posted September 23, 2014 11:55 AM
I sometimes just have a mooch around on ebay at all things cine and noticed there seem to be lots and lots of 35mm lenses popping up in high numbers.
I suppose its to be expected but there are some loopy prices. Granted Isco and schneider etc but £200 300 400 500 600 and up even seems crazy as things stand.
Surely there will be virtually no-where to use these.
I would of thought £5 or £10 would be nearer the mark for most of them even though no doubt they cost an aweful lot new.
Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007
posted September 24, 2014 02:31 AM
Agreed. The prime lenses have little use now. However, many buyers are buying 'scope lenses. They are very heavy and need special fixing. But the main problem is as they were built for 35mm cinemas they may not focus down enough for use in the home.
Posts: 346
From: Milano, Italy
Registered: Jan 2004
posted September 24, 2014 03:26 AM
Re scope lenses, you may also buy the combined ones from ISCO (prime + scope in one block) and unscrew the scope from the prime. The scope part has a rear barrel of 52.4mm that fits the normal scope adapters you may find for super8 and 16mm. Furthermore they have a minimum focusing lenght of 1.5mt and the quality is, of course, very high
Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006
posted September 24, 2014 03:45 AM
Talking of scope lenses the HD Ultra Cinemascope lens which sits in my 35 is most definitely a thing of beauty what with its gold outer and all. I most certainly do use mine albeit on 35mm...
Posts: 540
From: Aldershot, Hampshire, UK
Registered: Nov 2013
posted September 24, 2014 05:01 AM
I sometimes think that many Ebay sellers just think of a huge price and double it. They hope that buyers are gullible enough to believe the lenses are valuable even though there is an oversupply. Alternatively they may be hoping to start, or be part of, a stampede of speculators bidding prices up with each successive sale.
Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006
posted September 24, 2014 05:27 AM
Quite right and I have seen these sell for 600 which is more than bonkers. It seems to being driven mainly by overseas owners so perhaps there is a shortage in larger countries than ours? Anyhow, most who purchased 35 machines when cinemas were binning them will have no doubt got all manner of lenses when buying a machine and thank goodness they were at least saved and hopefully being used.
Posts: 346
From: Milano, Italy
Registered: Jan 2004
posted September 26, 2014 01:49 AM
Slide projector lenses have a plastic barrel and usually suffer the heat coming from the light source as light is more concentrated in a film projector than in a slide projector. A friend of mine melt the barrel of one of these lenses with a simple 400W lamp.