Simmod Lens has announced the Simmod LPL mount, a new standard for cinema lens mounts for vintage lenses. With the same standard LPL lens mount and camera mount adapter, vintage lenses can be adapted to various cameras.
LPL stands for ‘large positive lock,’ indicating the various lenses being able to be ‘locked in’ to the cameras.
Canon FD/nFD, Leica R, Nikon F (Al/AIS), Olympus OM, Mamiya Secor C 645, Contax/Yashica vintage lenses, for example, can be adapted to LPL mount using the company’s SIMPL interchangeable mount kit. For camera side compatibility, LPL to RF, LPL to Sony E, LPL to L mount, or LPL to PL, a lens-to-body adapter can be purchased for mirrorless camera mounts. Powerful and secure, this enables a flexible LPL lens mount solution.
By standardizing on LPL, the same lens can be mounted on ARRI Alexa Mini LF or Alexa 35 or Sony A7S III, FX6, Canon R5 and many other cameras. This makes the Simmod SIMple LPL mount system a practical solution to protect large investments in cameras and lenses.
Installation of the SIMple LPL conversion is easy and can be done by the user. The first step is to remove a few native screws and mount the LPL conversion directly over the native mount, then just reinstall the screws.
To round out the look and feel of each lens, SIMple Fit follow focus gears, 80mm or 85mm outer diameter front cine rings, and even cine lens caps can be installed. For Canon FD lenses, users can also install a redesigned Edmika Dampened Controlled Gear (DCG) aperture ring for more precise declick iris control.
Simmod LPL and ARRI – Ultimate Universal Mount
Before the Simmod Lens SIMple LPL conversion, the PL mount was the standard option when users wanted to modify vintage still lenses for general purpose use with top-end cinema, professional and mirrorless cameras. However, this means that most vintage still lenses require expensive full cine rehousing or PL conversion only with expensive custom mounts. By self-fitting the Simmod SIMple LPL mount, users get all the benefits of positive locking and high compatibility without the unnecessary expense.
The ARRI LPL (remember, LPL means Large Positive Lock) Mount is an innovative universal lens mount designed specifically for digital capture. The mount is sconsidered the first of its kind to address the limitations of the PL mount. The LPL mount is designed to work with larger sensors and has a wider diameter than the PL mount (62mm vs. 55mm for the PL mount). The mount is featured on the ARRI Alexa LF, Mini LF, Alexa 65 and Alexa 35. Sony Venice/Venice 2 and most RED DSMC2 and DSMC3 cameras are also compatible with the LPL mount.
The shorter flange focal length of 44mm compared to 52mm and the increased depth enabled the new Simmod SIMple LPL conversion of vintage lenses. It also features a locking mechanism that ensures a secure and stable connection between the lens and camera body. The mechanism is native to Alexa Mini LF, Alexa LF, Alexa 65 and Alexa 35, as well as Sony Venice and RED DSMC2 and DSMC3 cameras with optional mounts or adapters.
Ron Sim, founder of Simmod Lens, commented:
Mr. Sim: Over the years, we have received countless inquiries about converting certain vintage lenses to PL. Because it is not possible with a simple conversion. Meeting the PL lens flange distance of 52mm usually requires an expensive full rehouse. With the introduction of ARRI’s LPL mount, the flange distance has been shortened to 44mm, expanding the possibilities for vintage lens conversion.
We have spent the last 10 months developing SIMple LPL conversion kits for our most popular vintage lenses. Most vintage lenses have already converted to EF and the EF mount also has a 44mm flange.
The Simmod Lens SIMple conversion kit does not change the optics or the capacity to fully reassemble the lens at a later date.
New LPL Adapter for Mirrorless Cameras
Converting a vintage lens to LPL requires an LPL adapter to connect to the camera. The LPL adapters on the market today are expensive and prohibitive for most end-users. To solve this problem, Simmod Lens decided to launch its own professional-grade LPL adapter at a lower price than current alternatives. Each adapter available for LPL to Sony E, LPL to RF, LPL to L mount, and LPL to PL is made of brass and stainless steel.
The adapter is anodized with a non-reflective, non-ghosting black finish and includes a shim. Each adapter has removable “ears” to give additional “leverage” when rotating the locking collar. These tabs can also reverse if additional clearance is required for a particular lens.
Mr. Sim’s commitment to the project, and his collaboration with ARRI to make it happen, was born out of his desire to democratize filmmaking.
Mr. Sim: We truly believe that LPL is the professional mounting solution the industry needs. As part of Simmod Lens’ ongoing commitment to creating professional solutions for everyone, we are honored to bring this to an even wider user base.
