ARRI compatible LPL Mount for Richter Cine. Mounts directly to Richter M-2 and S-2. One time limited production run. Get in touch if you want one. Pre-orders open soon.
High precision mounts, CNC machined, hand fitted and individually calibrated to 44.00mm +/- 0.005.
Stainless steel LPL flange and ring. Rotation adjustment in 11º increments. Shim adjustment for precise back focus calibration. Richter thread and flange are one piece so they never come loose.
These can be used as your “base” mount on Richter M-2, and you can quickly and accurately switch to PL using a PL-to-LPL adapter.
You can also quickly unscrew it to use other mounts on your M-2 that are shorter than 44mm FFD, or any existing Richter test mounts you may have without loss of accuracy.
Richter Cine Lens Test Projector compatibility by special order only.
Opening of the pre-order window and pricing will be announced here.
That’s a Zeiss Planar 85mm T1.4 Super Speed (focus and iris scales removed) mounted on my prototype Focal Plane MicroSCOPE that I built when I had my workshop in Maine.
Note how the Planar 1.4/85 perfectly resolves the core of the Moeller-Wedel Siemens star reticle. You’re seeing that at 65x magnification. Pretty good for a 1974 optical design! No wonder these vintage lenses are legendary.
Unlike the more common Focal Plane MicroMETER which reflects the image back to the collimator, this system captures the actual image formed by the lens. That image on the monitor is NOT from the collimator eyepiece, it is the aerial image formed by the lens, magnified 65x in this case.
I needed the Focal Plane MicroSCOPE properly adjust the rear group centering on the Zeiss Distagon 1.2/18 and 1.2/25 that were part of this set. The adjustment screws are UNDER the lens mount. If you try do do this on a lens projector you have to remove the mount for EACH adjustment. It could take you all day.
The Zeiss Distagon’s optical centering was adjusted using a pinhole reticle on my collimator and observed the resulting image at 165x on the Focal Plane MicroSCOPE. It was then a simple matter to perfectly adjust centering.
You may have heard about inverted vertical collimators (such as Angenieux) that are so highly coveted by lens techs. They work on the same principle but with the microscope above an inverted lens.
The Zeiss K8 MTF Tester uses the same optical principle with the collimator mounted above the lens (non-inverted vertical collimator).
I’m working on a new design Focal Plane MicroSCOPE that will be more compact than the one in the photo above and can be mounted on a standard ARRI compatible 19mm bridgeplate.
I’ve had many requests for this from my lens rehousing clients. The main use would be for precisely calibrating focus scales. It can also be used for adjusting lens centering.
An image of the new design can be seen above. It is still in design development. If you are interested in such an instrument please get in touch via email. Pre-orders will begin once the design is locked.
In early 2022 I made a career pivot. I moved to the San Fransisco Bay Area to join a large company. I worked with computer vision systems supporting manufacturing engineering.
In 2023 Q4 I joined a startup that is developing a revolutionary new display technology. What was once only seen in science fiction films will become a reality.
As we approach winter 2023/2024 I want to give an update of the status of CinemaTechnic and various products / services:
Since I only have limited part-time to devote to CinemaTechnic, the only product line that I will continue is the Lens Testing Equipment. I will still offer upgrades and calibration for Richter Cine collimators, with some changes to product / service availability. Please see my Richter Cine page for details.
Beginning in 2024 I will no longer offer reconditioned or calibration services from Richter Cine systems purchased from third parties (meaning you did not buy it from CinemaTechnic). Reconditioned systems will be offered for sale and Richter Cine items accepted as cores.
If you purchased a Richter Cine collimator system from CinemaTechnic or had me calibrate or refurbish your system, I will continue to support you.
Film camera service and cine lens service is suspended for the foreseeable future. I have a complete set of special tools and documentation for servicing ARRI and Moviecam film cameras, as well as professional Cine lenses, but not the space or the time to do the work. If you are interested in purchasing a set of original ARRI film camera service tools please get in touch.
I also have a Super 16 conversion process I developed for the Arriflex 16SR. All the special tools and jigs and some conversion parts remain. If you are interested in purchasing the process and doing your own conversion, please get in touch.
The success of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and HBO’s Winning Time show that there is still a place for film even as digital capture has matured.
The industry is also changing and there is potential for decentralization. This could bring about a creative renaissance like the one that followed the collapse of the studio system in the late 1960’s.
-Jorge Diaz-Amador Walnut Creek, CA 19 November 2023
