Another day, another strange lens to add to my growing collection. The PZO Janpol Color-K 55/5.6, is a Polish enlarger lens, with integral colour CMYK filters built in. I had first seen this oddity online, possibly in the hands of an inspirational french experimental photographer -
Mathieu Stern. Stern first came to my attention many years ago, when I began to use projector or found lenses on my camera, to achieve various effects. He has recently written an ebook on the use and customisation of projector lenses, but is very active on social media, especially Youtube, with his weird and wonderful techniques.
The Janpol lens is a 55mm with a max aperture of 5.6 and a minimum of 16, with three stops. On each side is a knob which when rotated, moves an internal colour filter into position. The knobs have gradations of effect and can be used in tandem. It dates from 1965 and was intended for enlargers using 35mm film and also for copy work.
The standard M42 mount meant it was a straightfrorward fit on my Samsung NX camera, using the universal adaptor. The only snag was the flange distance was a little longer than a standard 50mm, so to achieve infinity focus took a little experimentation. In the end, I discovered that as the thread on the lens was quite deep, when fully tightened, it was too close to the sensor, so I had to make some kind of arrangement to secure the lens without fully screwing it into the adaptor ring. An elastic band around the thread allowed the lens to move forward slightly, whilst still gripping the adaptor enough to prevent movement. Now that I have identified a comfortable seating for the lens, which allows sharpness and security, I will make a more permanent collar to fit on the thread.
Taking the lens on a quick test drive this morning, the field of view is good and the sharpness overall is excellent. With both filters set to the '0' point, the lens functions as normal.
Rotating each of the filters in turn gives a clean Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key. A mix of two tints can be achieved by using both dials in tandem, to give a striking pop art effect.
The lens comes packed in a robust wooden case, with an unusual perspex cover on the front of the lens. Im looking forward to using it shortly, when the proliferation of christmas lights and decorations allow for some interesting compositions!
