The Oldest and Possibly the Sharpest Lens I Own.
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- This video compares my Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 art against a 1950s Kern Paillard 36mm f/2.8 D mount Lens.
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The Kern-Paillard Yvar 36 mm, f/2.8 is a triplet. Its designer, mathematician Hans Schlumpf, got engaged to calculating ciné lenses for Paillard in 1943. He devised a thick middle element, a neat trick that enabled him to outlay the Yvar 75, 100, and 150 mm, all three-element lenses. Schlumpf calculated many more Kern-Paillard lenses but not the older triplets such as the Yvar 25-2.5 or the Yvar 12,5-2.5 which are similar. I do not know about the Yvar 75-2.5. That lens was discontinued in 1950.
To make nice pictures with triplets is an art on its own.
Awesome, thanks :)
Why do you say its an art in it's own? Is it difficult to make nice imagess
@@SsoulBlade A triplet can’t be as well corrected as a four-, five- or six-elements lens. Even with modern glass a rest of chromatic aberration remains and that needs to be addressed by filters or appropriate lighting. That’s why I speak of an art. It takes a little more than the layman thinks. Still, you can shoot just like that with triplets, nothing to worry about.
This brings back pleasant memories for me. For a few years I filmed in 8mm; mostly Bolex models and Kern Switar lenses. I would project onto a 6 1/2 foot screen. With proper lighting and exposure I could get stunning results. You could walk up to the screen and see arguably no grain; it was that good. I did experiment with Super-8, but I felt I could get better results with my Reg. 8 set-up.
That's fantastic, no visible grain!? What film stick were you using?
@@carslayer Kodak's asa100. B&W film stock for the most part. I also experimented with some high contrast stock. I think it was Kodak 7363, stunning results if I could get the exposure right but it was tricky to use.
Kern is noticeably sharper and brighter. The only 'downside' is the vignetting, but if that is the artistic look you are going for then it's actually an added advantage. Now I want one!
and that's very easily corrected in lightroom
and lack of sharpness at the edges :S
Me too :-)
I have just bought one of these lenses just by watching this video! I have only recently got into photography. Kinda wish I had done years ago now, I never took notice of all these old Cine Cameras knocking about in charity shops, now I am going to keep my eyes peeled! Thanks for uploading this video :)
Thank you, I also have 3 Kern lens 25mm 40mm & 75mm with my Bolex R16.
Recently reviewed you video. Thank you! I recently purchased three Kerns for my Bolex and I am happy with the results of your analysis!
I am an avid collector of still and movie cameras and accessories. I have over twenty 8mm and 16mm Bolex cameras of all models and Kern lenses in my collection. Yes the Kern lenses were the best money could by for 8mm lenses, especially the Switar series. I still remember my astonishment when In the early 80's I projected on a silver screen a movie I shot with a Bolex D8L and a 5.5mm Switar kens. The images were so sharp, for such a small film size, even when compared to the quality of a 35mm slide shot with one of my Nikons SLRs. BTW, Kern www.bolexcollector.com/lenses/40kern.html was the manufacturer of the lenses, not Bolex, which manufactured the cameras.
I have an old Bolex H16 with some lenses I need to check out. Maybe the old lenses were made with greater effort to get that better sharpness and quality? And it was built to last.
Excellent video and I have just bought this Kern Pillard 36mm F2.8 with adaptor for Sony Nex 5R, I have just made a few test shots and already very impressed, I will surely start to do some more tests but like to thank you for your nice video, very impressive.
Richard Kwok you are most welcome, thank you. Are you able to achieve infinity with this lens on the sony?
Got a link for previews?
Richard Kwok, could you please tell me what adapter you use? I can't find an adapter for D mount lens to Sony E/nex. Thanks!
Hi Richard - I am about to buy a Sony A6000 and would be interested to see you images.
Shooting RAW, the files are so big, cropping and using this isn't a problem. And it's fun using these.
Good job Dan, love the new style of video and in my opinion the sharpness and detail of the Kern outperformed the Sigma in most, if not all the shots.
Keep up the good work!
Yeah crazy considering the age :) thanks dude glad you liked it
What's amazing about this Kern lens that you have is that it's a Yvar. Which, if I'm not mistaken was the lowest end bolex lens. It would be interesting to see how a Bolex Switar lens (top of the line) would compare to the Sigma lens.
Indeed it would.
These little D mount lenses are perfect for fans of the Pentax Q system! The sensor size ensures full coverage without as heavy vignetting. Not to mention the tiny size of the lens itself is fitting!
Aaron Young i bought a Q for that very reason 😁
Those lens mechanics are amazing.
Got this lense for my Pentax QS-1. It's very sharp but I had to get some brass shims to make it focus properly. Now the distance markings are fairly accurate and it focus to infinity like it supposed to. Awesome lense. Waiting on the 36mm Switar 1.8 now to compare. The winner gets to stay.
Cesar B I own a Pentax Q too, and I am looking into getting these d mount lens, where is the best place to get it? I found some on eBay but not sure if the condition is good. Give me some tips please!
That would work nicely with my Pentax Q-S1, with no vignetting. I have the adaptor, but no lenses for it. The sensor size at 1/1.7" is a pixel peepers nightmare but the quality of the images is surprisingly good. The crop factor is 4.7 making the Bolex a 170mm equivalent. I would love to see a 8-10mm version of this lens!
I highly recommend looking into d mount lenses for the Q series cameras, it is one of the biggest perks of that camera, no limit to the lenses you can adapt. :)
I just bought a zenith ttl with a helios 44m4 and a minolta x300 woth an md 50mm f1.7 attached. Both cameras were in pretty bad shape and the lenses needed savong. But then what I was given by the lenses is something else. Only wish vintage lenses were more availabe my part of the world. Awesome vid by the way.
Peter Ogillo cool, thanks :) yeh, they were more available and cheaper before they became popular for adapting.
interesting thoughts, thank you. i have the Kern lens and another lens that runs it very close, the Steniheil Munchen 38mm d mount.
Thank you for the inspiration, i just had a quick test ... "Panasonic Lumix 12-32mm Vs Kern-Paillard Yvar 36mm"
It is simply impressive...:)
a d mount lens having this much coverage on MFT is the most impressive.
This is just crazy, how were they making such sharp lenses!!!!!! We today think Leica is the best but compared to vintage lenses from Switzerland, Paris and England, just to name a few of the best from the past, they are not as good. Never would have guessed that a movie lens would be this chirp, WOW. Just mind boggling that you found it and compared with one of the modern very best. I can see in all that the Kern is sharper, its like a boost of Adrenaline!
Haha thanks, yeah, it was a major surprise to find out how sharp this lens was. I still aim to get an adaptor that will allow it to achieve infinity focus so that i can use it more often and not just as a close up macro lens. but so far nobody but shapeways seems to make any and their one does seem to be getting any updates any time soon. :/
Years late but I found a Paillard-Bolex 35mm f1.3 lens and have modified it to work with a focusing helicoid. This particular model is worth over $1000 on eBay and is sooooo sharp yet dreamy. I'm able to focus from .5 ft to infinity an am working on an aperture.
It works on aps-c with some vignetting :)
Great comparison - Kern is a great lens maker - I used to own the Macro Switar 50/1.9 - thanks for sharing
Joseph Low awesome, i would love to try a larger format kern one day, mine is rather limited with focus and sensor coverage. Thanks for commenting :)
The 35mm SLR Kern lens are expensive - almost cult - I sold mine to use legacy similar - the Kerns are solid stuff but they belong to a different class - in my humble opinion - the 50/1.9 macro is outstanding
Wow. I have lots and lots of Kern lens from my now defunct 16mm hobby.
Did you sell them already?
The Bolex Paillard B8L cine camera was pretty advanced for 1958 as well! As far as I can see, it's the first ever camera with TTL light metering, and a match-needle system. By pressing a little button above the meter housing, a Selenium photoelectric cell was brought behind the lens, and this caused a moving coil meter to deflect, whose needle could be seen through the viewfinder. This needed to be superimposed onto another red pre-set needle, by stopping down the lens. Setting up the stationary needle was complicated though, allowing for different lenses, film speeds, and shutter settings, and you had to refer to a table to get a guide number. According to Google, the first camera (an SLR) with TTL metering was the Topcon RE Super, from 1963, 5 years later..
Victor wow thats awesome :) i never realised that button was for the light meter, thought it was a light blocker for switching lenses :D
Lol, I've got exactly the same camera, and some movies of me taken with it running round the garden etc! Ok, try it out, push down the button, and point to something bright. The black needle should move up. Then stop down the lens until the 2 needles are aligned. Your exposure is set! When you start the camera, the photocell moves out of the way. As I mentioned though, actually setting up the needle setting was complicated. PS, you can check that the metering system is properly calibrated (if you should want to) by moving the perspex dial so the 2 arrows are aligned. The 2 needles should also be superimposed...
I've also got exactly the same lens, I got it on eBay cheaply because the focus was seized. I took it completely apart & cleaned it. It has the Kern Paillard Visifocus system where as you close the diaphragm down, the little dots on the barrel turn orange, showing you how much depth-of-field you have...
Victor will do, i always thought the light meters battery had died. Do you have any footage from it online, By any chance? Would love to see some.
It doesn't need batteries, it has a Selenium photovoltaic cell which produces electricity from the energy of the light. So your light meter should work, as long as the cell & galvanometer are ok. No, I don't have any footage online, havn't got round to converting to MPEG yet...
Victor i have recently been given an 8mm projector so I definitely plan on shooting with my bolex at some point, provided i can get hold of standard 8 reversal film with a processing service included. Plus i want something worth spending the money to shoot :)
Are these all wide open? I'm almost 100% the Sigma should be able to be sharper than shown (regardless of the Paillard, in absolute rather than relative terms). Manual focused both?
I'm also concerned about the quality of the Sigma. It just looks bad and rather like a cheap lenses I got. I think it would be much better to show e.g. a ruler made from the 45° angle. Or some pattern. Random objects aren't good to compare sharpness... Also some Sigma lenses needs a microfocus adjustment, so maybe that was the problem.
This is perfect for the CX system
I'm.loving the Kern lens. I already l9ve the sigma but it's out of my budget range. The vintage option is amazing.
Wow great vid
Awesome! Seriously impressed!
I want to verify something. This lens not only cannot focus at infinity, but is severely limited in the distance it can focus. For instance, the one I have can only focus out to less than 2 meters.
My experience: I found a Kern Paillard 36mm D mount f/2.8, got the D to MFT adapter, and mounted it on my Olympus OM-D E-M5 II camera. Turning the focus ring all the way to the ∞ symbol, I can only focus to about 5 feet. Turning the focus ring to the other extreme, the closest I can focus is about 1 foot.
I'm looking for confirmation or hints on how to expand the focal range.
All lenses need to mount a set distance away from the sensor, it varies from lens to lens depending on the cameras they were made for or the format of camera they were made for. The kern was made for 8mm cine cameras, which means it needs to be extremely close to the film or sensor in order to achieve infinity focus. this 3d printed adaptor cannot allow the kern to mount close enough to the sensor. there are some d mount lenses that this adaptor can work with, but sadly this particular kern isnt one of them.
OK. I understand that the lens is not mounted close enough to the sensor to give a full range of focus. What I would like to know, is your lens limited to a focal range of about 1-4 feet?
retiredPhil no, mine is able to focus at around 20cm away, which is closer than it is intended to.
Really cool video! I love old lenses. I am thinking of getting some Hasselblad lenses for my new Ursa Mini.
Dylan White they might be a bit pricey but if you can get them sure why not. Even better if you can get a speed booster for them.
This is an enlightening video thanks. I think though an even better subject to focus them on to fee detail would have been a living thing like a flower or leaf with infinite detail to magnify. Im definately going to look this kern up, I like finding obscure lenses. I recently reviewed the meyer gorlitz trioplan which is equally obscure. peace.
Raychristofer i may do a second test with more variety of subjects. It is a shame i cannot achieve infinity focus with it or i would use it a great deal more.
Nice comparison!
Fascinating. Thumbs up.
I wonder if it would be practicable to try and adapt this for Fuji X
BaddaBigBoom if it has an aps-c sensor then it will vignette heavily.
excellently done!
What we actually need is film, a very finely grained black and white film in the Double-Eight format. There have been many good film stocks available since 1932. Kodachrome, first available as Double-8 film in 1936, had the exposure index of ASA ISO 10. Filmopan, the 8 mm wide stock of Agfa-Ansco, available from 1935 to 1942, had the same speed. Kodachrome II, brought out in 1961, had ASA ISO 25. I believe that low-speed film, even as low as ISO 8, should have a chance to see light behind Kern-Paillard lenses and of course many other brands. I have a professional perforator for which I only need a fresh set of Double-8 punches. That will cost a few thousands. Some feedback would be most welcome to learn if there’s a market for such raw stock. So will everybody please let me know what footage you might buy a year? I’m all ears.
What is the sensor covarege for the D mount lenses?
well, try the Kern Macro Switar 50mm made for the Alpa 9d camera
The amazon link to the EOS adapter is broken
That kern would be amazing for like either a dream or memory sequence
QuincyIQ if i could mount it closer to the sensor and get infinity focus i would have used it for normal shooting
@@DanielNorrisEffects Arduino based 8mp ccd and image stacking?
A timeless clip, in the sense that this lens is still available on eBay, thanks, Daniel. Also, Shapeway is still offering the D mount to MFT adapter. I placed an order for that, and also found a pristine example from a seller in France for the lens. Snatched that up too. Will be using this as an "artistic prime" in a very interesting focal length, which may do well for street photography on my G9. At segment 02:18, is this wide with no cropping? The vignetting is acceptable to me, and I should expect even less on my MFT (perhaps).
a Winter's Tale you will have to let me know if shapeway’s updated version of the adapter allows the kern to achieve infinity focus. That is the only reason i used close objects in my test as i had a limit of about 1m maximum focus distance.
@@DanielNorrisEffects One meter max focus? Man, that doesn't sound too good, and it will put a serious damper on my plans for this lens. Okay, Daniel, will let you know. Shapeway says estimated date of delivery should be by Nov.22.
@@DanielNorrisEffects Daniel, I emailed Shapeway's customer service department, expressing my concern and referring to your experience with the adapter. Hopefully they can address the issue or advise on this before they print the product. With the inability to focus to infinity, it sounds like the flange distance is incorrect.
a Winter's Tale sorry, i forgot to say, since making this video the person who designed the adapter has updated it to allows lenses with a wider base to sit closer to the sensor as the one i got didnt. The one you bought is probably the newer version, which is why i ask you to let me know how it goes :)
@@DanielNorrisEffects Most excellent! Thank you for the update, Daniel, it is very much appreciated.
If you want to make it a bit more sharp losen the lens a tiny bit set it on f/8 and everything should be sharp in the image from a close distance of 3ft all the way to infinity .... Also the best camera to use D-mount lenses is the pentax Q
Bryan Escalante afraid that isnt the case with mine. I have the first gen adapter from shapeways and this video was made before the updated one was available. Unscrewing mine would only make it focus even closer and it can achieve perfect infinity unless you close the aperture to its max. I have wanted to get a pentax q for some time just to allow me to use these lenses but could never really justify the price of them at the time.
@@DanielNorrisEffects the pentax Q is a fun little camera only downside of the D-Q adapter is that is short for about .5mm or .05mm sometimes 2mm (rarely) so you need to losen the lens bit to get perfect focus...
Smaller format? That usually means greater DOF, hence greater apparent sharpness.
leebert Normally yes with larger format lenses being used on smaller format sensors, but don’t forget that the reason for that is because smaller format sensors utilise the sweet spot in the center of larger format lenses than they do the outer, less sharp edges. With this lens however it is a different case as we are not using just the sweet spot, we are using the whole lens element as is indicated by the slight vignette. But the deep depth of field is usually the same regardless of the lenses intended format size, small film format/sensor means deeper depth of field.
I was chancing the idea that the Ken Paillard was originally intended for 16mm ?? Looks like it's barely in 35mm format, hence the vignetting.
No the Bolex B8L is an 8mm camera and i used a micro four thirds camera for the test as i mentioned in the video. It would not come close to covering anything larger than micro four thirds.
Nice one
Gustavo Ulloa thanks :)
Great comparison! Would you know if you can get an adapter to fit vintage lens to canon 5d (mk1/classic) many thanks
Hi, yes you can get adapters for the 5d but not lenses like this one sadly. They were made for cameras that are a much smaller format that full frame photo cameras. Good lenses to look out for that are simple to adapt for full frame would be M42 mount lenses as they are simple screw mount ones and only require a simple adapter to work. Hope this helps. :)
very surprising!
Thank you enjoyed it
hi, where can I get this m43 adaptor? I need this lens in my life
D mount lens to m43 adaptor*
I did mention in the video, it is from shapeways.
Could you explain to me the problem with not being able to achieve infinity focus please ?
SeiryuNanago these lenses were intended for use on 8mm film cameras and was mounted barely a couple of millimetres from the film for infinity to be achieved. The adapter i have has a bowl shape in it that prevents this lens which has a flat base from screwing in far enough. This means it cannot get close enough to the sensor to achieve infinity.
Hi Daniel, great video, OMG that is an amazing side by side comparison, thanks for sharing! What are your other favorite and sharp vintage lenses you own?
Tony Okun i have an old sigma 70-210 that only works on the oldest canon dslr cameras that i have had pretty nice results froms.
@@DanielNorrisEffects Thanks for that, I have a vintage Minolta MD 50mm Rokkor 1.7 that is beautifully sharp, purchased mint for only $50 I could not believe the results with that lens.
Great video.
For what I know, those lenses' performances tend to fluctuate from a piece to another, aren't they?
I have no idea but it is possible given the age, but you cant deny this lens yields impressive results :) thanks for your comment, glad you liked the video. :)
No. Absolutely zero to extremely little variation on Kern/Paillard lenses. Swiss made in the 50s and 60s. Possibly even more minute quality control than Germany.
Great video and Idea. I would like to know if you have tried a C to MFT adapter with the a C to D ring ?
I have and it doesn't work i am afraid, the flange distance for d mount lenses is much shorter than c mounts. have a d to c ring on the lens and then fitting that to a c to mft adapter does not allow the lens to get near enough to the sensor.
Daniel Norris Thank ypu for your prompt reply. Are you able to focus to infinity with the shapeways adapter ?
You are with some lenses, but not with the lens shown in the video. As the rear of the lens, just in front of the threads is flat rather than tapered, it does not allow itself to screw far in enough to the adaptor. this could be fixed by grinding away the excess material at the base of the lens, but i really can't bring myself to damage a vintage lens in that sort of condition. I do hope that someone will update the shapeways design to accommodate this lens as being able to focus to infinity would make me use this lens a lot more.
Not much in it; Sigma just edges the Kern out .. but only just .. & I got one on my B8
Thanks it was very helpful
apart from Bolex lenses, what other 8mm movie camera lenses can I use on Micro 4/3 camera like GH4? f.ex Can I use Leicina Vario 1.8/7.5-35mm lens.
Rahmat Rad i am afraid with 8mm lenses it is very much a roll of the dice if a lens you buy with work. You are better off looking at the 16mm format lenses. More likely to find something that fits.
Nice test.
I assume the Paillard has no coating. Thus more modern lenses probably do better as to flare, internal reflections, etc.
Ohhh... And it vignettes unless you crop it.
KutWrite afraid i have no idea.
Every lens, modern or vintage, have their own character and quirkiness. You use the right lens for effect and purpose. These lenses will give off a nice lens flare if not hooded or used properly, but that's the quirkiness of these lenses. A lot of 8mm shooters were not professionals (mostly hobbyists, dads) and shot most likely into the sun or lights. So we grew up with lens flares as part of our film and photo upbringing. So for most of the global zeitgeist, we connect that with nostalgia. Lens flares as you probably know were considered a technical error. Now it is used as a technique in film and advertising. I wouldn't overlook this lens, just because it will produce a lens flare. If you know what you're doing or shoot in a controlled studio, you can easily prevent lens flares in your shots.
Daniel, after viewing your presentation, I was excited to see if Kern Paillard lenses could be adapted to mount on my Canon 50D, which is a crop sensor DSLR. I could not find any D mount to EF-S lens mount adapters. I could, however, find a D to C mount and a C to EF-S mount. The problem with this configuration was that there is no way to attain a focus on infinity. The upside is that the arrangement does allow one to focus closer than the lens would focus on the original movie camera. So, here is my question. . . is there sufficient clearance in the body of the camera to allow one to machine an adapter that would recess into the body more than current adapters will allow? If there is, it should be possible to machine an adapter that would get the back of the lens close enough to the sensor to attain an infinity focus. And, if there is sufficient room, there is no reason a tube within a tube interface could be machined that would allow for even closer focus (a pseudo macro, if you will). Thanks again for posting this!
Gordon Brown no, it is impossible to adapter this lens to dslr cameras. There is just no room inside the mirror box to allow the lens to be held closer to the sensor without risking damage to the sensor.
@@DanielNorrisEffects Well... more likely damage to the mirror... which may then collide with the sensor. It may be usable on some cameras with mirror lock up? Rather risky though.
Does the vignetting get better once stopped down?
I am not sure, I don’t think so as the vignetting is cause by the image circle being to small for the digital format i filmed this on.
What would be the difference between a D mount and a C mount on my bmpcc, thanks
An unexamined life d mount is smaller and need to be mounted closer to the sensor than c mount lenses
Thanks for the quick response! I just got a used bmpcc off eBay and now I'm going a little lens shopping crazy looking for cool lenses for it
I already ordered some C and D mount lenses and even some 1/2" B4 lenses. I figure if I can get them between $10 and $30 dollars why not see if they'll work out? lol
@@anunexaminedlife1207
Are they really that cheap??
This is amazing. I tried googling but could not find any d mount to Fuji FX (x mount) adapters :-( still super inspiring and interesting!
Sye Robertson would fx fuji cams be aps-c? I dont think you would have much luck adapting d mount to anything more than micro 4/3 and even then it wont hit infinity :p
Daniel Norris thanks
I'm sad, I have that exact 8mm camera lying around with 2 of those lenses on it but I have an APS-C camera so I cant use them on it. :(
hmmm... Are you sure about that? The image circle must be tiny :/
Fantastic video, great review. The sharpness is incredible. How do you this it would work when adapted to a Canon M50?
Very likely not. It already vignettes heavily on M43 and this will become a black tunnel on APSC. It was made for 8mm film so M43 is already a larger sensor than it was designed for.
do you have a source to adapt this lens to a leica L mount. thank you
Afraid i don’t sorry
I run across elgeet 1 ½ f3.5 lens no focus Ring just F stop ring question does anyone have experience with this tipe ? Trying to figure it out before purchasing an adapter .
The only no focus ring lens i have is a 13mm 1.9 kern, its ok, if you don’t mind immense cropping or a circle image :p
Have you tried that Kern with the BMPCC?
Yes, but it suffers a similar problem in that the mount i use does not allow it to achieve infinity focus. I do hope to find a new adapter some day that mounts the lens closer to the sensor but it is a tricky thing as all d mount lenses protrude into the camera as different amounts and the bmpcc has glass between the lens and the sensor which could get damaged
*Looks at our local online market(privat sellers) after this Lens. Price: 260€*
I think i rather buy something modern for this money.
Patrick Bateman they were about £60 on ebay when the video was made
@@DanielNorrisEffects oh yeah, they are still at the same price at international markets. In germany here we have as already mentioned a local online market, means from person to person and there the prices are crazy high. As you said international markets are far cheaper.
Really Impressive...think in the middle section it is even more sharp than the Sigma, wow👍
iciworm even more impress when you realise we was comparing it against the centre sweet spot of the sigma too
I had one, and god damn it was so damn sharp, used on my fuji X-t20.
Hi, I bought a few Dallmeyer projection lens, and I have a fujifilm xt20, how can I adapt the lens to my camera? Please advice! Thank you.
Ling Peng projection lenses usually have to be attached to another lens in order to work. If you look up on youtube anamorphic projections lens adaptor you should find the adapter you need.
I just found a Yvar 1:2,8 f=36mm but is sais AR on the lens... what does AR stand for?
Ach Kind i have no idea. :/
It's for "anti reflective", referring to the lens coating. This legend appears on C mount Bolex lenses too. You'll be fine using that on a modern camera. The only thing to look out for among Bolex lenses is "RX" on the larger lenses intended for 16mm cameras. that stands for "reflex" and was for shooting on cameras with a ground glass in the image path for the viewfinder. RX lenses were built to compensate for the ground glass, and therefore aren't always ideal to use on a digital camera.
Great video!
Hi, Dan, inspired by your video, I bought two of these- 1. Vintage Kern Paillard YVAR Lens,1:2.8, F 36mm and 2. Kern Paillard 12.5mm. Both of them, as per description of the seller are D mount. I have D to C adapter and I would like to use them on my Canon EOS M. What would be the video quality, will there be circular picture? Will there be any difference if I use on my Canon 200D? Thanks in anticipation.
D M Shawkot Hossain yes it would likely vignette as i think the M series are aps-c sized sensors, but adapting d mount to c mount wont work, as d mount lenses need to be mounted much closer to the sensor than c mount lenses. I had to use a 3d printed adaptor from shapeways just to allow focus up to 2 metres. No infinity focus though
and another Kern Paillard Bolex f 1.3 15mm
So interesting. May I know what aperture did you use on Sigma? Thanks!!!!!
I think i mentioned in the video that i locked the sigmas aperture at 2.8 using my canon 600d, so it would match that of the Kern.
is d mount lenses can cover bmpcc?
I think most of them can but others cant, there are facebook groups and sites that show what lenses will cover the bmpcc.
You are comparing a zoom with a prime.. primes are likely to be sharper, no matter how old they are.
Likely to be, but not bound to be. Especially when the prime is 50 years older.
Do you know of any possible way to use a Kern 12,5mm 2.8 (D mount) with a Pentax K-mount camera / APS-C sensor? I noticed your printed adaptor brings the lens even closer to the sensor, so I'm guessing it has to be quite close to resolve. Can you think of any possible way, even say using extension tubes, coupling with other lenses, reversing, adapters, etc - to use this lens on a Pentax K / APS-C? I assumed it would still resolve an image, but wouldn't cover the entire sensor.
Jesse Laughter i honestly don’t think it is possible. Micro 4/3 cameras have a very short flange distance and even they need to recess the lens quite far into the body. The pentax q series are the only cameras that wouldnt have any trouble with achieving infinity focus with d mount lenses.
Daniel Norris Ahh interesting thank you
Awesome stuff man! By the way, if we use this lens on an APS-C sensor.. will we get a lot of vignetting?
sanket sarkar afraid so. It was made for 8mm film cameras. It is only a stroke of luck that it covers the mft sensor.
prop. not but therefore some crop as you know
hi mate, im a super green with this stuff but was looking to purchase a bolex d mount lens to use with my pentax q (for street shooting), do you have any suggestions on what to go for? or and tips about what to for when buying or this is even a good idea?
Thanks in advance
Thanks for the question, I have never owned a pentax Q (though would like to at some point just for playing with lenses like these) so i cant give a real concrete recommendation, but i will do my best. So i am not to sure about the exact crop of the pentax Q series, think it depends on the model, but i would say for a general walk around and possibly 50mm equivelent lens, there is the kern paillard 12.5mm 2.8 yvar, not going to be wide enough for typical landscapes but for street portrature it should be great. Other than that the only other i would recommend is the 36mm that you saw in the video purely just because i know for a fact that that think is amazingly sharpe. Hope this helps. thanks for watching :)
I am confused, I have a sony a7r, what converters will I also have to purchase to allow a kern lens to work on Sony, Thanks
Dennis Chapman this lens does not work on full frame cameras, that is why i tested it on a micro four thirds camera as stated in the video.
Hi! do you know if the Kern can be adapted to crop sensor Canon?
if not do you have experience with a comparable 35mm focal length vintage film lens?
thank you..
We Killed Captain Alex no it wont and i have never seen one that compares to it. I am sure there are some out there, but i havent found them yet.
Hi, I just found someone selling a Kern Paillard f1.6 20 mm from a projection machine. There is any possibility to mount it on a M43 camera? What adaptor should I buy?
Ionut Mindru i have no idea as i have never adapted a projection lens before i am afraid.
Just curious, the sigma was shot on a canon body while the Kern was on the Panasonic, right?
No, the canon was only used for it Aperture Lock feature as i wanted to lock the sigma to f2.8 to better match the Kern. Both lenses were used on the panasonic with glassless adapters.
The difference is amazing. I would have never suspected a D-mount vintage lens could outperform a Sigma art lens. Thanks for sharing this.
Does the crop factor change between m4/3 and the original super 8?
Nickk i am not sure what you mean. Micro 4/3 is a larger sensor than 8mm and super8 so there would be a different crop between the two
How much did you pay for this lens? How did you find out about it?
MacksumX its a bit of a story. There is a camera shop near me that has bargain buckets of broken or unsold gear for £10 each and i went there one day and they had this leather case with bolex embossed on the top. And low and behold inside was an almost perfect condition bolex paillard bl8 8mm film camera with three lenses. I thought about getting it but had to walk away due to lack of money on an impulse buy. But i found myself going back there the next day just to see if it was still there and to see what deal i could get on it. Needless to say, it didnt go for £10 but i managed to knock the price down from £25 to £20 for the lot. This was one of the 3 lenses that came in the kit, along with a matching 13mm fixed focus 1.9 and a soligar or something like that, 50mm 3.5 which was most likely a later addition to this set, it wasnt great though, very soft and hazey. I only found out about this lenses sharpness by accident, taking photos of the top of a light stand with every lens i had and the 36mm kern stood out like a sore thumb :) and that is he story :p
Daniel Norris lol amazing story
Hey. Is it possible to find good adapter for these lenses online if I want to use them on Nikon 5200…? Thank you 😊
I don't think so, the flange distance in dslrs is a lot compared to mirrorless and even more on Nikon
Did you test the vintage lens on Canon camera? Where can I get the adapter for D mount?
Tran Thai Binh no, i did say in the video i tested them on a panasonic gh4. The canon was just used to lock the aperture of the sigma lens at 2.8.
@@DanielNorrisEffects Thank you. Is there anyway I can mount that lens on a Sony camera?
Less elements, this is why.
Hi, I recently bought this lens, and I'm thinking of buying a camera (house) that is suitable for this lens. Could you recommend any particular model, where the sensor is of adequat size ?
Are there particular lens-adapters available ? (I have been searching quite a bit but no true success a part from D mount tu C mount adapters.. And furthermore I'm curious to know which ones of the later to be used, in order to put the lens close enough to the sensor to actually permit taking pictures on a farther distance than just macro, any take on that ? I'd be thankful for any advice
The only interchangeable lens camera i know with a small enough sensor and able to mount the lens properly is the pentax Q range. You can get a 3d printed micro 4/3 adaptor from shapeways like i did but i don’t think they can mount this lens close enough to achieve infinity focus. Unless they have updated the design so i could be wrong.
@@DanielNorrisEffects Thank you indeed. Do you have any references for that 3-print to make an order from shapeways? Since you made the test (thanks for sharing it!) with that setting, how far away can you be, at most, from the subject?
@@DanielNorrisEffects ps by the way, I did see some adaptors from D to C mount and one ring is "floating" (no flange) so I was thinking that could actually work if the screwing (carefully of course, not to touch the sensor..) could make the lens get close enough, using mirrorless housing.. ds
@@erikwickstrom1582 i don’t know if the d to c mount trick would get it close enough, i have both and its still not close enough. I think i am able to get maybe 6ft away with a wide open aperture.
@@DanielNorrisEffects Thanks, well ft gives a lot more possibilities than just macro, perhaps even portraits.. were you cropping the images using the gh4 for the video, or is that sensor of the same size as the pentax q you mentioned earlier?
If you repeat this test but with a Pentax Q.. the Bollex lens will surpass the Sigma..
How would I attach this to a Canon 5D classic? D mount to EF mount?
N9olan d mount lenses cant cover a full frame sensor
Ugh! I was thinking that I could edit out the huge area of dark.
Will this work with my canom eos m? I was looking into doing d mount to c mount and c mount to m mount
HC Mercedes Severino Does work that way i am afraid, the m to c mount will not get the lens close enough to the image sensor to achieve infinity focus. Also, if you look through the other comments you will see that everyone asks about mounting this to an aps-c or full frame camera, but the fact is it is not made for these cameras. Even micr four thirds cameras struggle to mount most of these and even if you do you will just get a small image circle in the middle of your frame because that is all it will cover.
This lens will NOT work on any camera whose sensor is larger than micro four thirds. It will only mount to micro four thirds and smaller.
@@DanielNorrisEffects I know I can mount c lenes to my eos m and will get a vignette but I can crop in and still get a good image. I was hoping to do the same thing with this lens
@@DanielNorrisEffects Well... it will mount, just the image circle will be too small.
Where can I get the file to 3D print the adapter?
brian d shapeways is where i bought mine from, i think you can download 3d print files too
I see it for micro 4/3 but nothing for canon EOS. Did you use this lens on an eos?
brian d No, as i said in the video, all shots were captured on the gh4 in 4k. I only use my eos camera to lock the aperture of the sigma before moving it over to the dummy adapter.
Can the kern be attached to a nikon dslr
s.m. pravin No, i don’t think it can. Nikon cameras have quite a large flange distance which makes it difficult to adapt lenses to. Nikon lenses however are very easy to adapt to other cameras because they allow room for an adapter to make up the excess flange distance they need. This lens needs to be almost touching the sensor before it can achieve infinity focus, i couldn’t even get it that close in my tests. That is why i only did close up shots.
Daniel Norris thank you
I had to check if this was an April fools
A lot of vignetting on the Kern
adding - sadly most new lenses are OEMs - plastic and frankly cheapos
the faq !!!! :O
It's misleading to compare a lens made for 16mm motion picture film to one made for digital photography. So any downside on the Kern may be due to that. A better way would have been to shoot 16mm film using both lenses if you could find a way to adapt the Sigma to the Bolex. Second, why not use a lens testing chart to test for both MTF and chromatic aberration, etc?
Sergio Reyes answer to first part; i wasnt trying to show how the sigma was better than the kern, i was showing how inspite of its age how well the kern stands up against a modern lens that is considered very sharp by modern standards. Second part; No, it would not have been better as i do not have any method of adapting canon ef to D mount, do not know if my bolex is even functional, do not have the means of developing and scanning the film and also don’t think that spending what would likely be hundreds of pounds just to do a video for youtube would be worth the cost, time and effort. Third part, i could have but i didnt as i am not a fan of the pixel peeping mentality that test charts from a consumer level encourage. I prefer real world examples of use, though i do admit i should have made more of an effort with the items and lighting i used for my test shots.
@@DanielNorrisEffects Sounds good.
Woah. :o
but this makes no sense, optics have advanced so much since then
jakub rembacz maybe its to do with lenses back then have a much simpler construction with fewer elements within? Who knows.
resolution is directly linked to smoothness and purity of the lens but i think i know why this lens is of such quality...
its due to mass production being put over quality in modern lenses.
Kern win