35 mm still camera lenses on ACL

[Guest Ole Dost]

Dear friends and users of the Eclair ACL,

Did someone of you ever use 35mm still camera lenses with one of the availible adapters (Nikon, Canon FD) on the ACL? Do you know or can you imagine how they perform in comparison to lenses that have been made especially for 16mm? Is the resolution lower ? Or is the image with 35mm lenses even better, because the 16mm image represent the inner circle of 35mm lenses where lenses are mostly best?

I´d like to have some experienced advice before spending lots of money on an adapter for 35mm still camera lenses...

Thanks!

[Saul Rodgar]

Dear friends and users of the Eclair ACL,

Did someone of you ever use 35mm still camera lenses with one of the availible adapters (Nikon, Canon FD) on the ACL? Do you know or can you imagine how they perform in comparison to lenses that have been made especially for 16mm? Is the resolution lower ? Or is the image with 35mm lenses even better, because the 16mm image represent the inner circle of 35mm lenses where lenses are mostly best?

I´d like to have some experienced advice before spending lots of money on an adapter for 35mm still camera lenses...

Thanks!

 

We have talked about this here before, try searching the archives.

 

It depends on the specific 35mm lens and adapters you are using. I have never had any problems if they are both working fine. The biggest caveat with using 35mm lenses on 16mm is the field of view change you get. If you put a 50mm lens designed for 35mm photography on a 16mm camera your field of view will be similar to that of a 100mm lens. The argument could be made that since you are using the center portion of the lens, you are using the best part of it. But I have intercut native 16mm and 35mm lensed footage within the same scene and the difference is nil. I have never blown it up to 35mm or projected it theatrically though.

[Jason Hinkle RIP]

I use 35mm prime lenses on my ACL all the time. I have a few good Nikons and they look really sharp - much sharper than the Angie 12-120 that came with my camera.

 

From my personal experience, the c-mount-to-nikon adapters on ebay for $49 bucks are worthless for normal shooting on the ACL because the focal length seems to be wrong. However, they are interesting if you want to take some extreme macro shots - perhaps useful for taking photos of bugs! It could just be the one I bought, but anyway, that's my experience.

 

The adapters made by les bosher, on the other hand work great. http://lesbosher.co.uk/ Unfortunately they are expensive - with the US dollar doing poorly I think they are almost $400 US.

[Guest Ole Dost]

I use 35mm prime lenses on my ACL all the time. I have a few good Nikons and they look really sharp - much sharper than the Angie 12-120 that came with my camera.

 

From my personal experience, the c-mount-to-nikon adapters on ebay for $49 bucks are worthless for normal shooting on the ACL because the focal length seems to be wrong. However, they are interesting if you want to take some extreme macro shots - perhaps useful for taking photos of bugs! It could just be the one I bought, but anyway, that's my experience.

 

The adapters made by les bosher, on the other hand work great. http://lesbosher.co.uk/ Unfortunately they are expensive - with the US dollar doing poorly I think they are almost $400 US.

 

Thank you for this encouragemant! I have lots of Canon FD lenses and I would like to use them on my ACL.