Mystery lens

[Phil]

Does anyone have any knowledge of this lens?  It is a Super 80 Magnum. I remember seeing something on an English website many years ago.  I got it off E-Bay about 7 years ago and set it aside due to dust inside the lens--maybe fungus too.  After reading about folks on this site opening up their lenses, I decided to give it a try.  Nothing to lose--it was unusable.  So today I took off the retaining rings, cleaned the elements, and the inside of the housing. Once it's back together, I'll try it out.  I think it is 1.5X and it is pretty heavy.  The front diameter is 3 1/4 inches.  But I'm still puzzled that I can't find any info on it.

[Hans Punk]

What were your results on this lens?...I too could not find any info online on this model.

[au8ust]

Looks like a lens designed for Super 8mm film camera.

 

Found a video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuTgJWuIcKU

 

Info from eBay UK a year ago http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-photography-super-80-magnum-281917893

[Hans Punk]

Thanks au8ust.

 

I am curious due to having just bought one in fine condition (boxed with original mounts), and will be picking it up today.

I'll probably do a test video in a few days and report back in a new thread or this one.

 

It looks like a beast...52mm rear and 83mm front!

 

http://s14.postimg.org/jys068x2p/image.jpg

[Timotheus]

Hey @au8ust, @Hans Punk and @Phil, sorry to dig up this old thread but a copy of this lens was up for auction. How did you end up liking it? Any good?

Or is the unresolved nature of this thread indicative of it's meager performance? ;-)

[Hans Punk]

The lens has very pronounced CA on edges of image due to no blackening on large front optic edge and very thin element and coating. The focusing mechanism is (at least on my copy) a very simplistic locking screw that meant that the body separates the two halves and user can twist, extend or contract the lens for focus, then the locking screw is tightened to keep that distance set. It was never meant for constant adjustment - rather for 'setup and leave' on a projector. The large front element size of the Magnum prohibits its use with current vari-diopter offerings, so is not a very practical lens for filming with...saying that, it could be made to work as a focus-through type lens on a smaller sensor that could have large diopters attached for closeup subjects.

The lens is basically a scaled up version of the 'Palamorphot' or 'Zenascope' type that I think we're all made for or sold by the Widescreen Center London. All share same simplistic focusing method and general image quality. 

Streak flare is a very nice light blue colour, but the mechanical simplistic focus adjustment/ medium to poor image quality (CA on edges) and large size front optic don't really make it practical for filmmaking use IMHO. 

[Timotheus]

Thanks! Large front optic seemed promising concerning wide-angle coverage, but alas.

[au8ust]

After many years, I found one on eBay again https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wide-Screen-super-MAGNUM-Anamorphic-Lens-super-rare-1-5x-made-in-ENGLAND/254194573211?hash=item3b2f2d5f9b:g:uYAAAOSwKEhchA5h

Actually, I was surprised to see myself replying this thread in 2013. I didn't' realize that at first LOL