Hitachi 1.7/24 projector lens modified for M4/3

[iangreenhalgh1]

This is a lens from a data projector. I got it for 4.95 brand new, unused and boxed. I want to use it to shoot video on M4/3 in low light. I added a tripod mount ring and a M4/3 mount. Because it's for low light shooting, I didn't bother trying to fit an aperture. It's quite large but nice and light as the barrel is all plastic. It has a helicoid built in, which made adaptation much easier. The image circle covers APS-C without any noticeable falloff so it may cover full frame. This series was shot on my Lumix G3.




It's pretty sharp, some glow from residual SA and some green and red CA on out of focus areas but the bokeh is very smooth and the rendering is very pleasant to my eyes.

At MFD, I like the character a lot:


The DOF is really thin so I'm not so sure the next two are in focus, but the lens works well in the dim light inside our garage.





The glow makes for dreamy images:


Bokeh test - buttery smooth, just as I like it, no swirls, bubbles or other distracting things:


Here I focussed on the remains of the boat in the foreground:


100% crop, pretty sharp for f1.7:


Night time test, it seems to do pretty well.




Flare test. It has very effective coatings so a very slight green flare is all you get. The way it renders points of light is ery pretty to my eyes. I think this will e a very useful lens for night time shots.

[JohnBar]

XLENT

[iangreenhalgh1]

Cheers John.

Here's some test footage:

https://youtu.be/9X115V8tg8Y

[bernhardas]

Edited

[iangreenhalgh1]

Cheers. It was a very simple adaptation - I basically just glued a M42-M4/3 adapter on the back after removing the M42 threaded inner part and adding a spacer made from a piece of extension tube. The tripod mount just happened to be the exact same diameter as the barrel so it fit like a glove. I added the mount because I want rock solid mounting on a tripod for steady video and with the lens being plastic and light and quite large, mounting to a tripod via the camera's mount seemed like a recipe for wobbliness and shaky video.

[bernhardas]

Edited

[iangreenhalgh1]

Being one bit short is usually how you end up with a box full of bits!

I seriously need to have a clean out over this winter.

[kryss]

Very nice Ian,especially the flowers and as you say looks great for night shots Too.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Cheers. I have Konica, Nikon and Yashica 24s for general use but this one is just for low light video work and I think it will do well in that role.

Besides, I fins messing with these unusual optics to be a lot of fun and very informative.

[dan_]

Very promising results, indeed! And the low light video test looks really well - it will certainly do a great job as a low light video lens, as intended.

[Lloydy]

Yes, that's a lens with a lot of potential.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Cheers guys. Always nice when a DIY plan actually works!

[BeardsAreBest]

The soft effect of this lens in the day is magical.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Cheers. I think that effect is due to a bit of spherical aberration that gives a diffuse glow, like a portrait lens.

Also have to point out the light when I took the outdoor shots was very dull and gray. the sky was solid low gray cloud so the light was very diffuse and flat.

Of course, a large part of the reason for me playing with these unusual optics is to produce results that have a different aesthetic to the usual you get with a conventional camera lens so I'm happy in that regard.