Mirror telephoto lens?

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redrose_45

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I got myself a Hama HR12 which is a mirror tele lens that gives a 12x magnification. The only details I have of it are:


Lens for video cameras

Thread connection: 46mm

Mirror reflex

Magnification: 12x

Diameter: 76mm

Length: 215mm

Weight : 530g

End of production: 1989

My issue is that I don’t understand exactly how to use it. I assumed it was an auxiliary lens but I’m not sure? When I look through the lens with my eye, I only see a very small dot of light and the image (which I can correctly focus). I need to bring the lens about 20-25cm away from my eye to see the whole ‘lens worth’ of an image. It appears like when I move my eye further away from the exit pupil of the lens, the image gets less cropped and I see a “full” image. (I’ve attached 3 images which show what I mean - bringing the lens further away to see a full ‘frame’)

How can I actually use this lens? I want to use it on a camera with a built in 116mm lens (with its own manual focus) but it doesn’t seem to be possible? I’m not sure if I’d need a diopter lens behind it or what.

If there are any lens gurus who can help or educate me. That’d be really helpful!
 

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IMO

I doubt you would be able to utilise this lens in any meaningfull way on a dSLR or mirrorless camera body!

If as it suggests was designed to fit early (pre 1989) video cameras, even with an adaptor (unless confirmed by the adaptor maker) I suspect that the lens will not mount to bring the point of focus to 'your' camera sensor.

The fact that all listings show it as for sale with nothing coming up e.g. a manual or other specs and details sources from anyone who has actually adapted it for use other than its original purpose = a project lens rather than one to "put into use now"???

Though you never know.....................someone at TP might have come across one before???

PS re-reading your post ~ IMO this is not and was never intended to be an auxiliary lens (unless there is something to show otherwise?) but if it was, again, it was as stated for a video camera!
 
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I did find some other references to this sort of lens it does seem to be an auxiliary lens for use explicitly with a video camera (possibly with a fixed lens) but the setup requires support bracketry and 'focus puller lever' in that setup.

Granted this is for the HR55 ....I hope you get the picture(no pun intended ;) )
Hama Objektivhalterung 44389 für HR 5,5 Lens Support (NOS) (youngtimerradio-shop.de)

PS I did find another foreign language website offering the same bracketry and in the photo is the HR12.
 
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Box Brownie said:
IMO

I doubt you would be able to utilise this lens in any meaningfull way on a dSLR or mirrorless camera body!

If as it suggests was designed to fit early (pre 1989) video cameras, even with an adaptor (unless confirmed by the adaptor maker) I suspect that the lens will not mount to bring the point of focus to 'your' camera sensor.

The fact that all listings show it as for sale with nothing coming up e.g. a manual or other specs and details sources from anyone who has actually adapted it for use other than its original purpose = a project lens rather than one to "put into use now"???

Though you never know.....................someone at TP might have come across one before???

PS re-reading your post ~ IMO this is not and was never intended to be an auxiliary lens (unless there is something to show otherwise?) but if it was, again, it was as stated for a video camera!
Click to expand...

I appreciate you giving your input. Would you mind explaining what a projector lens actually is and how it functions?

i wonder if there’s any way I can actually use this lens on my camera
 
redrose_45 said:
I appreciate you giving your input. Would you mind explaining what a projector lens actually is and how it functions?

i wonder if there’s any way I can actually use this lens on my camera
Click to expand...

Sorry, I did not say 'projector lens'..................but 'project lens' as in not one you can "put into use now" but a lens to work out how & whether you might be able to use it (if at all?) on the camera you are wishing to fit it to??? By the way, just which camera is it?
 
Box Brownie said:
Sorry, I did not say 'projector lens'..................but 'project lens' as in not one you can "put into use now" but a lens to work out how & whether you might be able to use it (if at all?) on the camera you are wishing to fit it to??? By the way, just which camera is it?
Click to expand...
Oh sorry I misread! And it’s a Polaroid SX-70. I do a lot of modifications to it.
 
Frankly, there is unlikely to be anyone here at TP with the SX-70 let alone doing what you are trying to do with a varied mixture of esoteric lenses.

The SX-70 when released had a limited set of auxiliary lenses that were optically designed to perform with the SX-70 built in lenses. Therefore, you are in unknown & unknowable territory and will quite possibly be educating everyone else with what you learn about making adaptors and other optical interfaces to make the above lens and the others that you have previously mentioned as having bought, actually function with the SX-70.

Even back in the 1970's when I had access to a reasonable engineering workshop I would have hesitated before undertaking what you are trying to achieve.

NB I did start a few projects (none were camera optical) including plans to build my own ruby laser until I learned of the cost of some of the key components I needed.......so I stuck with more simple and budget worthy projects ;)


So, best of luck with your experiments and I look forward to your posting some of the photographic results of your efforts :)
 
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Box Brownie said:
Frankly, there is unlikely to be anyone here at TP with the SX-70 let alone doing what you are trying to do with a varied mixture of esoteric lenses.

The SX-70 when released had a limited set of auxiliary lenses that were optically designed to perform with the SX-70 built in lenses. Therefore, you are in unknown & unknowable territory and will quite possibly be educating everyone else with what you learn about making adaptors and other optical interfaces to make the above lens and the others that you have previously mentioned as having bought, actually function with the SX-70.

Even back in the 1970's when I had access to a reasonable engineering workshop I would have hesitated before undertaking what you are trying to achieve.

NB I did start a few projects (none were camera optical) including plans to build my own ruby laser until I learned of the cost of some of the key components I needed.......so I stuck with more simple and budget worthy projects ;)


So, best of luck with your experiments and I look forward to your posting some of the photographic results of your efforts :)
Click to expand...
Thank you for the good luck! And yeah, I seem to be one of the few people who are trying for optical advancements and adaptations for the SX-70. I mainly just need auxiliary lenses but it’s hard to tell which ones are because I don’t know enough about optics
 
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