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what do you think about Super Baltar lenses?


andres victorero

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Hi as I posted in this forum I´m looking for a decent (but not very expensive) prime lenses to convert to PL mount.

 

I find a super Baltar lens that it seems a little old.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ADME:B:AAQ:US:1

 

Someone can tell me if this lenses are better than OKS or the old Schneider and Cooke?

 

thanks

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The Super Baltar was a high end lens back in 1960, but after almost 50 years it probably shows age and wear artifacts, and may not cut very well with images from modern lenses. I have a 25mm Super Baltar that has yellow glass, probably from radioactive metals used in glass manufacture. The good thing is I don't need an 85 filter for outdoor shooting, the bad thing is my film gets exposed whether I shoot or not :lol:

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  • 6 months later...

I find a super Baltar lens that it seems a little old.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ADME:B:AAQ:US:1

 

Someone can tell me if this lenses are better than OKS or the old Schneider and Cooke?

 

I have utilized the super baltars sets for Pani as wel as Arri, I find there performance outstanding for the applications i use them for. I am presently collecting and converting a set of my own to PL mounts because i am so impressed.

radioactive? good one, maybe you live to close to springfield?

good luck

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Some are radioactive, I recently tested a set one was 100 x the background radiation at the front element, the rest were not radioactive at all.

 

Stephen

 

Here is an interesting link that details why some lenses are radioactive. The Thorium content of some lenses is the cause.

 

http://www.orau.org/PTP/collection/consume.../cameralens.htm

 

Henry.

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The Super Baltar was a high end lens back in 1960, but after almost 50 years it probably shows age and wear artifacts, and may not cut very well with images from modern lenses.

 

Probably the best reason to use them. I'm about to defect to Series 3 Cookes...... enough of exaggerated sharpness and contrast....

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Probably the best reason to use them. I'm about to defect to Series 3 Cookes...... enough of exaggerated sharpness and contrast....

I bet when these Cooke S2/s3s were released back in the day there were some dops grumbling about the exaggerated sharpness of these new lenses ;)

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I bet when these Cooke S2/s3s were released back in the day there were some dops grumbling about the exaggerated sharpness of these new lenses ;)

 

You win, Max.

David Watkin says that here:

 

http://www.moviemail-online.co.uk/scripts/...p;type=Articles

 

He compares RossXpress lenses with"the harder looking Cooke Speed Panchros".

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  • 1 year later...

To me the Super Baltar is the best lens ever made. I hear the Kowa's are an exact copy. I also love the original Baltars too.

 

Buffalo 66 and Brown Bunny were recent films shot with Super Baltars. about 50% of all films upto the early 70s used Super Baltars and Baltars. All Fox films until the mid 60s and I think RKO too.

 

I have not seen a lens come close to the Super Baltar though. (Cooke Speeds and Panavision Panatars a good second choice though)

 

 

 

Hi as I posted in this forum I´m looking for a decent (but not very expensive) prime lenses to convert to PL mount.

 

I find a super Baltar lens that it seems a little old.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ADME:B:AAQ:US:1

 

Someone can tell me if this lenses are better than OKS or the old Schneider and Cooke?

 

thanks

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