Optar Illumina S16 16mm Test

[Denny Smith]

Thanks Howie, forgot Duclos would not service Illumina Optars lenses. But CinemaTechnic in LA will also service the Optar SS lenses, according to their site.
Cheers

[shijan]

But you need to clean all helicoids. If I remember correctly after disassemble the rear mount you'll find the two central guides... You need to remove them (both with two screws) and unscrew the focus ring, which contains two parts screwed...(with the screw that you mention which limits the focus range). You need to remove it and unscrew both parts and clean both helicoids and later do the same with the central helicoids... Of course is PRIMORDIAL to mark everything (some helicoids can have different entry points) and leave everything at the same point when you assemble it.
All the best

Great, thanks for tip! Done as you wrote and now it feels way better. The focus stiffness now is almost the same as iris gear, but much smoother of course.
One thread coil moves element about 1mm or more, so unfortunately is too large for adjusting back focus to compensate OLPF filter.
The disassemble was way simpler than in vintage OKS lenses. Threads are machined very well. I find some dust and metal particles inside. The original grease was almost dry and very sticky. One of the inner threads was covered with same black surface as outer part of the lens which probably makes rotation less smoother, so i cleaned that paint too. Both parts are single-threaded, so it is very easy to assemble all back even without marks. Larger focal distances lenses probably will be double/triple-threaded and in this cace it will be not so easy to assemble them correctly if you lost a marks.
Always mark a starting point and count how many turns you do when unscrew the element! Always do a photos of each step, it also helps a lot.

[lluiscl]

Congratulations Shijan!!
You knew what you were doing (advice for begginers).
With a little of practise its a 15/30 minutes job...
I read that Optars were irregular in collimated. The wide angles lens are even more delicate in back focus... I had to collimate my 8mm with a 0,03mm shim, put it between the mount and the brass ring, because a real 1m distance was like 0,9 in the mark ring... (with my arri bay-M4/3 adapter, perfect with the Zeiss HS set).

[Rotbart]

what have you paid for your lenses? Zeiss SuperSpeed Mk1 are supposed the be 1k each, so whats a good price on the Illuminas?

[Howie Roll]

For single lenses in PL mount the going rate is typically $800-1200, you can pick them up a little cheaper if you buy a set which is true of most lenses.

Dan Kanes is offering a set here for $4800 bucks which is a pretty solid deal, especially if they don't need any work. http://www.bmcuser.com/showthread.ph...optar+illumina

[Rotbart]

For single lenses in PL mount the going rate is typically $800-1200, you can pick them up a little cheaper if you buy a set which is true of most lenses.

Dan Kanes is offering a set here for $4800 bucks which is a pretty solid deal, especially if they don't need any work. http://www.bmcuser.com/showthread.ph...optar+illumina

Thanks for the info!

[kroaton]

Yes, older lenses will need to be serviced before using them to avoid any damage. I just tested the Veydra Mini Primes against both the Zeiss and Illumina SS, the later two were about the same, as Howie said, dampened, but the focus Ring turns easily. The Veydra's are more dampened, and turn a little stiffer than the Super Speeds. That said, all of them work well on a follow focus.
Cheers

How did the Veydras hold up against the Optars?

[kroaton]

Also, has anyone tested the Optars on the BMCC?

I've read that they should cover from the 16mm up but that the converge is not as good as on the Zeiss Superspeeds.

[Denny Smith]

The Optars actually project a slightly larger image circle than the Zeiss Super Speeds on the 8mm, 9.5mm , then at 16mm to 35mm the Zeiss have a slightly larger image circle, which will just cover the BMCC sensor, until the Zeiss 50mm Planar, which will cover the Academy 35 Cine full gate. The 25-50mm lenses from both may give acceptable coverage of the BMCC sensor. A better choice, that does not require an adapter would be the Veydra Mini Primes, which will cover the BMCC sensor with room to spare, and will work on the MFT version of the BMCC, and have a similar IQ to the Zeiss Ultra Prime series, but slightly warmer like the Illumina Optars, which I prefer on the Cinema sensor.

Also Veydra's are more readily available, and you can get a new lens for less than you would pay for a used Super 16 lens. If I was shooting on the BMCC, I would pick the Veydra Mini Primes.
Cheers

[kroaton]

Thanks for the reply.

[shijan]

The Optars actually project a slightly larger image circle than the Zeiss Super Speeds on the 8mm, 9.5mm , then at 16mm to 35mm they are both close until the Zeiss 50mm Planar, which will cover the Academy 35 Cine full gate. The 25-50mm lenses from both may give acceptable coverage of the BMCC sensor. A better choice, that does not require an adapter would be the Veydra Mini Primes, which will cover the BMCC sensor with room to spare, and will work on the MFT version of the BMCC, and have a similar IQ to the Zeiss Ultra Prime series, but slightly warmer like the Illumina Optars, which I prefer on the Cinema sensor.

Also Veydra's are more readily available, and you can get a new lens for less than you would pay for a used Super 16 lens. If I was shooting on the BMCC, I would pick the Veydra Mini Primes.
Cheers

Veydra is nice but don't forget that it is not T1.2 lens. Prices for Optars are very random. Some sales on ebay for $1200, some sales directly in Zenit (KMZ) factory in Krasnogorsk for $550 but they don't ship worldwide. There are also more expensive and rare modifications manufactured by Lumatech (formal LOMO factory department) http://www.lumatechinc.com but seems they also cancel production of S16 lenses long time ago.

[Howie Roll]

The Luma Tech versions and the JSC Optica versions of these lenses were practically identical. JSC Optica now Optica Elite http://www.optica-elite.com looks to still be producing S16 lenses but they're a few iterations beyond the Luma Tech versions at this point.

Panther Cinar is another company that makes a couple S16 primes. They make an 8mm and a 35mm that are more like the mkiii superspeeds and likely designed to fill out the gaps in that line.

I just ordered the 16mm PL Illumina (only one I didn't own) new from ruscamera on ebay for $1050, I'll report back when I get it and let you all know it turned out.

[shijan]

The Luma Tech versions and the JSC Optica versions of these lenses were practically identical. JSC Optica now Optica Elite http://www.optica-elite.com looks to still be producing S16 lenses but they're a few iterations beyond the Luma Tech versions at this point.

Panther Cinar is another company that makes a couple S16 primes. They make an 8mm and a 35mm that are more like the mkiii superspeeds and likely designed to fill out the gaps in that line.

I just ordered the 16mm PL Illumina (only one I didn't own) new from ruscamera on ebay for $1050, I'll report back when I get it and let you all know it turned out.

Yep, seems i mismatched Lumatech and Optica-Elite.

Also in one rental house i saw few super wide angle Optars. Kind of rare or experimental samples.
Elite 4.5 mm (fish eye) T2.2
Elite 6,6 mm T1.3
Elite 7 mm T1.3
Elite 8 mm T1.3
elite16mm.jpg

[shijan]

Done one more test - 16 mm Optar can hold without vignetting up to 3 77mm filters + filter adapter ring.
Wonder if anyone have any info or tests how many 77mm filters (including empty filter adapter ring) can hold 12, 9.5 and maybe 8 mm Optars without vignetting on BMPCC/BMMCC sensor?

[Howie Roll]

Yep, seems i mismatched Lumatech and Optica-Elite.

Also in one rental house i saw few super wide angle Optars. Kind of rare or experimental samples.
Elite 4.5 mm (fish eye) T2.2
Elite 6,6 mm T1.3
Elite 7 mm T1.3
Elite 8 mm T1.3
[ATTACH=CONFIG]22137[/ATTACH]

Yeah, those are the lenses that Optica Elite released after the JSC Optica iteration, kind of a MKIII but I don't know that they were ever referred to as such. That's the line between the illuminas and the currrent MKIV lenses.

Here's a graphic that I took from the ruscamera ebay site that shows the coverage for their lenses if anyone is interested.

sensor_optar.jpg