Benoist Berthiot F=90 projection lens

alex ph · Joined: 16 Mar 2013 Posts: 1674

Here are some samples taken with a French projection lens from the 1960s. Its focal lenght is 90mm. No indication of the aperture value is given. I guess, it is one of the standard f2.8 or f3.5.

I'd say the lens has its character. I presume the sharpness could be improved with a regulation of the unprecise plastic spacers within the lens tube. But the way it is the lens gives quite a 1960s film mood, in a perfect correspondence with its age.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

All shots benefit from auto-contrast or a boost of contrast and saturaton.

The body is a simple plastic one, easily detachable. This way I quickly saw it's a classic projection triplet, with internal plastic spacers which are not fixed inside.

caspert79 · Joined: 31 Oct 2010 Posts: 3221 Location: The Netherlands

Not bad at all!

alex ph · Joined: 16 Mar 2013 Posts: 1674

I add a couple of close-ups. I like the gentle rendering of the both in-focus and OOF areas.

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#2

I've had a second copy of this lens. The first has some free place between spacers. The glass slightly shifts and clatters inside when I shake the lens. The second copy is tighter, though the image remains the same good. Hm, is adjustemnt tolerance for triplets is that large?

alex ph · Joined: 16 Mar 2013 Posts: 1674

The lens is not really sharp but neither unsharp, there is some glow on the contrasted edges but a gentle one. Front and rear OOF seems very similar.

#1

#2 The original colours, especially in difficult light are "switched off": this is the previous shot without any processing

#3 But the captured image keeps plenty of information and when you tweak it, the colour plasticity is quite large and permits you to reach a vibrant and still rather naturally looking palette

#4 Here is a mid-distance shot which looks quite good

#5 In spite of the fact that if you pixel peep the unprocessed 100% crop it does not seem that convincing

This lens reveals vividly that sharpness is not the ultimate response to every photographer's search of the image mood.