ULT Lenses etc.,
Grafist@aol.com
Sat, 14 Dec 1996 16:24:42 -0500
Hi Ultra-lowtechists, Russell Young wrote his optician
charged him $20 each for plastic lenses. Scandalous ! ! The lenses I used
were $4 PER PAIR were made in Mexico and marketed by American Optical Corp.,
Southbridge, MA. USA 01550....and then imported into UK.
Also, ref. Robert Newcomb^s question of diameter
/dioptre.........the lenses used were standard 60mm dimeter spectacle lenses,
altho any diameter would suffice using an aperture of approx f80 (a pencil
hole thru c/b taped to front of lenses which themselves are taped together at
the edges).......just stick it all together. The results will blow your mind
and make you feel like giving your Schneider Kreuznachs to your kids to play
with. You already do...........?. I would do if I had any S K^s.
The Formica template for film holders was designed around a
10" X 8" piece of paper and the holes made to mark out accurately by pushing
pins through to the mount board ( five sheets cut to form frames in steps to
hold film, then a space of one thickness, then the rebate to take the slide (
also the same board ).Keep the whole sheet pinned down througthout while
marking AND cutting....AND pin down steel edge ruler. It^s a little fiddly
working out the precise sizes but when its all stuck together accurately with
strong adhesive, and sand papered to round off the edges of the slides they
really are light tight and really do work well. I guess some one must have,
already, thought of this simple single c/b version of the the double dark
slide which price is prohibitive to people with modest assets. Actually, I
was lucky enough to find four proper, heavy duty plastic D/D ^s covered in
cement dust at $2 each in a junk shop...........a real bargain, after
cleaning up, but I never use them. Also, I do possess a twin rail Devere 10"
X 8" but never use that either as its too heavy to carry around London on the
Underground, but it looks nice in a studio. The Cream Cracker camera goes
into a large shopping bag and loaded with pan film (developed in Diafine for
max. speed) can be used for" hand held" shots supported by anything at hand.
THE GROUND GLASS is a 2mm plastic sheet mounted in a holder
which slides in place of film holder. I understand the thinking is still in
terms of the commercial camera designs with spring backs. That mechanism is
not absolutely necessary, is it? But a nice touch,admittedly, if you want to
spend out on the bells and whistles.
I suggest the simple version should be made and used, first.
Its a good idea to always carry on your person a spring steel rule for
measuring for the photo suitability of scrap containers.
I may include very detailed instructions with diagrams for
various ULT photo equipment in my book on DCG. Thus the title will be " DCG
Photo Printmaking and ULT Equipment" or simply "DCG and ULT. Original
Photographistics."...............dream on......... See
you later John Grocott ftgrfst