CLA of an old cinema lens

RolleiPollei · Mar 5, 2017

So I've got a Kinoptik Apochromat 25mm C mount lens that is in great condition but has a stiff focus ring and some oil on the aperture blades. Does anybody have any first hand experience with somebody who can give it a good CLA? It's an obscure French cinema lens so it's not like there are people who specialize in this stuff. I've recently picked up a 16mm movie camera and this is the only lens I've got for it so I'd really like to get it fixed as soon as possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

shutterfinger · Mar 6, 2017

Reading your repair help inquiry and seeing your east coats location I thought of Lens and Repo in NYC that closed several years ago. A search revealed they merged with Calumet which also closed. One of their techs opened his own repair shop and the other that stayed with Calumet joined him once Calumet closed.
They are now The Camera Doctor NYC http://www.cameradoctornyc.com/

A Lens Collectors Vade Mecum list the company that made your lens but not that focal length. It does have a chronology if you care to post the serial number.

RolleiPollei · Mar 6, 2017

shutterfinger said:
Reading your repair help inquiry and seeing your east coats location I thought of Lens and Repo in NYC that closed several years ago. A search revealed they merged with Calumet which also closed. One of their techs opened his own repair shop and the other that stayed with Calumet joined him once Calumet closed.
They are now The Camera Doctor NYC http://www.cameradoctornyc.com/

A Lens Collectors Vade Mecum list the company that made your lens but not that focal length. It does have a chronology if you care to post the serial number.

Thank you very much they seem to have a really good reputation and are not too far away. The serial number is 54996.

RolleiPollei · Mar 6, 2017

Europan · Mar 6, 2017

Why obscure? The company still exists. http://www.kinoptik.com/ENG/index.htm

Send them a letter or a mail. Kinoptik are among the best lenses.

shutterfinger · Mar 6, 2017

Chronology
A very useful table of serial numbers year-by-year is given by P-H Pont in his booklet "Chiffres Cles" for the
years 1953-1993, and this is a shortened version since these lenses are not often seen in the UK and the
number produced is relatively limited, which underlines that this is a really prestigious, desireable make. The
number given is the last for the year.
1952 13,000 1955 20,000 1960 35,000 1965 49,000
1970 64,000 1975 84,551 1980 98,515
Lenses made at serial numbers above 40,000 seem to be especially sought after, possibly due to improved
coating. In about 1962 this will not be multicoating in the modern sense but at that time improved coatings
were coming into use

RolleiPollei · Mar 6, 2017

Europan said:
Why obscure? The company still exists. http://www.kinoptik.com/ENG/index.htm

Send them a letter or a mail. Kinoptik are among the best lenses.

What I meant was they are a lesser known brand and not anything negative about them. I did just send theme an email about it.

RolleiPollei · Mar 6, 2017

shutterfinger said:
Chronology
A very useful table of serial numbers year-by-year is given by P-H Pont in his booklet "Chiffres Cles" for the
years 1953-1993, and this is a shortened version since these lenses are not often seen in the UK and the
number produced is relatively limited, which underlines that this is a really prestigious, desireable make. The
number given is the last for the year.
1952 13,000 1955 20,000 1960 35,000 1965 49,000
1970 64,000 1975 84,551 1980 98,515
Lenses made at serial numbers above 40,000 seem to be especially sought after, possibly due to improved
coating. In about 1962 this will not be multicoating in the modern sense but at that time improved coatings
were coming into use

Thank you so much for all this information. I hardly knew anything about them before I got it. From what I've seen online they appear to be really great lenses. It'll be shooting some 16mm movies in no time.

Europan · Mar 18, 2017

RolleiPollei, excuse me for replying so harshly. Kinoptik is well known among professionals.
Should have switched in my head, you have a lens for the 16mm gauge.

The secret of Kinoptik is most deliberate selection of elements to build a lens. You know,
the last little differences among glass pieces that are being passed over with other manufacturers.
Kern of Aarau, for instance, let the pieces rest for at least four years before assembly. Zeiss as
another example, made the mounting parts very precisely. I have just disassembled a 1952 Zeiss
Ernostar whose diaphragm and focus mechanics behave almost like new.

A true apochromatic lens is fully colour corrected. It doesn’t form colour fringes in the unsharp, too.
Wisely exploitet your Kinoptik will deliver tack sharp and lively images.

Jeff L · Mar 18, 2017

Have you looked into Focal Point Inc. John Van Stelten ?
They do lenses only. I have never used them, just passing on a possible repair resource.

btaylor · Mar 19, 2017

If you don't have luck in NY the two pre-eminent independent Hollywood lens repair places are Focus Optics in Burbank and Duclos Lenses in Chatsworth. But there should be places closer to NJ. One thing is since this is a cinema lens any lens service place will collimate the c mount lens and adjust the focus scale.

CLA of an old cinema lens

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