As we usher in the New Year 2023, we anticipate the emergence of new opportunities and growth. We are immensely grateful for the unwavering support and understanding of our esteemed clients who have remained faithful to us throughout the years. We assure you that we shall persistently strive to provide unparalleled rehousing services, with the goal of surpassing expectations in the coming year. Together, let us make 2023 a successful year for all.
In providing our services to various customers, we have encountered several challenges that needed to be addressed. While some of our clients have a comprehensive understanding of technical limitations, others may not. Nevertheless, our team has been working tirelessly to overcome such limitations by leveraging our technical expertise and resources. As we look forward to the new year, we hope to continue to improve and provide the best service possible.
We take pride in the fact that we are one of the few rehousing services that accept some of the most challenging lenses to rehouse, such as the Lomo OKC1-22-1 and OKC8-35-1. These lenses have extremely short back focal distances, so much so that the optical components are situated behind the PL mount. This poses numerous technical challenges for both the iris and focus mechanisms. As the optical block sits behind the PL mount and the lens itself is a wide-angle lens, the overall housing must be extremely compact to avoid blocking the field of view of the lens. However, this also means that the mechanism must be built around the optical block inside the PL mount, leaving only a few millimeters or less for other cosmetic parts such as the rear anti-reflective cone.
For instance, the OKC8-35-1, with its specially designed rear anti-reflective cone, is compatible with all cameras except those that use the Alexa mini’s PL mount. The only way to make it work with the mini is to remove the rear anti-refalective cone in order to gain more space and mount it. This is similar to the approach taken by other rehousers for their Canon Rangefinder 35mm f/0.95 rehoused lenses, and it is the only viable solution.
It is imperative to understand that these limitations are not solely a result of our housing design, but also dependent on the design of each individual lens. In most cases, these limitations cannot be overcome through rehousing. One must either compromise or completely change the donor lens. It is essential to be aware of these limitations prior to embarking on the rehousing process.
We have observed that when a well-known company performs a certain task, it is generally accepted as a standard. However, if we do the same thing and people are not aware that it has been done by a famous company before, they may criticize and demand changes. This is particularly challenging when people do not have faith in our work. It ultimately becomes another limitation in the rehousing process.
Yet another limitation is in the design of various components of our housings. Some parts must be at least 2mm thick in order to be stable enough to maintain accuracy after the machining process. This mainly depends on the machines used to make the parts. There are newer, advanced machines that are capable of producing very thin parts with large diameters (more than 70mm) such as 1mm or even less. However, our team does not have access to these types of machinery which can be expensive, costing up to $300,000 including cutting tools and advanced CAM software. Another possibility is outsourcing to a large workshop that owns these machines, but they often have minimum order quantities and require at least 100 pieces per design. This would cost at least $60,000 for a single lens design and it is not feasible for us to invest that much money per lens design and hope to sell 100 units. Additionally, each optical block can have slight variations such as the Lomo OKC1-75-1 which has at least two versions, one without front threads and one with front threads. This makes mass production (100 sets or more) not an ideal solution, especially when we cannot control the variations in the optical blocks.
In terms of human resources, our team currently comprises of two experienced and skilled technicians who are dedicated to providing the best rehousing services possible. We are continuously working on expanding our team in order to provide more efficient and timely services to our clients.
We understand that the rehousing process comes with its own set of limitations, but we assure you that our team is committed to working closely with our clients to provide the best possible solutions. We look forward to a prosperous and successful year 2023 together.
As we embark on the new year 2023, we are excited for the new opportunities and growth it brings, and remain grateful for the support of our valued customers. We assure you that we will continue to provide the best rehousing service possible, with the goal of exceeding expectations in the coming year. We understand that the rehousing process comes with its own set of limitations, but our team is committed to working closely with our clients to provide the best possible solutions. We hope to continue to improve and deliver the best service possible in the new year, and we look forward to working with you to make 2023 a successful year for all!