phr@ucbvax.ARPA (Paul Rubin) (09/26/85)
It sounds like there are serious technical problems with making a sharp super fast lens fill the 35mm frame, as well as size, depth of field etc. The problems must be even worse for larger formats: 85mm f/2 is a standard 35 lens, but 85mm lenses are usually f/2.8 for 2 1/4" cameras. However, f/1.4 lenses with 10-to-1 zoom ranges are easy to find on 8mm movie cameras. Question: why don't camera makers offer super speed lenses on subminiature format still cameras? The Pentax 110 SLR is a cute toy with its 24mm/2.8 (or whatever it comes with), but with an f/1.0 or faster lens it would make available darkness fans such as myself wake up and take notice.
mls@ittvax.ATC.ITT.UUCP (Michael Schneider) (10/22/85)
> The problems must be even worse for larger formats: 85mm f/2 is a standard > 35 lens, but 85mm lenses are usually f/2.8 for 2 1/4" cameras. However, > f/1.4 lenses with 10-to-1 zoom ranges are easy to find on 8mm movie > cameras. > > Question: why don't camera makers offer super speed lenses on subminiature > format still cameras? There are two problems to making such lenses. First, as you indicated making a lens with a larger circle of focus is more difficult that one with a smaller one. Just anyone who has looked for view camera lenses and planned to use the movements to the maximum. For a submini, this is not a problem. However, if you look at movie camera lenses, you will find that they are not as sharp as still camera lenses; they do not need to be due to subject motion etc. Thus, while it is possible to make 8mm zooms with f1.0 lenses (Cannon 310 had one I think), the quality may not be good enough for a still. M.L. Schneider *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***