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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Am I crazy or not ? (Rank Taylor Hobson 50mm f0.95)
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:06 pm
Post subject: Am I crazy or not ? (Rank Taylor Hobson 50mm f0.95)
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:06 pm
Post subject: Am I crazy or not ? (Rank Taylor Hobson 50mm f0.95)
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Yes, I know: it's not a picture camera lens; it has some electrical stuff that may it worthless; the register distance may be too short to match with my EOS; it's heavy and hudge and in unknow state and... but hey, I love having some challenge :

Click here to see on Ebay

Why I've bought it ? The "50mm F0.95" lens of the kit ... will know soon if I can extract some "light" from it Cool

Last edited by Flor27 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:33 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:19 pm
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:19 pm
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Or Not.
At this price you are crazy if you don't try it. It looks like you have a fun project. Smile


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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:44 pm
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:44 pm
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It is a 17-170 mm f/2.8 zoom with motorized focusing combined with a fast CCTV/video lens, which probably has no iris and no focusing mechanism. Sopelem also made lenses for Bolex film cameras.

Veijo


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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:45 pm
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:45 pm
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It's a cheap price for a Rank Taylor Hobson (UK lenses maker) I guess Wink

Here is an english translation :

Rank Taylor Hobson motor driven zoom
17~170mm f/2.8.
40 cm long, 15 cm wide
attached to a very large aperture lens: 50 mm F/0,95, Sopelem brand
This professional optic piece cost 3 000 € in 1975

It may be a TV or Cinema lens, or more probably professional tool lens.


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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:48 pm
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:48 pm
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vilva wrote:
It is a 17-170 mm f/2.8 zoom with motorized focusing combined with a fast CCTV/video lens, which probably has no iris and no focusing mechanism. Sopelem also made lenses for Bolex film cameras.


Thankfull for this informations !

A CCTV lens is not the best you can get to attach to a photo camera... so wait'n'see !


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:03 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:03 pm
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Ok, some news about my last purchase !

I've got it from a former animation studio owner. This big lens assembly was used to help drawers for frame by frame animations : it was fixed under a drawing table, with one 45° mirror at each side. The previews celluloid slide was illuminated thru a fresnel lens, then light entered into one side of the lens assembly then is projected under the drawer slide. You could zoom in and out to resize the projected slide.

This lens assembly was made on request by Sopelem, a french company (now owned by Sagem) with a Rank Taylor Hobson 17-170mm f2.8 fully motorized zoom (aperture, focus, focal lengh) from one side and a Rank Taylor Hobson 50mm f0.95 lens to the other.

The zoom lens has its front lens is a so bad shape that it is not usable to take any decent picture. Too bad as it is a beautifull and big zoom weighting more thant 2 kg.

The 50mm has also his own iris, 5 blades, perfectly workingn and is fully multi-coated but has no focus control. A beautifull 1,1kg lens piece ! But there is a problem with this lens : the register distance is close from around 3 cm from the back, so only usable for macro or portraits.

Also, building a mount with focusing mechanism will not be easy at all....

Anyway here is a test shot made with it at full apperture or close, the lens fully pushed inside my 350D EOS mount to have the biggest focus distance available :



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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:28 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:28 pm
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Wow,Wow!!!! Simple perfect!


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:31 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:31 pm
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Oh, I was so hurrry to try it that I didn't take any pic of the assembly before the dismantle... I will do, I promise !


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:16 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:16 pm
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That is quite simply astonishing


patrickh


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:21 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:21 pm
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What a beautiful kid Florent!
The lens rendition looks nice. Looking forward to see more from it.


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:26 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:26 pm
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Impressive! I am eager to see more!


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:27 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:27 pm
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That's definitely got potential - I look forward to more shots.


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:49 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:49 pm
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Unbelievable! Very very nice!

Could you consider a tele-extender 2x for augmenting the mount, as some of them have a helicoid focus within the lens.


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:14 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:14 pm
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3000 euros in 75 Shocked
you are definitely a crazy fox
nice portrait !


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:17 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:17 pm
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Laurence wrote:
Unbelievable! Very very nice!

Could you consider a tele-extender 2x for augmenting the mount, as some of them have a helicoid focus within the lens.

That is a gread idea, but I fear to lose some of the lens IQ... anyway I will have a try, I'm waiting for a Kumora Telemore95 II focal doubler Wink


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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:24 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:24 pm
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poilu wrote:
3000 euros in 75 Shocked
you are definitely a crazy fox

It doesn't surprice me a lot that no one was bidding on it, it's such an alien looking stuf for most people, even photographers... I have to rebuild it to show you the whole stuff in working order. It's very heavy, hudge, unique and looks loie more a piece of a car's motor than any optical stuff.

Quote:
nice portrait !

Thanks ! I was lucky enought that my son were not jumping everywhere as he usualy does when I point my camera to him Rolling Eyes


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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:59 am
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:59 am
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Here is what I had in mind, Flor. It just might give you the focus you need!

Click here to see on Ebay

Shortcut doesn't seem to work, so here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pentax-Helicoid-Extension-Tube-M42-Screw-Mount_W0QQitemZ280179149464QQihZ018QQcategoryZ4688QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:01 pm
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:01 pm
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Ok, here are some pics of the whole assembly as I get it :



It's 41 cm long !

From left to right :

- 110mm metal lens hood
- step up ring (93 to 110mm)
- zoom lens (17~170mm f2.8 ) :
    - focusing ring
    - 4 DC swiss made motors with reductors (under the inox tape); zoom support bloc
    - focal zoom ring
    - aperture ring

- jointure tube
- prime lens mount; support bloc
- prime lens (50mm f0.95) with its focusing ring

About the prime lens :

- front view wide open, side by side of an Helios-44-2 58mm f2 wide open


- rear view, same as above


- iris blades (5) "M" shape


As Veijo did the same night, I've removed the front screw thread of a x2 M42 teleconverter, and the inside diameter fits like a charm the external rear diameter of the 50mm :


Ok, there is still the lenses of the teleconverter in it so I will lose some light and quality, put it's perfect for macro purpose... more to come as soon as the sun will be back again!


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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:36 pm
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:36 pm
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wow Florent this is a BIG MFlenses Shocked


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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:10 pm
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:10 pm
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poilu wrote:
wow Florent this is a BIG MFlenses Shocked

Well, not as big as my Pentacon 4/300 or my still missing Helios-40-2 Wink
But actually it's my fastest - for sure it will stay on top for long time from now...

Here is a small macro shot with the 50mm, attached to a M42 Panagor x2 teleconverter (see above), wide open :



Focusing distance is 27cm from the front of the lens.


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Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:36 pm
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Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:36 pm
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Another macro shot with the Panagor 2x teleconverter :

@0.95:


It's my 6 month old daugther.


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Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:42 am
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Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:42 am
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Very impressive Smile - thanks for sharing.
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