"TV Video Zoom Lenses"?

I don't suppose this is the right place to put this question, but it seemed

like a better place than any of the alternatives...

 

I'm interested in buying older C-mount zoom lenses, generally branded as "TV

Video Zoom Lenses", usually Sony or Canon...these are typically older lenses

originally used on early camcorders, or even on vidicon TV cameras...the genre

seem to be fairly high quality, and sell for a fraction of their original

price...probably since they're antiques now...some even have macro-focusing...

 

My intended purpose is to use them on network cameras, which could be either

1/4", 1/3" or even 1/2" CCD or CMOS sensors...ranging from 1/3 megapixel to 2

megapixel...most current network cameras are CS-mount, requiring a 5mm spacer

to adapt to the C-mount.

 

Has anyone here gone this route, with any sage advice?

 

Thanks-

 

Karl

I can only off this list of lens mounts... you are looking at a 12.5mm register distance.... distance from the mount to the film plane.

 

http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~westin/misc/mounts-by-register.html

These camera lenses are generally for 2/3 inch sensors, so you will find that their field of view is restricted on the smaller CCDs. I dont know how you will control zoom and iris, though.

Hey Karl, nice name you have there ;-) From what I know about these lenses from my work in amateur filmmaking, they were/are designed to be interchangeable for both 16mm and the old ENG cameras. I think they were modified in a fashion similar to that found with lenses and DSLRs nowadays: The lens was optimized so that light passing through the rear element didn't hit the sensor at an angle (not entirely sure on this though). You can get them for cheap. I have an old Canon 5 or 6 mm.

 

If you can align them to the sensor of your camera properly, they should be ideal for this type of use, assuming that your sensor's area isn't much bigger than 7.5mmx10mm, which is what they were designed to cover.

 

Regards,

 

~Karl Borowski