EUMIG LENS CHOICES for the 800 range of machines.

[Lee Mannering]

Something we rarely touch on is lenses for our machines and in this case EUMIG.

I had a interesting evening lining up a number of Eumig produced lenses to see how they performed in my 860 HID Superlux (822 Sonomatic upgraded)

Apart from the standard f1.3 lenses Eumig offered a range of quality upgrades including a Prime f1:1, 1:1,0 18-28 zoom and of course the more modern f1:2 12,5-25mm being ideal for home use.

The Prime F1:1 came in the first version of the 810D Lux sound machines, one you do not see very often and pretty much targeted and the more serious film makers in the 70's. Then we had the f1:1,0 Zoom which was produced for the MK-S 8mm sound projectors in the 60's, also the 700 range.

I lined up the three lenses to see which gave the nicest looking image particularly with Black and White film on a fixed image size. The prime lens gave the highest light transmission but when I got to the 1:1,0 Zoom up against the modern 1:2 the screen illumination was pretty much the same but the shadow detail and black were much nicer to look at. Running Standard 8 sound films that evening took on a whole different meaning particularly with the old Derann B&W releases and the combination of that lens and my HID lamp conversion made for a very good image indeed.

So, for me the best choice if needing a longer throw and a good looking image would be the f1:1,0 zoom although the barrel is threaded so you need to carefully focus the lens holding it.

[David Roberts]

That suprovar came out about 1967.Ivan Watson in Movie Maker magazine gave it a rave review,he loved it.
At the time,it cost £35 in the UK,and Ivan thought every cine club should have one.

[Joseph Banfield]

I use a Eumig Euprolux 1:1/25 prime lens on my Eumig 700 series machines with excellent results. This lens is a screw mount and can be inserted in a later 800 series but will not work with the focus control on that series and must be pushed or pulled to focus. A big downside for some is that you will need 20 or more feet to get a decent sized image from this long throw prime lens. If you have that kind of space for projection this lens will give a very noticeable boost in screen brightness, as well as excellent contrast and beautiful blacks! A prime lens is always going to give better results than a zoom lens and the same holds true regarding prime lenses on cameras too.

[Renzo Dal Bo]

There is another, but rare, alternative as a prime Eumig lens.
The Eumig Suprogon 1:1/12,5 lens.

[Lee Mannering]

Post it David will help anyone looking into it in the future.

Nice to read the interest in the special Eumig lenses and not forgetting the later zoom version of the 1.1/18-28 Suprogon looking much more beefy and a superb optic. A few guys I know use these, I can only reminisce about the elderly chap in our film making club early 70's who owned the raft of Eumig lenses of the day which most of us could only dream of.

[Alan Rik]

There is another, but rare, alternative as a prime Eumig lens.
The Eumig Suprogon 1:1/12,5 lens.

Ever since you mentioned that lens I have been looking for one and have never seen another like it. Its also very rare to have a fixed focus lens at 12.5. They usually start at around 20mm or so.

[Renzo Dal Bo]

Yes it's true, Rik, I bought it on ebay several years ago, I don't remember if in Germany or in Austria, but never saw it again. No one has yet been able to tell me its origin.

[Jason Moffatt]

I have one of these eumig suprogon fixed 12.5mm lenses, the only other one i have herd of is renzo’s one. Compared to the later eumig 1.2 zoom set at 12.5mm the fixed one is quite a bit brighter and also the image is slightly bigger from the same distance.Also these earlier lenses with the threaded barrels can be used with the earlier eumig 600 & 800 series that have the small lug on the focus knob (not the later spiral focus system like the 824) as the lug should engage with the thread on the barrel and you can then focus by twisting the lens as normal which is a much more accurate way than using the focus knob.

[Alan Rik]

Anyone selling their 12.5mm fixed lens?

[Paul Adsett]

Not a Eumig lens, but I can highly recommend the Kodak Ektar f1,0 22mm lens for the Eumig 800's and 900's. Lens barrel has to be machined down a few millimeters. This lens is very hard to find and was fitted to the Kodak M100 Super 8 sound projector, so if you come across one of these old machines grab it for the lens alone.

[Alan Rik]

I already have one! But.. a 22mm lens and the throw I have means the beautiful, sharp image is about the size of my old 12 inch black and white TV. 12.5mm is a much better option for my current room.

[Shane C. Collins]

Another great lens is the Bolex 1.3 15mm prime from the first series of 18-5 silent machines. I have one fitted on my Elmo FP8-C. Talk about sharp, and a very large image on a standard roll up screen. The definition, and contrast is amazing from this "hifi" prime!