Re: Large Format Lens Question. Low tech answer

Hi John,

Very interesting to find someone else using about the same things!

Reading glasses can be readily available in DOLLAR stores here for $1 a piece, in +1 to +3 strengths. Putting them on cardboard boxes as lenses and expose onto paper negatives works great, even indoors in dim light since apertures can be as wide as the diameter of the lenses. Sure beats pinhole in terms of flexibility.

Used in reverse, reading glasses can give you images akin to the famous huge prints by Sally Mann.

Sam Wang

>Hi Barbara,
> You can make a very, very, very cheap lens that with cover a 10x8 format by
>using two 1000 mm (1 diopter = 1000mm)(together make 500mm) spectacle meniscus
>lenses, together and stopping down greatly(aperture the diameter of a pencil)
>to give greater edge to edge sharpness. They are obtainable from an optical
>suppliers and can be made of either glass or acrylic. The glass ones are
>cheaper. This would enable you to begin using your large format Deardorf camera for
>landscape work, still life, portrait at least. I have used this lens
>arrangement with a cardboard box and paper negatives. The results were surprising and
>very acceptable to say the least. Also used with 10x8 Devere studio duo -rail
>that weighs a ton. The cardboard packing box on top of my car held down with a
>house brick results were as good as the more sophistcated setup. No shutter
>is required. Just a cap over the lens. About five seconds exposure. If I
>remember correctly the two lenses cost me about eight dollars (five pounds). They
>are still in use at present with a 12``x 16`` format swing back camera which
>took me most of last year to build. Good luck with your work.
> Best wishes from London. John Grocott
Received on Fri Feb 25 07:10:53 2005