C Mount to CA-1 Adapters

[Joe G Armstrong]

I’ve recently bought an Eclair ACL from a friend of mine. It’s in great working order and converted to Super 16 to boot.

Its only downside to me is that it’s native C mount — something of a limiting option when it comes to lenses that cover Super 16.

The photo attached is of what was billed as a CA-1 lens to C mount adapter I bought with a view to buying some Kinoptik glass in the future. However, not having seen the mount besides in a few pictures in the Cine Lens Manual, I can’t quite figure out how this would attach to a lens. Are the screws supposed to fit into a keyway? The side not pictured is the 1" screw thread for the C mount.

Can anyone explain to me how it would work? Or failing that, give it to me straight… Am I a rube that's been sold a dud?

Thank you

[Johanan Pandone]

Good luck centering the image circle. I've seen anamorphic adapters like this. They suck to use. I guess you just clamp the lens in there with the set screws. 

[Duncan Brown]

The ACL has the very useful TS lens adapter system.  The adapters thread on to the threads on the outside of the big silver mount on the front that has the C-mount in the center of it.  Sometimes those adapters can be hard to find for sale, though at least two different groups are in the process of trying to make new ones, including some (eg PL-mount) that did not exist originally.

BUT!!!  If what you want to do is mount CA-1 (Cameflex) lenses to an ACL you're in far better shape.  Of all of the TS lens adapters out there, that is by far the most plentiful and they pop up for sale here, on FB, and on ebay pretty routinely.  Heck, I would sell you the extra one I own, except that I lent it to one of those new TS adapter groups and haven't gotten it back yet.

Duncan

[Joe G Armstrong]

Thank you, both, for replying. The adapter didn't cost much, and centring the image circle sounds like a pain in the behind so I think I'll leave it be. I have a few Kern Switar AR primes I can use for testing in the meantime.

Interesting, Duncan… So, the TS adapter is the wider screw thread around the C mount in the centre? The one I have looks to have had a notch machined into it -- possibly when it was S16 converted by Les Bosher? Any thoughts as to why?

It seems like exciting times to be an ACL owner. Are the groups that are developing new TS adapters providing updates here or elsewhere? I'd be keen to follow for any news

Cheers!

[Heikki Repo]

1 hour ago, Joe G Armstrong said:

Interesting, Duncan… So, the TS adapter is the wider screw thread around the C mount in the centre? The one I have looks to have had a notch machined into it -- possibly when it was S16 converted by Les Bosher? Any thoughts as to why?

That notch is part of the TS-mount design - it locks the adapter in correct position.

New PL-mount adapter should be available from C7 adapters very soon.

Also, @Aapo Lettinen is making brand new ACL motors. I have a couple of them and now preordering the final 2.0 version that should have even more features than the original heavy duty motor :) I'm buying it to future proof my camera - the original motor is quite good, but it was made in the 1970s and there's pretty much only one place that knows how to repair them so...

[Duncan Brown]

If you're new to TS-mount adapters, there's always this thread I started a while back:

Duncan