Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/02/27

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Focussing cine-camera lenses
From: "Mike Durling" <durling@widomaker.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 19:55:51 -0500
References: <200102270010.QAA27616@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> <003d01c0a0e9$e7210960$dd66989e@demon.co.uk>

The zoom lenses that I used on 16mm read from the back.  I don't remember
what 35mm lenses are marked like.  The pictures of new lenses (Cooke) that
are advertised in a recent "American Cinematographer" magazine show markings
that are vertical and can be read from either front or back.

Most 35mm movie film is shot with a frame that is slightly less than half
the size of a Leica frame.  Lenses made for that format would probably not
cover the 35mm still frame.  In the mid to late '50s some films were made in
"VistaVision" which used a double frame size which was pretty close to
24x36mm.  Since there were relatively few of these cameras made I suspect
they used still lenses rather than the other way around.  The surviving
VistaVision cameras are still used for special-effects work and many have
been converted to use Nikon F lenses.

Tell us more about your lens and maybe somebody here can place it.

Mike D

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Richardson" <doug@meditor.demon.co.uk>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 1:19 PM
Subject: [Leica] Re: Focussing cine-camera lenses


> Recently there was some discussion on the LUG concerning the focussing
> techniques used with cine cameras, and the fact that lenses were
> scale-focussed to pre-measured distances.
>
> If any LUG members are involved in the cinema industry, could they
> tell me:
>
> If the lenses are manually focussed to preset distances, does that
> mean that the focussing is engraved to be read by someone standing in
> front of the lens, rather than by someone standing behind the camera -
> i.e the distance values are engraved 'upside-down' compared with those
> on a 35mm still camera lens?
>
> Do cine lenses have depth-of-field markings similar to those on
> still-camera lenses?
>
> The reason for these questions is that I have an old lens can be
> screwed into a Leica, but which has no DOF markings, and has a
> focussing scale engraved to be read from the front.
>
> Given these odd features, I'm wondering if it may have been a cine
> lens which has been adapted for use on the Leica.
>
> Regards,
>
> Doug Richardson
>
>
>
>

In reply to: Message from "Doug Richardson" <doug@meditor.demon.co.uk> ([Leica] Re: Focussing cine-camera lenses)