This 50mm f/4 lens was used by both Montage and Lasergraphics in Digital Film Recorders (DFRs) in the late 80s to early 90s. Unfortunately I wasted 30 minutes of my life with this one, not to mention the wasted funds, and I’m only sharing my findings to hopefully save others from making the same mistake I did with this lens. Do yourself a favor, don’t buy one and just forget about it. I need to mention that not all film recorder lenses are bad, the Lasergraphics High MTF lens is excellent, one of the best performing 50mm lenses we’ve ever had here in the office.
This 50mm f/4 lens did make the Hall of Shame, also known as the not recommended list: https://www.closeuphotography.com/not-recommended-list
What’s a Digital Film recorder (DFR)? This FR1 lens would display a computer slideshow image on a 4 or 5 inch CRT and reduce the image onto 35mm film to be used in business presentation slideshow. These units were very expensive, the FR1 unit was over $6000 in 1988. Some DFR models from Lasergraphics were right around $20, 000 new. Some industrial DFR units made by MGI were $40K USD in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Montage 50mm f/4 FR1 Lens FACTS FIRST:
47mm f/4.2
Threaded cylinder body
Proprietary mounting threads
This lens can also found in some Lasergraphics LFR models
Full frame sensor coverage
Factory magnification: 0.28x - 0.41x
Tested in reverse at 2.4x - 3.5x
Chromatic aberrations issues (see the example below)
Color fringing issues (see the example below)
3.5x Sample Image: Black nylon
Montage FR1 brochure
Any comments or questions, send me a message.