Wollensak Raptar 3 inch F/4 Cine Telephoto C-Mount Lens 75mm Movie Camera

Wollensak Raptar 3 inch F/4 Cine Telephoto C-Mount Lens 75mm Movie Camera

The Wollensak Raptar 3" (approximately 75mm) F/4 Cine Telephoto is an American-made C-mount lens designed for 16mm motion picture cameras. Built by Wollensak Optical of Rochester, New York, the Raptar line was a workhorse of mid-20th century industrial, scientific, and documentary cinematography. This telephoto focal length provides subject compression and reach well beyond a standard lens, making it well suited to tight framing at distance.

Specifications & What's Included

• Brand: Wollensak Optical Co.
• Lens series: Raptar Cine Telephoto
• Focal length: 3 inches (approximately 75mm)
• Maximum aperture: f/4
• Mount: C-mount (1" x 32 TPI threaded)
• Focus scale: marked in feet
• Aperture ring: knurled, smoothly actuating
• Focus ring: knurled, full manual focus
• Construction: all-metal chrome barrel
• Lens coatings: coated elements (blue tint visible on front glass)
• Serial number: N1958248
• Included: lens only — no caps, case, or accessories

Applications

C-mount lenses like the Wollensak Raptar were the standard glass for 16mm cine cameras from the 1940s through the 1970s — used in cameras from Bolex, Bell & Howell, Paillard, and many others. The C-mount standard (1" x 32 TPI) was nearly universal in the 16mm world, and the Raptar line was Wollensak's professional-grade offering for that market. Today, C-mount lenses enjoy a strong second life: the C-mount's short flange distance makes it adaptable to many modern mirrorless camera systems (Micro Four Thirds, Sony E-mount, and others) with inexpensive adapters, and vintage cine lenses are actively sought by filmmakers and photographers for their distinctive rendering character — soft bokeh, subtle vignetting, and the warm quality that modern lenses deliberately avoid. A 3" telephoto in C-mount is especially useful on Micro Four Thirds bodies, where the crop factor brings the effective field of view to approximately 150mm equivalent — a natural portrait and medium-telephoto reach. Collectors and cinematographers working with period-correct 16mm equipment also value these lenses for restoration and active film shooting.