Rehoused Lenses: What they are and why we pay so much attention to them in the world of cinematography

In cinematography and the world of video, directors of photography attach great importance to the lenses they work on, because they generate the image through special factors and effects that differ between types of lenses. Choosing the set of lenses that is appropriate to the taste and desire of the director of photography is an important matter to capture the perfect scene, especially when adapting to these lenses over the course of projects and work. In today’s article, we will talk about a distinctive type of lens that is used in the world of filmmaking, and is distinguished by its high optical quality, performance, and distinct durability that make it highly desirable in the artistic community. What are Rehoused Lenses? Rehoused means: lenses whose glass lenses have been reshaped into a new body. In general, the Rehoused classification means the reshaping of the internal glass lenses that make up old vintage lenses, into a new body that is suitable and adapts to work in cinema and video within the current advanced technical work environment. These lenses compete in quality and performance with some of the most famous cinema lenses, especially when talking about price, quality, durability and adaptability to a wide range of cameras and accessories.

Why do we care about these lenses in particular?

Cinematography As we mentioned, these lenses compete in quality and performance with some of the most famous cinema lenses, especially when talking about price, quality, durability and adaptability to a wide range of cameras and accessories. Here we share with you the most important points that make us, as photography directors, interested in this very special type of lens, and its importance in cinematography. 1- A special and unique character in forming images. Vintage lenses are characterized by their ability to provide a special and unique optical and visual character. This character may include the amount of sharpness in that lens, the amount of convexity and concavity that the lens may form in the image, or its ability to provide an image free of any optical problems and distortions. The same applies to the nature of its formation of what is called lens flare, which are light formations produced inside the lens when light falls at a certain angle on the lens glass. 2- Reviving old distinctive lenses in the last century, specifically during World War II and beyond. There was intense competition between the Soviet Union, Germany, and other countries to produce lenses that were purer, better, and more efficient in terms of performance and quality. Later, the production of those lenses stopped and only a few of them remain in the world until today. Most of these lenses are characterized by purity, quality, and certain characteristics that may be difficult to find in medium-priced lenses, so the technicians here resorted to preserving these lenses and preserving the legacy and quality they provide. By preserving the lenses inside the lens (since the lens is made up of a group of lenses arranged in a very precise geometric shape) and restructuring them within a new, durable body, this extends the life of these lenses and makes them more efficient for use with current technologies in cinema. The same applies to all the old lenses that have stopped being produced and must be preserved and their performance intact, such as the Canon K35 lenses, which were the first Canon lenses produced for the cinema lens line in the seventies.

3- Providing the advantages of cinema lenses to lenses that were intended for photography. One of the most important main points of the Rehousing process for old lenses is that it contributes to making the features of cinema lenses available to lenses that were used for photography. From this we mention that some of those old lenses contained an axis for changing the aperture of the lens that moved within stops and caused vibration and noise while changing the aperture of the lens. The same applies to the axis for changing the focus, as it was very short, meaning that we could only turn 30 degrees to exceed the full focus range. The focal point of the lens, while after performing the process of rehousing and reshaping the lens again, we will have a special gear for the focus capable of rotating up to 290 degrees, which allows us to control very precisely the positioning of the focus in the shot. The same applies to the lens aperture. The modification will allow us to have a special gear for the lens aperture to move easily and completely smoothly without emitting any sounds or vibrations, as is the case with professional cinema lenses, and both gears are suitable for control devices. Automatic or known as Wireless Lens Control Systems. 4- Acceptable price and availability, comparing old and reshaped lenses, in terms of price, to cinema lenses currently produced, for example, by Cooke Optics.

Or Arri, for example. We will find that there is a huge and significant difference in price. Of course, there are large differences in quality, but sometimes we may not have enough budget to rent a set of expensive lenses like the two examples mentioned, while Rehoused lenses may be considered a successful and good option in terms of renting or even buying, as the prices of these lenses with adjustment service start from $2000 and upwards, which is a number that is considered excellent for lenses capable of providing optical and visual quality. Excellent. 5- Investment: From this perspective, some production companies invest in purchasing a set of specific lenses, such as the Leica R and Canon K35, and send them to private companies for restructuring, so that those lenses return in a new form capable of entering the labor market in a different way. Production companies view this process as a profitable investment, especially if the company is able to obtain a set of distinctive and exclusive lenses.

A message from our partners. This article was presented to you with support from the FrameSet platform. You may have wondered about the source of the images and snapshots from the films in this post, and how we were able to collect all those images related to windows, in a way that serves our study today,

FrameSet

It is an integrated cinematic visual library for directors and directors of photography. It contains an archive of archived footage that is searchable according to several categories. It includes advertisements, video clips, and cinematic films, for more visual nutrition for filmmakers. You can browse the library for free and try it. You can also get a 25% discount by subscribing to the platform via our following link: Here is how do I get these lenses? There is a large group of companies specialized in restructuring lenses called Rehousing Lens

companies, some of these companies provide their own stores through which you can order lenses. They also provide a feature to communicate and send your lenses to transform them into cinema lenses with a new shape, body, and features. What are the best specialized companies? As I mentioned, there are many companies specialized in this field. Most of these companies are located in Ukraine, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, and the United States of America, and we mention among them: White Point Optics.

: Their Instagram account: Iron Glass Adapters

: Their Instagram account True Lens : Their Instagram account Cinema Glass : Their Instagram account How long does it take to get my lens/set of lenses? The period varies from one store to another. Some of these stores need 3 months to resend the lens, while others need 10 months and sometimes a full year. It depends on the type of lens, the store, and the issues and details agreed upon with the company, which will certainly be informed to you as soon as you contact the companies above.

What is the average price of this type of lenses? As I mentioned previously in the article, the mechanism of modifying and restructuring lenses, rehousing, is not an easy matter, and it includes technical and physical calculations to ensure a correct display of the image. Thus, we have to take into account the technical and professional cost when asking about the price, but in short, the actual cost of modifying and rehousing lenses starts from the range of $600 per lens up to $5,000 and more, and the cost may exceed more than that if you want to buy it pre-modified. You may have to contact the companies to ensure you receive a more accurate and detailed answer.

I hope that the article was as clear as possible and answered your questions about the meaning of the term Rehousing and what is the nature of reproduced and restructured lenses. I would like to remind you that if you find any questions, you can also send your inquiries by clicking on Contact Us, and you can also follow us through our account at