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Angénieux 3×70 mm ƒ/3.5
What is it?
This zoom has been elaborated and producted in 1984 by Angénieux, a world class french optical firm.
It was one of the last products aimed at still photography... nowadays, only movie lenses (apart from glasses for special purposes and military applications) are sold.
That reminds Kinoptik's situation...
I chose to dedicate it a webpage, as it's both a french and R-mount engineered lens.
Here we are with a variable focal lenght lens (3×70 mm = 70-210 mm) for 24×36 SLR.
Its siblings, released at about the same period, are: a 2×35 mm ƒ/2.5, a 180 mm ƒ/2.3 Apochromat and a 200 mm ƒ/2.8 Apochromat too.
The elder being the 45-90 mm ƒ/2.8, made for the Leicaflex.
Here's a nice FAQ.
Toward the beast
First contact... it's kind of "cheap"!
Contrasting with Wetzlar products. It's more like nowadays' "all plastic" equipments. But that keeps the weight low.
The lens has been released in several mounts:
– Leica R (3 cams)
– Canon FD
– Nikon AI-S
– Minolta X
– Pentax K
Early review (in French):
Chasseur d'Image n°62, May 1984
Click to enlarge
Pictures
Sample pix:
Where to find one?
You can purchase those lenses from online sellers, like eBay, or from IRL point of sale as, if you're in Paris, those of Boulevard Beaumarchais (between place de la Bastille and place de la République).
Don't forget FS sub-fora. I got mine this way.
Further learnings
Good initiative.
A second to none book – an encyclopædia actually – comes to my mind: ANGÉNIEUX – Made in Saint-Héand, Loire, France by Patrice-Hervé Pont, edited by Le Pécari (also available in English).
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