Kollmorgen BX241 Super Snaplite 35mm Projection Lens 3.25in f/1.9 Cinema

Kollmorgen BX241 Super Snaplite 35mm Projection Lens 3.25in f/1.9 Cinema

The Kollmorgen BX241 is a Super Snaplite series 35mm cinema projection lens manufactured by Kollmorgen Optical Corp. in Brooklyn, New York. It carries a fast f/1.9 maximum aperture and a 3.25-inch focal length, designed for bright, sharp projection in 35mm film presentation environments. The brass barrel is engraved with the model designation and optical specs.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Kollmorgen Optical Corp., Brooklyn, N.Y., USA
• Series: Super Snaplite
• Model: BX-241
• Film format: 35mm
• Focal length: 3.25 inches
• Maximum aperture: f/1.9
• Barrel length: 4.75 inches
• Front lens element: 1.75 in diameter, clear — threaded barrel interior approx. 2 in
• Rear lens element: 1.5 in diameter, clear — threaded barrel interior approx. 1.625 in
• Mount: threaded barrel
• Lens elements: clear, no scratches or haze
• Threads: intact, not stripped
• Lens only — no manual, case, or accessories

Applications

The Kollmorgen Super Snaplite series was a well-regarded line of high-speed cinema projection lenses used in commercial movie theaters and film projection booths throughout the mid-to-late 20th century. The fast f/1.9 aperture was designed to maximize light throughput for large-screen 35mm projection, enabling bright images even with the arc lamp projectors common in the era. These lenses were used in equipment such as Century, Simplex, and Norelco projectors, among others, and were a standard tool of professional 35mm film exhibition. Today they are sought by vintage projection enthusiasts, film archive facilities still running 35mm print programs, and collectors of classic optical equipment. Kollmorgen Optical Corp. was known for precision optical manufacturing and served both the cinema and military optics markets.