Why I Only Shoot with this Modded Projector Lens

Join Jon Canlas as he shares why this projector lens is the only lens he shoots on his Pentax 67II. Why has Jon bought this lens 4 times? How is this mod different than the other versions that are available? Lastly, he shares how this gold lens becomes an unexpected talking point.

These are special lenses, get one today from theFINDlab. (If we've managed to keep any in stock)

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[eatenbyopium]

that photo of the kid in the crowd is one of the dopest photos ive seen all year. EXCEPTIONAL.

[gavinjenkins]

I have a 4x5 (not quite 8x10) but I've managed to get to the point I can shoot it handheld on the fly. 1) I have a cold shoe light meter on it for quick metering, 2) I usually use a cardstock with parallax markings and winking back and forth from my left to right eye to find range, but you could have a laser rangefinder if you were a pro and wanted it to nail focus more reliably, just bolted to the side of the camera. I added tape with markings on the part that slides forward and back for focus, with all the zone info on it just like old vintage lenses have marked out 3) I built a wireframe rectangle out of baling wire that also fits on the shoe and is an accurate viewfinder. There's another piece of wire sticking out the front and you visually align it in a certain way and that guarantees you're seeing almost exactly what the film sees. So you can just have the film loaded from the start, NO GROUND GLASS NEEDED. I can just dial in a range and zone focus, meter off of the shoe mete, and then fire completely handheld up in the air and it works fine.

[KevinPinkerton]

I agree. I have owned as many as 8 gold lenses. I am down to 3 gold lenses. They are amazing sharp and as you have said, the subject separation is amazing. I shoot many vintage lenses and mainly for the wild bokeh I get. The gold lenses do have bokeh, but not the same. I have found 65mm gold lenses is about the smallest you can go without some serious vignetting. I shoot mirrorless and I use helicoids and RAF camera collars to mount any of my gold lenses. Of course I shoot wide open without an aperture control. Works well enough for me.

I got a super cinelux in 35mm f2 and use it on an APSC. It is a dream! :-) Don't have any aperture, but the look at f2 is incredible!

[AIDorinte]

Heh, guesing you didn't use the leica colorplan yet :) Thank me afterwards!

[sneakingelephant]

Will there be more available. I really want to buy one😢

[vivianvaldi]

Not thinking about buying a moded SK lens, but buying the hole FINDlab bizz.

[PaoloServadei]

Two things to ask.
One thing that left me perplexed and one curiosity.
Let's start with the latter: I'm curious to know who made the adaptation to 6x7 mount and how it was made. From what I see the helicoid has been made to look like the lens. If it's true it's a great job. I can't understand where the iris is placed. The original lens is a 6 elements double gauss with a very thick, heavy barrel. It doesn't look like the barrel has been touched. It should have been cut in half to introduce a diaphragm where the laws of optics suggest (normally the back nodal point). The Schneider Symmar lenses for large format I'm very familiar with have the diaphragm between the front and rear cell, roughly in the middle of the lens. They are 6 elements double gauss (Plasmat type), not dissimilar from the Cinelux Ultra. So I'm wondering if the Cinelux in question is one of the very few that were released with a diaphragm - if I remember correctly they do exist - or if those who did the adaptation job chose to put the iris behind the optics... which is not a common thing but not so rare either.
Second thing. Are you sure that the ISCO cinema projection lenses are worse than the Schneider ones? I am not so sure. Isco and Schneider were two branches of the same company for decades. the "I" and "S" of "ISCO" are the initial of the founder, Mr. Schneider. What I know, and I am kind of sure about that, is that some Schneider and ISCO projection lenses were IDENTICAL. One brand sold in certain countries, while the other took different geographic zones. I am also kind of sure that some Isco and Schneider projection lenses (either gold, red or black in color) look the same but they are not. It can't be generalized. The preference for Schneider many people seem to have could be due to the fact that probably some bottom level (but still expensive!) projection lenses were only sold as Isco. For sure the Isco Ultra-Star HD 80mm MC that I used this afternoon on a Sony full frame has no lateral chromatic aberration (fringing). It's not a champion of sharpness either, but I don't care very much because I use it as a "bokeh lens". The red ISCO's, which happen to have an aperture of f/1.85, are considered extremely good optics. The latest top-level Cinelux objectives by Schneider are considered the best of the best. I'm not sure if there is an Isco equivalent. That is to say, there are differences, there is better and worse, but I don't think you can tell from the brand. Over time there were so many models (and focals!) sold under both brands...

[omargarza]

I need on of these for my Pentax 645 😊

[SimeonKolev]

If somebody can produce a preset aperture for it - that will be a huge deal :)

[garyking]

Just found this video and would love to buy a 110mm. Any plans on offering another one? Or do I need to search elsewhere? Thx!

[Nedumgottil]

It looks like they're all sold out, do you have plans to restock anymore?

[saradavis]

" Bow Kay "american trying to say a japanese word

[dormir]

Did you mod that yourself or how do we go about getting one? 😬

[jlolivermusic]

bro said I will only buy the Schneider Cinelux lenses not Isco but Isco lenses are using exactly the same optical formulas since the Kollmorgen days. also Schneider is Isco there may be very slight tweaks to coatings etc but ive used them all and they are all the same, Isco Super Kiptar is the exact same lens as the Cinelux Xenons and the Isco and Kollmorgen cineluxs are the same as the Schneider. The resolution of all of them across the board is phenomenal. If you need to sharpen an Isco or Kollmorgen Cinelux/Ultra MC in post then you have a messed up example of that lens.

[jonathancanlas]

So I said I don’t like lenses longer than 105/110. And that’s because I’m not a 70/85mm lens guy on a 35. I almost exclusively shoot with say a 50mm equivalent focal length. So linger lenses aren’t my cup of tea but if you are a 70/85mm focal length kinda of person those linger lenses will fulfill all your unicorn bokeh dreams.

[peace-for-all-mankind]

I see bad pictures, sorry to be honest.