# Any chance of mating this with a current DSLR?



## RVT1K (Aug 21, 2019)

Canon Television TV Zoom Lens J45x

If I'm reading this correctly its 9.5 - 450 mm f/1.7


----------



## Designer (Aug 21, 2019)

Go for it!  

You probably won't find a ready-made adapter, but that's why they make tubing and tape.


----------



## Jeff15 (Aug 21, 2019)

Good luck.............


----------



## Derrel (Aug 21, 2019)

I would suggest texting the seller and asking him.


----------



## RVT1K (Aug 21, 2019)

Derrel said:


> I would suggest texting the seller and asking him.



I was expecting you to say that you had one....

A little too steep for me to experiment with but imagine the possibilities!!


----------



## smoke665 (Aug 21, 2019)

Buy a spotting scope and a readily available adapter for most models. More power, way cheaper, and you won't need gorilla arms to pack it around.


----------



## compur (Aug 21, 2019)

I've seen many "TV" lenses that are C-mount (1 inch screw mount) but it doesn't look like your lens is a C-mount (can't tell for sure from photo). The C-mount is the same mount used on many 16mm movie cameras back in the day.

There are lots of C-mount lenses that were made for video use and some have wild specs -- long zoom ranges with fast apertures or very fast tele focal lengths. And, there are C-mount to other camera mount adapters. These lenses can often be had for low prices on eBay.


----------



## 480sparky (Aug 21, 2019)

I would suspect the optical quality would be exceedingly sub-par for still images.  It would be fine for videos, but crap for stills.


----------



## RVT1K (Aug 22, 2019)

480sparky said:


> I would suspect the optical quality would be exceedingly sub-par for still images.  It would be fine for videos, but crap for stills.



Having zero experience with anything like this, I would have guessed differently.
Why do you think that?


----------



## 480sparky (Aug 22, 2019)

RVT1K said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > I would suspect the optical quality would be exceedingly sub-par for still images.  It would be fine for videos, but crap for stills.
> ...



Video doesn't require that sharp of a lens.  If the lens has any age to it, it was built to 1080p or lower (720, 480 etc) resolution.  1080p is a mere 2.07mb.  So any lack of sharpness would easily be ignored at 24 or 30fps.


----------



## RVT1K (Aug 22, 2019)

480sparky said:


> RVT1K said:
> 
> 
> > 480sparky said:
> ...




I have marveled at what TV cameras can do when it comes to zoom range and light gathering and lusted after those capabilities for my camera.

I never realized that those properties would not be evident if somehow Dr. Moreau grafted one to a DSLR.


----------



## 480sparky (Aug 22, 2019)

RVT1K said:


> I have marveled at what TV cameras can do when it comes to zoom range and light gathering and lusted after those capabilities for my camera.
> 
> I never realized that those properties would not be evident if somehow Dr. Moreau grafted one to a DSLR.



The zoom range is due, in part, to the lack of need for sharpness.  Yeah, DSLR lenses could be made today with the same zoom range.  But they'd be unmarketable due to being soft no matter what.  Otherwise, we'd have our Nirvana 10-2000mm lenses.

The other concern I would have is the image circle size.  Without knowing that, you may end up with a circular image in the middle of the frame.

But yes, it would be an interesting project and I'd love to see the results.


----------



## RVT1K (Aug 22, 2019)

480sparky said:


> RVT1K said:
> 
> 
> > I have marveled at what TV cameras can do when it comes to zoom range and light gathering and lusted after those capabilities for my camera.
> ...




Thanks for the lesson.


----------



## petrochemist (Aug 23, 2019)

compur said:


> I've seen many "TV" lenses that are C-mount (1 inch screw mount) but it doesn't look like your lens is a C-mount (can't tell for sure from photo). The C-mount is the same mount used on many 16mm movie cameras back in the day.
> 
> There are lots of C-mount lenses that were made for video use and some have wild specs -- long zoom ranges with fast apertures or very fast tele focal lengths. And, there are C-mount to other camera mount adapters. These lenses can often be had for low prices on eBay.


I suspect thats for a larger format than c-mount, it's probably in one of the Arri mounts...

Either way your unlikely to be able to adapt to a DSLR, but a modern mirrorless camera should be relatively easy...


----------



## compur (Aug 23, 2019)

petrochemist said:


> Either way your unlikely to be able to adapt to a DSLR ...



Just check eBay -- there are C-mount adapters for a number of SLR mounts including Nikon, Canon EF, M42 and others.


----------



## Derrel (Aug 23, 2019)

Have you bothered to send a text to the seller, who I assume lives in your area? I assume that since he has the lens in his possession that he knows what mount it is.


----------



## petrochemist (Aug 24, 2019)

compur said:


> petrochemist said:
> 
> 
> > Either way your unlikely to be able to adapt to a DSLR ...
> ...


None of which will focus to infinity (or anywhere beyond a few inches at the 9mm end).
c-mount lenses have to be recessed into the MFT mount for infinity focus. SLR mounts will typically give 30mm extension beyond the lens design.


----------



## petrochemist (Aug 24, 2019)

FWIW googling canon J45x gives several auctions of (looking simiar) mentioning the old B3 professional video mount - a breech design, with the locking ring on the lens similar to the FD mount.
This mount has been replaced by the B4-mount which apparently can be adapted to EF.


----------



## compur (Aug 24, 2019)

petrochemist said:


> None of which will focus to infinity ...



Yes, they are for macro use but they can be used on SLRs which is what I said and not what you said.


----------



## compur (Aug 24, 2019)

petrochemist said:


> FWIW googling canon J45x gives several auctions of (looking simiar) mentioning the old B3 professional video mount - a breech design, with the locking ring on the lens similar to the FD mount.
> This mount has been replaced by the B4-mount which apparently can be adapted to EF.



B3 to EF mount adapters exist.


----------



## RVT1K (Aug 26, 2019)

Derrel said:


> Have you bothered to send a text to the seller, who I assume lives in your area? I assume that since he has the lens in his possession that he knows what mount it is.



No, I never intended to try it since all my stuff is Nikon and I don't have the money to play with something like this. 

I just thought it would be a cool thing for inner photography-mad-scientist to ponder. 

And I actually found out all I needed, that despite how TV images look, it may not translate well to stills.


----------

