Fujinon-TV 50mm F1.4 lens on Olympus EPL-1

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

This lens is really nice, but cost me only £11.01 (including shipping). A real bargain. It was very dirty and there is a bit of coating damage from the muck, but this is quite minor. The lens is quite large (and heavy at 300g). The size is offset by the recessed front element that means a hood is not needed. Operationally it feels solid and smooth, whilst focus locks in very nicely.

To get it to focus to infinity required machining 0.5mm or so off the back of the lens.

The following are the results from my test chart, testing central sharpness only. Ignore change in WB after f2 - that was my mistake.

First, the full picture at f1.4 - bokeh shows a bit of swirliness:

Crops at f1.4 to f22. The target was 2.5 m away, so resolving those 48 line-per-inch marks is very good.

This lens is sharp even at f1.4! Diffraction softening is obvious at small apertures.

This sequence is f1.4 to f8

I think this is a great lens. The only downside is the largish minimum focusing distance of 1 metre.

More pictures to follow.

Mark

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

Some more pictures with the Fujinon 50mm f1.4. All shot at f1.4, inside, available light only.

The rear element on this lens is about 25mm in diameter - much bigger then the aperture of the c-mount. No sign of any vignetting.

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

More pics, work trip to Berlin last week.

Night shots at f1.4, unprocessed jpeg (as are all the pics).

I can't remember the aperture of this one, but there was a strong backlight. No sign of colour fringing.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Would love to try this lens on my NEX!

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7588 Location: Hong Kong

You have grab a bargain. This lens can be used on NEX too(small dark corner).

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Nordentro · Expire: 2015-01-29

Very nice, and cheap! Very Happy

pat donnelly · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 5:22 am Post subject:

What a bargain!!! Well done!

Truly a sharp lens, with bags of contrast, too!

Cbecks · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 3 Location: California

I just bought this lens, and so far, I love it! I am using the "Super Thin" C mount adapter from Henry-digital on eBay, and get focus from 2 feet to 8 feet on my GF1. I'm curious about your machining of it. Were you able to remove the rear cap, or did you have to chuck the entire lens in the lathe? I have been able to unscrew tje rear C-mount from some of my other lenses to turn them as needed, but this lens holds no clues as to how to disassemble it. I have seen a version on another site that has the more familiar 3 set screws and an all silver aluminum rear c-mount section, but mine looks like yours. I would love to get infinity ficus on my lens, but I don't want to put the whole lens in the lathe, and I don't think mine is big enough to hold the lens from the outside.

Any help would be appreciated!

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

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

A well known lens and very good performer. Most people are just scared to have it machined to fit, but it's well worth it!

Cbecks · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 3 Location: California

Thank you. I finally got the end cap off last night (thanks to a tip from ekoeler7), right before going out to shoot an art opening. So I used the technique I read about on a forum of putting tape on the aluminum c mount threaded piece (not on the threads) to make the press fit tighter. I was skeptical, but it was actually quite effective! I hope to turn down the outer ring this weekend - boy is it thin! Looks like there's barely enough metal already. I may take a little off the (fotodiox) adapter as well.

More importantly, I love this lens! Looking through it, turning the rings, I guess I'm used to the littler CCTV lenses, but it's like it's sprinkled with magic fairy dust. Just something very special about it. I want the whole set now, the 35, 25, and especially the 12.5. The search continues...

mbecroft · Joined: 15 Nov 2011 Posts: 2

Hi. I just bought this lens and it is looking good on my Olympus PEN E-P3. But for the life of me, I cannot work out how to remove the rear cap! It will not unscrew even with considerable force. Please share the secret with us!

Cbecks · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 3 Location: California

My trick was just knowing it was screwed on. it gave me the confidence to really twist and not worry I was doing something wrong. mine was stuck, or really tight ,or whatever, but I grabbed the body and aperture ring with one hand, and got a grip on the end cap by holding it with a silicone trivet, or hot pad, whatever you want to call it. basically a flexible rubber sheet. If you can't get it off with a little grip helper and a little confidence boost, it's possible that it's glued on. In that case, I've heard from reading the posts of forum elders, that you can carefully drip acetone, one drop at a time, into the threads, but I can't confirm that that won't destroy your lens.

Good Luck!

mbecroft · Joined: 15 Nov 2011 Posts: 2

Thanks! I was a little afraid of breaking something, but you encouraged me to keep trying, and after putting the lens in a vice I was finally able to loosen the end cap using a wrench! There is no evidence of glue; it was just screwed on *very* tightly. Now that it has been loosened, it goes on and off quite easily.

Thanks again!

Phenix jc · Joined: 19 Dec 2009 Posts: 398 Location: France

Thank you VERY MUCH guys !!!
I was reading this words, just now. So I took the lens in my hands and try : Magic ! The rear cap gone easily !
Now I'm ready to go further. Many Thanks !

Phenix jc · Joined: 19 Dec 2009 Posts: 398 Location: France

A picture is better than a thousand words
#1

(this is the 35mm)

jlduh · Joined: 25 Dec 2011 Posts: 4 Location: France

I second the comments, I've got the same one since one year and it is one of the best 50mm 1.4 that i have tested (and I've tested a lot including FD's and so on). It's sharp from 1,4 with no glow, bokeh is cool also... Very well built and easy to use, not to big also in comparison with 24x36 50mm 1,4. These fujinon c-mounts rock!

For the modification needed, you can unscrew the black part and glue the steel C-mount in place, or fix it with small screws, not too difficult.

ekoe · Joined: 28 Jul 2011 Posts: 47

I agree. The Fujinon-TV lenses for 1" video sensors are excellent on m4/3. They're very sharp, even at wide apertures (with the exception of the 12.5mm). The 25mm/1.4 has just a hint of vignetting after modification, but is every bit as sharp as a CZJ Tevidon or Schneider Xenon.

I service and modify legacy lenses for use on modern digital stills and video cameras, and I have focused my more intensive modifications (such as my Fujinon-TV 12.5mm/f1.4 m4/3 sensor coverage modification: http://www.flickr.com/groups/c-mount_/discuss/72157626729448835/?search=ekoehler7 ) around the Fujinon-TV 1" video range of lenses. It was me who advised CBecks about the removal of the rear ring on his Fujinon-TV 50mm/1.4 (see prev pg.) after he contacted me for modification.

Most of the Fujinon-TV lenses require some bit of machining to rear diameter in order to focus properly, but the 35mm/1.7 is a special modification of my own design, not quite as involved as my 12.5mm/1.4 mod, but it does require a near full disassembly and turning of internal housing surfaces on the lathe. Without my mod, the Fujinon-TV 35mm/1.7 will not focus beyond a few feet.

I have a very modest, and as yet incomplete, website: www.ekoecamera.com

I service and modify many other lenses as well. I also provide overhaul, collimation and adaptation of legacy zooms for m4/3, including fungus removal, and overhaul to clean and regrease stiff zoom cams, tracks and helicals. Many users do not yet realise that a legacy parfocal zoom lens (which should hold focus through the zoom range) will oftentimes not hold focus after adaptation and must be collimated in order to maintain it's parfocal performance (so your focus doesn't go soft as you zoom). If you're adapted zoom lens does this, it is not a fault of the lens, but rather an 'incomplete' adaptation. Even the "complete" c-mount TV zoom to m4/3 modifications listed on eBay do not perform this service. I provide a thorough, truly 'complete' adaptation and collimation of legacy TV zooms like the Cosmicar 22.5-90/1.5 (and many others that provide very good sensor coverage in video modes), so that your lens hold sharp focus through the zoom. I also offer stepless aperture, off-set lens marks and a 'mount-lock' of my own design.

I don't favour the use of glue or epoxy. My modifications use sound, mechanical solutions. The reason for the non-use of glue is not only because glue and epoxy have poor tensile strength and can fail unexpectedly, but also because I try to retain all legacy functionality of the lens, such as azimuth adjustment and the ability to use macro rings.

ttran · Joined: 17 Oct 2018 Posts: 1

Hi Mark,
I've just got the Fujinon TV 50mm 1.4 lens and loved it. The same problem is I cannot focus further than 2m with C-M4/3 adapter. Which exact part did you "machining" it? at the C-mount or at the lens body.
Thanks a lot

I've used your instruction and picture.
"To get it to focus to infinity required machining 0.5mm or so off the back of the lens"[quote]