GH1 Extremely low F-stop lenses. Anyone experimenting besides me?

Nick Walters

Nick Walters

Mentholated Member
For some time now I've been collecting and adapting low f stop glass, and feel I may have one of the largest collections in glass at f0.75 f1.0 f1.2 f1.4 and f1.8...as well as a few odd ball C mount lenses in between.

Right now my most attention is on converting a 65mm f0.75 and then a 42mm f0.75, and I've even been dabbling in buying and selling these kinds of lenses on ebay. My biggest challenge right now is the precision work and metal lathe work.

I did a youtube vid with the 65mm f0.75, and here it is :

With further work I'm hoping to be able to have a few diff lenses to work with that have a full range of focus that is rackable. My goal is to have a 42mm, 50mm, and 65mm. I 'm trying to get the 65 up and running for at least a few shots by July, as I have a 5 week shoot then and I'm hoping to use it for a few night scenes out in the woods where a large genny will be difficult to bring along.

If anyone has experience or advice as I go forward it would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. In the vid I mention my ebay, as I could always use a patron, and you can see my listings here :
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZaltonfilmguy1QQhtZ-1
 
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I played with some before, particularly the projection lenses. All you need to do is make a helicoid and adapt to whatever sensor you're using.
Yeah it's fast but too soft for my liking. Razor thin DOF makes me nauseous, lol
 
My thought was to gut a "donor" lens of it's elements and mount the f0.75 in it.....yeah it's soft, but I was thinking of doing full body shot, which would mean a focus point very far away, and thus a little deeper of DOF. The look will definitely be different :)
 
Will:
Yes this is a crazy low light lens, and for reference look up Stanley Kubricks Barry Lyndon, on which he used a f0.70 lens and lit his 35mm stock with only candlelight :)

I've done extensive research into these lenses, and I actually see minimal differences between the lens design of these f0.75 and Kubricks f0.70.....so much so that I think the same lens design was either completely re-packaged and sold to NASA with the statement that they were "F0.70", or the design was only slightly changed. There is a long history behind the lens design, and I've found it to be very satisfying to learn it :)

Now as a general note on softness : I personally believe that one of the biggest reasons for a soft image is actually glare, and by making a very tight matte box I think the images will be alot stronger. I may even go to the point of having the matte box visible in shot just to ensure a tight path, then slightly trim in post.
 
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