I didn't know lenses can be this fast

Mainecoonmaniac · Mar 7, 2014

I didn't even now such a lens existed :confused:

http://www.japancamerahunter.com/2014/03/think-lens-fast/

cliveh · Mar 7, 2014

Neither did I.

Jeff Kubach · Mar 7, 2014

That is fast!

Jeff

fretlessdavis · Mar 7, 2014

NASA had a custom 50mm f/0.7 Zeiss Planar-- also used by Stanley Kubrick!

Ian Grant · Mar 7, 2014

fretlessdavis said:
NASA had a custom 50mm f/0.7 Zeiss Planar-- also used by Stanley Kubrick!

At a cost to overall quality, but one mans high quality is opposite an others artistic quality and it was that made the filming of Barry Lyndon so wonderful.

Ian

fretlessdavis · Mar 7, 2014

Michael R 1974 said:
Yes there was quite a bit of work involved getting that f/0.7 to fit Kubrick's camera. I think there are pictures of it on the web somewhere if I remember correctly. Kubrick needed it to film candle-lit scenes in Barry Lyndon by available light.

I remember reading about the focusing issues, too. I think they ended up have to physically measure distances to even get things to work, and I'm sure quite a few takes if people moved around.

The lens in the OP doesn't seem very usable, though... doesn't cover a full 35mm, no focusing or aperture.

If one wanted the thinnest possible DOF, why not shoot 8x10?

Paul Howell · Mar 7, 2014

If designed for X ray, I guess it would be fine for B&W, but what about color? The coating may be very differnt, Old Delff made lens for the Swiss Alpa, had a good rep.

Dr Croubie · Mar 7, 2014

Coincidence, I've been watching one of these going on fleabay at the moment, only 20 quid with a few days left (which will probably snipe up to a grand with 3 seconds left).
One of them went for only $100, there's a few with BIN of $700 though.

Some of those examples look rather Lensbaby, eg this one.
if it's bang on it looks ok for portraits, like this or this.

Those crazy dutchies made some very nice lenses in the past, both ultrafast and telescopes, but always huge. Too bad they're not still around these days. still, it's not as fast as the Quatsch Gigantar (but probably works a bit better)

Mainecoonmaniac · Mar 7, 2014

So my question is how much DOF do you get wide open focused at a meter? I'd image it's razor thin.

fretlessdavis · Mar 7, 2014

with a 50mm f/1, you'd get 2cm total DOF focused at 1M! Couldn't get eyes and the tip of a nose in focus, and this lens is 1 stop faster... It's 3 PM here, so I'm feeling way too lazy to calculate what it would be at f/0.7...

Gerald C Koch · Mar 7, 2014

It should be pointed out that ultra fast lenses are optimized to be used at full aperture and do not do as well when stepped down. When used at full aperture there is little depth of field.

elekm · Mar 7, 2014

A very interesting lens, an interesting story and, of course, useless. And usual, is must be mounted to a Leica M, making it even more useless.

Fixed aperture, fixed focus. You going to estimate that with a rangefinder? I don't think so.

It belongs on an SLR, where you can at least see what might be in focus.

Dr Croubie · Mar 7, 2014

Well, interesting that they said it's an M mount, but then later said that you gotta use live-view. So they didn't even calibrate the adapter to push the cam in to where it should be in focus (at which point you can focus with your feet).
Definitely can't light up the frame lines, maybe it blocks one or both of the RF windows anyway.

So yeah, it can only really be used on the new M 240, A7R, or any number of NEX and µ4/3 digitals. By the looks of the M mounted version it's probably too close to the film plane to be used in any kind of SLR...

Jim Jones · Mar 8, 2014

Long ago Leitz made the Summar 75mm f/.85 for special purposes: http://pindelski.org/Photography/2006/06/30/so-you-thought-f14-was-fast/. Scroll down to near the bottom of the page. One of these mounted on a Leica camera sold on ebay a few years ago for over $5,000. Today's slower, but coated, lenses should be far better performers.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 8, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I didn't even now such a lens existed :confused:

http://www.japancamerahunter.com/2014/03/think-lens-fast/

*yawn* That's a piker...

http://petapixel.com/2013/08/06/carl-zeiss-super-q-gigantar-40mm-f0-33-the-fastest-lens-ever-made/

miha · Mar 8, 2014

I found a Zeiss Gigantar at the attic. I wonder if there is any value to it?

E. von Hoegh · Mar 8, 2014

miha said:
I found a Zeiss Gigantar at the attic. I wonder if there is any value to it?

Naw. It's junk. But, I could use an extra paperweight... spring is just round the bend and the windows will be open...

miha · Mar 8, 2014

E. von Hoegh said:
Naw. It's junk. But, I could use an extra paperweight... spring is just round the bend and the windows will be open...

Not sure there is any weight to it, I read it's a phantom lens.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 8, 2014

miha said:
Not sure there is any weight to it, I read it's a phantom lens.

Actually, it exist(ed)s but doesn't take pictures because it was a PR joke.

Vilk · Mar 8, 2014

the lens is junk but the brassy cutie hiding behing it... mmmm...

Dan Fromm · Mar 9, 2014

My late friend Charlie Barringer had a Super-Q Gigantar. It and most of his photographic equipment collection went to Westlicht. The Gigantar brought Euros 90,000 plus the buyer's premium. Charlie's Barry Lyndon lens brought Euros 60,000 plus buyer's premium.

The fastest lens possible in air is f/0.5. The fastest lenses made are oil-immersion microscope objectives, some of which are around f/0.33

f/16 · Mar 11, 2014

I'm not willing to pay for lenses that fast

I didn't know lenses can be this fast

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