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Elgeet f2.3 (35mm) technical (special effect) lens
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 8:48 pm    Post subject: Elgeet f2.3 (35mm) technical (special effect) lens Reply with quote

I've got a tiny Elgeet lens with an indication of maximum aperture on the barrel which is f2.3. No other indication of the focal lens or further aperture values is given. The resulting image gives a focal of around 35mm.

The lens has a small aperture lever, I presume intended to couple it with a distant adjustment lever. The mount is absent, it is a round plate with three holes. The lens itself is screwed into a small cage that allows focusing. Everything shows it was in technical use, kind of airplane or surveillance camera.

The lens barrel is as small as 22.5mm in diameter. The flange distance is also small, I had to put it on Nex-M39 adapter with a custom ring and some scotch, and make it recess into the adapter to reach infinity. I was wondering the quality (sharpness), but first of all the image circle.

It does not cover FF, but works with APS-C giving quite a special, not swirly, but rather interesting OOF out of center.

#1 Put on Sony A7, wide open


#2 On Sony A7 switched to APS-C mode, with the diaphragm slightly closed


#3 Close range, the diaphragm the same way slightly closed


#4 It's interesting how fast the image portions go OOF giving this special fuzziness, pleasant at my taste


#5 Freelensing w/o macro taken on Nex (a detail of a wooden chair)



The lens is not sharp w/o, nor particularly sharp closed down a bit. It's more a special effect instrument, with its character to render out of center portions of the image. I ask myself it it might really be used in air photography, or it's another kind of optics.

If someone is interested, I will take a shot of the lens itself and will post it here.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think it's worth a try putting a runner/cyclist into the center of the frame.
That's the first thing that crossed my mind seeing this "speed" effect.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good idea!


PostPosted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is ELGEET btw - I corrected it Wink


PostPosted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you, Klaus! That must be the speed effect that the lens transferred to my typing...


PostPosted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

alex ph wrote:
Thank you, Klaus! That must be the speed effect that the lens transferred to my typing...
Laugh 1


PostPosted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1

Like such "special" lenses


PostPosted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 1:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you, Bernhard!

I haven't yet captured a jogger, as aidaho suggested. I took a car instead, but not close enough wishing not to risk my health. Here it is and a couple more outdoor shots taken on Nex.

Number 3 makes me think about 1980s movies, a scene where protagonist suddenly remembers something important Very Happy


#1



#2


#3


#4


#5


PostPosted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here I add some night shots which is always a test speaking much about the lens. In the dark this small Elgeet gives up its "speed" effect and reveals another side of its character. Sometimes well surprising.

#1 The light spots getting nice oblong ellipses are already seen in the daytime, but in the dark they get better visible


#2 Much of the light in the dark gives a strong retro effect, other than speed


#3 I am pretty puzzled with the OOF shape when the diaphragm is closed a bit. While the aperture shape is round, the light spots get cross shaped!


#4 A 100% crop from the previous


#5 At shorter distance and under upper artificial light the lens gives an impression to be sharper than in the direct sunlight. Another surprise.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A couple more shots in good light conditions


#1


#2


PostPosted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can anything away from the center be focused? I'm thinking the camera had a corrective element... what's the mount again?


PostPosted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I strongly doubt the presence of a corrective lens. Here is the mounting unit:





Following the inscription, it comes from a camera installed on Fairchild aircraft. That might be a cine- and not a photo camera, given the lens' rendering. Out-of-center does not focus.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fairchild is name of famous semiconductor manufacturer too. Could be for chipmaking. The center looks pretty high-rez.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's an interesting idea! Given the lens has focusing thread, I thought it comes from something more conventional than a printing or enlarging device. But that was just a guess.

I found some samples on Flickr taken with an Elgeet with same specs (this shot and three or four further ones), but the rendering is quite different. Must be two different lenses.

Mine looks exactly like this one



PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 10:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It may perform well only at higher magnifications.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Flipped element?


PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fairchild camera was the incubator for the entire modern semiconductor industry. All of the modern giants of the industry started there. Intel was founded by former Fairchild employees. AMD was founded by either former employees of Fairchild or Intel. The very first multi function programmable computer chip came from that hotbed of cutting edge semiconductor technology. Companies derived were termed "Fairchildren". There was a documentary on PBS a while back that outlined the whole thing. I have no idea what this lens has to do with them (if anything), but they were involved with spy equipment through the DOD. Fairchild Aircraft was a different company entirely.


PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 11:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jamaeolus, thank you for the great piece of information. That sounds very intriguing.

E6filmuser, in fact the freelens "macro" looks pretty detailed.

Visualopsins, I'll check if the lens has traces of reassembly. That could be a great chance to flip an element and to have two lenses in one!