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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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If it is difficult to adapt to an EOS, maybe it could be adapted for use with CCDs. Plenty of possibilities there.
Sounds like a great lens Bert.
