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Canon K35 lenses question


Mihai Meda

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Hello!

 

I own a complete set (18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 55mm and 85mm) of Canon K35mm lenses, all in BNCR mount. So far, they performed flawlessly.

 

Recently I have come across this statement on the webpage of a 35mm sales/rental company:

 

---

PRODUCT FEATURES: These lenses are quite possibly the best kept secret in 35mm motion picture prime lenses. Originally made by Canon for still photography, these lenses are very sharp and contrasty as well as rugged. The speed on these lenses are second only to the Zeiss Super Speeds (at half the price!). They have been beautifully rehoused and feature expanded focus scales and integrated focus gears.

 

ATTENTION P+S Technik 35Pro Owners: You may have noticed that some lenses intended for 35mm film shooting produce images with dark corners when used on the P+S Technik Adapters. Since these Canons were originally made for 35mm still photography, they produce an image circle larger than that of lenses designed specifically for use on 35mm motion picture cameras (which have a smaller image area than 35mm still photography). This feature enables the Canon K35 lenses to produce a bright image from edge to edge on a P+S Technik Pro35 adapter making them an excellent, affordable lens choice.

---

 

Just out of curiosity, is this true? Are these lenses for still photography? I had no idea. I also saw them featured in the American Cinematographer, March 1976 issue (the Barry Lyndon one), on page 255. It even says there "specifically designed for professional cinematography [...], they are the result of an extensive and painstaking research program [...] by Canon abd Cinema Products Corporation, in cooperation with the Research Center of the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers". And, if I'm not mistaken, they were awarded an Academy Award for innocation in motion picture cinematography, too.

 

Well, anyone has any more details about it? Are they in fact still photography lenses adapted only later on for motion picture use?

 

Thanks!

 

PS And, anyone else owning/using the K35 lenses out there?

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Hello!

 

I own a complete set (18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 55mm and 85mm) of Canon K35mm lenses, all in BNCR mount. So far, they performed flawlessly.

 

Recently I have come across this statement on the webpage of a 35mm sales/rental company:

 

---

PRODUCT FEATURES: These lenses are quite possibly the best kept secret in 35mm motion picture prime lenses. Originally made by Canon for still photography, these lenses are very sharp and contrasty as well as rugged. The speed on these lenses are second only to the Zeiss Super Speeds (at half the price!). They have been beautifully rehoused and feature expanded focus scales and integrated focus gears.

 

ATTENTION P+S Technik 35Pro Owners: You may have noticed that some lenses intended for 35mm film shooting produce images with dark corners when used on the P+S Technik Adapters. Since these Canons were originally made for 35mm still photography, they produce an image circle larger than that of lenses designed specifically for use on 35mm motion picture cameras (which have a smaller image area than 35mm still photography). This feature enables the Canon K35 lenses to produce a bright image from edge to edge on a P+S Technik Pro35 adapter making them an excellent, affordable lens choice.

---

 

Just out of curiosity, is this true? Are these lenses for still photography? I had no idea. I also saw them featured in the American Cinematographer, March 1976 issue (the Barry Lyndon one), on page 255. It even says there "specifically designed for professional cinematography [...], they are the result of an extensive and painstaking research program [...] by Canon abd Cinema Products Corporation, in cooperation with the Research Center of the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers". And, if I'm not mistaken, they were awarded an Academy Award for innocation in motion picture cinematography, too.

 

Well, anyone has any more details about it? Are they in fact still photography lenses adapted only later on for motion picture use?

 

Thanks!

 

PS And, anyone else owning/using the K35 lenses out there?

 

Hi,

 

I always thought they were converted still lenses. I have an 18mm T1.5 Cannon.

 

Stephen

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Hi,

Yes I'm using the 85mm k35 on super16 aaton ( pl mount) and have to say it's my favourite lens. Rumour has it that aardman animation use the same lens for their stop frame animation films. I'll be looking for more k35 lenses when they crop up...all the best.

Rob Spence

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Hi,

Yes I'm using the 85mm k35 on super16 aaton ( pl mount) and have to say it's my favourite lens. Rumour has it that aardman animation use the same lens for their stop frame animation films. I'll be looking for more k35 lenses when they crop up...all the best.

Rob Spence

 

Hi,

 

Aardman are using remounted Canon lenses from the Eos range. They are newer than the k35's.

 

Stephen

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The aspherical design of the K35 lens may be borrowed from still photography, but I don't know of a specific series of still lenses that uses this exact glass, which has a very unique, iridescent quality. I own a set, and have found that they really stand out at the lower T-stops. (In brighter situations, I generally reach for a set of standard primes.) I've also picked up a rare K35 25-120mm zoom (T2.8), which should intercut quite nicely with the primes.

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Hi,

 

Aardman are using remounted Canon lenses from the Eos range. They are newer than the k35's.

 

---The 'Chicken Run' article in AC states:

 

The filmmakers used Canon K35 prime lenses (in sets of 25mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm), which were specially converted in Japan for close focusing. These were used in conjunction with Cooke 18-100 T3 zoom lenses and one 25-250mm T3.7 Cooke zoom. Barnes offers, "In the studio, we traditionally stick to the Canon primes, as they are all reasonably well color-matched, have similar coatings and are contrasty to a similar degree. They intercut pretty well with the Cooke zooms without significant grading problems." For wide shots in tight corners, the production made use of two 14mm Canon still-photography lenses converted with BNC mounts.

 

---Are the EOS lenses replacements?

 

---LV

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---The 'Chicken Run' article in AC states:

 

The filmmakers used Canon K35 prime lenses

---Are the EOS lenses replacements?

 

---LV

 

Aardman bought over 30 cameras and lens sets for Chicken Run. That was about 7/8 years ago. The K35's would have been 20 years old at that point. I had read in another interview that 'EOS' glass was used, it would make sense to have used a new lens design.

 

Stephen

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Aardman bought over 30 cameras and lens sets for Chicken Run. That was about 7/8 years ago. The K35's would have been 20 years old at that point. I had read in another interview that 'EOS' glass was used, it would make sense to have used a new lens design.

 

Stephen

You're both right. The 14mm primes that were used had 'EOS' glass. The rest of the primes on that shoot were K35 lenses.

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  • 3 years later...

Hey folks,

 

what do you think would be better the K-35 or the new Zeiss compact PL line if you would go with the red? Compact PL is also based on still photography lenses, ready for 8 perf images and "cheap" so I think it would be fair to compare, no?

 

o.

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what do you think would be better the K-35 or the new Zeiss compact PL line if you would go with the red? Compact PL is also based on still photography lenses, ready for 8 perf images and "cheap" so I think it would be fair to compare, no?

 

The Canons are faster and less expensive since they are used.

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  • 1 year later...
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I just serviced a set of Canon K35s (hadn't encountered them before) and I must say I was incredibly impressed. Very nice glass, at least as sharp and almost as fast as Zeiss Super Speeds but I found on projection they held up better wide open. The 14mm seems to be a rehoused stills lens, but the rest are all designed as cine lenses as far as I can tell. Very good build quality, lovely iris.

 

They're BNCR mount, as most of them seem to be from the little research I've done, which explains why they tend to be used primarily by animation and effects outfits these days - one of the few places you still find a working Mitchell. I imagine part of the reason the set I worked on is in such good condition is because it rarely leaves the confines of a studio.

 

I was curious if anyone knew some features that have used these lenses, or a little more about their history?

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