Fujinon-T 1:8/1000 mm

[stindphoto]

I just stumbled over a huge lens - the 1000mm Fujinon-T - F-stops 8-45 in 42mm screw mount.

Focusing is done with rack and pinion instead of a helical thread.

 

The text on the lens reads FUJINON-T 1:8/1000 FUJI PHOTO FILM CO.

 

I haven't been able to find any information on the net about this lens, but maybe someone here knows this

beast of a lens.

 

I thought this to be the most appropiate forum to post this question, although I'm not quite sure when the

lens was made.

 

Any information on this hunk of glass is much appreciated!<div></div>

[stindphoto]

... a second photo.

[stindphoto]

... and a third photo.

[Rob_the_waste]

What model of machine gun turret did you mount it on? Where do you get one of these things (I mean the lens)???

[Matthew Currie]

I don't know anything about it, but that's the first lens I've ever seen with a gun sight on top.

[gene m]

Yipes !

[bueh]

Awesome! Mount it on a dSLR and shoot some pictures of your neighbors with it.

[john_shriver]

Well, it must be quite rare. I'd figure no more than a few hundred made. There must be some Japanese collectors oohing and aahing out there...

[stindphoto]

Thanks for your comments so far.

I smile at the gun sight too - the rear part folds down flat when not in use. It is actually

quite practically to have those sights. On 135 film this lens delivers 20x magnifications

compared to a 50mm - and 30x when mounted on a d SLR with an APS C sensor. With this

level of magnification the sights are really helpfull when setting up the lens.

 

The mount features a bayonet mount towards the lens. You mount a M42 camera to the

bayonet and then mount the bayonet to the lens. This makes mounting the camera easy

and prevents cross-threading the M42 mount. In addition the mount features a rotating

mount with a lock and click stops making it possible to rotate the camera in increments of

90 degrees all way round. Thus, changing from horisontal to vertical shooting can be done

both left and right and you can even mount your camera upside down.

 

I believe the lens is single coated, and a yellowish/brownish cast might indicate that some

rare earth glass was used like in some Takumars, maybe lanthanium.

 

It seems the lens has a pretty large image circle. I removed the mount and aperture

mechanism and got an image circle covering at least 8x10" when focusing on a window

approximately 8 meters away.

 

The lens is really big with a filter diameter of what I think is 136mm. Even compared to the

Topcon Topcor 300mm 2.8 the Fujinon is big!

 

Please keep your comments and questions coming.

 

Hopefully someone will dig up an old brochure from Fuji!

[john_robison3]

About the filter size, there may be provision to put slip in or drop in filters in the rear of the lens. You might want to look carefully for any indication that such a filter system can be used. Sometimes there is a threaded ring in the rear of large lenses for a standard size screw in filter. Congrats on your find, thats doggone fast for a 1000.

[dan_fromm2]

First, nice find.

 

Not directly relevant, but there was a test of a 400/4.5 Fuji telephoto in the 3/82 Modern Photography. Less sharp and contrasty at the edge than in the center, i.e., covered 24 x 36 but not a lot more. This points at the difference between circle covered and circle illuminated.

 

Anyway, the 400/4.5 was good for its time, not up to the best or even fairly good modern lenses. Best a stop and a half down.

 

If my experience with my Questar 700 and the 500/5.6 Tele Athenar II I used to own is indicative, your monster will benefit from better support than your leg set, which looks like a Manfrotto 055. The 029 head is just fine, though.

 

Good luck, have fun,

 

Dan

[stindphoto]

John Robison - there is no filter drawer or a slat for drop in filters. However, there is a

thread on the inside of the bayonet mount (described above) where I succesfully placed a

49mm filter. When I mentioned the filter size it was more to indicate the size of the front

element and to say there is a thread at the front as well. As the shade is of the collapsible

type it doesn't need a thread.

 

Dan Fromm - the lens is indeed a monster, needing a very sturdy tripod. For the photos

here I put the Fujinon on my Manfrotto 074 legs and 029 head - both proving not to be

enough. 055 legs would probably just have collapsed! The lens with Fujica camera weighs

in at around 6kg. Maybe I should look for a machine gun turret as Rob Holz suggested!

 

Regarding picture quality I don't expect wonders from this lens. Even in the finder of the

camera the image looks very soft wide open, and pretty hard to focus. Stopping down

removes the softness and makes the image appear sharper and easier to focus, even

though the image is darker.

[stindphoto]

Was able to dig up some more info! <br>

<br>

The lens is a EBC Fujinon lens, although it doesn't say EBC anywere. The lens was designed

for use with the Fujica ST701 and ST801 which were introduced in 1971 and 1972

respectively. <br><br>

 

The lens composition is 5 elements in 5 groups. Weight is 5.2 kg.<br><br>

 

As John Shriver noted probably quite few were made. <br><br>

 

Found this information here: <a href="http://406club.dyndns.org/camera/index.php?

act=Print&client=printer&f=6&t=132">http://406club.dyndns.org/camera/index.php?

act=Print&client=printer&f=6&t=132</a>

[Uncle Goose]

Don't go anywhere near a famous building or person in the US with this barrel, you could get arrested for being a terrorist or schoolshooter.

[john_robison3]

Peter, I don't know for sure about this particular lens, but some long lenses with provision for rear mounted filters were calculated optically to include the filter. Thus, it might be good to leave a quality UV filter in place all the time.

[david_m]

It's listed in all the Fujica ST owners manuals. A full line of lenses and accessories was available including an also uncommon soft focus portrait lens.

[tomm1]

That is some find!

 

Now that I'm of "that age" I have been buying older cameras that I passed on years ago (Ricoh 401, Yashica Electro SLR's, etc. Chinons, GAF's) in favor of the Mirandas, Nikons and Rolleis I used to earn a living.

 

I seem to recall that "stovepipe" you had. I think the barrel was a Krupps design from WWII (ha ha) but back in the day it was that or the "Russian" Mirror lenses and their donut highlights.

 

Congrats on a great find. Get a back brace to carry it adn shoot some wildlife "closeups."

 

BTW: All my SM SLR's are turning green with envy. :)

 

Ciao.

Tom Malatino

[stindphoto]

John Robison - I will try to make some shots with and some without a filter in the back of the

lens. On the schematic drawing of the lens construction the filter is not included.

 

David M - Thanks for your comment! Old time camera manuals often have a lot of the

information about the system the camera belongs to. I know about the soft focus lens too -

was offered that lens a couple of years back but didnt buy it - big mistake I guess.

 

And now - dare I mention the word value of the Fujinon?