EpicFanBoy

Here's something shot on the Zeiss -     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtRh5hLXNBs

These are rear anamorphics - so no ovular bokeh/streaks etc.   The new Zeiss Anas are front style, so they will have the typical looks, but the Angie zooms are also rear ana elements.   Essentially, new Anas with front elements are Zeiss primes only, followed by Hawks and (obviously) Panavision.

You need to zoom in (resize) the frame until you get to an approx 1920X817 (go for 816 as it's safer to stay at even numbers).   Don't change A/R (from 2X) as your footage needs to be aspect ratio correct.

Yes - it's a scam. Those images have been used quite a few times.

  Cryptic...

I'd agree with Tony and Bioskop inc on these.   If they went onto a more open market (say Reduser), they'd be going for $4-$6K each. Bad/old Lomos are going for that now... and these stand the chance of being a matched (or close matched) set (and should be better than Lomos you'll find now).   I'd say the set would easily reach $25K more likely $30K+.   Put in a low ball as Tony said - that'll start the ball rolling at least.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOMO-Anamorphic-50mm-F-2-OCT-18-Mount-Cinema-Lens-for-Arri-RED-Sony-Panasonic-/111043649580?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item19dab7a02c   This Ebay listing has some of your photos... the handmade lens cover seemed really familiar! :)   Presume this was sold onto them?

  Yes - coloured signal flares are for the RNLI! :) or sticking in the face of people waving them around on beaches, in studios or in slow motion...    Another fad that's bugging me (in the UK) is the amount of TVC's shooting anamorphic for no reason... ie Supermarkets (with inane TV personalities) or DIY ads... don't get me wrong, I love anamorphic... but I can't see how the product is improved by ovular bokeh and lens flares. 

The lens you've linked to sells for is missing it's front set of glass admittedly, but there's still a lot of other glass in the zoom section.   It's a very rare lens - selling for 17 or 20 times the price of this trashed one (which is why they're trying to sell it so high, I'd imagine). Complete ones (with damaged glass - but fully working) still reach 12/15 times this price.   But I agree that's a crazy price unless you're buying for spare parts.   It was listed first at $3K and it's been jumping up and down in price for a few days now.   A while ago I remember this seller also had a damaged K35 zoom... so maybe he's in a habit of dropping antique lenses - LOL :)

Feeling better now... you're right about Ebay addiction, I've been bidding on lots of useless things (luckily I lost all the auctions!) LOL   Glad you're sorted with a 5D/T2i Foton shooting plan :)   PM'd you re the lens.

Knew I'd seen some info on this lens and the 5D.   Here it is - https://vimeo.com/19643903 :) - read the comments on Vimeo for info.

LOL I'm ill at the moment... a flu bug :( sleeping for a few hours then awake for 3 or 4... it's a bit rubbish! The GF has had it for a week and I've been ill for a few days... so probably more days of pain to come.    It's easier to surf as I can't even sum up the attention span to watch a movie... so Forums, Ebay and Youtube it is (!).   I know Olex is pretty busy being the 'go to guy' for Lomos, so I wouldn't want to second guess!    On the damaged lens, I don't envy my friend, it's a very hard to find Ana, so rare he's keeping it - hopefully I can test it next time I work with him.

Glad Olex came back to you :)   On the lens that was damaged, it's an ultra rare anamorphic zoom (only a handful were made and was a lot of $$), so he's not very happy about the damage, as it means finding a replacement part for an already rare lens.   Sounds like you'll be good to go with the EF extender on the 5D or standard in the T2i.   I prefer zooms to primes (guess I'm lazy) - LOL.    Good thing about Olex (if the lens goes through him), will be the fix/collimation etc - he's the expert on all things Lomo!

Yes - good find and a great price :)   It's in it's original box too.   One thing  you might want the seller to put a cover (maybe some foam/cloth) over the Foton-a ana lens. It normally has a card (with inner felt) cap (I'd presume your other Squarefront had a similar 'handmade' cover?). Extra padding/protection would be good.   I say this as a DP friend of mine recently received an ultra rare anamorphic zoom, that was damaged in the post... and that was sent in a modern Peli case - not an old style case.   The Foton is a really nice lens, it's not that fast - but with the sensors of all modern cameras  you really don't miss a few stops. And, as you have the diopters, you'll still get the modern crazy blur/bokeh for background and get nice portrait/headshots & close ups.   I bet you'll keep the lens, even if it's T2i only ;)   Keep updating when you get it.

Glad the links helped... you're right to avoid the US/UK - customs hell!! LOL   Out of interest, where did you pick it up from? It's rare to see the Lomo/Foton-A and diopter set nowadays :)   I'm lucky, I have one full set (diopters etc) and a back up Zoom/Foton-A, but I'm always on the lookout for bargains!   On the portholing, it's hard to say... I know a Prime 70mm ana will work on FF/5D (check out Hunter's video from years back - he was one of the first to put a Lomo on a 5D), but that probably worked as it's a prime lens (fixed focal length).   I 'suspect' (might be wrong here!) that, as a zoom, the Foton will have a fixed image projection to the sensor/film (etc) that won't change in size as you zoom... so you may get a permanent porthole effect. But, then again, you may not!   You'll be safe with the T2i as that's APS-C :)

Did you also get the Anamorphic Squarefont (Foton-A)?   The Foton zoom itself is quiet adaptable. It was originally sold (in Russia) with a selection of mounts (the basic Foton came boxed with a number of alternate mounts).   It's a simple collar style design, so you should be able to detach the OCT-18 mount very easily.   You're correct about the lens design - all Fotons are identical, it's simply the rear mount that's different.   I've seen custom mounts for the Foton to Micro 4/3 and PL - amongst others.   One thing you might notice on your 5D3 is that the zoom will 'porthole' of vignette. It wasn't designed for a FF sensor (it was designed for a 35mm film gauge).   Any lens tech should be able to help you out - it depends where you're based.   You could try http://www.spbsale.com/ (Viktor does a lot of mounting work) or https://sites.google.com/site/olexserviceskonvas/ - maybe email Olex and ask his advice.   In the USA, there's Berni & http://www.super16inc.com/ - he might help too. In the UK try TLS - http://www.lensrepair.co.uk/

The 35mm squarefront will go for a little more by the time the auction ends. The 50mm and 80mm will go over $2K.   Both 50mm/80mm squarefronts are from the 1960s (they have an older barrel design and a different set of serial numbers). The 35mm is from the 1970's.   Basically, the 35mm Roundfront has too much barrel distortion for most DP's, so they prefer to use the 35mm Squarefront (the one you've linked to an Ebay :). That's why it's the more expensive of the normal squarefronts (OCT-19) set (35mm/50mm/85mm). A lot of rental houses and DP's build a set that consists of a 35mm Squarefront and then 50mm/75mm/100mm/150mm Roundfronts.   The OCT-19's also go higher than the OCT-18's. OCT-19's are one piece lenses whereas the OCT-18's are two piece lenses.   If you're looking to get into Lomo anamorphics, you're better to hunt down OCT-18's, as they're cheaper (for now).

No problem - glad to help :)   In regards to the purified gasoline vs water, that's because you can't guarantee the water is clean of other trace elements and these might react with the coatings on lenses... not melt the glass elements (that's a new one for me!) - but incorrect cleaning can damage (beyond repair) the original coatings on older Lomos.

It's always been expensive to use proprietary recording mediums on Pro systems (think SxS or P2).   The Sony F5/F55 will have similarly priced mags...the 4K/RAW AXSM cards (for external recording) will probably end up at a similar price point to Redmags, and what are the odds that, once one is cracked open, that'll have a SSD in it? Plus they're using SxS pro for internal recording internal formats - and they're not cheap.   It's all about stopping 3rd party recording options. Look at the trouble/issues with sdhc cards and various speeds vs systems vs manufactured. I'm sure the BMCC will have issues with preferred SSD's (which will be the more pricy models)... ie some work better than others.   Sony are following Red (and Arri) in terms of controlling the data acquisition system for their high end machines.    ... and yes, they probably all make a good profit. But this is the highest end of the industry, not camcorders or DSLRs and it always has (and always will be) an expensive game at the top end.   An EVF for a Red or F5/55 costs as much as some people want to pay for a full system.   As the process of democratisation has brought technology prices down, people still loose sight of  the fact that it's all about bottom line. RED probably make more from Redmags than any other item... Sony will (in comparative terms) only sell a handful of F5/55's in comparison to the amount of cheaper/lower-end pro-sumer systems, so it's all about large profit on higher ends stuff and lower margins (but greater volume) on prosumer.

This zoom is 100% Lomo/Russian. Arri (rental) probably bought a load of them and re-badged for rentals. That was quite common with good Russian lenses (a lot of the Lomo Roundfront anamorphics were housed into new bodies - like the JDC's).   The zoom is high quality - it's cinema glass and is actually a spherical. It is parafocal and is one of the best engineered Lomo zooms. it's only weakness is in the loose zoom assembly that can be damaged in transit (if it isn't taped up)... it doesn't have a lubed style zoom that accelerates and decelerates (friction), but instead has a single fast action (useful for crash zooms - LOL!).   It doesn't breath much at all and it feels pretty much like the OCT-19 style Lomo sphericals.   When it is coupled with a rear anamorphic adapter (they were made for this lens), it changes from a 20-120 T3.3 to a 40-240 T4.5. You gain distance but loose quite a bit in stop terms (as is normal).   Using the rear anamorphic adapter method, you do not get any blue streaks, horizontal flare or oval bokeh... you don't get any veiling type flare either. All these (much loved) elements are actually related to the anamorphic element being in the front. When it's at the rear, light transmission is reduced and the image is only squeezed before it hits the film (or digital sensor).   As was common in the film days (pre digital) you'd often mix front and rear anamorphics, as it was all about getting the image squeezed optically onto film... and not about the lens style effects.   This particular 20-120 should be labelled as 40-240 (T4,5) with rear anamaorphic adapter  It's BEEN overpriced for the last year or so, but, when it hits $4.5K, it'll be worth it, the rear anamorphic alone is worth $1.5K-$2K.   The numbers that one poster refers to (on the rear) are one of the hidden gems about this lens. It has a built in diopter function (that works ion both spherical and anamorphic mode)... so you get variable diopter strengths too :)   Hope that clarifies/helps :)   Here's some info on Reduser about it. - http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?94506-Anamorphic-Zoom-Lens-up-to-5500-USD and another one for slae at Reduser - http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?88333-Lomo-20-120-Zoom-(Anamorphic-and-Spherical)-PL-Mount-Recently-Serviced-by-Duclos