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Kowa B&H Close Focus Mod & other 'Tweaks' Recently I picked up a very cheap Kowa B&H that needed a lot of internal cleaning and a fresh re-lube. Since it was my 'Spare' Kowa, I have a chance to illustrate/share my findings on some simple modifications that I discovered a couple of years ago on another lens. Since I already have a 'Standard' Kowa to compare with, it should prove easier to illustrate the difference in performance before & after modifying such a lens. These principles will work on many lenses of this type that share a similar construction. Following these steps are at your own risk. The modifications allow: * Minimum focus to be reduced from 5 feet down to 3 feet. * Reduction/elimination of 'Veiling Flare/ Barrel Glow' that is common with Kowa lens types. * Overall sharpness improvement. Close Focus: To achieve closer focus from the 5 foot factory standard is pretty easy.The focus mechanism transport is done by a helicoid pushing/pulling the front element that is seated within a tube, guided by brass tabs/stoppers within slots in the housing.These brass tabs/stoppers ensure that the linear travel is straight and true (ensuring correct alignment with rear optic). By cutting these tabs to be shorter, the travel of the front optic assembly is allowed to seat closer to the body - allowing closer distance between front and rear optic. This allows an increase in optic proximity to be achieved. This modification effectively allows the focus ring to turn to it's maximum close focus position, and not restricted by factory limits. Veiling Flare/ Barrel Glow - Reduction: A common artefact of Kowa lenses in bright light situations seems to be a strong Veiling glare. It is similar to a strong vignette of light that happens when the front optic is hit with off-axis light. Although this can be a desirable artefact, often it is too overpowering to the image when purposely flashing the lens to pop a flare for effect. A simple solution I found is to blacken the edge of the front optic - this is the edge that gets hit by light and pools the image with a 'Barrel glow'. Taking a fine tipped marker pen does the job well (without needing to disassemble lens) - even better would be black paint and a fine brush and a steady hand if you wanted to eliminate glow completely. I personally tried the marker pen method, as you can carefully remove or thin the ink with a tiny amount of lighter fluid on a brush - creating a reduction/dulling effect, rather than remove the glow effect completely. At least it is good to know how to minimize the glow effect, especially when shooting in bright sunlight without a mattebox and you don't want everything to be washed out all the time. Overall Sharpness Improvement: This came from a few year back when playing on another Kowa lens and is the nicest find I've discovered so far (about most projection anamorphic lenses). I found that when removing the brass tabs that are used for alignment, you can separate the front and rear optic assembly for cleaning etc. But If you do not re-install the tabs into the pre-set positions (using the screw holes aligned in the factory) - you can often tweak the alignment and fine focus to be even sharper. As a pure guess, I can only presume that back in the day when most of these lenses were made the tolerances for alignment were only considered for image projection, rather than image acquisition (iscorama/bolex types an exception) I found that by freehand rotating the front optic assembly (when attached to camera) - It is possible to achieve more finite sharpness from the alignment. Using high magnification on my camera and additional magnification on my EVF + focus peaking at a reference at infinity - it was possible to rotate the front element assembly to what is probably fractions of a millimetre from the factory alignment, then glue the brass tabs into a very slightly new position. Glue works well, as it does not require additional holes to be drilled to re-seat the brass tabs, or forever alter the lens. The glue does not bear any load of consequence, mealy seats the tabs to prevent rotation. The lens can be easily returned to its original alignment by dissolving the glue with solvent and returning the tabs to factory position. I’ve found that the very slightest tweak to factory alignment in 3 out of the 4 of these Kowa lens types I've owned, improves the sharpness noticeably.

So a guy posted a video from the FS5 that he says he tried on a Sony tour in Italy. The video was quickly deleted. I had time to see it. Another fellow who you might recognize had downloaded it and posted it on youtube. My guess its gone soon so have a peak. BTW, here is the original posters comment from Vimeo. "I used a sample unit of this little, great camera for only two hours, during the weekend stop of the FS5 Italian Tour (thanks to my beautiful daughter Marta for the precious help). It's really very light (800 g. body only); I tried it with the Ronin M and with the very cheap Sony 16mm. f/2.8 pancake. No editing. Filmed in S-Log 2. Graded in 20 min. in Premiere CC 2015 Music: The Sailor / The Album Leaf Many thanks to Sony Europe and Sony Italy"

Hey Everyone, Last month I finished editing my last job with my T3i (since then i've upgraded to the Nx1), most of my jobs are weddings, even though I like doing some of them, I'm burnt from having quite a few this summer. So I've been doing some tests lately with Luts and finally decided to grade a job with it, I very much liked the end result, got a "cinematic" feel, but theres always room for improvement, so I'd like to know what you guys think of the video in general (editting, grading, filming and so on). Password : Memoryshop Thank you guys

The nice thing is that you can blacken the edge on this Kowa type without having to open the lens at all. The edge is accessible from the front as is. Other lenses can be treated the same way, but some may require disassembly first to get access to the optic edge...be very sure to check how to reassemble properly before attempting though.

Lens-cyclopedia has been updated with a reference to this thread

the MD 28-70 (if it is like this one ) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/311109412651?adgroupid=16885268106&hlpht=true&hlpv=2&rlsatarget=kwd-124272973506&adtype=pla&ff3=1&lpid=122&poi=&ul_noapp=true&limghlpsr=true&ff19=0&device=c&chn=ps&campaignid=270621186&crdt=0&ff12=67&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff14=122&viphx=1&ops=true&ff13=80 is ok but not constant apperture , so as you zoom it goes darker the MD 35-70mm is constant apperture f3.5 - nice good cheap zoom lens its sister lens is the MD 25-35 also very good and constant apperture f3.5 get both of those together you have a very nice pair of useful lenses 1203

Seen this yet (07:55+)? For the price certainly seems fair enough compared to the E-M5II.

I'm sadly thinking about selling my Canon 1DC with two Canon batteries and 1 after-market battery and 2 memory cards for offers over £4300 in the UK, maybe to Europe. I f*cking love it but it was a big expenditure for me and some of the projects I was planning to use it on aren't going to happen now due to changing circumstances. As it's a crime to sit on this camera without using it I thought I'd see if anyone else can take it who'd use it the way it deserves. If anyone's interested get in touch. I can take pictures and answer any questions. I only had time to snap off a quick photo of the shutter actuations page this morning before work - only decided to put it up here today. Serious enquiries only please, and I can't really drop the price without going into a loss from what I paid for it recently. <28,000 actuations on the camera. It was purchased second hand and shows signs of wear but the thing is built like an absolute tank so it's in good condition. Colour in 4k C-Log mode absolutely destroys pretty much any other camera I've ever used, including Red Dragon and my Sony A7s. It's absolutely the best 4k and still combo there is, there's something really special about this camera and even though I haven't had it that long I have a real emotional attachment to it. I don't have the original box so it's just camera, 3 batteries (which are very expensive) with original Canon charger. And 2 fast CF cards - 128gb and 64gb Komputer Bay cards which I've tested and are very reliable with this camera. Add a lens and you're ready to shoot. If I don't sell it I won't mind keeping it, don't really want to put it on Ebay so trying here to see if there's any interest. Paypal preferred method of payment for all-round safety and peace of mind.

Hi i have just posted my new clip, 5d3 with magic lantern raw, graded in resolve.

Anybody familiar with this beast? Looks like it will have similar size/weight/performance specs to the big 35mm Bausch & Lomb or Kowa Prominar projection lenses. Rear element size: reported to be ~68mmLength: ~9inWeight: reported to be 1.5kg (I'm skeptical...I suspect it's heavier)Manufactured in JapanI have found nothing else on the intertubes about it. Perhaps manufactured by another company, and rebranded for Xetron. The support I'm building for my B&L should fit this lens as well, so that I'll be able to take some Xetron footage and possibly add a new entry to the Lens-cyclopedia.

Since we had a big spam attack last week, newly registered members had to have their first posts or replies approved by a moderator. Unfortunately this system didn't work and most new members could not post at all from the get go. I have taken the locks off and now you should all be able to post and use the forum as intended. Enjoy EOSHD!

So Otus line, according to Ming Thein who just spent time at Zeiss for the Milvus unveiling, is designed by the group responsible for the Master Prime lenses..... $4K looks a bargain compared to $14 or $28K for the cine lenses ... and you don't need a sherpa or four assistants to carry your gear. As he points out these lenses should be viewed as lifelong acquisitions ... amortize them over 20 years ... drop a Starbuck's latte a day and they are paid for in three years each ... at the end of 20 years they will still have a value ... I have lost a lot of value over the recent years in depreciation of digital camera bodies ... almost none in decent lenses. Bob

Yeah, I've used the new Rode's and they're pretty amazing.

Thanks guys for solving it. Updated my Cuda as well!

I have the ZF.2 version of the Zeiss 135 F2 Apo and the 55 and 85 Otus lenses also ZF.2. Previously owned just about every ZF.2 lens 21mm and above. The 135 is so good that I cannot imagine it being redone as an Otus lens. It has a superbly balanced manual focus rack and while not at the level of the Otus lenses it is very easy to manually focus with the lens. It balances well on medium sized cameras ... not so well on the A7s size camera without a cage. Fairly heavy but not frontwardly balanced. Bokeh is wonderful ... great Zeiss 3D rendering ... wonderful micro contrast. It is a fairly contrasty lens with Zeiss colors and very white whites buy not overly cool in color. Here is a bit outside on the C100 Mk II : https://vimeo.com/135901284 Password is daysend. All of these lenses are expensive but you only need to buy them once ... not every two years like most cameras seem to be turning over. ZF.2 is almost the ideal mount as it can mate to most cameras.....Nikon, Sony, Canon, any M43 mount. Bob

I'm loving the new Rode Link mics. Check em out.

This is a nice knockoff of the Sony, there are others, throws a crazy amount of light - more than the cheap 96/128 LED panels http://www.lacolorpros.com/product/?CM1800-Comer-CM-LBPS1800-On-Camera-LED-Light-(Sony-Battery)

I like the colors! Looks pretty good all around honestly

Nice. Hard to gather too much, the slow motion footage was 1080p I'm guessing, and out of focus? Otherwise it's a nice little 4K video, sharp image. If anything, it was a fantastic advert for Ronin.

You were right, the front comes off quite easy. I was able to align it to the best of my ability with the voigtlander, should be easier to fine tune when I get that step up ring for the Helios. Now we're talking! Thank you so much!

Yes, that isn't how it should be at all - you should have 2 lovely flares (green & red). Looking at mine just a minute ago, you could probably realign it yourself - might take a few goes to get it right, but do-able.

yes they are a very good pair of zooms to use together - or as I do on 2 cameras for a set up one at 70mm for a cluse up and the other 25mm for a wide the minolta MD 45 mm f2 is nice too 12131236

I have the MD 24-35 and the 35-70. And both are excellent lenses. They're like having a set of primes in a zoom. I js In fact because those zooms are so good, I ended up buying the MD 28mm f2 and the 50mm f2... Which is an underrated lens in my opinion.

The DPAF works with the new sigma art lenses as well, but you have to make sure their firmware is updated. It works a little slower though than on canon glass.

Hi Guys, Has someone of your Experience shooting with this lenses: Prinzflex Auto 2,8/135 15€ Prinzflex Auto 2,8/35 15€ Mejer Optik Orestegor 4/200 20€ Mejer Optik Domiplan 2,8/50 20€ Minolta MD 28-70mm (with macro mode 1:4) 23€ pentacon 50 1,8 m42 25€ helios m44-4 m42 25€ Helios 44M 2/58 M42 25€ Minolta MD 50mm 25€ What would be the best option, i want two lenses and think the Minolta 28-70 is interesting and the minolta MD 50. What do you think about the German lenses Major Optik? Any thoughts? What about the Helios lenses if i remember correctly i read some good thinks about them. Particularly i'm interested in your opinion Andy Lee as i read lots of your posts and think your very knowledgeable in this regard. It's nice to see your back from your feature shot. I don't post often but i'm a regular reader of the forum

This is strange as i've just been filming some stuff with one of these & its soooo sharp @ 4m - I just use a combo of diopters to get closer & various taking lenses to change the FOV. I don't bother trying to rack with this lens. It does sound as if you've got a misalignment problem, but the Iscomorphot isn't a great focus through lens - the Widescreen 2000 is much better at this. So try setting the taking lens to 4m (it might not be that acurate, so a bit over or bit under) & focus on something 4m away (measure it) - I know its obvious & you might need to manually move your camera/tripod forward or back. If you can't get a sharp image (it should really pop when you're in focus), you've got a problem. Try a 35mm lens or higher & set to f2.8-f4. Using a fast lens like your Voigtlander f0.95 25mm wide open, is not the way to go - if your taking lens is soft (wide open or otherwise), then the anamorphic adapter won't change that. A tip i've found for best results when trying to focus through the Widescreen 2000, is use a low powered diopter & stop down a little - the focus range won't be huge (about 2m if you're lucky) & so racks are very subtle, not dramatic.

It's not soft, it's just that the Canon Log picture style does not add any in-camera sharpening, so you need to sharpen in post. If you use any of the other picture styles, it is as sharp as my 3-chip XF305. The (original) Beachtek version is actually stronger than you might think it is. Using this one every day and if you tighten them screws you can beat someone with that setup

looks like i have a new project!

Awesome stuff man! Kudos for doing all this research and sharing your findings!

Pretty cool : http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/10/05/sony-fs7-to-get-2k-center-crop-interval-recording-and-noise-suppression-in-cine-ei-mode/

The noise in 10 bit is okay. The cyan/magenta blocking is bad on smooth light colored walls. Sunsets show off some banding even in 10 bit for some reason. Other than that it's very usuable and the colors are great.

I'd say it's in the GH4/BMCC range of DR, maybe showing more in the shadows and less in the highlights. Yeah CFast 2.0 cards are crazy right now. It works on any of the Canon lenses as far as I know. I use it with the 17-55 which isn't L.

Here are 5 clips from a shoot I did with a realtor. 10 bit V Log via Ninja Star. Please don't share! Password: GH4

Had the same problem and it was also solved by going to Project Preferences and switching to CUDA.

whatever Ed did before I would love to learn. His grades are always top notch. Btw, one of my favorite graders, specially when it comes to skin has always been Kholi. I know he isnt on speaking terms with Andrew but no need to close the thread imo.

It's hilarious seeing the A7S in that lineup.

I saw your posts over on PV. I tried my hand at it with the demo but couldn't figure out the best way to identify and adjust things. so I went out instead and shot some more V-Log with a Dog Schidt Optiks FF58 lens I rented this morning.

Gentlemen....start your lawsuits.