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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 :)

Allstar still camera lense to PL-style mount

ALLSTAR

ALLSTAR

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IMG_8333.jpg

Hi guys, This is a prototype lense mount for RED. As you know, still camera lense were much cheaper than cine lense, but they were not designed for motion picture, the mount isn`t solid enough, the focus range is too small. The zoom lense cannot hold focus when zoom in or out.... I want to solve these issues, and I found that the most basic thing is to change the mount. The most popular mount is PL mount which has 52mm back focus lenghth, that's why you cannot change the mount on the still camera to PL mount directly. I make a "PL-style mount" in my new product, so I can change the still camera lense to PL style. This way, we can solve lots issues.The conclusion is: the mount won't have gap, and easily emsemble and take off, and we can change the direction of the mark. Moreover, after add an adapter, the cine PL lenses can be used on this mount! Assembling Allstar mount is the same as RED nikon mount.

Therefore, we can use PL style still camera lenses and cine PL lenses at the same time. In the future, I will design one "housing" for modiflying the focus issue, and the mount is the base of this hounsing design. Now I've made this PL style mount for Nikon, contax lenses and cine PL lense adapter, but there won't be for CANON EF.
Allstar mount on RED, and F adapter, C/Y adapter, PL adapter:
IMG_8345.jpg


2009/8/7 update
The size of Allstar mount has difference from PL mount, the left is first version, right is newly version:
IMG_8329.jpg
 
ALLSTAR said:
Therefore, we can use PL style still camera lenses and cine PL lenses at the same time. In the future, I will design one "housing" for modiflying the focus issue, and the mount is the base of this hounsing design. Now I've made this PL style mount for ZF, contax lenses and cine PL lense adapter, and Nikon AI will be the next.

But there won't be for CANON EF.

The price will be:
$200-300 For camera mount
$100-150 For lense mount
cine PL mount $TBA
Click to expand...

If it does what you say, and gets endorsed by RED as to not void the warranty on the camera, Im sure itll be a very popular item!! Didnt notice a locking mechanism on the mount in the pic though, did I miss one?
 
Allstar,

interesting but as Andrew said,

show us the picture shot on RED1 with that "universal" mount using any of those PL-ed still lenses.

Also you forgot to include the best still lenses for cine use and that are Leica/Leitz R lenses (recently is discontinued lens production unfortunately!!!).
 
Good thinking

Good thinking

ALL STAR you re really a very smart man. I really like the way you approach things.. I am sure it is going to work. Up to now you have proven products,
congrats and let us know when ready... Great idea! Like the colombus egg...
 
Im a bit confused here... Judging from the screws in the rear of the "PL" mount on the lens in your photo, I assume that means you replace the Nikon/Canon mount with the PL, correct? If so, does this mean that you are offering a separate PL mount for every style of lens with a different hole pattern? Just curious.
 
So it is a different mount that looks just like a PL mount, but it isn't a true PL because you set the flange depth shorter on the camera end to allow for the short depth of the still lenses? Then what do you do when you want to use true PL mount lenses, put in a spacer adapter of some sort? If so than this really sounds very similar to the P+S IMS mount system.
 
Mitch Gross said:
So it is a different mount that looks just like a PL mount, but it isn't a true PL because you set the flange depth shorter on the camera end to allow for the short depth of the still lenses? Then what do you do when you want to use true PL mount lenses, put in a spacer adapter of some sort? If so than this really sounds very similar to the P+S IMS mount system.
Click to expand...

Except it doesn't replace the RED collimation system, so more likely to avoid RED warranty issues.
 
I'm in anytime...
That the one I was waitin' for long...
 
I understand how this would stabilize the mount, and perhaps (although I doubt it) help in getting zooms to track focus through their range. But how does improve focus throw and accuracy? In the end you are simply introducing a chunk of metal into the interface. And by using the same form factor as the classic PL mount you are also opening up the possibility for countless users to crunch their expensive PL mount lenses into the camera's sensor or OLPF by accident. At least come up with a neutral mount of some sort that ISN'T the same as a PL.

Really seems like a solution in search of a problem to me.
 
If this mount works out sign me up for one. Seems like an interesting idea and would provide a more solid mount for still lenses. Plus if you could just use an adaptor to have regular cine PL mount lenses on there then that would be awesome. Really looking forward to this.
 
Hi Allstar -

I like what you've done.... but....

What about getting with Red and making the "Skip Ahead" mount for the camera ? A new front for the R1 that is the same as the rectangular Epic / Scarlet lens boards ? Surely the dimensions / specs for that are locked by now. You could benefit Red by making those pesky low volume mounts that some people will still want - FD, BNCR, Pro-Nikkor, MD, Konvas, PV etc.

It seems the thing that's holding up the warranty is the i-data cable that many people are not using anyway.

Matt Uhry
www.mattuhry.com
 
been there before...

been there before...

Mitch Gross said:
I understand how this would stabilize the mount, and perhaps (although I doubt it) help in getting zooms to track focus through their range. But how does improve focus throw and accuracy? In the end you are simply introducing a chunk of metal into the interface. And by using the same form factor as the classic PL mount you are also opening up the possibility for countless users to crunch their expensive PL mount lenses into the camera's sensor or OLPF by accident. At least come up with a neutral mount of some sort that ISN'T the same as a PL.

Really seems like a solution in search of a problem to me.
Click to expand...


I remember periscope neutral mount just resembled PL- there were few broken rear elements as the result...
Jacek Zakowicz, optitek-dot-org
 
If I'm understanding this product correctly, then I'm not sure why I would want it....

It would require replacing or modifying or converting the mount on my existing lenses to a PL mount???

But it's just a straight mount adaptation so the lens itself isn't modified... Which then means we'll have misfit lenses with PL mounts on them, but with improper mount alignment in relation to the lens elements??? Damn... I hope no one grabs a Nikon lens with PL adapter off the cart and puts it on a regular PL mount camera...

And then we put on this new mount onto the camera, which places the mounting surface closer to the imaging plane (sensor) than a standard PL mount??? But yet it's accepting PL mount glass??? So to echo what Mitch, Jacek and others have already said, if someone grabs an actual PL mount lens that has a deep rear element and attempts to mount it, then the next thing that happens is a scratched or broken OLPF and possibly a damaged sensor. ...Like the Optimo DP Rouge lenses. Their rear elements are just a hair away from the OLPF as it is.

Is this mount supposed to have an adjustable FFD setting? Or is that accomplished with the PL adapters for the lenses themselves? As in one style for Canon EF, one for Nikon F, etc..?
 
Seems many people had many doubts on this mount. Making the camera mount is simple but the mount for lense is very complex. So I`ll focus on better quality, suitable for motion picture and popular still camera lense, like contax, ZF, Nikon. Canon FD lense were too old, EF lense dosen`t have enough back focus length, and Lecia lense were too expensive...
If you want to use cine PL lense on this mount, you`ll need an adapter to screw on lense first(not replace the original pl mount) , or you won`t get any focus and may hurt OLPF. Oppositely, you can use still camera lense with this mount on normal PL mount camera to micro shot.
Just a mount can`t solve the zoom or focus through range and direction issues, it`ll need a hounsing design, and the mount is the base of the hounsing design.

Give me more time, I`ll show you some pictures and test footages.
 
This is not a good idea. The PL mount is a standard that is already set. It is like taking the 4-Pin XLR which is known for 12 volt power and has it's standard already set in this industry and then changing the pin configuration and then tell people if you are gonna use it for it's original purpose, you will have to plug in this adapter to make it work the way it was intended to in the first place. I see lot of confusion in the future. Damn, I was confused just tryin to explain this.
 
Smart Move
 
Steve Gal said:
This is not a good idea. The PL mount is a standard that is already set. It is like taking the 4-Pin XLR which is known for 12 volt power and has it's standard already set in this industry and then changing the pin configuration and then tell people if you are gonna use it for it's original purpose, you will have to plug in this adapter to make it work the way it was intended to in the first place. I see lot of confusion in the future. Damn, I was confused just tryin to explain this.
Click to expand...

LOL. I'm pretty sure at least two rental companies did just this with their XLR cables (although one of them is 3-pin).
 
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