Celere lenses by Hanse Inno Tech

[Phil Holland]

Well now that they are out of business can anyone say with any certainty anything about all of the claims of them being Rokinons? I'm just curious.

25-85mm Rokinon, 18.5mm Sigma 20mm with a little added jazz.

Oddly I was routing for them in this effort, but the mixed clarity of stating originally what they were doing via the Roks, then going back to rather strict lipped "these are original designs", then back to publicly stating they were using the Sigma on the wide was an adventure. Not to mention some of the more combative posts with a couple of lens professionals who literally service the optics they were using and could easily A/B and precisely measure (not just in physical dimensions) what they were doing.

The Rokinons are inexpensive enough to tinker with and explore methods of getting more funk out of them and I think there was some real marketing POV to explore there plus putting them into a more robust housing as well.

Either way if was an interesting effort and I did like the form factor.

[Nick Gardner]

Thanks Phil. Yeah, they were interesting lenses. Did they do much beyond rehouse them? different coatings? Or were they just dressed up Rokinons? A friend of mine bought a set and he loves them. I've never really played with the Rokinons. I've got a set of Illuminas which I use most of the time unless the client wants Masters or Cookes, and then I have a whole collection of funky russian stuff. Always wanted to play with a set of the Rokinons as they are cheap enough to play with ;-)

Nick

[Phil Holland]

Thanks Phil. Yeah, they were interesting lenses. Did they do much beyond rehouse them? different coatings? Or were they just dressed up Rokinons? A friend of mine bought a set and he loves them. I've never really played with the Rokinons. I've got a set of Illuminas which I use most of the time unless the client wants Masters or Cookes, and then I have a whole collection of funky russian stuff. Always wanted to play with a set of the Rokinons as they are cheap enough to play with ;-)

Honestly don't really remember, optically they were alarmingly similar. Perhaps a change in the air gaps or some sort of coating, but mostly a rehousing effort.

Those Illuminas, though a twisted past, are actually beautiful. I've always loved them. The Mark IIIs solve a lot of headaches, rather strange finish on the body of the lenses, but the MKII and MKIIIs are neato.

[Patrick Tresch]

https://nofilmschool.com/2017/05/50m...st-8K-shootout

True that the Celere and the Rokinons/Xeen share a same family of look. But in this test (See pdf) I'm not convinced it's the same optical treatement. Be it due on the coating?

Pat

[Jacek Zakowicz]

25-85mm Rokinon, 18.5mm Sigma 20mm with a little added jazz.

I've just worked on a set and with certainty can say the the 18.5 is absolutely NOT the sigma. I have the sigma 20mm and compared the front and rear elements. Unless both the front and rear elements replaced by Hansa at the very least you call "little added jazz". I would call it new design and that creates whole new look.
But, honestly, that would be unusual to replace both elements on an unknown design. It's almost easier to start from scratch. The mechanical design is another matter. This is where the lack of experience shows. I would not recommend these for that reason, they will not hold up, too fragile unfortunately. Elegant engineering , but fragile in key spots....

[Patrick Tresch]

Hello Jacek,

Do you think it's also too fragile for a owner operator? Or only for renting and harsh AC's use? Strong motors will kill them?

Do you think the Meiki 50mm T2.1 is an original optical design?

[Jacek Zakowicz]

If you treat them like still lenses they should be fine