Image Enlargement with Wide Angle Lens

[Janice Glesser]

I have been looking for a way to make my Super 8mm projected image larger from my Sankyo Stereo 800. I can't move the projector back any further and the largest picture with my zoom lens set to 15mm is half the size of my Elmo 16CL image at the same distance.

I decided to try adding a wide angle lens to enlarge the size. The trick is to find a lens that can be put in front of the current lens that would project an evenly lighted and sharp image...as well as no vignetting. This week I purchased a Sankyo .75 wide angle lens off Ebay to try out and it so far is doing a great job. It has made the image about a third bigger. The picture is sharp with no vignetting.

My original Sankyo Pro Zoom lens did not have threads to attach the 55mm wide angle lens... I glued a 55mm step up ring to the projector lens. This allows me to add and remove the wide angle lens as needed.



Original Lens


w/ .75 wide angle adapter lens

[Dominique De Bast]

You're so amazing, Janice.

[David Baker]

WOW Janice !! YOU and Alan Gouger should team up for home theater installation !

[Mark Mander]

Brilliant Janice, great job, Mark

[David Roberts]

Janice, Ive always thought super 8 projectors should have wider angle lenses,with maybe less at the tele end.Far more use in most lounges.
My B&H DCT is sankyo made and similar to your 800. I use a sleeved Xenovaron lens in it,which has 11mm wide angle,and f1.1,so very bright.
I would never have thought of trying a wide angle adapter like you have,well done.

[Brian Fretwell]

I do have an attachment made specifically for 8mm to give a bigger picture. It is called the "Spacial Sideral Attachment for 8mm cine". When I bought it I paid £3.50p. What it actually consists of is a very powerful negative diopter lens in a screw on mount with a slide in tube containing the lens. It adjusts the focal length of the projector lens, but considerably affect the focus.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work with 16mm projectors.

[Janice Glesser]

Here's a short update to the wide angle lens solution. I found that on my Sankyo projector that it was going out of focus repeatedly. The wide angle lens was heavy and any movement from the projector would jar it to go out of focus. I decided to just put something underneath the lens to stabilize it. I used the lens case and one of the lens caps to keep it from moving up and down. It worked like a champ.

I tested a couple of films to see if it held focus.

[Osi Osgood]

Some popular titles there, and good job Janice!

[Lee McCaffrey]

Those wide angle converters can be gotten fairly cheaply secondhand, most were designed for camcorders. As with any optics, the better the glass the better the quality. A 0.75 would enlarge by 33%, a 0.8 25% etc. The fisheye style lenses would probably cause too much distortion to be useful

[Winbert Hutahaean]

Janice, this is something I did and reported in the old forum around 2013. Here is the link:

https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-b...c;f=1;t=008126

I used cellotape to attach the lens to the main lens.

I re-upload below the projecting result from a throw distance at 15.75' ( = 4.8m) with comparison against my height (5' 9" = 175cm)


Cheers,
winbert

[Janice Glesser]

Hi Winbert... Thanks for posting the dimensions on the picture. A 15-ft throw is fantastic, unfortunately in my new house I can only go 12 ft. However using the wide angle lens gives me an image almost as big as my 16 mm.

I highly recommend you trying to find a step up ring and attach it to the original lens instead of using the Cellotape. I have to remove my lens adapter after each use because my projector cover won't fit. Being able to just unscrew it and stick it in a case is very convenient.

Did you ever have any focusing issues with your lens?

[Nantawat Kittiwarakul]

This is exactly what that had bugged in my mind for quite a long time.

While dedicated short - throw projection lens / wide converter made for specific make/model of projectors would sometimes cost up to several hundreds $$$, these wide - converters for camcorder can be had REALLY CHEAP and readily available everywhere. Why don't give it a shot?

[Winbert Hutahaean]

Did you ever have any focusing issues with your lens?

Not at all. My conversion lens was taken from a broken Sony video camera. So I guess this not a cheap ones.

[Winbert Hutahaean]

Why don't give it a shot?

Yes.. I believe we have plenty broken video cameras nowadays. I got it for free.

[David L. Baker]

Hello Janice,
From Greensboro NC. I am wondering if you could use a scope adapter bracket to support your adapted lens. There is a short focal distance adapter for Kodak projectors that may work also. Elsewhere in this Forum I have a post for a Revere 85 lens and adapter for short distance projection. Your suggestion for a threaded lens ring is excellent. Thank you for the information. David L. Baker