Bold

Model 225-000 16:9 Anamorphic Adapter from Resolve Optics. Here are the specs, although I'm new to anamorphic so I'm not sure what it all means.

Nice - thanks for posting that Rich!

Thanks Tito!!! I can probably scrape together $1000 (or a little north of that). Seeing that you have lots of experience with anamorphics, are you aware of any adapter that's comparable (and easier to find) in that price range? Cheers, |. . | .|

I recently got the Century DS-1609 1.33x and love it but I am feeling its limitations. I really wanted the DS-WS13, but have never seen one for sale. In the event I find someone selling theirs someday, what is a fair price to pay for one of these? Are there comparable/better adapters (single focus, zoom through) in its price range?

I'm looking for a zoom lens for my GH4 with the following characteristics so I can mount it on my Century Optics 1.33: ParfocalFront assembly does not rotate (needs to hold the adapter level)As fast as possible (maybe in combo with speed booster)Covering the focal length the adapter will allowAs affordable as possibleThis would be for narrative filmmaking. I'm wondering there are any older/vintage zooms that might might fit the bill. They don't have to be perfect, but workable enough for me to get the practice & feel to see if I find it engaging enough to spend for some high quality glass down the road. I know there are Vivitar f/2.8's that are parfocal, but I don't know which (if any) have a front assembly that remains stationary while zooming/focusing. I also don't know what maximum focal length the DS-1609 adapter will allow. I found several topics in these forums which mention parfocal options, but 1) most are roughly $600+ which is out of my price range, and 2) even if I can save enough $ for one of those, it is not clear if any of them have a front assembly which remains stationary during zooming. Maybe there is no solution that will fit my budget, but I'm hoping there are some experienced Century+Zoom owners out there that can help. Thanks!

Congrats on the anamorphic lens! I had been wondering about that too, but after some searching I found an earlier Helios (the 44, not the 44-2) on eBay in great shape with a gorgeous golden coating. My understanding is that there were a lot of different 44-2's manufactured over many years, some may have the same coating. But keep an eye out for the original 44 too. Cheers, -Bold

Thanks for the tip - will do!

Awesome thanks Ken - Redstan had a couple in stock so I ordered one direct Cheers, |, , | ,|

Thanks again Gabriel! So the one I picked up is bayonet, but there's no threading/bayonet mount on the front of the DS-1609-00. I'm wondering what the best/most affordable option is for mounting the Tamron?

Thanks Gabriel! I have a GH4, so the sensor size works to my advantage. I should be getting both the Century and Tamron 0.5 tomorrow, Do you have recommendations for higher inner strength achromatic diopters? I'll definitely be keeping an eye locally for the Tokina but it sounds like I will be able to get decent images without it. Cool picture - which diopter did you use? Cheers, |. . | .|

Thanks Ken & Rudolph! Good to know the +0.4 is not a deal-breaker on the Century. A Tamron 0.5 bayonet has been acquired. I'm bummed about shooting at 5.6 though, wish there was a way to squeeze another stop or two out of the Century. But then this forces me to think a little more creatively about what & how I'm going to shoot - and that's never a bad thing. Cheers, |. . | .|

So I'm gleaning that the Tokina +0.4 is a must-have for better image quality on adapters like the Century. But the rarity of this thing has priced it beyond my means at the moment. Redstan is the only place I can find one available, about $550 w/shipping. Are there any affordable alternatives out there? I have been scouring sites & threads and have not found anything. Nor have I found full specs on the Tokina...hoping that I might use those specs to find a close equivalent from a lab/optics/surplus site, and DIY it form there. Or create a Kickstarter to pay for a small mfg. run of +0.4 achromats - if there's enough demand for it. Or I could give up hope, re-sell my Century when it arrives, and save up the rest of the way to an SLR Magic adapter...it feels like there has to be some way around the Tokina scarcity to get the most out of the Century adapter. Thoughts?

Thanks Rudolf! I've seen mixed footage with the Century. Some footage is really soft around the edges. But other footage is either sharp, or at least framed in a way where my eye wasn't distracted by the soft parts. Focus-through - plus the relatively small size/weight profile - is why I jumped on buying the DS-1609. Even if my IQ suffers due to the Century's limitations, it was the most affordable means for me to enter the anamorphic arena Cheers, |. . | .|

Sorry to hear that Ken - what were the issues you experienced? Were you able to work around them at all?

Hello all, I recently bought a GH4 to shoot some narrative. While building a modest vintage lens kit for it, I came across a brand new Century Precision Optics Widescreen 16x9 adapter (DS-1609-00) for $400. I love love looooooove widescreen (plus I have poor impulse control) so I had to get it. I've been trying to gather some info on using the adapter, but relevant info seems scattered far across the intertubes - until I found this wonderful site. So I am hoping that there are some DS-1609 owners here who may be able to share wisdom & recommendations about getting the most out of this piece of equipment. First and foremost I will need to ascertain the optimal setup for Hood > Diopter > Century > adapter > Vintage Lens > adapter / speedbooster > GH4 Per another EOSHD post I ordered a 52mm to 67mm Step-Up Ring to fix to the back of the 1609. Once all parts arrive, I will attempt to document the process - which will hopefully be useful for others, and not a cautionary tale. Cheers, |. . | .|