GEAR VINTAGE LENSES
decades old, and the thread-locking glues have hardened like rock.” Some were never intended to be serviced at all, meaning seized threads or stripped screws are common. “Forcing mechanics could permanently damage the delicate glass elements inside,” he says, adding that in some cases ‘we simply can’t disassemble a lens safely’ and have to ask the client to source another copy. Once inside, rehousing becomes an exercise in reverse engineering and in manufacturing reality. “The biggest engineering challenge is the relationship between design and manufacturing,” Kounthawatphinyo muses. Lens components demand complex multi-axis machining, and while keeping parts in a single set-up offers the greatest accuracy, machines capable of doing everything at once are ‘incredibly expensive’. As a result, compromises are unavoidable, and precision is absolutely key. “Once assembled, we need to maintain concentricity within 25 to 35 microns,” he notes. “For context, a human hair is between 50 and 120 microns!” There are also hard physical limits on what can be rehoused at all. TK primarily works to PL mount, and lenses designed for mirrorless systems or rangefinders often have back focal distances that are simply too short. “If the lens is wider than 51mm, it’s physically impossible to fit,” Kounthawatphinyo explains, particularly once focus and iris mechanisms - and the long focus throws cinematographers expect - are factored in. Even when a lens can be rehoused, filmmakers often underestimate the nuances of mechanical optics. “Many assume that if the mark says 1ft, it must be perfectly sharp at 1ft with zero deviation,” says Kounthawatphinyo. “That’s just simply impossible.” T-stops can also be misunderstood. Measured at infinity, they shift as focus moves closer,
A CLOSE EYE A TLS engineer studying a lens testing chart in detail
and two identical lenses may transmit different amounts of light due to age,
coatings or condition. SATURATION POINT?
At TLS, a shift is already underway. “There’s certainly more vintage lenses around – we can’t deny that. But if you choose the right range that’s distinctive enough and gives something different, then there’s plenty of room left in the market,” posits Whitehurst. He also points to the gaps vintage glass struggles to fill – particularly fast, wide lenses – which is partly what’s led TLS to look beyond restoration alone. In its 25th anniversary year, the company is expanding seriously into original lens design, beginning with the Vega65. “We’re moving from restoration to creation,” explains Richard Grocott, director of sales and marketing. Drawing on TLS’s stellar heritage, the aim is to blend modern mechanics with optics inspired by vintage character – ‘the sort of thing DOPs love and seek out in vintage glass’ – while addressing the demands of large format platforms like the ARRI ALEXA 65 and beyond. Having expanded in-house design capability and added a new studio space for collaboration and testing, Grocott is excited for TLS’s next chapter. “We’ve earned this expertise and trust in our past, but we’re thinking about the next 25 years. This feels more sustainable, scalable and in demand – and we’re trying to lead the way.”
After a period of intense interest, those on the ground believe the rehousing market has begun to level off. “About three or four years ago, it was booming,” says Kounthawatphinyo. “Now, it has started to stagnate.” Part of that slowdown is simple saturation: many high-end players invested in rehoused lens sets years ago, and the market is now awash with existing vintage options. Meanwhile, shifts in production economics have hollowed out lower-budget work. “Newcomers to the industry do not feel the need to spend money on expensive rehousing,” he says. “They are content using the lens ‘as is’ or with a simple cine mod.” Still, Kounthawatphinyo firmly believes that rehousing itself isn’t going away. “Lens rehousing has been around for 40 or 50 years… and I don’t think it will disappear permanently. The demand will simply shift forms.”
THERE IS A GROWING lens literacy AMONG DOPs”
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