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Carl Meyer (Burke & James) Videostigmat f1.0 1 1/2" (38mm)

kds315

Active member
Tried to locate pics shot with that c-mount cine lens, but haven't found much. Anyone has some info about it or used it?
 

kds315

Active member
Got this high speed lens and took it out for some shots this sunny evening... all shot fully open at f1.0. Quite a "swirler" but still an impressive lens considering it being made 1954















 

coors

New member
Amazing images! I am a big fan of the swirly bokeh and my all time favourite lens is the Pancolar 80/1.8, because of its combined subject-isolation/swirly-bokeh characteristics. This Carl Meyer takes that all to an entirely new level. Thanks for sharing!
 

kds315

Active member
Thanks coors, it reminds me of my Cooke Kinic f1.9 1" lens (which is quite a swirler too), but is much faster of course.

fine details/bokeh...


no swirls, but intense colors...


swirls..
 
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apicius9

New member
Very nice, you always come up with these great exotic lenses - where on earth do you find these things? ;)

I especially love the colors in these pictures, did you do any processing? My uncoated Cooke Kinic may have a similar swirl to it but I don't think it has this intensity in the colors unless I boost it up in PP.

Stefan
 

Jonas

Active member
Klaus, these images make me think our 4/3 sensors are real big! How much do you need to stop down to get rid of the swirls?

/Jonas
 

kds315

Active member
That lens is multicoated as it looks like (will post some lens pictures later) and produces well saturated images right out of the cam (my Lumix GH1 that is). This heavy and well made relatively small lens (f1.0 at 38mm is impressive to me) was made 1954, as read from the serial number which also indicates the real maker being Bausch & Lomb. It was sold under the name of "Carl Meyer" by Burke & James Photographic Co of Chicago. There are indications, that it might be a Plasmat type lens design, which Dr Paul Rudolph had developed many years before, being one of the first high speed lens designs (Kino Plasmat 1926 with f1.5, the fastest lens for that time)


I have not yet done detailed testing Jones, more later...
 
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kds315

Active member
From the Herrmanshof park today, morning sun, the "usual suspects" for lens testing...



















100% crop:
 

JBurnett

Well-known member
What about non-centre sharpness? If you focus on something in the corner (using magnification to make sure) is it also sharp? I don't have the correct terminology, but I guess I want to know if the lens just has a real curvature, or if sharpness also declines significantly from the centre to the edges of the frame.
 

Brian S

New member
Klaus- those are indeed beautiful. This is a fun format for lenses of all generations. And that one, looks amazing.
 

Photomorgana

New member
That lens is multicoated as it looks like (will post some lens pictures later) and produces well saturated images right out of the cam (my Lumix GH1 that is). This heavy and well made relatively small lens (f1.0 at 38mm is impressive to me) was made 1954, as read from the serial number which also indicates the real maker being Bausch & Lomb. It was sold under the name of "Carl Meyer" by Burke & James Photographic Co of Chicago. There are indications, that it might be a Plasmat type lens design, which Dr Paul Rudolph had developed many years before, being one of the first high speed lens designs (Kino Plasmat 1926 with f1.5, the fastest lens for that time)


I have not yet done detailed testing Jones, more later...

Hi, let me drop my 2 cents, if you care.
I'm not sure this lens is Bausch & Lomb.
Carl Meyer had their own Serial Number (date code) system and once they put their name on the lens they stamp their number as well. Sometimes you can find the original name and numbers under the barrel hidden, but unless it says B&L, I wouldn't be so sure. (as the matter of fact I'm 90% sure its not)

I've had quiet a few Carl Meyer lenses over the years and my strong guess on this lens that this is D.O.Industries lens (which eventurally became Navitar) They manufactured many custom and special order lenses for Carl Meyer. All that said, I can add that there is nothing wrong with D.O. Ind.
Many companies based in NY area such as DO, B&L, Wollensak, Kodak had similar coding system and had strong ties (eg DO Ind founder used to work for B&L)
And I also believe that at one point James & Burke (aka Carl Meyer) actually bought and owned a D.O Ind. for a while, before Navitar got them. Confusing? :) (J&B CM did re-badged some Cooke, B&L Super Baltar, even Angenieux, but I don't think this is one of them)
 
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