C-mount lenses on 35mm camera

[sdivot]

I've noticed that people are adapting the old c-mount movie lenses onto the newer micro 4/3 digital cameras.
I was thinking of adapting one of these to a film camera, but the distance to film plane will not allow infinity focusing on a standard 35mm slr.
Does anyone know of a film camera that can be used with this type of lens? Someone told me an Olympus Pen F will work. I wonder if they make adapters for that one.
Anything else?
Thanks,
Steve
www.scdowellphoto.com

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

Coverage...

IIRC, the Olympus Pen F is half frame, while c-mount lenses are calculated for 16mm (much smaller).
You *might* get lucky with some c-mount lenses which have an unusually large coverage, but as a rule it shouldn't work (at least with acceptable quality).

On a standard 35mm frame, even if it could focus to infinity, it would only project a small(ish) circle into the middle of the frame...

This is the same reason why lenses made for 35mm won't "work" with larger format cameras.

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

Re my previous post: The exception has always been using such lenses for macro use... Then coverage (within reason) stops being a factor.

 

[sdivot]

Thanks for the reply. I wouldn't really mind if the lens vignetted on the 35mm (or half frame, in the case of the Olympus Pen F). In fact, some of those lenses I'm talking about are of a modified petzval design (such as the Kinic, or so I've heard). So getting all the way to the edges of the image circle would be fine with me for the edge effects.
Steve
www.scdowellphoto.com

 

[ic-racer]

Its a little crazy adapting the cine lenses to a Stecky or other 16mm still camera with screw on lenses (where they don't really fit or cover the format), but to try to put them on a 35mm camera is way out there

 

[sdivot]

Well, I'm not sure it's WAY out there. )
People are using these lenses on the new micro 4/3 digital cameras, such as Lumix G1 and Olympus EP-1.
I was thinking it would be cool to adapt one to a film camera. Someone said it could be done with an old Olympus Pen F.
I'd like to get the look of those lenses on a "carry around" camera.
Steve
www.scdowellphoto.com

 

[Kerik]

Here's a link to a guy's blog who's been doing such things. I'm thinking about getting a micro 4/3 camera to try some of this. Adapters for Cine lenses to cameras like the G1 are available on eBay and elsewhere. The Oly Pen sounds intriguing as well.

 

[ic-racer]

Since the pen-f is an SLR, the flange-focal length of a C-mount lens (17.5mm) is probably going to interfere with the mirror.

What kind of film does a 4/3 camera take... ?

Actually if you were really serious about geting this little circle of an image on 35mm you could have SK grimes make an adapter for an early focal plane Leica or clone (for a small fortune ).

 

[sdivot]

Kerik,
Thanks for the link. The truth is, I'd just get the Lumix G1 (forgive me APUG'ers) and use that with those lenses. It's more of a money issue than anything. The camera will be $650-750, then the lenses are not particularly cheap if you find the right one. The adapter is extra of course.
Maybe I'll just kick the idea around until I can afford to act on it.
Steve
www.scdowellphoto.com