Dealing with heavy c-mount lenses

Craig Knowles · November 22, 2006

I just picked up an Angenieux 15-150 c-mount lens and would like to use it with an Eclair ACL. The problem is that the lens is VERY HEAVY -- so much so that I simply can't use it without some kind of support because I'm worried the camera or lens threads will eventually fail. I was shocked when it showed up in the mail. It must weigh at least 10 pounds.

I spent some time searching on Google for some kind of lens support apparatus that I could attach to the camera that would support the lens, but came up with very little. This is the closes thing I found, but it won't work because the vertical support bolt would have to be much longer to reach from the bottom of the ACL to reach the barrel of the lens:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...p;rd=1&rd=1

Anyone have this issue and find a solution that works -- both for hand-held situations and on a tripod? Would it make more sense to have the c-mount changed to an Arri mount (at a substantially increased price over building some sort of support myself)? What companies do lens-mount conversions?

November 22, 2006

Anyone have this issue and find a solution that works -- both for hand-held situations and on a tripod? Would it make more sense to have the c-mount changed to an Arri mount (at a substantially increased price over building some sort of support myself)? What companies do lens-mount conversions?

You're right not to hang that heavy lens off your ACL's C-mount without some kind of support. Les Bosher (www.lesbosher.co.uk) makes rods and lens supports for the ACL, and can perform lens mount transplants as well (at a cost).

Hal Smith · November 22, 2006

Angenieux can probably change the mount, but it's an expensive route to go. They quoted me $600 to convert a BNC mount zoom to Arri bayonet.

You could DIY if you are at all handy with hand tools. You could fashion a baseplate out of a piece of 3/8" aluminum plate with a threaded tripod hole on the bottom and a bolt through it to attach the camera. Then make a cradle out of hardwood to support the lens. I suggest hardwood rather than aluminum because it would be a lot easier to shape the cradle to match the lens working with wood.

A great source for DIY metal construction material is: http://www.metalsupermarkets.com/ . They're one of the few places to sell metal supplies by the foot. For instance, I bought the supplies to build a DIY adapter to mount an Ultracam mattebox and rods to my Arri 2's Tobin crystal motor from them. The only tool required in addition to handtools to make it was a drill press. I have a nice floor type production drill press but one of the $50 or so Harbor Freight table top ones would have worked. http://da.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/...ord=drill+press

James Erd · November 22, 2006

I just picked up an Angenieux 15-150 c-mount lens and would like to use it with an Eclair ACL. The problem is that the lens is VERY HEAVY -- so much so that I simply can't use it without some kind of support because I'm worried the camera or lens threads will eventually fail. I was shocked when it showed up in the mail. It must weigh at least 10 pounds.

I spent some time searching on Google for some kind of lens support apparatus that I could attach to the camera that would support the lens, but came up with very little. This is the closes thing I found, but it won't work because the vertical support bolt would have to be much longer to reach from the bottom of the ACL to reach the barrel of the lens:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...p;rd=1&rd=1

Anyone have this issue and find a solution that works -- both for hand-held situations and on a tripod? Would it make more sense to have the c-mount changed to an Arri mount (at a substantially increased price over building some sort of support myself)? What companies do lens-mount conversions?

It's strange that your Angenieux 15-150 is so much heavier than the Angenieux 12-120. In any case I took a look at the support and it seems a little pricey for something you could easily cobble together in a day at Orchard Supply Hardware.

You can buy an appropriate length of 1.5 X .250" aluminum stock. I would start with the camera end drill that hole first, then bend the aluminum in a 'S' so that the other end sits very near the barrel of the lens. At this point you can easily see where to drill the whole for the vertical support. Needles to say all the drilling and bending takes place well away from the Eclair. The only part that may be challenging is finding a proper bolt for the vertical support. I don't know about your lens but the area where the support has to go on my Angenieux is very narrow. The other difficulty you may have is mounting the whole deal on the tripod because of the added thickness of the aluminum stock.

Well, that's the poor man's way of getting the job done.

Best of luck,

james

Craig Knowles · November 22, 2006

It's strange that your Angenieux 15-150 is so much heavier than the Angenieux 12-120.

I was surprised, too. I bought it online and it looked roughly the same size as my old Angie 12-120 in the photos. When it showed up, I was shocked -- it's about 3 times as heavy!

I'll post a photo tonight comparing the two.

Thanks for all your help. At this moment, I'll likely try to fashion something myself (similar to that eBay auction link above) if I can find the right materials.

James Erd · November 22, 2006

I was surprised, too. I bought it online and it looked roughly the same size as my old Angie 12-120 in the photos. When it showed up, I was shocked -- it's about 3 times as heavy!

I'll post a photo tonight comparing the two.

Thanks for all your help. At this moment, I'll likely try to fashion something myself (similar to that eBay auction link above) if I can find the right materials.

Those extra 30MM seem extraordinarily expensive weight wise, I'm sure it's worth it when you need them. I would never subject the turret on my Bolex to that much weight without a support. Even with a turret plug, I am very cautious about using the 12-120 and have been planning to rig some support for the sake of the threads. I miss having access to all the machine tools since I quit working as a machinist. Now I have to design everything keeping sloppy tolerances in mind.

Craig Knowles · November 22, 2006

Those extra 30MM seem extraordinarily expensive weight wise

It wasn't the extra 30mm I wanted, but the fact that the lens covers Super-16. I thought the size was on par with the Angie 12-120. Here are some pics. Yes, the smaller lens is a regular-sized Angenieux 12-120 lens:

Edited November 22, 2006 by Craig Knowles

November 23, 2006

I think I saw this lens on Ebay...

It is NOT the usual Angie 15-150. I've put both the 12-120 and 15-150 side by side and they're very close in size - easily mistaken for each other - and both have a 72mm front thread. This must be a high-speed variant... it's a monster.

James Erd · November 23, 2006

It wasn't the extra 30mm I wanted, but the fact that the lens covers Super-16. I thought the size was on par with the Angie 12-120. Here are some pics. Yes, the smaller lens is a regular-sized Angenieux 12-120 lens:

OMG! That's huge'O'mongous for a c-mount lens :D Your Eclair will look very serious in that livery. That's a lot of glass. How fast is the lens?

chris evans · November 23, 2006

I remember using an Angenieux on an Arri SR3 and it had a lens support bracket that fit on the rods and was adjusted by a screw that raised a support that the lens rested on. I thought it was made by Arri, but I didn't see it anywhere on their website. But I did find this:

http://www.vfgadgets.com/Lens_Support.htm

I hope this helps.

Chris

Craig Knowles · November 23, 2006

I think I saw this lens on Ebay...

It is NOT the usual Angie 15-150. I've put both the 12-120 and 15-150 side by side and they're very close in size - easily mistaken for each other - and both have a 72mm front thread. This must be a high-speed variant... it's a monster.

Interesting. It is fast, yes, at T1.9 and it did come from eBay, but almost a month ago now. It's not the one that was on eBay a few days ago. They have one at Visual Products, but it's a T3 -- it looks a little closer in size to the 12-120:

http://www.visualproducts.com/storeProduct...=20&Cat3=28

I have no idea what it must have been made for, being just a c-mount. I couldn't possibly be used without a support of some kind.

November 23, 2006

Interesting. It's marked like a regular Angie cine lens, and it doesn't have gears, which would suggest that it was originally in some kind of housing. How in the world did they expect anyone to put that on a C-mount camera without lots of extra support? You'd think there'd be some kind of bracketry...The other odd thing about this particular lens is the rubber grips for focus and zoom. Very un-French. What's up with that?

Zachary Vex · November 23, 2006

Most definitely a light-gobbling monster! My Angenieux 15-150 looks much like my 12-120 and is f 2.8/T 3.1.

I have lens envy!

Craig Knowles · November 23, 2006

Most definitely a light-gobbling monster! My Angenieux 15-150 looks much like my 12-120 and is f 2.8/T 3.1.

I have lens envy!

Don't envy me just yet....if this lens rips the front off my Eclair or dislocates my spine, it could very well spell the end of my career! :blink:

Edited November 23, 2006 by Craig Knowles

Leo Anthony Vale · November 24, 2006

I have no idea what it must have been made for, being just a c-mount. I couldn't possibly be used without a support of some kind.

Your's is based on the 25-250mm f/3-2.

The deal with this is was meant for 1"vidicon, like the other 15-150mm, and is T1.9. A fast zoom for its day.

Craig Knowles · November 24, 2006

Your's is based on the 25-250mm f/3-2.
The deal with this is was meant for 1"vidicon, like the other 15-150mm, and is T1.9. A fast zoom for its day.

I'm not familiar with 1" - did they use supports of some kind?

Thanasis Diamantopoulos · November 24, 2006

I'm not familiar with 1" - did they use supports of some kind?

Hi Craig

this lense is like the canon 25-250 T1.8 for old video cameras I own an eclair npr s16 an before the convertion to b mount i usualy woking with this kind of monsters. The c mound of the camera never damaged. BTW you must be very carefull and if you are not sure get support. I might have suport for this lense but i i have to search in my old ware house. NO MONEY OF COURSE.