Hans Punk

It acts as a proxy cinelux diameter to mount the FM to the ring clamp. Since it is a hollow tube, you can fit any smaller anamorphic inside to be use with the FM. If you jump back through this thread, you will see how Cosimo did exactly that for his Sankor and Animex s8 etc.

FM Lens + Cinelux ES + Olympus OM 85MM @ f.2

Hi guys....been away with work recently so not many posts from me recently. After a discussion with richg101 I decided to test the theory that introducing more optical faces into the Cinelux would result in nicer contrast and flares. So I mounted a 72mm cheap UV filter to the rear of the Cinelux and as you can see...it helps considerably by introducing internal reflection. It Should also help intensify other similar lenses (ultrastar etc) - although I don't have mine anymore to test. Very useful for those who are disappointed by the lackluster flares often found with these MC optics.

​Hi there, Not received the gear yet, I will post pics and report about it here as soon as it arrives.

After playing around for a VND solution for the taking lens on the FM I've found a good solution. I've used a Cokin double-threaded 72mm VND. (The front filter thread is 77mm). I screwed a collapsible rubber lens hood to the 77mm front and folded back to form a rubber ring grip that controls the VND spin. The cool thing is that the lens hood is also double threaded, so the internal thread ring of the hood provides a barrier when positioning to the cinelux rear or FM aluminium mounting tube (although 77-67mm step down ring would be safer to protect from FM tube rear) . This means that there is less risk of the ND glass or anamorphic rear touching - yet it provides a very nice close alignment, without having to hard mount together. I've used: 72mm Cokin PURE Harmonie Variable NDX filter Kood 77mm 77 Universal Rubber Lens Hood (nice knurled grip on outside) 49-72mm step ring (or whatever starting diameter for your taking lens) If an additional 77-72mm step ring is inserted into the lens hood front - it is also possible to make a semi-hard linkage to the 72mm FM cinelux thread adapter ring.The VND can spin a few 360 degree rotations until the thread would eventually tighten and come to an stop. This is a good solution if you want 100% light/ dustproof connection as well as know that the taking lens is perfectly aligned.

​I'm still waiting for my Berkey support to arrive, but I can say that a non quick-release type rail clamp is the way to go (needs locks on both rails - full 15mm holes).The issue that I can see with the support you linked to is that it has a curved support cradle and would not mate with the flat base with 1/4 hole on the FM ring clamp. If you are using the jag35 or Fotga then you can easily grab a much cheaper support bracket that is fixed height - as you can easily adjust the camera height to compensate. In this case, a support like this will work: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DSLR-15mm-Rod-Clamp-1-4-Screw-Thread-Rail-Block-For-DSLR-USB-Follow-Focus-5D2-/281120986471 The only reason I went for the Berkey support is because I wanted to use on my camera cage/ rail base that is fairly limited in it's height adjustment. I also wanted flexibility to use the FM on other camera rigs - where different offset heights are sometimes needed. I tried this support recently and was not successful, as the locking screw on the support post does tighten enough to prevent twist. It broke within 2 mins, so I ordered the Berkey to replace: http://www.fotodioxpro.com/studio-lighting-backdrops-camera-support-systems/fotodiox-pro-yoke-universal-telephoto-long-lens-support-bracket.html 'Also which follow focuses are ya'll using?' I plan on using my Edelkrone focus one pro - I'll be interested to see if the single rod clamp is tight enough to deal with the torque of the focus gear I've got coming. So far I've been really impressed with the Edelkrone. Most follow focus' should work fine, as long as they can be adjusted to deal with larger lenses - most do, even the cheaper ones. As with anything - you get what you pay for...so if you can, aim for a good brand.

Raf is based in Belarus and offers standard or EMS shipping on his products. I hope to have my gear in the next few days and will be happy to confirm compatibility for anyone considering getting one. I'm 99.9% sure I measured everything correctly to get the optimum width for standard follow focus drive gear (to cover the focus travel distance) - so I'll post a mini review as soon as I can, as I'm not sure the gear has yet been confirmed or fitted to an actual FM lens yet! The fotga dp500 setup looks like it will work well, the RAF gear will be a bit of a large beast - but I can see you can space the fotga focus drive gear to accommodate the diameter.

I commissioned RAF Camera to make me a metal focus gear for my FM lens, he's now selling them on his site. I expect to receive mine in a few days (so I'll see if my measurements were correct!) and I'll report back when I've got it up and running...in case others here might be interested in purchasing, here's the link: http://rafcamera.com/en/gear-fm-lens-88-107-32mm I don't have any association with Raf other than me being a happy customer of his for a couple of years...so I'm not getting a discount or kickback for sharing this link - I just thought a few people here might be interested in getting a quality metal gear for their FM lens. I'm sure AnamorphicShop will release their own focus ring in the new year in ABS or metal, but I needed to get one made before then.

​ From what you have explained so far, it sounds like a FedEx issue. FedEx will be able to check your shipment and investigate what is going on. You need to talk to a customer service member over the phone who can put out a call to halt and re-direct your shipment to the correct address. The good thing about FedEx is that they a big company who can (and will) investigate and rectify a problem if you tell them all the details. Over the phone is always much better than email. I imagine Mindaugas may possibly be away for the Christmas period?...I would expect anyone to be slower to contact at this time of year, so I would not panic if you are not getting replies. He won't be able to do anything more than you can in relation to your shipment, it's up to FedEx to rectify. I don't know if this is relevant but my FM delivery had a hand written address that my Fedex delivery guy could not read properly. He got the house number wrong so it kept being returned to my local FedEx depot as 'unoccupied address'. By the time I got FedEx on the phone to investigate - the delivery was delayed by almost a week, making my priority shipping not very cost effective. As a complete wild guess - I wonder if the shipment is being rejected by unclear destination address being displayed on the package? I thought it was all done by barcodes and robots these days, but after my delivery delay was due to a short sighted delivery driver - I've learnt not to underestimate human error. A couple of phone calls to FedEx will get to the root of the problem for sure, worst case scenario you will get a refund on the PayPal or credit card payment you made.

​I also think rubber lens hood mounted to the front of a VND would be a good all round solution for the taking lens - as that would provide a seal against light entering the taking lens front and the anamorphic rear. The VND can be spun by twisting the rubber hood. When I get my 77mm rubber lens hood - i'll test that and see if it is better than hard mounting.

​Ok, so this is what I've come up with so far using what bit's I had lying around. Basically this setup allows light-proof and hard linkage between the taking lens and the cinelux rear, yet allows free spinning of the VND in the middle section of the ring assembly. To make it work you need to get a cheap double threaded CPL filter and remove the glass. This give you a rotating double threaded filter (in my example 72mm). The purpose of this empty spinning filter is so that the VND can spin freely when coupled together - without unscrewing itself from the other rings. Then attach a double threaded VND filter (in my case 72mm Cokin 'Slim Pure Harmonie') to the empty CPL filter. The cokin VND has a front female thread of 77mm (other VND's may not have a front thread but this one does) Attach that to a 77-72mm step down ring....Then screw into the FM cinelux 72mm rear thread adapter ring. Once assembled and all rings tightened together properly - it gives a nice VND solution that is sandwiched between adapter rings. In my case I am using taking lenses with a 49mm front thread, but that step down from 72mm can be whatever is needed. The distance between taking lens optic and cinelux rear is just under 30mm - which does not seem to cause any vignette issues when shooting 85mm + with 4:3 ML raw on canon 5DmkIII. It is a work in progress, but does allow your favorite taking lens to be 'hard' attached to the FM lens if you want. So the whole setup can be treated as if a monoblock design. The cool thing is the taking lens can twist into the lens mount as normal, as the linkage to the cinelux will allow rotation. If I were to be using a non-cinelux type anamorphic inside the FM, I suspect a good solution would be to simply have a VND screwed onto the taking lens - with a rubber lens hood attached to the front thread of the VND. This would allow a bit of light-proofing of the join between taking lens and anamorphic rear, without hard linkage or screw fitting of any additional rings.

For mirror-less cameras unfortunately...the flange focal distance on your (and my) 5DmkIII does not allow an internal ND setup like that. So the best solution would be to use a regular screw-on VND or fixed ND filter at the rear of the FM lens. When I am back home tomorrow I will post an image of the VND setup I constructed - it's pretty simple but it works well.

​ Not a stupid question, but that step ring would not be the best solution to mount a ND filter IMO (fixed or VND). This is because of the rotating focus design of the front glass - if a ND or CPL filter was attached to the front, the polarising effect would shift the reflection/ highlights whilst focusing. The best results seem to be from mounting filters at the rear of the FM lens and in front of the taking lens.For example, I have a double threaded Cokin 72mm VND attached to the rear of the Cinelux ring adapter - then an empty 72mm CPL filter (with glass removed) - then a 72mm to 49mm step ring to taking lens. This setup allows a lightproof connection to the taking lens, but allows me to rotate the VND to effect exposure. The empty CPL filter allows the section to spin freely, without coming unscrewed from the neighbouring step rings. A more simple solution would be to have the ND/VND or whatever filter you want to simply be mounted at the rear of the FM- and position the taking lens as closely as possible. The only filter I have on the front of the FM lens is a 105mm UV filter - to protect the glass. You access the filter thread on the FM by unscrewing the front metal ring on the FM lens.

​You will need some sort of lens support bracket that clamps to the rails and screws into the 1/4 hole on the FM ring clamp. I would highly recommend a support that clamps/ locks to both rails - as most quick release lens support brackets only lock to one rail and are not totally secure when holding the full weight of the FM lens. After trying two different lens support brackets this is what I went for, as it enables height adjustment for different cameras, allows locking of the 1/4 screw pillar (many supports like this don't lock against twist) and it's made from a quality supplier: http://store.berkeysystem.com/lens-support/ there are cheaper alternatives out there that will do the job for sure...if the jag35 baseplate allows decent height adjustment, it will be fine to use a rail lens support that is at a fixed height. There are many rail/ lens support brackets out there...might be useful for others to share what works for them?

Great job Cosimo!...that is the way to do it. Before anyone attempts to go 'Dexter' on their lenses without knowing for sure what to do, please watch the video below. There should be NO reason to take a drill/ hacksaw or lathe to any lens!...the suggestion alone made me feel a bit unwell, so I made a short and basic video explaining how to remove the focus ring/cowl section to get the outside diameter reduced for the FM lens. (I know many here already know this...so bear with me). This removal process will be quite universal to lenses of this type/size (kowa 8z/sankor/elmoscope etc) - I suspect that some variants will fit within 71mm diameter so if you have one of these there will not be an issue. This video shows a non-destructive disassembly method providing care is taken and the correct tools used. Being able to return the anamorphic to it's original condition is the goal here. Cosimo has a great idea of wrapping the uncovered section with plastic wrap before taping into the infinity position - this ensures the helicoid grease will remain contaminant free and enable the lens to be re-assembled if needs be without any ill effects from the disassembly and re-mounting process. This video is meant as a visual guide only...do not attempt yourself if it looks too risky. Edit: As I previously mentioned on the older FM thread, you can make your own version of the FM mounting tube for smaller anamorphics by getting some stock exhaust/ tailpipe tube in the correct diameter (all you need to do is cut it to length). These are made from stainless steel and have a thinner wall thickness than the FM aluminium version - allowing a bit more room inside for an anamorphic to fit: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321033449391?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Great stuff Jesse! If I did not know different, I'd be assuming this was shot on 50 and 80mm Lomo Anamorphic. Also agree with Rich - rig weight is such a great thing as it translates into a more filmic aesthetic. No wobbly headache inducing microshake Cmount baby anamorphot here!

Dismantling the Kowa (or similar) to fit inside is far from ideal - but can be easy to do and straightforward to reassemble without incident. The most important thing is to use correct sized screwdriver - and not to loose the screws! I think it may have been optimistic of the FM makers to state compatible lens brands to fit inside - it is far better to follow the maximum 71mm diameter rule. Some digital calipers (cheap) to check the widest diameter of the anamorphic beforehand would be a good investment to those who may have a selection of lenses they might want to try inside the FM housing.

​ Kowa B&H will not fit unless you take the metal focus 'shroud' off first - unscrewing the front retainer ring (3 small screws) - then unscrew the focus shroud from helicoid by hand, leaving inner assembly. Fix the Kowa's focus to infinity with tape, then insert into aluminium mounting tube that comes with the FM lens.

I'm getting to really like the look it has with the Cinelux - seems to have the sharpness you would ever need when stopped down, yet it retains a decent stretch to the bokeh - quite unique. Pretty much isco sharp in the sharps, LOMO soft in the softs. Let's call it 'The LOCO look'? The FM close focus ability is useful because you can stop down a fair bit yet still get that lovely diopter - shallow look when focusing up close and personal to your subject. I have not noticed ANY Chromatic Aberration at edges so far, only a highlight ghost/ stretch when taking lens is pushed to f2.0 and below. But this is nothing that the most beautiful LOMO Square-fronts don't do Woah, that is crazy...small world huh!? I discovered that track just today, after re-watching some old episodes of Twin Peaks. Yeah man, get out there and shoot when you can...I bet the A7s + FM lens is a beast combo.

'Two peaks' at different Olympus primes at various stops to show Sharpness/ DOF / Vignette. Full Information is in the description on the Vimeo page...

Raf will make one for around $99, he is based in Belarus. His gears are all metal and anodized. http://rafcamera.com/

It's all good, a Vari ND should not be too thick to cause issues...and the Cinelux in particular seems to benefit from using a tighter lens (85/100mm + on full frame), as it's edge warp distortion is reduced - which will mean that taking lens proximity is not as critical to avoid vignette. Kowa will be the same but with no warp edges to worry about shooting through. A tighter lens when outside is much more interesting IMHO, especially when using 2x anamorphic.

Correct...you could get a 105mm reversing ring to give a female thread up front to attach filters, but it does seem to make more sense to locate ND's in front of the taking lens. Thinking about it, if a Vari ND or CPL was upfront - the rotation when focusing would cause highlights and reflections to be altered by turning, so Vari ND location on taking lens is the only way it seems. (unless fixed inside a rail mounted mattebox using a filter tray adapter) I keep forgetting this darn lens rotates.

Heliopan ND3.0 10-stop comes in 105mm, as does some B+W ND filters. Think the cheapest solution (if using cinelux) is to put a high quality vari ND on the taking lens, as that does not have to be mechanically attached to the rear of the FM lens. To make that attachment light tight - a cheap polarizing filter with the glass removed will give you a spinning filter frame to couple it to the VND and the 72mm rear ring adapter for cinelux. This will allow turn adjustment when everything is screwed together.