Could someone enlighten me as to where to find these type lenses? Do the cine lenses offer image quality over the typical, say CV M lenses, for video or stills? And which format will cover the m4/3 frame? I've heard the "C" lenses have too small image circle.
These are lenses primarily used in industrial applications for machine vision, or for CCTV. There are quite a few manufacturers and suppliers out there for these. For the most part you want 1" lenses. Here's a link to some C-mount lens coverage:
C-mount compatibility
I would like to take an example or 2 of the most popular ones and lathe fit it to a common adapter to see whats involved.
The issue with that is each lens is pretty much different in terms of their mount. I have a Cosmicar 12.5 and a Computar 12.5, and they have different machining requirements. On the other hand, there are a number of different C-mount adapters available for m4/3, each with their own clearances and machining requirements. I'm using a Kipon adapter, which is lower profile thus allowing me to machine less off the lens mount. Other adapters require more machining.
Short answer: there's a LOT of different combinations of lens mounts and available adapters, so it'll have to be a custom job for each lens.
I'm looking to buy a small hobby lathe to try and machine my mounts (and for other hobby stuff), but it'll be a while before I actually make the purchase to try it (gave up buying photo gear for Lent...).