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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

8mm T1.3 Optar illumina PL mount wideangle lens (perfect for 2K)

hunterrichards

hunterrichards

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This is the lens you need for 2K shooting. I bought a full set of these lenses and I like them so much more than zeiss superspeeds. I am only selling the 8mm because I don't often need such a wide angle lens (I have a 9.5mm lens that I mostly use on super16mm cameras).

Some highlights:

+ Wide in 2K (and covers 2.5K as well)
+ Very sharp modern lens
+ Footage scales on both sides of the lens
+ Super fast @ T1.3 (f1.2)
+ 10 iris blades
+ Multi-coated
+ Stainless PL mount (not a PL conversion)
+ Smooth Geared focus and Iris rings
+ 80mm Front OD
+ Front and rear caps
+ Color will match well with Zeiss lenses

This lens is in pristine condition, optically perfect. As I said, I am only selling because I don't normally use this wide of a lens (I use the set on my super16mm camera and 8mm is a very wide lens!)

This lens costs $3450 from the factory but it seems you can no longer buy them new ( info: http://www.optarillumina.com/lenses/super16.html)

I am offering this lens at $2950 obo. Please inquire by PM or e-mail me at hunter@hunterhrichards.com

Also feel free to ask any questions if you have them. I have attached some quick tests of me using this lens on the Red camera in 2K mode as well of photos of the actual lens.

Thanks,

-Hunter
 
more photos and grab to show angle of view in 2K mode on the Red for highspeed (the one of yours truly) and also 2.5k in 16:9 (the living room with windows). You can shoot 3K mode and then export at 2.5K 16:9 cropped to get the full wideangle of this lens.
 
refresh my vacant memory would you please hunter......optar illumina is the rebranded ekran correct? How year are your lenses?
 
Hey! I'm not sure about rebranding, I think the illuminas and the eleties are designed by the same person- just manufactured by two different companies. maybe someone else knows?

These are modern lenses, as in manufactured just a few years ago. I would put the illuminas up against the superspeeds anyday. If I am not mistaken, this is the fastest 8mm lens available for the super16mm format.
 
that's not meant as a knock btw...i just realized it could be construed that way.....for the record, i have a set of ekran prime and superspeed 35mm lenses that i just purchased.....i think the russian glass is pretty damn good
 
Ekran became Elite. Illumina is a different line.

I used to own a set of these lenses and we have them here at Abel. Very nice glass.
 
Hello Hunter:

I might be interested but the stills you posted concern me a little. The interior shot just doesn't seem like it was shot on a RED ONE. Seems really soft, lacks contrast and focus. The exterior shot doesn't seem to hold focus consistently across the frame. Do you have some other stills? You probably just grabbed both really quick but if you have something from a professionally lit scene, it would help. I would plan to use this lens to shoot hotel room interiors with available light.

Also, the used price seems high. What are you basing the price on?

-shooter
 
Hi shooter-

I haven't done a red shoot with these lenses. I use them on my s16mm camera (with great results!).

I had a friend come over and we did some FOV tests on the Red and wanted to see how much the lens covers. On the interior shot, the lens is wide open and focused on the measuring tape 3' in front of the lens (which is why the walls look soft)- this is also a 2.5k crop. And on the exterior shot (in 2K) the lens was focused at 4-5' I believe with the back ground being 100' or more away. There is some mild softening at the far corners of this lens, but I think what you see here has more to do with compression and focus than anything else. They aren't really to show quality of the glass, but FOV and coverage. (sorry they arent pretty shots!)

About price; it can be negotiated. I am just asking for what I have seen them sell for used (this is not an inflated price), this is a pretty expensive lens new.

But please send me offers on it- I'm not firm on the price, just looking to recoup some money I put into the set.

Feel free to ask more questions if you have them.

-Hunter
 
OK here are more bad examples of the lens! ;)

I didnt think to use a tripod and make a pretty shot with it (I should have done that)

In this shot from 3K full aperture (which is why you see vignetting), I am running with the camera to chase Ryan (sorry Ryan!)- the blur you see is mainly from camera movement- if you look along the bottom of the frame you will see the sharpness edge to edge. And again- this is 3K mode- this lens only covers 2.5K and 2K.

I am also posting a grab from the 50mm lens from 4K in the same set (which is a super16mm lens but it actually covers s35mm) These lenses are sharp- its just hard to get maximum sharpness from them out of the Red 2k modes which are inherently softer compared to Red's 4K mode.

Sorry for more bad examples!
 
Correction:

I just noticed the forum is doing doing extra compression which is making all the grabs I post look really soft! That is the main issue. I think I will refrain from posting grabs!- its not helping the sale ;)
 
All my examples shot on Red already are not so good (I wasn't trying to show off the lens' quality- just that it covers 2.5k & 2K)

I am getting back some s16mm dailies tomorrow that have a lot of this 8mm lens in them. I will upload some film frames on a site and link to them from here.

Thanks,

-Hunter
 
Anyone not sure about the quality of these lenses, they are great, i have an 8mm in my superspeed set for 16mm and it completely holds its own with the Zeiss glass, some people prefer the optars. IT's a great lens for 2k slo mo, and faaaaast.
 
I also used to have one of these, great lenses. Kind of wish Red had been on the horizon when I sold my SR, would have kept all my glass ;-)

Nick
 
wide lens

wide lens

do you have any terry gilliam/ Jean-Pierre Jeunet style shots? close up on a face with the extreme distortion happening?
 
For that you'd need a Kinoptik 5.7 (Super-16) or 9.8 (35mm). They love those old lenses particularly for the distortion. The Illumina is surprisingly flat in field.

I said it before: I used to own a set and Abel still does in rental. They're very nice and very underappreciated glass. I'd put them against Zeiss 16mm SuperSpeeds any day.
 
Thanks for speaking up about the optical quality of the illuminas. I know I said I would post new grabs, but I think if anyone is concerned with the optical quality of the lens, they need to go rent it and try it out first. I have been very pleased with it- again just trying to recoupe some of the money I spent on the whole set.

Still here! Still available! Make me an offer on it.
 
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