses so that at least 1 little part doesn't rotate, ( I see how they work and some of the lens housings they make are possible to do this) so a little bit of redesigning can go a long way. Leave that ring blank too.
This would allow for the end user (us) to mark our own lenses how we'd want. Simple, if there is a stationary main mark and then a rotating blank sleeve it would be easy for us to place the marks where each lenses actually has them. This way the housings will be accurate and the end user could actually have marks where he/she would like.
If this was done I think it becomes a much more serious lens housing than just a way to make it look like you're using CP.2s.
I would love to get in touch with these guys because they do have something going for them, they just need to get ride of the fake markings and allow a stationary spot on each lens ring somewhere. Then we can all have really nice customized lenses with gears for not a lot of money, then spend a little time marking out our individual lenses, making them however we'd like. That would actually be cool and very useful!
Thoughts?
http://www.pchood.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=122
They have created a sleeve system that fits over most diameters of stills lenses at various sizes (notice they dont have any lenses under 50mm only 50's and 80's so far (thats because thats the only sleeve size they really have. On their ebay site they started doing Canon lenses (which are much less money and might be worth the price)...
BUT
I found the catch. The sleeve was NOT designed to match the focal distances of the lens, those witness marks are ALL the same. They just created this sleeve with a bunch of numbers wrapped around them. Also there is NO way to actually use them anyway because there isn't an actual main witness mark to show what focal length the lens is actually at... Yep thats right, its all fake.
The barrel is just a sleeve made by someone clever trying to copy CP.2's look, but they didn't design them correctly and its all for show, the lack of a main stationary witness mark means none of that stuff works. In fact since the housing covers up the original witness marks on most of the lenses they rehouse, it actually makes it literally impossible for you to know what your focal distance is set at.
Now their zoom design for the 28-80 is similar, though it seems that it could be redesigned to put a real main witness tab on it, though the marks will still be generic.
This is my thought.... Since the jig is up and I know they literally just made a cover that is not functional other than to ad gear teeth and make lenses the same front dimaiter and "look" professional I say this...
Get rid of the fake witness marks, instead leave it blank and smooth. Redesign the houses so that at least 1 little part doesn't rotate, ( I see how they work and some of the lens housings they make are possible to do this) so a little bit of redesigning can go a long way. Leave that ring blank too.
This would allow for the end user (us) to mark our own lenses how we'd want. Simple, if there is a stationary main mark and then a rotating blank sleeve it would be easy for us to place the marks where each lenses actually has them. This way the housings will be accurate and the end user could actually have marks where he/she would like.
If this was done I think it becomes a much more serious lens housing than just a way to make it look like you're using CP.2s.
I would love to get in touch with these guys because they do have something going for them, they just need to get ride of the fake markings and allow a stationary spot on each lens ring somewhere. Then we can all have really nice customized lenses with gears for not a lot of money, then spend a little time marking out our individual lenses, making them however we'd like. That would actually be cool and very useful!
Thoughts?
