Originally posted by vonfilm Mercer, It was great to see your video with your Kern-Paillard D mount lenses. I have done some video tests with my Switar and Yvay lenses with good technical results. I need to find some time to film some better subjects before I am ready to share video.
Yesterday I received a Bolex D8LA Regular 8 movie camera with a like new appearance. This camera was introduced in 1961 and features a a 3 lens turret and TTL metering. The meter actually still works, needing no batteries. The spring motor is slow so it probably needs a good CLA. I have thought about getting this done, but since the cost of 1 roll of film and processing is near $40 these day, I kind of doubt it. Fifteen years ago this would have been less that $10. It certainly is a beautiful little jewel that is covered with Morocco leather. It came in the original box with manual, leather wrist strap, body caps and backwinding crank. I wil post pictures of it soon.
I bought it to harvest the 3 Switar primes. The 36mm f1.8 Visifocus was a duplicate to one I already had. New to me were the 5.5mm f 1.8 wide angle, and the 12.5mm f1.5 normal lens. Still photo and video testing confirmed these were as good as their reputatin with sharp focus and wonderful color. The focusing distances on the lens seem to have very little to do with the actual focusing distance using the Q. Perhaps I need to experiment with shims bewteen the lenses and the adaptor. I need to get several more D to Q adaptors.
Check Youtube for some great footage taken by Bolex D8LA 's back in the 60's. Search for 1963 Glen Canyon Trip. One would have to take along several batteries to accomplish the same thing with a Q.This Kodachrome footage has beautiful color. This is a well documented trip.
Kodachrome 40 was a wonderful film. Some say it was the best color film ever produced. When I first heard of old, 8mm lenses being used on the Q, I figured it was just a novelty. I had no idea they were going to be such high quality until I saw a post on this forum showcasing the Kern lenses that had me sold on the Q7.
I love the 12.5mm, it is probably my favorite of the Kerns. I also have a fixed focus 13mm that I have yet to test but I have heard good things about. The 5.5mm Piza I have has awesome color. Though you couldn't tell from my video because I think the awb was off. Also, I wish it didn't vignette quite so severely.
I do believe shimming these lenses will help with the focus, I assume you use some sort of nylon washer? I have read a bunch of posts where users have explained the process but I don't know where to find the spacers. If you get a chance you should check out the Cosmicar TV lenses in c-mount. They really remind you how great Pentax glass is.