Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Lens barrel for 35mm anamorphic lens

This is topic Lens barrel for 35mm anamorphic lens in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=011915

Posted by Scott Stark (Member # 9190) on 11-29-2015, 12:21 PM:

Hi all, my first post here, and a pretty out-there question. I have an old 35mm tabletop movie projector with lots of Chinese lettering on it, made in Hong Kong by "ME SING ELECTRONIC CO." according to the only marking I can find on it. It works fine.

I would like to mount an anamorphic lens, but the lens barrel is too small in diameter, about 3/8" smaller than the lens.

I don't really know how to use this - should I mount the lens on a tripod in front of the existing standard lens, or do I need to find a lens barrel that's wide enough for the anamorphic one? If the latter, any ideas where to find such a thing? The existing barrel is about 2-3/8" and the ana-lens is about 2-3/4" in diameter.

Thanks and sorry if this is a dumb question.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 11-29-2015, 12:29 PM:

On that projector they use 62.5mm diameter lenses and the scope adapter lens is mounted on a swing down bracket usually mounted on the outside front of the projector. That is a Shanghai Harvest projector of which there are many models and marketed under different names.

Posted by Scott Stark (Member # 9190) on 11-29-2015, 02:19 PM:

Ah ok so does the standard lens stay there and the anamorphic is mounted in front of it, or do I remove the standard? (guess I could try it out, right?)

-- thanks Richard.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 11-29-2015, 02:33 PM:

The regular lens would be in the barrel in the projector. You might want a different focal length. Generally a shorter focal length for flat and a longer one for Scope, the specifics depending on your screen size and throw (distance to screen).

But even in a "don't care / just fooling around" home situation, you might find that your existing lens is too short and creates a picture (expanding as you move away from it) too large to fit through the anamorphic. There is probably a minimum focal length for Scope.