I’m working with an early 16mm from 1924. It was missing its custom lens and I had to make one from another more modern lens. I cut it down on a lathe to fit. So therefore, since this camera hasn’t filmed anything in ages, and I have no idea if I got the geometry and distance of the lens correct (I tried very hard, though!), I am just curious if seeing a projected image tells me if I’m “in the ballpark” so to speak. I used this method last night and got an image projected onto my wall. Is this a good sign that my custom made lens will actually be accurate enough to produce an image on film?
Sounds like a fun project! It's a complicated topic, but sounds like you know what you are doing. Probably you already know this, but doing some research on "flange focal distance" is a good place to start. I'm not saying you don't know about it, it's just a recommendation. Cameras from that period were basic cameras, so it shouldn't be complicated getting an image on the film. Projecting an image is a good technique when you want to see how the lens performs or if you want to see if the witness marks of the lens are accurate. In your case, I would recommend the opposite. If you can see the gate of the camera, put a piece of translucent "magic" tape in the place where the film sits and see the image that forms there. Pointing the camera towards a window or a bright area would make it easier. You can cover your head with a blanket so you can see the image better. If you can get an image in focus there, that's what the camera is going to capture. If the lens is not adjusted to the flange focal distance of the camera, you can still get an image, and that image may be in focus. The problem is the witness marks of the lens are not going to be accurate, and you may not be able to focus at infinity. Adapting lenses to other cameras, especially simple cameras like the one you describe, is possible. People use old lenses on film and digital camera bodies every day. If you haven't taken FFD into consideration, try to apply that information to your project. It's easier when you know at what distance the lens is supposed to work. If you manage to place the lens at the distance it is supposed to be, then the witness marks are going to be accurate (assuming the lens is correct), and you are going to be able to focus at infinity. It is possible, especially if you are a machinist. You could use a Nikon adapter, for example, adjust the distance to a tight tolerance, and you could use any Nikon lens, or Canon or M42. I'm almost sure the camera you are referring to is not a reflex camera. In that case, it's even more important to have some focusing marks you can trust. If you want to give me more details about the camera and the lens, I can give you a better point of view.
@@TheCinematographyLab I took your advice. I used a piece of clear 16mm film in the gate and removed the pressure plate. This gave me a clear view. I think the results are promising! I uploaded the video to my second channel 20th Century Antiques. It is uploaded as a short.
@@RMphy89 The results are promising for sure. That's basically it. That's what lenses and cameras do. Depending on the focal length of the lens you may be able to focus it at infinity and leave it there, like a GoPro.
Hi how you got that target MTF slides
They are called "Vlad's Test Targets" just Google it.
I’m working with an early 16mm from 1924. It was missing its custom lens and I had to make one from another more modern lens. I cut it down on a lathe to fit. So therefore, since this camera hasn’t filmed anything in ages, and I have no idea if I got the geometry and distance of the lens correct (I tried very hard, though!), I am just curious if seeing a projected image tells me if I’m “in the ballpark” so to speak. I used this method last night and got an image projected onto my wall.
Is this a good sign that my custom made lens will actually be accurate enough to produce an image on film?
Sounds like a fun project! It's a complicated topic, but sounds like you know what you are doing. Probably you already know this, but doing some research on "flange focal distance" is a good place to start. I'm not saying you don't know about it, it's just a recommendation.
Cameras from that period were basic cameras, so it shouldn't be complicated getting an image on the film. Projecting an image is a good technique when you want to see how the lens performs or if you want to see if the witness marks of the lens are accurate. In your case, I would recommend the opposite. If you can see the gate of the camera, put a piece of translucent "magic" tape in the place where the film sits and see the image that forms there. Pointing the camera towards a window or a bright area would make it easier. You can cover your head with a blanket so you can see the image better. If you can get an image in focus there, that's what the camera is going to capture. If the lens is not adjusted to the flange focal distance of the camera, you can still get an image, and that image may be in focus. The problem is the witness marks of the lens are not going to be accurate, and you may not be able to focus at infinity.
Adapting lenses to other cameras, especially simple cameras like the one you describe, is possible. People use old lenses on film and digital camera bodies every day. If you haven't taken FFD into consideration, try to apply that information to your project. It's easier when you know at what distance the lens is supposed to work. If you manage to place the lens at the distance it is supposed to be, then the witness marks are going to be accurate (assuming the lens is correct), and you are going to be able to focus at infinity. It is possible, especially if you are a machinist. You could use a Nikon adapter, for example, adjust the distance to a tight tolerance, and you could use any Nikon lens, or Canon or M42. I'm almost sure the camera you are referring to is not a reflex camera. In that case, it's even more important to have some focusing marks you can trust.
If you want to give me more details about the camera and the lens, I can give you a better point of view.
@@TheCinematographyLab I took your advice. I used a piece of clear 16mm film in the gate and removed the pressure plate. This gave me a clear view. I think the results are promising! I uploaded the video to my second channel 20th Century Antiques. It is uploaded as a short.
@@RMphy89 The results are promising for sure. That's basically it. That's what lenses and cameras do. Depending on the focal length of the lens you may be able to focus it at infinity and leave it there, like a GoPro.
@@TheCinematographyLab Great to hear! I will post videos when I have my test footage developed. Hopefully by the end of the year.
@@TheCinematographyLabHere is my other Channel. I have uploaded a few film tests. Thank you for your help!