Some Random Pictures

I have been trying out different lenses on the Sony A7. All of them take on a different perspective than when they were used on the crop sensor cameras. I found the A7's sensor is even more forgiving to old lenses than the NEX-6, as the pixel density is slightly lower on the A7 due to its larger sensor size. So far, I am very happy with the A7.

11even - Sony A7 & Leitz Hektor 135mm f4.5. Click for larger.

Megan - Sony A7 & Birns & Sawyer 150mm f3 Cine Lens. Click for larger.

Dead Leaf - Sony A7 & Meyer-Optik Primoplan 58mm f1.9. Click for larger.

Tulip - Sony A7 & Taylor-Hobson 75mm f2 TV Lens. Click for larger.

Omnitar Brother Found

Birns & Sawyer Omnitar 200mm f3.2 (left), 150mm f3 (right) Movie Lenses

While waiting for the wife, I strolled around the pawnshop strip on Queen & Church.  I saw a Canon EF 50mm f1.8 Mark I (metal mount) on the window of one of the shops for $60, and thought that's a pretty good price.  Went inside and took a look, but didn't bring my Canon body to test, but bought it anyway.  While paying, I noticed this black, odd looking lens strikingly similar to my Birns & Sawyer Omnitar 150mm f3, which I write about it here, and asked to have a look. Sure enough, it's an Omnitar 200mm f3.2, in gorgeous condition.  Ended up buying the pair for a $100, which I think is a pretty good deal.  Not sure what mount the Omnitar 200mm f3.2 is, but it doesn't matter.  I will have to modify it anyway, somehow, like I did with the 150mm f3 (Nikon mount).

After I got home and put the 50mm f1.8 on my 1D III, and it didn't auto focus.  Turned out the contacts were a bit dirty.  Cleaned it up and it now works beautifully.  This lens is also in excellent shape.  I will give this lens to Dillon, who has been using my Sigma 50mm f1.4 and he didn't feel comfortable using an expensive lens.  Now he can take the lens/camera anywhere without worrying about it.

If the Omnitar 200mm f3.2 turns out to be as good as the 150mm f3, I will be extremely happy, especially if the edges are better, which I think it will be since the focal length is longer.  These lenses were designed for 16mm movies and have some unique looks to the pictures.  Wonder who actually made them, though.

[Updated]: It turns out the lenses were made by Tewe, a German company that made long lenses for motion picture.  On the lens barrel of the 200mm f3.2, it has the Tewe logo.

Birns & Sawyer Omintar 150mm f3 -- More Samples

Bokeh -- NEX-5 & Birns & Sawyer Omnitar 150mm f3. Click for larger.

For a relatively fast lens (150mm f3), the Birns & Sawyer Omnitar is actually quite lightweight and small.  Being able to cover 35mm full frame, this is pretty amazing.  But, I believe it was designed as a 16mm movie lens, as the corners are terrible, even stopped down.

Stopping down to around f5.6. Click to see larger

Even with the coating getting disintegrated and looks fuzzy on the glass, the sharpness and contrast is exceptional in the center.  I set out to try the bokeh as I didn't have any picture from it that shows the out of focus background in relatively large aperture.  I am quite happy to find that the bokeh is very pleasing.

This picture was taken at f4. Note the round aperture blades and sharpness. Click to see more details.

It does exhibit very strong purple fringing.  Totally expected from a lens this old.  Stopping down eliminates it though, or use software to get rid of it.

Abandoned Chair. Click to see the purple fringing on the wire rack.

I think this lens will be great for video, as it was meant for.  Too bad I don't do video, but I enjoy it for the still pictures.  A nice change from the garden variety Japanese lenses.

Glow

NEX-5 & Birns & Saywer 150mm f3 Cine lens.

Haven't used this Birns & Sawyer lens much.  It was originally in Arriflex mount and I converted it to Nikon F mount. It's usable on Nikon, Canon and of course NEX.  I actually like it quite a bit on full frame.  The soft edges give a surreal affect on the images.  The coating on this lens is very soft, so if you own this lens, care should be exercised not to clean it too hard, or the coating will come off, or worse, becomes smudge-like and doesn't come off.  Mine is like that -- the coat has integrated, but sharpness of the lens in the center is still amazing. It has quite nice bokeh too.  Most movie lenses do have very pleasing bokeh.  Not a common lens for sure.

Birns & Saywer Omnitar 150mm f3 Movie Lens

I have searched everything I could, to find out more information about this lens, but very little is known about it.  Birns & Saywer is a company that sells movie gear and I don't believe they make any lenses so this is most likely a house label.  On the lens it says "Lens made in Germany", Omnitar 150mm f3.  It came with a Arri mount but I converted it to a Nikon F mount, so that I can use it on the Canon/NEX/M43 cameras.

Although the imaging circle actually covers 35mm, I believe the lens was designed for 16mm movie cameras.  The reason I am saying that is because, like many of the c-mount cine lenses, this one is only sharp in the middle of the frame, but it does produce some interesting images, especially on full frame.  I shot some pictures with my old 1Ds couple years ago with it, and I like some of its quirky qualities.

Even though my copy of this lens is in horrible condition, with coating on its rear elements disintegrated into a mess that I can't remove.  If you look at it from a side, it looks like it has a layer of haze.  Consequently, flare is a killer, and it does not have very high contrast when there is side light.  But, it's very sharp in the middle.  I think this lens will be pretty good at the edges on the micro 4/3 format, but I haven't tried it yet. 

Newspaper boxes -- Canon 1Ds & Birns & Saywer 150mm f3. Click for larger.

You can see from the above full frame picture that the edges isn't great, but with an APS-C size sensor, and stopped down to around f8, it's quite all right, as below.

Decaying logs -- NEX-5 & Birns & Saywer 150mm f3. Click for larger.

Tree in snow -- NEX-5 &  Birns & Saywer 150mm f3. Click for larger.

Tommy Thompson Park Revisited

Tommy Thompson Park is also known as the Leslie Street Spit.  It's about a mile from where I live, but for some reason, I have not visited it for more than three years.  Tommy Thompson Park is just part of Leslie Street Spit.  The whole thing is a man-made 5-km peninsula created from construction derbies.  It is still expanding today.

The park has large bird migratory spot with some 300 species.  There are many other animals and wild flowers in the park.  The park is open to the public on the weekends and holidays.  During the weekdays, it's only open to trucks that dump debris there.  I went there a few times during the weekdays early in the morning, and was asked to leave because it was not open to the public, but many people, especially cyclists, bike there during the week anyway.

You can find out more about the park here.

Trees in snow -- NEX-5 & Birns & Sawyer 150mm f3 cine lens. Click to see larger.

Island -- NEX-5 & Birns & Sawyer 150mm f3. Click to see larger.