Zeiss DigiPrimes

Thinking about trying to use these on our BMMCC with the MTF B4 to M4/3 adapter

Does anyone have any experience with these lenses or have any advice to share?

Thanks in advanced!

https://visualproducts.com/product/zeis ... -b4-mount/

No experience, but have also thought of those Rick has mentioned on my URSA 12K in super16 6K mode. (using the BMD B4 adapter which corrects them from prism split 3 sensor to single sensor.) I would enjoy seeing any results anyone has.

You know what they say about lenses: unlike cameras, lenses can last a lifetime. Fortunately for us, quality lenses don’t always hold their dollar value. The current prices for Zeiss DigiPrimes vary significantly so thoroughly shop around to find the best value. But the lenses must be well-cared for and recently serviced if possible.

Thinking about trying to use these on our BMMCC with the MTF B4 to M4/3 adapter

Does anyone have any experience with these lenses or have any advice to share?

Thanks in advanced!

Amazing lenses.

These are the equivalent to Zeiss Master Primes.

They go for very little money compared to what they used to cost.

Not sure they will cover M4/3 sensor size but they should be OK for S16.

JB

Thanks guys!

If I thought the BMMCC was the only camera we were ever going to shoot on (meaning never upgrade) I would consider selling our APO microprimes and buy these tomorrow

But otherwise, these might just have to remain a fantasy…

Amazing lenses.

These are the equivalent to Zeiss Master Primes.

They go for very little money compared to what they used to cost.

Not sure they will cover M4/3 sensor size but they should be OK for S16.

JB

The original BM Micro camera has the Super16 sized sensor, not the full mFT, I think with the similar 2.88x crop like the original BMPCC, no?

That is correct, yes

The original BM Micro camera has the Super16 sized sensor, not the full mFT, I think with the similar 2.88x crop like the original BMPCC, no?

MFT mount on a super 16 sensor size.

No crop really because these lenses are made for this (nearly)this sensor size.

I hate the use of crop for describing any lens. Especially when neither the camera nor lens have anything to do with 135 format.

JB

True enough. I’ll have to watch my language in the future!

There's a video out there that shows the 10mm covering a GH4 at a 2566 pixel crop of the 17.3mm sensor which equates to about 9.6mm horizontal which isn't going to cover S16. If the S16 coverage was closer I imagine they'd fetch a little more on the 2nd hand market. The Ultra 16s of the same era still go for between 5k and 10k per, though I expect that to come down as S16 is all but dead these days.

Good Luck

This adapter

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... per16.html

allows for full coverage though right?

And then you can basically have “budget” master primes?

Howard, then it sounds like this would require an optical adapter such as this MTF offering that is not quite as expensive:

https://www.lensadaptor.com/b4-23-super ... 43-adaptor

This adapter

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... per16.html

allows for full coverage though right?

And then you can basically have “budget” master primes?

That would likely be a solution. IBE Optics/Abel Cine have a B4-S16 adapter and sometimes you can find an old Abekus one floating around on eBay. Fotodiox makes an optically corrected adapter as well but it's largely a waste of money.

Good Luck

If I'm going to spend over $2,000 for a lens, I'd like to know what sort of aberrations I'll have to deal with in post, how wide a lens I can use without vignetting and how much I will have to pay for a quality adapter.

The ⅔" (11mm diagonal) B4 sensor area is 6.6mm x 8.8mm. This requires the use of an optical expander to cover the Super 16 area of a sensor.

BHPhotovideo MTF Services Ltd MTB4S16M43 Q&A 2014:

muhammad wrote:

"I have Zeiss Digiprime lenses set , need to know if a wide angle lens like 5mm or 3.9 mm will cover the 16mm sensor size fully or not ? cause right now with a regular mft to B4 mount adapter its not covering the wide lenses on digi primes its just covering lenses after 28mm"

Mount:B4 2/3" to Super16 Micro 4/3 Mount
BEST ANSWER: No, that will not cover.

Carl Nenzen Loven wrote:

"Now this might be even more crazy, but seeing as we are already in the S16 field, what are the odds of making a B4-lens look good on S16?

There are a lot of B4 lenses on Ebay, both primes and Zooms, and some have really good reviews, but as for now I am just afraid for the image quality. The chromatic abborration seems very common in the zooms (as well as a focus fall off), but I am not sure if they are using the “cheap” MTF adapter."

Kenny N Suleimanagich wrote:

"NFL Films did this a lot. Abakus makes a B4-S16 PL adapter that enlarges the image circle optically. There are some great B4 lenses. You should be sure to get ones designed for HD."

New lenses on the ACL

https://cinematography.com/index.php?/t ... ent-464322

Abakus 132 Converter Lens - B4 Lens to Super 16mm PL Mount $3,499.95 USD

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... ns_B4.html

"The adapter supports H&V Automatic Chromatic Aberration Compensation (ALAC-2) for lenses in camera database."

Sony LA-FZB1 B4 Lens to FZ Mount Adapter for F5 & F55

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... ns_to.html

Raymond Zrike wrote:

"I am selling an Abakus 132 B4 to Super-16 PL expander. …There have been B4 to S16 PL adapters from a variety of different manufacturers—having owned a number of them, I can tell you that this is the best. MTF’s adapter is of lower optical quality while IB/E’s adapter lets in less light (it loses a stop of light while the Abakus 132 loses about 0.8 stops; additionally, IB/E’s adapter is limited to a max T-stop input of T1.9 while the Abakus 132 does not have that limitation). The Abakus 132 fully optically corrects the 3-chip image format for use on a single sensor/film.
…My price is $950"

Abakus 132 B4 to Super-16 PL Adapter

https://cinematography.com/index.php?/f ... l-adapter/

"I decided to buy a B4 lens and an adapter for my a6300. …I saw some people saying that the optical adjustment for 3CCD cameras would mess with the image …I heard that they might think that because on the 1/3” or 1/2” (I don’t remember which one) cameras, the green sensor is slightly farther from the lens than the other ones, and the lens would obviously need to correct for this, but supposedly 2/3” lenses don’t do that."

r/videography Fujinon B4 lens

https://www.reddit.com/r/videography/co ... n_b4_lens/