Is it worth having the 10mm 1.8 Angenieux collimated on the Beaulieu 5008 MS?

Jonathan Massahi · May 5, 2021

Currently, my 5008 MS is in Sweden with Björn being serviced, re-celled, and having a Angenieux 8-64mm collimated - it's a lens I'm very happy with as I've always found it to be sharper than the Schneider 6-66mm. That said, I've recently been offered a chance to buy a 10mm 1.8 retrofocus Angenieux which I've seen be compared to the Cinegon 10mm! But is it worth buying this and then paying for it to be collimated if I've already got a 8-64mm?

Tyler Purcell · May 5, 2021

I personally wouldn't bother, the 8-64 is a great lens.

Dom Jaeger · May 5, 2021

If you’re getting the camera and zoom serviced and collimation checked, then the zoom should be enough I reckon. A zoom needs the back-focus to be spot on in order to hold focus properly from the long end where you focus, out to the wide end. So if you’re getting it set up properly it should be OK. It’s quite a good Super 8 zoom, as you know.

If in good condition the prime lens will be a bit sharper (and it should have better contrast, which makes things look sharper). If you can get the 10mm for a reasonable price, it probably would give you slightly better wide angle images, but with Super 8 and wide angles there’s only so much detail the film will resolve anyway.

Jonathan Massahi · May 5, 2021

6 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

I personally wouldn't bother, the 8-64 is a great lens.

It's certainly one of the best Super 8 lenses out there.

1 hour ago, Dom Jaeger said:

If you’re getting the camera and zoom serviced and collimation checked, then the zoom should be enough I reckon. A zoom needs the back-focus to be spot on in order to hold focus properly from the long end where you focus, out to the wide end. So if you’re getting it set up properly it should be OK. It’s quite a good Super 8 zoom, as you know.

If in good condition the prime lens will be a bit sharper (and it should have better contrast, which makes things look sharper). If you can get the 10mm for a reasonable price, it probably would give you slightly better wide angle images, but with Super 8 and wide angles there’s only so much detail the film will resolve anyway.

Yes, this is what I was thinking as well, I was wondering how well it would work with wides on a super 8 but if it's not going to have a massive effect (compared to the 8-64) then I may have to let this go as the deal isn't really that good of a deal.

Heikki Repo · May 5, 2021

Not to mention that 10mm really isn't that wide on super-8.

Having said that, 8-64 is not the contrastiest lens. But since you are shooting on super-8, perhaps the sharpness of the image is not the first priority?

Then again, if you are looking for ultimate sharpness you could do what they did in the Halogenuros research project ... ?

Unfortunately their video is no longer available online, but perhaps it's ok to share this single frame of it...

Martin Baumgarten · May 5, 2021

The video is available here: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi332923417

The 10mm lens is quite sharp and for a prime, at that focal length, will deliver better results than the zoom at the 10mm setting. If you have any interest in shooting with an Anamorphic lens, the 10mm would be a good candidate for some A-lenses. Or just to have a lighter weight option on the BEAULIEU Super 8mm [sorry, Pro8 is NOT the name of the camera]. The lighter weight and smaller footprint can be very useful in many situations. And due to the lens' inherent sharpness and higher contrast, even if you fit a wide angle attachment lens to it to bring it wider, say down to 4mm etc, it still would be sharper than the Angenieux zoom. Just my thoughts, having used all these lenses before.

Heikki Repo · May 5, 2021

Thanks Martin for the link! I have had the video on my computer now for over a decade, but couldn't find it online when I tried ?

I have had good experience with my Beaulieu 4008 ZM and a Switar 10mm. Definitely sharper footage than with 8-64. Now I myself am waiting to see the results from Angenieux 6-80mm t1.4, recently collimated by Björn.

Edited May 5, 2021 by Heikki Repo