Leitz Dygon 9mm , 8mm camera lens and want to use it anyhow

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 29, 2014

I bought an 9 mm Leitz Dygon lens made for Leicina Cameras. Leicina cameras sold expensive and with lots of sensor or electric motor or battery compartment or electronic circuit problems and they made me to stay away from these cameras.

And there is only 3 regular 8mm stock sellers , processing and scanning is a shock when you learn it.

Anyway , I have the lens and I want to shoot on 35mm film or digital.

I need your ideas to use that excellent lens.

May be it would be possible to remove the mirror from the 35mm metal shutter camera and fit the lens deep inside of the camera but I dont have a idea.

Or may be you advise me a 30 dollar new digital camera to fit the lens , I dont like digital but never use but may be for that time ?

No need to digital hate wise posts , now its time to use that old friend.

Umut

MDR · Sep 29, 2014

The Problem isn't mounting the lens the Problem is that the lens won't cover the Format (35 or Digital) what you can do though is use it as a super-micro/macro lens unfortunately the Image Quality will suffer quiet a bit. To use it as micro lens mount it on a below (get a an Adapter that allows you to Mount the lens on the below say D-Mount to Nikon F or something like that) and Focus with the below. The depth of field will also be minimal as the Lens won't stop down all that much.

Good luck

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 29, 2014

Hello MDR,

I accept to use the lens as 8mm frame shooter , no plan to use it for 35mm frame.

Thanks,

Umut

Alex Muir · Sep 29, 2014

Hi Umut. This lens is a converter that works with the optics built into the Leicina 8s camera. There were 3 types available, 6.25, 9 and 36mm. The built in lens was 15mm. I don't know if the 9mm unit will work as a lens on its own. It is a really high quality lens, so I hope you find a good use for it.
Alex.

MDR · Sep 29, 2014

Then try to get a different Super 8 camera with single frame capabilites from another mfg. buy an m to d-Mount Adapter and use the Super 8 camera as quasi still camera. Processing the flm isn't easy at first but you can process the film in a bucket which is much less expensive than the Russian dev. tank for super8.

You can use the lens on any M-Mount camera, the Image you'll get will be round and around 11mm in Diameter

OOOps Alex is right the Dygon is a wa adapter

darkosaric · Sep 29, 2014

MDR said:
You can use the lens on any M-Mount camera, the Image you'll get will be round and around 11mm in Diameter

So it is perfect for Leica M4 Half Frame .

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 29, 2014

Thank you Alex, MDR and Darko.

Lets be clear , what is the name of Dygon lens mount , is it specified as M mount - or may be D mount but I dont have a idea - ?

Is there any old very cheap 35mm camera accepts that lens ?

Developing the 8mm film is problem but request to scan one by one is very difficult - no company offered to me - or extremelly expensive , I said extremelly ?

Umut

MDR · Sep 29, 2014

The lenses for the Leicina Special were M-Mount lenses but the Dygon is not a full lens but a converter or to be more precise the front group of a lens like the pro-tessar on the older Contaflex cameras. The Dygon was made for the Leicina non Special Version in order to use it you need the rear lens group that was built into the leicina.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 29, 2014

MDR said:
The lenses for the Leicina Special were M-Mount lenses but the Dygon is not a full lens but a converter or to be more precise the front group of a lens like the pro-tessar on the older Contaflex cameras. The Dygon was made for the Leicina non Special Version in order to use it you need the rear lens group that was built into the leicina.

Thank you MDR , does it mean I can not use that lens with digital or leica m camera ?

Umut

MDR · Sep 29, 2014

In short yes the lens is missing a few parts in order to be useful but I could be wrong.

Alex Muir · Sep 29, 2014

The Dygon converters fitted into a special bayonet type mount on the Leicina 8s camera. I don't know of any other camera that used the same mount. Leitz moved on quite quickly to produce Leicina cameras with fitted zoom lenses. That was becoming the norm for 8mm cine at the time. There were two that shared a similar body to the 8s, the 8v and the 8sv. Super8 followed around 1965? So these cameras were soon to be superseded by the new format. I don't know if you have the camera, or only the Dygon? I have an 8s which I have used in the past with good results. Lens quality is excellent. The issue with these cameras tends to be the battery holder. It was designed for an early style of AA battery. The modern ones are too large in diameter, causing damage to the holder. The meter, and auto exposure work fine, but it uses the old Mercury cells, so an equivalent for that is needed. I am not aware of motor problems, but that may be an issue I have not experienced. There is a guy on eBay who sells replacement battery packs which look like they are rechargeable. If the only fault in the camera was a damaged battery holder (for the AA cells), it would be easy to make up a workable replacement, taping 4 cells together and designing a simple method to make the contacts.
Alex.

ic-racer · Sep 29, 2014

As others have mentioned, the actual taking lens is probably more important than the adapter lens (assuming the Dygon is not a complete image-forming lens). I wound up using a Japanese Kenko wide angle adapter on my 5.5mm Switar lens. Using a special made adapter (from SK Grimes) the add-on lens coverts the 5.5mm Switar into a 2mm rectilinear wide angle.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 29, 2014

Thank you MDR , Alex and ic- racer , I have contacted with seller.

Leitz Dygon 9mm , 8mm camera lens and want to use it anyhow

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