Liszon

​Nahua, when I get more time I will show you how I did it, I will post some close photos on how I clamped the sankor to the FM, meanwhile I did one more video test.
 

Yes, I would definitely take action with Fedex. Call their customer support and/or send emails. Maybe Mindaugas is on a holiday. Don't worry, PayPal should give you a refund if your lens doesn't make it to your doorstep, although I guess that's not what you are really looking for.

Yes, I would definitely take action with Fedex. Call their customer support and/or send emails. Maybe Mindaugas is on a holiday. Don't worry, PayPal should give you a refund if your lens doesn't make it to your doorstep, although I guess that's not what you are really looking for.

​I also think rubber lens hood mounted to the front of a VND would be a good all round solution for the taking lens - as that would provide a seal against light entering the taking lens front and the anamorphic rear. The VND can be spun by twisting the rubber hood.
When I get my 77mm rubber lens hood - i'll test that and see if it is better than hard mounting.

​Ok, so this is what I've come up with so far using what bit's I had lying around. Basically this setup allows light-proof and hard linkage between the taking lens and the cinelux rear, yet allows free spinning of the VND in the middle section of the ring assembly.
To make it work you need to get a cheap double threaded CPL filter and remove the glass. This give you a rotating double threaded filter (in my example 72mm). The purpose of this empty spinning filter is so that the VND can spin freely when coupled together - without unscrewing itself from the other rings.
Then attach a double threaded VND filter (in my case 72mm Cokin 'Slim Pure Harmonie') to the empty CPL filter. The cokin VND has a front female thread of 77mm (other VND's may not have a front thread but this one does)
Attach that to a 77-72mm step down ring....Then screw into the FM cinelux 72mm rear thread adapter ring.
 
Once assembled and all rings tightened together properly - it gives a nice VND solution that is sandwiched between adapter rings. In my case I am using taking lenses with a 49mm front thread, but that step down from 72mm can be whatever is needed. The distance between taking lens optic and cinelux rear is just under 30mm - which does not seem to cause any vignette issues when shooting 85mm + with 4:3 ML raw on canon 5DmkIII.
It is a work in progress, but does allow your favorite taking lens to be 'hard' attached to the FM lens if you want. So the whole setup can be treated as if a monoblock design. The cool thing is the taking lens can twist into the lens mount as normal, as the linkage to the cinelux will allow rotation.
If I were to be using a non-cinelux type anamorphic inside the FM, I suspect a good solution would be to simply have a VND screwed onto the taking lens - with a rubber lens hood attached to the front thread of the VND. This would allow a bit of light-proofing of the join between taking lens and anamorphic rear, without hard linkage or screw fitting of any additional rings.
 

​
Not a stupid question, but that step ring would not be the best solution to mount a ND filter IMO (fixed or VND). This is because of the rotating focus design of the front glass - if a ND or CPL filter was attached to the front, the polarising effect would shift the reflection/ highlights whilst focusing. The best results seem to be from mounting filters at the rear of the FM lens and in front of the taking lens.For example, I have a double threaded Cokin 72mm VND attached to the rear of the Cinelux ring adapter - then an empty 72mm CPL filter (with glass removed) - then a 72mm to 49mm step ring to taking lens. This setup allows a lightproof connection to the taking lens, but allows me to rotate the VND to effect exposure. The empty CPL filter allows the section to spin freely, without coming unscrewed from the neighbouring step rings.
A more simple solution would be to have the ND/VND or whatever filter you want to simply be mounted at the rear of the FM- and position the taking lens as closely as possible.
The only filter I have on the front of the FM lens is a 105mm UV filter - to protect the glass. You access the filter thread on the FM by unscrewing the front metal ring on the FM lens.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/oa3tmrtw8d3stn6/Screen Shot 2014-12-22 at 9.43.18 PM.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6v9z5z6eim4kc88/Screen Shot 2014-12-22 at 9.42.56 PM.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9rcnqo8etwrcwfh/Screen Shot 2014-12-22 at 9.43.27 PM.png?dl=0
Screenshots and the video should be live below shortly.
 
 
 

'Two peaks' at different Olympus primes at various stops to show Sharpness/ DOF / Vignette.
Full Information is in the description on the Vimeo page...
 

Thanks for the offer Kristof, first I have to save up for the FM itself, haha.

I could potentially buy them for you and re-ship them if you'd like.

Not all VND Filters can be mounted backwards.
Some have no outer (female) thread at all.
The ones that do, might have an even larger outer thread to avoid vignetting.

Yes, I think Anamorphicshop said there is a focus gear in the works next year. I believe the diameter is 88mm (away from FM lens to check at the moment). It will be a relatively wide gear so it it still meshes with a standard drive gear on a follow focus when it travels in and out on the FM. You could also make your own by using two wide focus ties placed side by side...but they won't be seamless and might not allow full range of focus. As mentioned above, RAF camera would make a nice metal gear as a custom job.

Looks great. I just don't understand why the FM guys didn't do these kind of portrait tests in the first place. Would have been a no-brainer! (instead of their slow focus pulls through the barley field)

Just received the lens but unfortunately I'm at work. I'll do some tests tonight/tomorrow and get something up! Packaged really well. Solid build, slightly metallic focus feel but very solid. All of the grub screws are snug and a hex key is included for the small screws on the barrel. Caps included as well as a silver collar which seems to be for smaller anamorphics. The small grub screws on the barrel itself could be replaced fairly easily with longer, stronger ones for smaller anamorphics. More later.

He has to be careful with the warranty thing. Here's how it works in the UK for example:
 
 
So actually you are able to chase anyone even after many years saying the product should have lasted longer and the fault is not due to natural wear & tear.
 
*BMPCC broken HDMI ports, anyone?

@ Liszon
 
I am going to enquire about warranty.
I will let you know.

I agree about the somewhat weird warranty period and the lack of rails and everything, BUT..
 
I am sooo bloody excited to see this in action!!

Um, what's with the Austrians?
I think the maker of this lens is a Lithuanian bloke, based in London.
Or that's just a name for that theory isn't it?

Really sad to hear that mate, sounded like such a great concept though.

I had recently 2 awful experiences as a buyer, with this quite new "shipping+taxes" option (or "Global Shipping Program") that eBay uses:
 
I bought the first item and eBay's shipping company had it for days in their storage place, without never contacting me for delivery. I tried to contact them, and I had to pay for the call €5 (~$6.5), as they charge €1.34 the call, then 0.36/min and they have you waiting for at least 10-12min, without finally accepting your call, with the excuse that the lines are too busy and that you'll have to call later again...
Finally, one day, they came to deliver, but without even ringing my bell, they put it (a signed-for shipment) inside my box...
 
The second one, they never delivered any parcel, but their tracking status indicates that they did delivered to my hands and that they've put my name as the person who received the parcel... When I opened a dispute on PayPal for this, Paypal in dt time, closed the case, with the excuse that they can't help on this and that I have to find a solution with the seller!... In any other similar case, if the seller had shipped via any other carrier, they could ask him to show them (to PayPal) the proof of delivery, asking this from the shipping carrier... If the shipping company couldn't prove that they had my real signature, then the money had to be returned to me. But as this new company is eBay's (so & PayPal's) business, they of course closed their eyes, as they can't blame their own company. SO, I lost $273.76...
 
I will NEVER-EVER buy any item from sellers that they are using this "Global Shipping Program" again! NEVER! I've found though that there are hundreds of others with similar, like mine, problems...
 
If you are selling on eBay and you want to avoid any negative feedback caused by similar cases, never use this option again please.
To be able to do so, please follow this next steps, to block this shipping option from your sales:
Your ebay>>account>>site preferences>>posting and packaging preferences>Offer the Global Shipping Programme, then on the right hand side of the screen change yes to NO and save changes.
 
By the way I have to say that, with this "Global Shipping Program", buyers are paying more on import taxes, than if they had to pay straight to their customs...
 
That's all from me.

If he doesn't want to sell that lens outside Germany, he will get much less than €2000. Another german Isco sold for roughly €1000 a few weeks ago, in perfect nick!

If he doesn't want to sell that lens outside Germany, he will get much less than €2000. Another german Isco sold for roughly €1000 a few weeks ago, in perfect nick!

Lol never post an ebay link on a forum if you plan on getting it. (unless this is your special way of promoting your own auction)

This could be an option, available in the UK too:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/849775-REG/Hitech_HT105MULTISTOP_105mm_Multistop_Neutral_Density.html