RupertPupkin

A rig is not 100% necessary with an anamorphic lens of that size, all you would need is a clamp such as the Red Stan anamorphic clamp. You really only need a rig when shooting with the larger anamorphic projector lenses. If you're looking for a budget anamorphic lens I would recommend a Sankor. I had one and loved it very much. They are also small in size and can just be attached with a clamp. Mine was sharp even with a wide open taking lens ( I also used Nikkor primes with it ) and it produces great blue flares if that's what you're looking for.

Hey all, Haven't posted here in a little while but I thought I would share something I recently put together just for fun. Might be helpful for anyone looking for some Sankor footage shot with Pre-AI Nikkors, a combination that I personally love.

Wow that is awesome news, not sure what led me to believe it wouldn't work.... Can you use any combination of adapters with speedboosters or is this just a special scenario because of the larger image circle? And same goes for the BMPCC specific speedbooster? Thanks guys

I have the 50mm and 80mm and love them both. I would really like to get the 120mm and 180mm as I am getting more into the aesthetic of longer focal lengths for ordinary shots. I currently use them with adapters on a t3i but I've been looking into switching over to a m43 camera, most likely the gh4 or a blackmagic. However, with the crop of a m43 camera, these lenses would be VERY long. I'm not opposed to the idea but having a speed booster for them would be pretty neat. I was under the impression that you could only use the mount-specific lenses with the speedboosters, only being able to use c/y glass with the c/y booster, so no putting a c/y adapter on a nikon lens and then onto the c/y speedbooster for example. Is this actually possible? For instance if I had a p6 to nikon mount adapter, could I then use them on the nikon speedbooster? Thanks for the help

Super glad this is going to be reviewed, I've had my eye on it for a little while now. Thanks!

Thanks for the feedback, Chris, I appreciate it. For taking lenses I used all Pre-AI Nikkor lenses. I think the very last shot, the weird driving timelapse was with the Helios 44-2, but everything else was Nikkor. The stuff in the car I'm almost 100% positive was all the Nikkor-H 85mm F1.8, mostly stopped down but there are a fair amount of shots that are wide open when the sun goes down a little. I did try to stabablize it a bit, unfortunately the movements were too much and I would have had to blow the picture up a little too big, and ones where I didn't have to blow it up too much, there were weird artifacts and morphing from the shutter I think, blurred movement where there shouldn't have been. The sunset and clips looking down at the beach were either with the 105mm F2.5 or the 135mm F3.5. The timelapses of the rocks actually on the beach level were with the 50mm, very pleased with almost no vignetting. I think the pier shots were with the 85mm, having a hard time recalling now haha.

Hey all, So I've finally gotten my hands on an Anamorphic lens (Sankor 16C), and made my first quick video with it, testing it out. I absolutely love using it, I'm surprised how sharp it is when shooting wide open. Focusing hasn't been an issue yet, it's pretty simple and straight forward. I'm also impressed with how the image shoots at 50mm, 85mm is the recommended focal length for no vignetting on APS-C, but a few of the time lapses in my video are with the 50mm, and while the vignetting is visible, it is so slight. I shot a lot of time lapse, and anamorphic time lapse isn't something I've seen on here before so I thought I'd share it. Critiques are welcome, but I already know the handheld footage is shaky, hard to shoot handheld with a 85mm lens.

Indeed! Thanks again, I'm already loving it.

Interesting, well, regardless, I love mine. I think they create a very cinematic image, and they are plenty sharp.

Oh, interesting. I always thought the Mollers were much more expensive than the Sankor or Kowa.

I believe the pre-ai Nikkors have a single coating, but I've never experienced any issues due to the fact that they aren't multicoated. Sure they flare if you point them directly at the sun or directly into a light source, but almost any lens will, and I don't know about you, but I enjoy the occasional lens flare. I don't think they are any harder to find either, and usually right around the same price as the AI or AIS. I built the entire set in about a month's time, and spent under $700 for... 20mm f3.5 24mm f2.8 35mm f2 50mm f1.4 85mm f1.8 105mm f2.5 135mm f3.5 ...all in great condition. I think they are a great choice because they are built like tanks, cheaper than most primes, and produce very beautiful images. They have been nothing but good to me so far, but to each his own I guess.

Everyone seems to be suggesting the AIS primes, but I think you should also consider the pre-AI primes, the black and silver, all metal ones. I have a complete set from 20mm-135mm and they are all lovely lenses and all create beautiful images. I actually prefer the pre-AI lenses to the AI or AIS because they are all metal, and I like the scalloped focus rings as opposed to the rubber rings. Ones that stand out in particular are the Nikkor-O 35mm f2, the Nikkor-H 85mm f1.8, and the Nikkor-P 105mm f2.5. All relatively fast lenses and they all create superb images, even wide open.

Thanks for the input Rudolf. As far as research goes I've watched just about every video on vimeo and youtube for all of the lenses I'm interested in, read every review I could find, and searched this forum high and low for any information I could get. That is what I consider research. Unfortunately I don't have access to every anamorphic lens I would like to try, so I've done my best. If I was actually using them I would consider it "testing", not researching the lenses. Good to know that the macro tubes don't help with close focusing, and it looks like I'll definitely be getting a redstan clamp. You mention the Moeller 32/2, is the company who makes it called Moeller or is it made by another company? I've heard of the Bolex Moller, but never of a Moeller.

Sorry for the double post but another question just came to me. I have a macro tube adapter set for the Nikkors, if I used a macro tube on the lens with the anamorphic on it, would it help with close focusing? Or is that only possible through diopters? If I did have all that stuff attached to my lens I would probably set it up on some rails.

Awesome video Chris! Just makes me more excited to get my own. Like you said, very usable, I think it all looked great. I have a full set of pre-ai Nikkor primes, the lenses I'm most excited about trying it out with is my 85mm f1.8 and my 105mm f2.5. They both look pretty good wide open so I'm interested in how they will perform with an anamorphic. Thanks for the continued help and advice, Chris.

Thanks again Chris, what aperture do you find is usually the sweet spot with the Sankor as far as sharpness goes? Can I get away with f2 and f2.8 or will it be too soft?

Thanks for the input. I've heard everyone raving about the redstan clamps, a bit expensive for me, but I guess you get what you pay for. If I'm going to be shooting anamorphic I might as well do it right. Do you use diopters with yours? Also, am I correct in assuming that the going rate for a Sankor in good condition is around $250-$300? I've seen some on eBay for much more but I'm assuming they are just inflated because I have seen some on this forum go for much less. Thanks

Hello all, I've been quite fascinated by anamorphic lenses for some time but I was under the impression that I would always have to spend a small fortune to acquire one. After reading over the anamorphic handbook (which was wonderfully informative might I add) I realized that I could be shooting anamorphic with a 2x lens for much cheaper than what I initially thought. After doing a lot of research between which 2x lens to get, I've decided on the Sankor over the Proskar or Kowa. I just have a couple questions regarding the Sankor. Is it absolutely necessary to have a clamp to attach this to the taking lens? I understand the 16f has no threads so in that case it would be necessary....but what if I got the c or d? I believe the threads on the 16c are 40.5mm, so could I just use a 52mm to 40.5mm step down ring to attach it to one of my vintage Nikkor lenses that has 52mm threads? If you actually do just need a clamp, are all anamorphic clamps the same? Will they all fit the Sankor? Lastly I hear you can unscrew a cap to reveal threads on the front of the Sankor for attaching filters, does anyone know the size? I have ND filters in 52mm and 72mm, could I use step rings and make these work on the Sankor? Also what are some cheaper diopters that I could utilize? Thanks for the help everyone.

Thanks for the input.   Only thing is for right now, due to budgeting, I think I am planning on building a full set of Nikkor pre ai lenses.  I can acquire a full set of these Nikkors for much less than starting from scratch with c/y mount lenses.   In the future, once I have a full set of Nikkors, I would like to get another set of lenses, most likely c/y zeiss glass, but right now my wallet is saying to just stick with Nikkors.   I just wish I could find some decent footage from the pocket camera using a pre ai Nikkor prime. 

Thanks for the heads up.   So my best bet for different sets of lenses on the pocket would be to have multiple different speedboosters huh?   Not exactly a budget saver, but if it's the only way...

Thanks for sharing that video, it looks like I'm going to be doing all my shooting on a tripod once I get my pocket camera.   Just one last question, if I get the Nikon to MFT speedbooster so I can use all of my Nikkor primes, could I put an adapter on a c/y mount lens to fit onto the speedbooster?  Or would it only work with Nikkon lenses?   Thanks

Bioskop, I would love to see footage from the bmpcc with the SuperTaks and more importantly the Nikkor. After doing some serious thinking, I believe I have come up with a plan. I think I'd like to build a complete set of Nikkors by getting the 20mm, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm and the 135mm. If I sell all my other lenses that aren't Nikkors, I should have more than enough to purchase the complete set and have a good chunk of change left over, which I will most likely get a Zeiss zoom lens with, but not until my Nikkor set is complete. This would be the most cost effective method for me I believe, and I think having a full set of Nikkor primes would be a beautiful thing. If anyone is interested in buying any of the following lenses you should let me know... (P6)Bower 14mm 2.8 Olympus 28mm 3.5 Zeiss Flektogon 50mm 4 (P6) Jupiter 8 50mm 2 SuperTakumar 50mm 1.4 SuperTakumar 55mm 1.8 Helios 44-2 58mm 2 Volna-3 80mm 2.8 (P6) SuperTakumar 135mm 3.5

Thanks everyone, this is exactly the kind of information I was looking for...   Bioskop,   You're right I am manually dialing in my color temp, but I suppose I tend to favor the warmer side with the SuperTak because of how beautiful it can look.  I generally shoot wide open with the 50mm with a variable ND on there, and I do think that it is a bit on the softer side when wide open, but it does generally look pleasing.  I'm confused as to why you would suggest I sell the 50mm because it is the most famous SuperTak lens, the "flagship" so to speak, and when running and gunning it's on my camera the majority of the time. Also, I do own a couple of Soviet lenses, the Helios 44-2 and the Volna-3 80mm medium format lens (I didn't include these as a set I want to build because I've found that buying these lenses from Russia can sometimes be a gamble.  Both my lenses are superb but I've heard countless horror stories about how the quality control is terrible and when you buy one, its a roll of the dice, you might get a lemon.   I do agree the SuperTaks and Nikkors seem to be a very good option for me, but I'm still open to considering other options, and I've never seen any of the vintage Nikkors or SuperTaks on a BMPCC, which would really help sell me.   jgharding,   Thanks for the input, the medium format zeiss lenses have me the most hesitant.  Not too many people have any experience with them so it's nice to hear from someone who has shot with a couple of them (I've only tried my 50mm).  I'm starting to think it's time to sell my Zeiss 50mm and make some money off it to invest in other lenses (to be honest it isn't in the best of condition either, very rough focus and couple dings).   Andy,   You almost instantly sold me on the Vario-Sonnar 28-70 lens by the way you talked about it.  I immediately did some research on the lens, but I found less than stellar praises.  I found it described as a Zeiss "kit" lens, cheap and abundant for a reason.  I found people saying it is not sharp enough even for Canon DSLR's.  I even found a couple sources saying that it is simply a rebranded Sigma lens.  People seemed to favor the 28-85 more, or even the 35-70. All of these things were said on photography reviews, not video reviews, so I'm not sure if there is a huge difference between the two    Another question I have is, the lens is labelled as 3.5-4.5, is it not constant aperture?    Thanks everyone for the input, I'm not any closer to making a decision, but boy do I love talking lenses!   EDIT:  Sorry, forgot one point...if I were to buy a c/y speedbooster if I got some zeiss or yashica lenses, would I be able to put an adapter on other lenses (like Nikkors) and then place that on the speedbooster?  Or would I be limited to just c/y mount?   Thanks again.   2ND EDIT:  Andy, I just looked for those canon FD lenses on ebay and that 35-105 seems like a steal if it truly is that amazing, it is DIRT cheap, and covers a huge range.  Interesting.....

Thanks for your opinions, Andy.   I've never really considered getting a lens that isn't a prime, but I suppose it could be pretty convenient if I'm shooting on the go with the pocket camera.   How is the focus throw and breathing with the 28-70?   Also, it isn't a very fast lens, do you have experience using it on a BlackMagic?  If so how is the DOF?  I would like the ability to shoot some shallow shots.   Lastly, do they make one of those speedboosters for the c/y mount?   Thanks.

Hello all,   Long time lurker, first time poster.   I'm looking for some second opinions on a uniform set of glass to invest in.   I currently shoot on a T3i but I plan on upgrading to a higher end camera in the near future, most likely a BlackMagic.   I have an extensive collection of vintage prime lenses that cover all of the important focal lengths, the only problem is they are a bevy of different brands.  I want to choose a brand of lenses and get a full set so that the colors and contrast are uniform throughout.     The lenses I am leaning towards right now are Nikkors (non ai versions), SuperTakumars, and Zeiss (Pentacon Six medium format).   For Nikkors I currently own:   24mm f2.8 35mm f2   For SuperTakumars I currently own:   50mm f1.4 55mm f1.8 135mm f3.5   And for Zeiss all I have is the 50mm f4   Whatever brand I settle on I will mostly likely build a full set and sell all my others.  This is a hard decision for me because I really enjoy the aesthetics/ergonomics each brand has to offer.  I enjoy the Nikkors because they produce great images, have good focus throw and have limited breathing.  I enjoy the SuperTakumars because of the very warm image they produce, and they are a bit softer and create a great vintage look.  I enjoy my Zeiss because of the color, and the great focus throw and virtually zero breathing (and it's Zeiss, enough said).   Factors that are making this decision more difficult for me:   While I love the warmth and look of the SuperTaks probably the most out of any of my lenses, they are somewhat of a one-trick pony, and the warm, soft, vintage image will most likely not suit my needs for every shoot I do.  The images produced can also sometimes be tough to color grade because of the already "baked in" look they have.  They would most likely be the cheapest option, however.   The Nikkors I think would be a safe bet, as their relatively neutral color reproduction would make color grading easier than the SuperTaks. But I do feel it is more difficult to get that awesome image the SuperTak can produce without any grading, than a graded Nikkor shot.   I would immediately opt for the Zeiss medium format lenses because they are sharp wide open and are the highest quality out of all the options, however, they have the most reasons for me to second guess the choice.  The medium format lenses are pretty massive, especially with an adapter attached to them, if I ended up getting a BMPCC, I have a feeling they would just be too large for the tiny camera to handle.  Also, since they are medium format lenses there aren't any focal lengths shorter than 50mm (wide for medium format standards) and this would most likely be a huge issue with a BM large crop factor (no real wide angle lens options, besides non medium format zeiss).   Sorry for the long-winded post but as you can probably tell I've had an internal debate going on in my head for months now on which full set to invest in, so any informed second opinions would be greatly appreciated.   Thanks!