Need advice - petzval lens with FL shorter than 100mm

[Alex H]

I am lookig for advice. I need a petzval lens for very specific photographic project. I need it to have focal length of less than 100 mm, or even shorter. I know there were such lenses made but I do not know their names. I also know that some magic lantern lenses and some projector lenses are of petzval type. I will be very grateful if members here can give me exact names and specifications, or, even better, show pictures, of lenses that you are confident are of petzval type, and that fulfil my requirements. Sure, I would like to be able to adjust aperture, so camera lenses are preferred to projector lenses.

Thanks, Alex

[kds315*]

I have one (I guess) but only in 130mm FL. But the Cooke KINIC is a Petzval lens, in c-mount.
Clearly shows that: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kds315/sets/72157625383702448/



May not cover enough of your sensor though...

[Alex H]

Thanks, Klaus. Lovely shots. I remember I enjoyed them before. I should have mentioned another requirement that I have - budget limited to 100-150 Euro.

Alex

[iangreenhalgh1]

Shortest I've seen are 5 inch (127mm) projector lenses, I have one made by Kershaw, wonderful for portraits.

[Alex H]

I've seen Peter's (a.k.a Spotmatic) post with his small Petzval here on MFlenses, and also this Tiny Petzval = Big Score? . So they do exist in shorter focal length too.

[dan_]

Hermagis Cinema projection lenses are Petzvals. I have a few of them and the shortest focal lenght I have is 50mm (it covers FF). Others I have are 110mm, 125mm and 150mm. You can find 80mm as well. They are easy to adapt to modern cameras.
They usually are quite expensive but one 110mm, not mine, is for sale cheap on ebay France right now.
Hermagis Cinema were quality Petzvals in their time and quality Petzvals hardly swirl. But all the other Petzval characteristics are at their best.
By adding an achromat in front of them you can reduce their focal distance if it is to long but you'll increase the spherical aberrations as well. For Petzvals this is not a bad thing at all.

[Alex H]

Thanks Dan. I am not looking for swirly bokeh at all, but, as You said, for other petzval properties.

[dan_]

Some tests just to see the level of detail and the kind of bokeh you should expect from Hermagis Cinema lenses on APS-C (NEX-7).






And the outlined 100% detail:

[kds315*]

Looks quite good to me!

[kds315*]

Click here to see on Ebay was sold now, so I hope that solves it...

Thanks Dan!

[Alex H]

Thanks. I got it. But I still would like to know about other options of shorter focal length. Thanks
Alex

[ZoneV]

Zeiss Ikon Kinostar 80mm - cine projection lens, no helicoid, no iris.
But the lens is pretty good for 24x36, I have made a special lens housing to get more effect, but still testing for an optimum.

[calvin83]

How about a new 85mm from Zenit?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lomography/the-lomography-petzval-portrait-lens

http://microsites.lomography.com/petzval-lens/

[Alex H]

[Alex H]

[kds315*]

Oh, sad to hear Alex, so how are the results?

[Alex H]

The image circle of this is just too big.

[kds315*]

And how does that make the results unuseable? Flare, stray light within the camera??
Sorry that I bother to ask for details, but I was never a friend of statements, like
"the lens is not good"

[Alex H]

I did not say it is "not good". I said - it does not fulfill my needs.

Basically it is too good - it does not show field curvature and light falloff towards the corners on APS-C sensor. Am I clear now, or not?

[kds315*]

Yes, thanks that I understand now. Seems like you might need a cine lens, as those show that more than enough.



Taylor, Taylor Hobson Cooke Kinic 1" cine lens

[ZoneV]