Cheap Cine Lens for Sony NEX?

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

Hello,
I like to buy a cheap (if possible <50�, I'm only a student Smile

) C-mount lens.

Do you have any suggestions? Are there some insider tips like Helios 44, but for C-mount?

Thank you.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Why do you want C mount lenses ? Size ? C mount lenses are in fashion due it's small size and quality , you need to pay premium price for well known ones. There is many SLR lenses which are not really big still pocket able and lot cheaper than good C mount lenses. For example a Konica 1.8/40mm pancake lens + Konica adapter pretty small and fit into your budget.

std · Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 1827 Location: Bulgaria

I think the same as Attila. The only cheap c-mount you may find useful is the plastic 35/1.7 CCTV lens.
You can look at some SLR lenses if the size is not an issue. Look for some primes in Minolta MD, Canon FD, Exakta.
Those are still not expensive and are very good.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

SXR_Mark · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 506 Location: England

I agree with Attila's question "why do you want a c-mount lens?"

I think buying c-mount lenses is a minefield:
Is it really a c-mount not cs-mount? (too many people do not know the difference)
Will it vignette badly? (surely a real risk with a wide sensor like NEX)
Will it focus to infinity? (probably less of a risk on NEX compared to m4/3)

Modern Chinese CCTV lenses may be cheap, but are designed for use on low resolution cameras with small sensors and so will likely not be especially sharp and vignette strongly. They also tend to have three bladed diaphragms which will give interesting bokeh.

I am frankly astonished by the high prices older 16mm cine lenses fetch. The most desirable ones are hundreds to even thousands of �. Furthermore, any more humble lens which is proven to work well on NEX or m4/3 will automatically command a high price. The only way you will get a high quality lens cheap is if you take a gamble on a lens which is an unknown quantity, has a bad description, or one that is in poor condition.

I got three Fujinon-TV lenses very cheaply - the 50mm f1.4 I've already posted a review in this forum, but I also have a 35mm f1.7 and a 25mm f1.4. They all came from the same seller and were cheap because they were very dirty and had been modified by adding a motor to control the aperture. Restoration was quite simple, though I had to machine the back of them all to get infinity focus on m4/3, and they are lovely lenses. But, I took a gamble with them and they could have been junk.

If your funds are limited, you are much better playing safe with something that you know will work, such as the SLR lenses already mentioned.

Mark

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

Thanks for the advice!

I'll maybe buy a CCTV 1,7 Lens.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

CCTV lenses very often seriously vignette esp. if focal length is below 25mm and even that is not granted. 16mm cine lesnes can still be found cheaply on flee markets, camera fairs and even ebay. Overlooked are the SOM Bertiot for instance, but also not that excellent.

pat donnelly · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:12 am Post subject: Advice

I have a large number of c mount lenses and many are not useful except on the GH2 ECT mode! Others are fine and very useful for fast speed, size and performance.

Broadly the others are perfectly correct, as you might expect and collecting them is expensive!

The vendors, who know their business on eBay, will demonstrate their lenses performance on the camera, so carry out a search for the usual categories and judge what you want?

Definitely you will get better bang for your $ if you go for 35mm primes! You cannot afford the low weight premium and their performance is usually very good. Unless you choose an old zoom, they won't damage the camera mount.

If you are very practical, then look for those lenses that have been "doctored"
by other members to be used on digital compact system cameras? You could try buying very cheap lenses, not on eBay, and adapting them? I managed to get 5 fingernail size 110 lenses, for Rollei camera, when looking for repair lenses. They might be very interesting, no aperture, when inserted into the body cap of the camera? One of those jobs I have put onto the long finger!

Research these forums!

Good Luck and let us know how you got on?