Schneider Xenoplan 1.8/15 from Super8 universe

[alex ph]

I disassembled a non-working Braun Super 8 electric which was an entry level film camera from the 1970s.

(Image credit)

What attracted me was a fixed focus Schneider Xenoplan 1.8/15. I thought even if it vignettes hard on APS-C, it could be an interesting experiment. The camera did not seem to be made for repairations. No screws to open it fully. So, I had to break one plastic side to reach the internal mechanism ans screws. After dismantling the barrel I found a suprise. There was no lens inside! Just a kind of built-in UV filter. The lens itself was hidden deeper in the camera body. And it is tiny!

Here it is, deadly attached to a bowed metal part. To give a scale, I put the beauty ring on it and a "normal" lens by the side.



Given the extraordinary small lens size and its fixation to a metal part, I see no chance to adapt it. Put close to the Sony APS-C sensor, it covers a tenth of its surface. Here is just a quick attempt to evaluate the rendering anyway. Freelensing at maximum focusing distance, with much of parasite light.

Straight


Reversed

[iangreenhalgh1]

I tried a lot of different lenses taken from broken cameras, it's very hard to find a really wide one that will cover aps-c. However, ultra wide lenses of excellent quality can be found cheap for APS-C coverage on morrorless cams - short throw projectors, I have several lenses from them I have adapter for APS-C and they are all great performers, so worth the time and effort.

[alex ph]

That sounds great, Ian. Could you please show such a superwide lens you adapted? I imagine it has a larger size than this Xenoplan. If you already published here samples from your adapations, I'd be happy to see them.

In fact, it's always a pleasure to break something and then to recycle a part of the broken.