Angenieux Lenses

[rpcrowe]

I just got an email from a old Navy friend whose ship called recently called at Japan. He knows how much I loved Angenieux lenses when I was shooting motion picture cameras. The 12-120mm zoom was my favorite when shooting with an Arriflex 16mm camera and I also loved a 10mm Angenieux as one of the three lenses on the turret of my Bell and Howell model 70, Filmo.

Angenieux produced a 28-70mm f/2.6 lens for film DSLR cameras. It was a very nice lens but was too expensive to produce and Angenieux stopped production. These lenses now run upwards of a thousand dollars on the used market and are sought after by both collectors and photographers who like the way images from these lenses look.

After Angenieux quit production of still camera lenses, Tokina purchased the design of this lens and produced it for a very limited time aimed at both the Japanese domestic and export markets.

The export model was designated as Tokina ATX Pro f/2.6-2.8 while the domestic Japanese model was designated Tokina ATX Pro f/2.8 but, they were (according to my research) the same lens.

Tokina had been producing a 28-70mm f/2.8 lens using a 72mm filter. This lens had no connection with the Angenieux model. Tokina then produced two models of domestic and export lenses based on the Angenieux design Mark-1 which had a 77mm screw-in hood and a Mark-2 which used a bayonet hood.

Both of these lenses received high praise but, were not produced for any appreciable time. Tokina had the same problem as Angenieux; the lens was too expensive produce. The company took a step backward and replaced the Tokina 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 ATX Pro export model and the domestic Tokina 28-70mm f/2.8 ATX Pro with a cheaper to produce Tokina 28-70mm f/2.8 ATX Pro SV (Special Value) lens. These were not as good as the 28-70mm lens produced on the Angenieux design but, are the normal 28-70mm Tokina lenses on today's used market here in the U.SA

Anyway, my friend who was a very young sailor when he served under me in the Navy and who is now a grizzled old sea dog on his last cruise to the Western Pacific, picked up one of the 28-70mm domestic ATX Pro (non-SV) lenses for me at what he said was an absolute bargain. I asked him how much I owed him and he replied, "A case of beer seems reasonable".

So, I am waiting to test this oldie but goodie lens that will cost me a case of beer And I am particularly interested in the so-called {Tokina Glow)

For anyone interested in lens history: http://www.johncaz.net/home/tokina-a...-28-70mm-26-28

[Cogito]

Most of my cameras are Sony/Minolta A-mount bodies, so yes I'm aware of Angenieux /Tokina 28-70mm lenses! Of the two, the Angenieux has the better reputation and (probably) performance. But as you so rightly point out - COST. For the price of a case of beer (nearly whatever size and make) I'm with you and would go for the Angenieux !!

[rpcrowe]

I have a nice collection of modern top-line lenses which I use for important projects. However, I also like to play around with off-beat or weird lenses just for fun.

One of my lenses in that category is the Canon 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus. This lens was more appropriate for film cameras because most of the softening might be accomplished in digital post production or you can use various softening filters to get somewhat the same effect in-camera when shooting digital. Canon no longer produces this lens...

However, this lens makes a nice portrait glass, especially for a full frame camera, when you have the softening dialed off to zero. It is a very light weight 135mm lens with reasonable sharpness. I haven't shot with this lens since I purchased my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens. I liked the 135mm SF as a portrait lens better than the 135mm side of the 28-135mm IS lens because of the f/2.8 aperture and much netter bokeh...

[Cogito]

Snap! With my Minolta 85mm f/2.8 Rokkor soft-focus lens! Mine is somewhere in a box, I know not where....

[GrahamS]

The 12-120mm zoom was my favorite when shooting with an Arriflex 16mm camera and I also loved a 10mm Angenieux as one of the three lenses on the turret of my Bell and Howell model 70, Filmo.

Richard, SNAP! I too favoured the Angenieux 12-120 for 16mm work and I too had a 10mm Angenieux on the turret of any B&H Eymo that I used for newsreel work.

[rpcrowe]

I used the 10mm plus two other lenses on my turret: a 15 or 16mm and a 25mm. These were usually Schneider or Bell and Howe glass. That way, I had a normal angle and two wide angle lenses. Since the Filmo was my hand held camera and since it was always a bit difficult for me to hand hold longer focal lengths, this setup was perfect for my style of shooting.

I often look back and think what it would have been like to be able tp shoot with today's equipment You could carry a plethora of memory cards at the weight of a hundred foot roll of 16mm film which at 24 frames per second gave me about two and a half or two and three quarters minutes of filming.


And what about today's battery operated LED lights and today's ability to record sound at virtually no additional weight.

[GrahamS]

This is my late father, Denis, using the kind of kit we are talking about, cc1983.

[rpcrowe]

Great shot of your dad at work.

[rpcrowe]

I just received my new lens. It looks absolutely brand new! If I didn't know this was an older copy, I would think that it had just come right off the Japanese production line.

I have given it a few cursory tests and, am quite impressed with the sharpness (on my 5D2 camera) and general quality of the imagery. It is slightly lighter in weight than Canon's older 28-70mm f/2.8L and 24-70mm f/2.8L Mark-1 models and right about the same as the 24-70mm f/2.8 Mark-2.



The build as per all of the Tokina lenses I have come across seems to be excellent. It doesn't focus quite as close as the Canon version: .7 meter against Canon's .5 meter. I have not shot any fast moving subjects but, the auto focus seems quite fast and responsive and quiet, although I don't have a 28-70L or 24-70L USM against which to compare the Tokina.

It has the funky AF to MF clutch which many of the Tokina lenses sport.

I absolutely hate the lens cap which is an early edge pinch design and which I just cannot manipulate while the lens is wearing its lens hood. However, I have several extra 77mm center pinch caps which fit just fine.

Shooting into the sun results in an interesting but, less than ideal image and I will always use the lens hood.

It doesn't seem to have a large amount of chromatic aberration nor vignetting. However, Adobe Camera RAW doesn't include a profile for this lens so I guess that I am going to develop a custom profile which I have never done before.

All in all, I am quite impressed with this old lens and know that I will give it a lot of use.

[Tronhard]

Really glad you have got such a great item - especially for the beer! How about a photo of the lens?

[GrahamS]

Congratulations on a great acquisition, Richard. Many happy images!

[rpcrowe]

I need to take some pictures of several items to sell on eBay and will shoot the lens tomorrow...

Here is a shot directly into the sun. Might be a good effect for some backlit, washed out, portraits that have recently been in vogue...

[rpcrowe]

I do like this lens... There is something intangible about the imagery which I have noticed with other Tokina lenses like my 12-24mm f/4 ATX - I like her skin quality...

Canon 6D2, at 61mm using ISO 200, f/4 at 1/125 second. Focus was on the puppy's eye - In these adoption shots I always want the dog in focus.