zoom lenses for non reflex bolex

[joji baratelli]

looking for a list (and recommendations) for zoom lenses with finder attachments for non-reflex bolexes. thanks.

[Dom Jaeger]

You’re only looking at early zoom lenses by Som Berthiot (Pan Cinors) and Angenieux. 

Som Berthiot were the first to mass produce cine zooms, and used a design that relied on optical compensation, which had certain limitations and is no longer used in zoom design. Angenieux pioneered mechanically compensated zooms, which were much more versatile and is a design approach still used in zooms today. So I would favour Angenieux zooms myself, although short range Som Berthiot Pan Cinors are still ok.

The Bolex Collector site lists the reflex zooms available for Bolexes, look at Som Berthiot in the 50s and 60s and Angenieux in the 60s:

http://www.bolexcollector.com/lenses/60angenieux.html

[Robert Hart]

The Pan Cinor Som Berthiot 17-85mm lever action zoom lens and Angenieux 12-120mm zoom lens were made with prism split viewfinders integrated in the lens itself. The Som Berthiot has a C-Mount. The Angenieux for early CP16s had a clasp and ring arrangement for easy removal of the lens. The clasp and threaded ring assembly was itself attached to the camera by a C-Mount hollow ring nut. There was also a wide-angle zoom by Angenieux with the same arrangement as the 12-120mm. The Som Berthiot is usable with a non-reflex Bolex but holding that heavy side-viewfinder steady may be too much for the friction of a C-Mount thread when fitting it up to a Bolex. As for the Angenieux lenses with side viewfinders, I suspect that the diameter of the clasp and ring may be too wide for the 3-lens turret of a Bolex and interfere against the centre pivot but am not sure as I have never offered one up to a Bolex. If the lens does not come with the receiver which attaches to the camera along with its hollow C-Mount ring nut, then the lens is of no use unless one can re-make a receiver which is not easy. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Robert Hart
error