ektapro lense / adapter advice

[notarobot]

hello!

and my sincerest apologies if this should go into a different area of the forum, i am brand new here, just signed up, b/c i really need some help as soon as possible. this should be an extremly straightforward query to find answers to online, but i have somehow not been able to find anything via google and i am in a bit of a hurry, so please excuse this shortcut:

for an exhibition i am planning on showing a slideshow on an ektapro 9000, but the space is very limited so i have been trying to find a wideangle lense (the lense i have on my ektapro is a 85-210mm). the widest official lense i could find in a kodak manual is a 36mm ektarpro select, but i have been unsuccessful in finding one of those (i bet they are pricey too).

but surely it must be possible to connect third party lenses? i have a Isco Optic Cinelux-AV 45mm 2.8 MC lense, but it doesnt fit, the barrel is too narrow. are there adapters out there for lenses like these? i have not been able to find anything on ebay, but the problem might be that i do not know the correct / specific enough search term. nor what precise criteria an adapter needs to meet.
could anyone tell me what i would need to connect a lense like the one above, or maybe point me towards other (budget) options for a wide angle lense?

apologies for all the ignorance on my part, i have not used a slide projector in over a decade
& many thanks in advance!

 

[AgX]

Welcome to Apug !

Well, slide projection is not loved at most of the fellows here. That might be the reason you did not find any projection forum.

Concerning your question: I have never heard of any projection lens adapter, but you might consider making an adapting device yourself.
As long a projecting lens is not focused directly, but by means of a cage it sits in, this should be doable. Prerequisite is that the lens be kept parallel to the original projection axis, best also at center, and to be somewhat movable in longitudinal direction for basic focusing.

But you overlooked another issue: illumination
In projection the lens and the condenser have to be apt for each other. Thus if you choose a lens of different than standard focal length you have to modify the condenser. At higher end projectors there are such means, but if you go beyond the designed range of lenses you may face not optimum illumination.

 

[AgX]

The Ektapro projectors take both, helicoid and rack&pinion lenses, thus a approach as hinted at above should be possible. Basically by wrapping the lens.

 

[Dan Fromm]

There used to be many short lenses in Carousel/Ektagraphic mount on the market. I have a 1"/2.8 D.O.I. and a 38/2.8 PC Elmo in the drawer.

Look on ebay.com. That you're in Germany and in a hurry may be a problem.

 

[notarobot]

many thanks for the replies everyone.

Well, slide projection is not loved at most of the fellows here.

how strange! it is such a magical & unique material imo. i quit shooting slide film when a) my camera dropped into the baltic & b) i could find no processing facilities for b/w slide film in the uk. but going over old slides these past days reminds me of what i loved about it in the first place.

Thus if you choose a lens of different than standard focal length you have to modify the condenser.

yes, i did not consider this, and this sounds like a valid point. i held the cineluxx into the shaft of the projector, and it seems really tricky to get an even focus to the corners. but that might just be the difficulties of holding the lense exactly parallel to the projection plane. i am not sure how i would construct an adaption device though.

Basically by wrapping the lens.

as in wrapping the barrel of the lense with tape for instance?

That you're in Germany and in a hurry may be a problem.

yes, thats my feeling too. i am seeing someone on ebay selling the same lense i have together with an adapter (and a projector). it is not a bad deal and maybe i just go for that & resell the second projector later.

 

[bdial]

Wrapping the lens with tape, or perhaps one or two o-rings should work, depending on how much of a gap you are dealing with.
Finding a manufactured adapter that is specific to your lens and projector is probably unlikely, and getting one machined will be expensive. So, cobbling up something with materials you can find in a hardware store is probably your best option, both for time and cost.

 

[AgX]

as in wrapping the barrel of the lense with tape for instance?

Let's say wraoppinh with at material. Tape would be too thin and likely would not yiel enough play to basically focus the lens. I rather think of some elastic material.
I got no Ektapro at hand... And I am mnot going now through all the respective documentation. But to me it seems just wrapping the lens with apt material to mount it into that cage in the way I described should do the trick.
Of course if the barrel lenght of the lens itself is not in the way, and if the condenser still gives acceptable illumination.

 

[notarobot]

ok, will see what i can do. thanks!

 

[Maris]

Years ago when I did slide shows I would occasionally attach a fish-eye conversion lens to the projector lens. The fish-eye converter was, of course, designed to go on a camera lens to capture an extremely wide field of view but on a projector it would throw a enormous picture at a short distance.
Rather than just project onto a screen the giant image could "paint" half a room; a stunning sight with the right slides and an audience not expecting the effect.