Som Berthiot 38-150

[Paul Bruening]

I've got this lovely Som Berthiot 38-150 zoom. It is really heavy. It came with my NC. It is a pellicle viewfinder lens with a long tube.

 

Here are my questions:

 

Is it a good lens design? Is it notorious for anything bad?

 

Can the view tube be shortened to something like an inch or two? How complicated is this change?

 

The aperture setting goes down to f3.8 (T4.7) Do these numbers account for the light loss at the pellicle? What can I set my meter to? What can I assume is the light value hitting the film?

 

It has a Florman and Barr, NY, NY sticker on it. Are they still in business?

 

Would you use this lens?

[Russell Richard Fowler]

The lens is a little soft, which can be "worked" with...The aperture marks take account of the account of the light loss to the view finder tube...the prism elbow to finder tube would be a bear to shorten due to the ground glass and optics. Floren and Babb merged with CECO to become FB/Ceco decades ago.....I don't think they are still around.

[Dan Salzmann]

The lens is a little soft, which can be "worked" with...The aperture marks take account of the account of the light loss to the view finder tube...the prism elbow to finder tube would be a bear to shorten due to the ground glass and optics. Floren and Babb merged with CECO to become FB/Ceco decades ago.....I don't think they are still around.

I use this lens with a hand cranked 1920's Ensign camera for "arty" stuff" It is rather soft but stopped down with fast film it is acceptable.