Canon 300mm F2.8 Fluorite Arriflex Mount

[avandonk]

Put in a bid for this lens and won!Its a Canon 300mm F2.8 Fluorite with SCC coatings plus a 2X teleconverter.It should be easy to convert to an EOS mount.Will keep you all posted as I envision it as a unit for loan for IIS members.
I dont have it yet.But the price was good.Here are some pics.Yes I know I am slightly mad!By the way a top lens for cinemaphotography and very expensive in its day.

[RB]

Nice one Bert and you're not mad you fit right in and also make us feel good at the same time.
Thanks for caring and sharing.

[Striker]

Awesome Bert,

Can I have your Canon 300mm F2.8 L series now.

[[1ponders]]

Nice catch Bert. :thumbsup: If it is difficult to adapt to an EOS, maybe it could be adapted for use with CCDs. Plenty of possibilities there.

[avandonk]

Sorry to confuse you the Arriflex mount is removeable and there should be no problem making a T mount adapter so it wiil fit any SLR or DSLR and any CCD type camera.And being all manual will work without any problems.

The Register distance of the Arriflex mount is 55mm Canon EOS register distance is 44mm,Nikon F is 46.5.so they should both work.A T2 mount is 55mm so this should fit any popular make.

Still havn't heard from seller

Bert

[avandonk]

Seller has finally made contact.Here is the address for the lens if you want to have a look.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7560917882&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:AU:31

Postage is more than I expected , I will find out what customs does.But I think it is worth it as these lenses were custom built for the Cinemaphotography Industry where quality is paramount and price no impediment.The SCC coatings mean that all surfaces are multi antireflection coated.The fact that there is a Fluorite element means there is minimal chromatic abberation.

Bert

[avandonk]

No Striker, I have searched high and low for an optic this good and like finding a good wife/partner irreplaceable!You can have it when I die,don't get any ideas or my eight brothers will find you.The 'new' 300mm Canon 300mm F2.8 Fluorite should be just as good for astrophotography and you can have first go if you like,after I evaluate it.All jokes aside cannot wait to see how good it is.

Bert

[avandonk]

Just to keep everyone whose interested up to date, paid for the lens and it should be on its way soon.My justification for buying it (to myself) is that it is far cheaper than late model 300mm F2.8L but far more flexible.This lens is the forerunner of the current very good telephoto lenses that Canon make.And in its time nothing came near it for quality at this focal length.It is also very rare!There are some FD versions about but cannot be easily used as the adapter has to have an optical component which ruins the quality.

The current telephoto lenses all have one fluorite and two ED elements as the main part of the optical train.A super APO?
This older lens has one fluorite element and the usual glasses before ED glass was developed.
The late model lenses have to be on a Canon camera as everthing is electronic ie focus and aperture control,even in 'manual' mode.
This older lens being all manual should be able to be adapted to any SLR/DSLR camera or astro CCD.
So in effect we have a 300mm F2.8 APO lens.You all know what APO objectives cost!
Sorry for the little rave,I suppose I am still trying to justify to myself buying yet another lens.

Bert

[avandonk]

Forgot to say my original idea still holds.This lens will be available for loan to IIS members.Once you have enjoyed wide field with good optics at large relative aperture photographically, you can't go back.Will make a mount to hold the lens securely.I hope to make a universal T mount adapter so anyone with any camera can use it.I don't know who has an astro cooled CCD but that should be easy to adapt as well.


Bert

[TidaLpHasE]

;)Sounds like a great lens Bert.

I can't wait for you to post some pics taken with it, and a review of it's performance.

Great idea too, offering it to IIS members, i would enjoy just seeing what other people could do with it.:)

[avandonk]

Yes thats what I figured,I get my pictures in suburbia which is highly light polluted.Some people have better skies and better mounts.This lens should be almost as good as the modern 300mm F2.8L. if not better.A real test will tell.
Bert

[[1ponders]]

I think you need to move up to SE-Qld Bert and get away from those light polluted skies. Oh and BTW better bring your new lens with you.

[acropolite]

Ponders wrote Just don't mention the sticky weather...:P

[avandonk]

Email from seller of lens this afternoon

I just got it. Thanks Bert, your lens will be on it's trans International date line trans equator journey within hours!

Thanks,



Now only Customs to deal with!

Bert

[Striker]

Congrats Bert,

Thats taken a while to be processed.

You are sending it direct to Tingalpa Brisbane arn't you....lol

I will let you know what it's like...full review...before I leave the country....hehehe

[avandonk]

Got a call from FedEx they wanted the Customs payment.So the lens is in Aus.
Didn't show the last email from the seller.With picture.

Oh yeah, good luck star gazing Bert. I normally stay on the ground & shoot heavenly bodies right here on Terra Firma.

Steve Thornton
Creates Great Photographic Imagery
http://www.stevethornton.com (http://www.stevethornton.com/)
404-231-9900-Main

[iceman]

mmmmmmmmmmm :eyepop:

Can't wait to see what you can do with that lens bert..

[h0ughy]

WOW, thats right up there with the F1 Canon lens I saw on Astromart one day, they only wanted 6000US for that one!!!

this seems like a wonderful and potentially fruitful project Bert. Congratulations on your discovery and purchase. BTW it looks very heavy!

[avandonk]

The lens arrived today here is a few pics.The condition of the glass is very good everything he said it was.Also managed to superglue a Canon EOS T mount to the retaining ring for the Arriflex mount and the lens focusses at infinity.Pic of the powerlines over the road.Boring subject but gives an idea of lens quality over whole field.Seems to be very good.Other pics show little or no chromatic aberration.

http://users.bigpond.net.au/avandonk/IMG_4992_filtered.jpg

Now for some star tests.At least we can do that with the Moon.

Bert

[Striker]

I envy you Bert.

Your one very lucky man having 2 high quality lense sitting on the same table.

Where do you live again....lol

[h0ughy]

very nice, you even got a few feathers on the powerline

[avandonk]

Before I retired I was responsible for a laboratory with more than 3.5 million dollars worth of equipment because the results are only as good as the equipment but more important the people.
All my working life I used to look at big glass in the second hand shop windows,but there were always things with higher priorities,set by SWMBO.But now I do as I please,no more bosses.

As I said before this lens will work with any DSLR or SLR camera and even cooled CCD's.
Bert

[Jonathan]

That's a beautiful lens you've got there Bert. I'll be interested to see how it goes at F2.8 on stars.

[avandonk]

Here is a better test.It is everything I thought it would be,just marginally worse
than the 300mm F2.8 L.

http://users.bigpond.net.au/avandonk/test1.jpg

Bert

[avandonk]

Sorry hOughy what feathers?

bert

[avandonk]

Here a test pic.

This is a single JPG 1min exposure at F2.8 with nebula filter ,ISO 1600 no guiding, in camera noise reduction on.Size reduced by running through Noiseware.No other processing.
Moon at 80%.

This lens is almost as good as the Canon 300mm F2.8L, the difference is very marginal as it has very slightly more CA.

http://users.bigpond.net.au/avandonk/m42.jpg

It looks like the whole saga of getting it here from the US was worth it.

[h0ughy]

where didthe picture in the link go, I was going to show you. anyway the other picture you took has spiders webs in it!