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WTB: Nikon adapter for my Aaton camera


Hans Engstrom

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Thanks. What lenses are you using on your Aaton? I was thinking about getting som Zeiss ZF lenses.

 

 

Most of the time I use my 24mm/F2. It's actually wide enough to use in a lot of non-handheld situations. It's an incredibly sharp lens. I also use the 50mm/F1.4, which does some amazingly cool things with highlights when wide open. These are both Nikon brand lenses. 80's era (99% sure).

 

If I get time tomorrow, I'll try to post a few framegrabs from a digibeta transfer I just got back from PostWorks in NYC.

 

For extreme telephoto photography I also use a 105mm/F1.8 and a 180mm/F2.8

 

I also bought a 17.5-70/T2.5 Angenieux zoom from whitehouse which they modded with an aaton adapter (hard mounted). Definitely an affordable lens, but not the sharpest glass around. Don't get me wrong though. When stopped down a bit, it produces some nice pictures. It came from whitehouse in an Angenieux case, brand new. It definitely seems as if it has never been used. I am not disappointed at all with this lens, for the price (under $1000). It covers S16 throughout its entire range.

 

If I can just get ahold of an affordable arri2aaton adapter, I will be able to use the Mk1 zeiss superspeeds @ school while I'm still there, and I'll be set on glass. I've got about 2 years left, which leaves me just about enough time to save up for some S16 format primes of my own.

 

I'm really loving my rig. Coming from a Bolex EBM to an LTR with video tap, etc is a really nice change. The only thing that sort of pisses me off is that I can't use my follow focus on anything but my zoom. On my bolex, the rods started right below the lens port, providing enough room to get the FF underneath the focus barrel of my nikons, which I have focus gears mounted to. On the aaton, the base of the camera extends beyond the lens port far enough to put the rods and FF out of reach from the lenses' gears. The superspeeds don't seem to be any longer than my nikon primes, so I guess I won't be able to use my FF with those either.

 

Does anyone know of any tricks that would allow one to use a FF with primes on an Aaton? I'm assuming that the XTR isn't any different in this regard?

 

Mitch? Nathan?

 

 

thanks,

adam

 

 

PS: wow this was a long post, apologies

 

Here is my bolex with FF and 24mm/f2 nikkor

 

post-17218-1190887602_thumb.jpg

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Adam,

 

Paul Duclos of Duclos Lenses in LA is an absolute genius with Angenieux lenses. He was the top lens tech at Angenieux USA back in the day, He may be able to get that Angenieux zoom to sharpen up for you. If anyone in the States could, it would be him.

 

Ran into the same issue with the follow focus on my LTR with the Zeiss Super Speeds. It's very tight with the way the bottom of the Aaton camera protrudes.

 

 

-Tim

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Adam,

 

Paul Duclos of Duclos Lenses in LA is an absolute genius with Angenieux lenses. He was the top lens tech at Angenieux USA back in the day, He may be able to get that Angenieux zoom to sharpen up for you. If anyone in the States could, it would be him.

 

Ran into the same issue with the follow focus on my LTR with the Zeiss Super Speeds. It's very tight with the way the bottom of the Aaton camera protrudes.

-Tim

 

Do the later generation cameras that don't use the rod adapter, but instead accept rods directly into the body protrude just as far?

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Do the later generation cameras that don't use the rod adapter, but instead accept rods directly into the body protrude just as far?

 

That I don't know. The LTR body I had was serial number C962, so it was at the crossover point from LTR7 to LTR54. Don't know about the latter cameras.

 

With your Super Speeds and an adapter, you may be able to get the smaller ARRI lightweight follow focus to work, or possibly the smaller Chrosziel, which goes for somewhere around $1500.

 

-Tim

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Company policy is not to give out prices on the 'net, but anyone is welcome to direct email inquire or call Abel and ask.

 

Getting a followfocus on is tight but not impossible by any stretch. I always used the Chroszeil, which allows for the gear to be mounted on either side of the swing arm. The gears are also available in different sizes which can help them reach various lenses. I believe I used a 1" gear (.32/.08 pitch).

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Company policy is not to give out prices on the 'net, but anyone is welcome to direct email inquire or call Abel and ask.

 

Getting a followfocus on is tight but not impossible by any stretch. I always used the Chroszeil, which allows for the gear to be mounted on either side of the swing arm. The gears are also available in different sizes which can help them reach various lenses. I believe I used a 1" gear (.32/.08 pitch).

 

 

Mitch, have you used a FF with nikon lenses on an Aaton? Not sure which lens(es) you were implying to in your last post...

 

thanks,

adam

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Company policy is not to give out prices on the 'net, but anyone is welcome to direct email inquire or call Abel and ask.

 

Getting a followfocus on is tight but not impossible by any stretch. I always used the Chroszeil, which allows for the gear to be mounted on either side of the swing arm. The gears are also available in different sizes which can help them reach various lenses. I believe I used a 1" gear (.32/.08 pitch).

 

Was able to find the follow focus unit I was talking about from Chroszeil on the B&H Photo web site:

 

301595.jpg

 

They're available through B&H

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3015...Studio_Rig.html

 

-Tim

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Mitch, have you used a FF with nikon lenses on an Aaton? Not sure which lens(es) you were implying to in your last post...

 

thanks,

adam

I did it with both. I had gearings added to the focus barrels of my Nikons and converted Contax lenses and my Illuminas had them built in. No problem using a conventional 2-sided Chroszeil followfocus. I would not recommend the unit Tim posted as it has a gear that is locked in height instead of mounted to an adjustable swing arm. It's good for a camcorder like the HVX200 with gearing attached but may not work with your lenses on an Aaton.

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