Your Wierdest Lens? -and- A Lens You'd Never Own?

eddie1960 · 05-11-2012, 11:36 AM

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Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

I tried this in about 1982-3 era. My attempt did not turn out as wellas this, I think I took one photo with it, that is all.

One big benefit of digital it makes these crazy hacks easier to implement i think. you can shoot then fine tune then shoot again. not practical on film at all

**G_Money** · 05-13-2012, 03:12 AM

Originally posted by Lloydy

Door security viewer pushed through a hole hacked in a lens cap with a penknife and then place on the front of any old lens that it'll fit ! That gets some strange looks out on the streets.

You win, Lloydy! Unless somebody's got a modified endoscope.

magkelly · 05-13-2012, 10:39 AM

I have these two old video camera lenses that belonged to my Grandpa apparently. They make neat paperweights. Lens I would never own? Anything that costs more than $200, seriously. I can't afford lenses that expensive and tend to regard them as these strange foreign objects that other people get to put on their cameras. Actually, I thought about it a bit and decided to get even more specific. Fish eye lenses. Have no use for them. Strange beasts, and the pics they make just make me dizzy to look at. Don't like them at all.

RioRico · 05-13-2012, 11:04 AM

Originally posted by G_Money

You win, Lloydy! Unless somebody's got a modified endoscope.

Well, now that you mention it...

No, I sold that one. An Olympus something-or-other.

But jamming stuff into body or lens caps is pretty easy. That's how I've adapted Argus C3-mount lenses to PK, and odd glass for bellows use, no problem. One repurposing: get a thrift-store Polaroid camera -- those are medium-format, you know, with lenses in the 100mm neighborhood. Disassemble camera. Remove lens. Cut hole in body cap. Insert lens. Put cap+lens on extension. Wail!

Lloydy · 05-13-2012, 01:43 PM

Originally posted by G_Money

You win, Lloydy! Unless somebody's got a modified endoscope.

my 'dealer' was trying to sell me on a few weeks ago, and industrial thing that had over 20 feet of tubes ! I resisted, even for £10 I resisted.

**Kerrowdown** · 05-13-2012, 03:53 PM

Originally posted by Michaelina2

Probably the various lenses specifically designed to produce a soft focus. I don't need any help there

Your comment made me laugh out loud, thanks for that.

Abbazz · 05-14-2012, 12:09 PM

Originally posted by RioRico

But jamming stuff into body or lens caps is pretty easy. That's how I've adapted Argus C3-mount lenses to PK, and odd glass for bellows use, no problem. One repurposing: get a thrift-store Polaroid camera -- those are medium-format, you know, with lenses in the 100mm neighborhood. Disassemble camera. Remove lens. Cut hole in body cap. Insert lens. Put cap+lens on extension. Wail!

Speaking of jamming stuff inside camera holes, let me introduce my ultimate weapon. It's not really a lens, it's some clever (?) contraption that allows almost any lens being mounted in front of my Pentax DSLRs:

It's based on a Russian PZF bellows (available for cheap on eBay). The big advantage of this bellows is that it's quite compact and light but it has nevertheless a 30cm max extension. Since the bellows comes in M42 mount, you'll need an M42 to Pentax K adapter ring as well.

Now for the weird part. It's called an universal iris lensholder. It is able to accommodate any lens in any mount up to a diameter of 56mm (there are bigger holders with a capacity of 78mm, but they won't fit on a macro bellows). The diaphragm opening destined to hold the lens mount is controlled with the help of two knobs. The one on the right is to adjust the diameter and the one on the left is to lock the opening once the correct diameter has been selected:

Here it is holding an old 58/2.4 Takumar lens in 39mm mount:

Here's the bellows maximum extension:

Cheers!

Abbazz

eddie1960 · 05-14-2012, 12:11 PM

Rico needs one of those (h*ll he probably has one

)

**TER-OR** · 05-14-2012, 01:28 PM

My most unusual lens is the 1970-vintage Vivitar non-mirror 500mm telephoto. It looks great, and when everything works well it takes outstanding images. Keep rate is pretty low, and it must be tripod mounted. Of course, modern DSLRs are much heavier than the old film bodies so it shifts the center of gravity back past the mounting point... It does work better with the split-focus screen in my K-10 but even so, it's a real tough beast which gathers a fair amount of attention if I use it in public. The cast aluminum hood has a chunk missing from a drop well before I bought it.

I probably won't bother using any of the old 135mm manual lenses or the old 70-200 zooms which came with the old cameras I have.

RioRico · 05-14-2012, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by eddie1960

Rico needs one of those (h*ll he probably has one

)

[/me no have]
[/me want]

comp_wiz101 · 05-15-2012, 12:04 AM

#1 - My Pentacon 300/4.
It's a 1970s lens, originally made for medium format, but fitted with a giant cone on the back at the factory for M42 mount. Since then, I had it machined down to fit a flanged PK adapter and still focus to infinity. Manually stopped aperture has a beautiful 32(approx) blade iris.
It weighs 5.5 pounds, is slow to focus, and awkward...I have to shoot with a gunstock or tripod. But when it's in focus, it's a real gem.

#2 - Just about any mirror lens.
Where to start? The uneven exposure, the shallow DOF, fixed aperture, fiddly focusing... nope. Can't stand 'em.

RioRico · 05-15-2012, 07:06 AM

Wait, I have another #1 candidate: the Industar-58 75/3.5 enlarger lens, a massive assembly for a tiny bit of glass, like here: Industar-58 f/3.5/75mm. Rear size 55mm. s/n 820790. | eBay. Typical 75/3.5 ELs weigh under 100g; the I-58 is almost 500g. I glued-on a cheap PK macro tube section as the mount, for a 1.5m fixed focus. It's wizard for headshot portraits. But because of the intimidating horn, rather like a blunderbuss aimed into your face, all subject expressions are a bit nervous, apprehensive, strained. It's perfect for photographing suspects.

Joe Nation · 05-16-2012, 02:07 AM

My two weirdest are my Lensbaby and my FA 17-28 fisheye zoom. Not weird at all compared to some...

I don't think I'll be buying any zooms any time soon, I just enjoy the constraint of shooting primes (the 17-28 I only really use at 17mm, and I've kept my 55-300 only because it's the longest lens I have).

wombat2go · 05-18-2012, 06:48 PM

What about the wierd lenses we don't understand?
While making some M4/3 PK mounts I realized that some old zoom lenses have a rear "macro ring" which actually changes the register of the whole set of groups.
This is an old Sun-Zoom 39~90mm which is built of aluminum and heavier than the camera body and with a 67mm filter thread. This copy is in perfect condition, I don't know what year it is.
All 3 rings are of large diameter and very smooth and heavily damped.
I see many complaining about "soft" zooms.
So with this old Sun-Zoom, I set focus to infinity. Now zoom as required, then use the "Macro ring" with the Magnifier M to sharpen that thing up as finely as I can.
https://www.box.com/s/7426cecc84c150986055

Maybe I will use it a bit more often now, especially low light, wide open, close in.

RioRico · 05-22-2012, 09:23 PM

Originally posted by wombat2go

So with this old Sun-Zoom, I set focus to infinity. Now zoom as required, then use the "Macro ring" with the Magnifier M to sharpen that thing up as finely as I can.

That sounds about as tricky to use as my Schneider Betavaron. Do you have pics of the lens?

Other weirdness candidates:

* My Loreo 35/5.6-64 lens-in-a-cap just arrived today, accompanied by the Lubot 10x macro attachment. Preliminary shots look promising if unexpected.

* The Sigma-made 12mm f/8-11-16 fisheye lens variously branded as Vemar, Spiratone, Vivitar etc. Full-circle FE on FF, most of a circle on APS. Is fixed-focus, with Waterhouse-stop aperture. Are two versions, distinguished by the lens cap. V1 has a one-piece bowl-shaped metal cap. V2 (which I have) has two-piece cap: a 2cm-high metal rim, and a flat cap. Leave the rim on the lens for sharply-defined image edge.

* A screw-on device, neither lens nor adapter, more like half a periscope. It's for shooting a right angles to where the lens is pointed, and about as disconcerting to use as a waist-level finder. This is a cheap 'spy' tool. But it's hard to be stealthy when you're aiming into a wall while the subject is off to the side.

05-13-2012, 10:39 AM	#33
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	I have these two old video camera lenses that belonged to my Grandpa apparently. They make neat paperweights. Lens I would never own? Anything that costs more than $200, seriously. I can't afford lenses that expensive and tend to regard them as these strange foreign objects that other people get to put on their cameras. Actually, I thought about it a bit and decided to get even more specific. Fish eye lenses. Have no use for them. Strange beasts, and the pics they make just make me dizzy to look at. Don't like them at all. Last edited by magkelly; 05-16-2012 at 03:16 AM.

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05-11-2012, 11:36 AM	#31
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Originally posted by Lowell Goudge I tried this in about 1982-3 era. My attempt did not turn out as wellas this, I think I took one photo with it, that is all. One big benefit of digital it makes these crazy hacks easier to implement i think. you can shoot then fine tune then shoot again. not practical on film at all

05-13-2012, 03:12 AM	#32
G_Money Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 598	Originally posted by Lloydy Door security viewer pushed through a hole hacked in a lens cap with a penknife and then place on the front of any old lens that it'll fit ! That gets some strange looks out on the streets. You win, Lloydy! Unless somebody's got a modified endoscope.

05-13-2012, 11:04 AM	#34
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263 Original Poster	Originally posted by G_Money You win, Lloydy! Unless somebody's got a modified endoscope. Well, now that you mention it... No, I sold that one. An Olympus something-or-other. But jamming stuff into body or lens caps is pretty easy. That's how I've adapted Argus C3-mount lenses to PK, and odd glass for bellows use, no problem. One repurposing: get a thrift-store Polaroid camera -- those are medium-format, you know, with lenses in the 100mm neighborhood. Disassemble camera. Remove lens. Cut hole in body cap. Insert lens. Put cap+lens on extension. Wail!

05-13-2012, 01:43 PM	#35
Lloydy Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Shropshire, UK Posts: 1,114	Originally posted by G_Money You win, Lloydy! Unless somebody's got a modified endoscope. my 'dealer' was trying to sell me on a few weeks ago, and industrial thing that had over 20 feet of tubes ! I resisted, even for £10 I resisted.

05-13-2012, 03:53 PM	#36
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,804	Originally posted by Michaelina2 Probably the various lenses specifically designed to produce a soft focus. I don't need any help there Your comment made me laugh out loud, thanks for that.

05-14-2012, 12:09 PM	#37
Abbazz Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jakarta Posts: 667	Originally posted by RioRico But jamming stuff into body or lens caps is pretty easy. That's how I've adapted Argus C3-mount lenses to PK, and odd glass for bellows use, no problem. One repurposing: get a thrift-store Polaroid camera -- those are medium-format, you know, with lenses in the 100mm neighborhood. Disassemble camera. Remove lens. Cut hole in body cap. Insert lens. Put cap+lens on extension. Wail! Speaking of jamming stuff inside camera holes, let me introduce my ultimate weapon. It's not really a lens, it's some clever (?) contraption that allows almost any lens being mounted in front of my Pentax DSLRs: It's based on a Russian PZF bellows (available for cheap on eBay). The big advantage of this bellows is that it's quite compact and light but it has nevertheless a 30cm max extension. Since the bellows comes in M42 mount, you'll need an M42 to Pentax K adapter ring as well. Now for the weird part. It's called an universal iris lensholder. It is able to accommodate any lens in any mount up to a diameter of 56mm (there are bigger holders with a capacity of 78mm, but they won't fit on a macro bellows). The diaphragm opening destined to hold the lens mount is controlled with the help of two knobs. The one on the right is to adjust the diameter and the one on the left is to lock the opening once the correct diameter has been selected: Here it is holding an old 58/2.4 Takumar lens in 39mm mount: Here's the bellows maximum extension: Cheers! Abbazz

05-14-2012, 12:11 PM	#38
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Rico needs one of those (h*ll he probably has one )

05-14-2012, 01:28 PM	#39
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	My most unusual lens is the 1970-vintage Vivitar non-mirror 500mm telephoto. It looks great, and when everything works well it takes outstanding images. Keep rate is pretty low, and it must be tripod mounted. Of course, modern DSLRs are much heavier than the old film bodies so it shifts the center of gravity back past the mounting point... It does work better with the split-focus screen in my K-10 but even so, it's a real tough beast which gathers a fair amount of attention if I use it in public. The cast aluminum hood has a chunk missing from a drop well before I bought it. I probably won't bother using any of the old 135mm manual lenses or the old 70-200 zooms which came with the old cameras I have.

05-14-2012, 02:00 PM	#40
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263 Original Poster	Originally posted by eddie1960 Rico needs one of those (h*ll he probably has one ) [/me no have] [/me want]

05-15-2012, 12:04 AM	#41
comp_wiz101 New Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Chilliwack Posts: 17	#1 - My Pentacon 300/4. It's a 1970s lens, originally made for medium format, but fitted with a giant cone on the back at the factory for M42 mount. Since then, I had it machined down to fit a flanged PK adapter and still focus to infinity. Manually stopped aperture has a beautiful 32(approx) blade iris. It weighs 5.5 pounds, is slow to focus, and awkward...I have to shoot with a gunstock or tripod. But when it's in focus, it's a real gem. #2 - Just about any mirror lens. Where to start? The uneven exposure, the shallow DOF, fixed aperture, fiddly focusing... nope. Can't stand 'em.

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05-15-2012, 07:06 AM	#42
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263 Original Poster	Wait, I have another #1 candidate: the Industar-58 75/3.5 enlarger lens, a massive assembly for a tiny bit of glass, like here: Industar-58 f/3.5/75mm. Rear size 55mm. s/n 820790. \| eBay. Typical 75/3.5 ELs weigh under 100g; the I-58 is almost 500g. I glued-on a cheap PK macro tube section as the mount, for a 1.5m fixed focus. It's wizard for headshot portraits. But because of the intimidating horn, rather like a blunderbuss aimed into your face, all subject expressions are a bit nervous, apprehensive, strained. It's perfect for photographing suspects.

05-16-2012, 02:07 AM	#43
Joe Nation Forum Member Join Date: May 2011 Photos: Albums Posts: 61	My two weirdest are my Lensbaby and my FA 17-28 fisheye zoom. Not weird at all compared to some... I don't think I'll be buying any zooms any time soon, I just enjoy the constraint of shooting primes (the 17-28 I only really use at 17mm, and I've kept my 55-300 only because it's the longest lens I have).

05-18-2012, 06:48 PM	#44
wombat2go Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Michigan Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,207	What about the wierd lenses we don't understand? While making some M4/3 PK mounts I realized that some old zoom lenses have a rear "macro ring" which actually changes the register of the whole set of groups. This is an old Sun-Zoom 39~90mm which is built of aluminum and heavier than the camera body and with a 67mm filter thread. This copy is in perfect condition, I don't know what year it is. All 3 rings are of large diameter and very smooth and heavily damped. I see many complaining about "soft" zooms. So with this old Sun-Zoom, I set focus to infinity. Now zoom as required, then use the "Macro ring" with the Magnifier M to sharpen that thing up as finely as I can. https://www.box.com/s/7426cecc84c150986055 Maybe I will use it a bit more often now, especially low light, wide open, close in.

05-22-2012, 09:23 PM	#45
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263 Original Poster	Originally posted by wombat2go So with this old Sun-Zoom, I set focus to infinity. Now zoom as required, then use the "Macro ring" with the Magnifier M to sharpen that thing up as finely as I can. That sounds about as tricky to use as my Schneider Betavaron. Do you have pics of the lens? Other weirdness candidates: * My Loreo 35/5.6-64 lens-in-a-cap just arrived today, accompanied by the Lubot 10x macro attachment. Preliminary shots look promising if unexpected. * The Sigma-made 12mm f/8-11-16 fisheye lens variously branded as Vemar, Spiratone, Vivitar etc. Full-circle FE on FF, most of a circle on APS. Is fixed-focus, with Waterhouse-stop aperture. Are two versions, distinguished by the lens cap. V1 has a one-piece bowl-shaped metal cap. V2 (which I have) has two-piece cap: a 2cm-high metal rim, and a flat cap. Leave the rim on the lens for sharply-defined image edge. * A screw-on device, neither lens nor adapter, more like half a periscope. It's for shooting a right angles to where the lens is pointed, and about as disconcerting to use as a waist-level finder. This is a cheap 'spy' tool. But it's hard to be stealthy when you're aiming into a wall while the subject is off to the side.