Meyer Gorlitz Kinon Superior I f=5cm Projector Lens Test and Review
- Mohsen Jalali
- Apr 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 28
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Welcome to Googool.com, where we test only the best of the antique lenses that we get our hands on. We decided to choose this beautiful Meyer Gorlitz 5cm projector lens – which, by the way, is one of the most wanted antiquities in the lens market – in the first post that we’re writing on our blog.
As you see in the photos, it’s a pretty simple lens with a straightforward barrel that was taken off an old projector. Regarding the production year of this lens, our best estimation is that it was manufactured between the two World Wars, somewhere in 1920s and 30s, as the markings and names used on it were mostly used by Meyer Gorlitz before WWII.
Stills
We placed this lens on a Nikon Z7 using a tubular mount, set the camera on aperture mode with “vivid colors” profile and tested it. As seen in the amazing photos below, it gives a very spectacular swirly bokeh with a very shallow depth of field. This projector lens lacks aperture blades, so the f-stop is at the widest possible in all the stills and videos. It is noteworthy that we only did very, very minor edits on the photos to preserve the originality of the shots.
As you can see in these still shots, the lens gives a very characterful bokeh, with a rather smooth transition to the out of focus areas, and in the edges of the shot, a swirly bokeh.
In the meantime, the shallow depth of field, while making it more difficult to maintain focus, smoothly separates the subject from the background.
Swirly Bokeh
The spectacular swirly bokeh of this lens is more visible in the next shots.
Black and White Photography
Many photography enthusiasts are highly interested in monochrome or black and white photography. It strips away color to give more emphasis on form, light, texture, and composition, transforming a literal scene into an abstract interpretation. By removing the distraction of color, it creates a timeless, dramatic, and emotionally profound image that invites deeper viewer engagement. Here are a handful of the black and white photos.
Videography
Here are some of the samples of videos recorded by this lens mounted on a Nikon Z7. Similar to the stills, a minor light and color correction has been made but no major edits have been done. We intentionally didn't crop the video to preserve the swirly boke effect that it gives. Feel free to click on videos to watch them in higher quality.
Infrared Photography
We were thinking about taking one more step ahead and do infrared photography. And then we thought, why not? We went on and installed it on an infrared modified Nikon Z7. The results were as interesting as it could get. Take a look at the results. The swirly bokeh specific to this lens is more visible in the close-ups than wider photos. Nevertheless, the infinity focus on the airplane in the last photo along with focusing on the foliage gives an artistic taste to the result.
Infrared Videography
The infrared videos turned out to be even dreamier than the color videos. One more interesting thing about this lens!
Flare
The last, but not the least, characteristic of vintage lenses that we test is their flare. Flares can add character to photos and videos and create specific sensualities from an artistic point of view. It seems that although flare is not the sharpest tool in its quiver, it still has a one-of-a-kind character when it comes to flares. Take a look at the results.
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