[thePiRaTE!!]

Here she is -



The story goes like this: k100d on these forums asked where my orange was in the VL90 tests "True!" I thought and happily turned to grab it for a shot. It was gone. I searched high and low in the shop, thinking it fell under a machine. Nope, but whats this dusty box under here? hmm... a lens? Instinctively, I just held its little housing in front of my yawning K20 body. A little blurry, but if I just hold it out a bit - presto! So I built a little house for it with a sideways roll of duct tape (fixes everything right!?) and draped some tape over the sides to sheild the light out and act as a soft buffer I can press back against in various directions to focus, pan and tilt. Works awesome! I just have to hold it there while I shoot is all, hehe. For so cheap on ebay, I think I might build a couple.

EDIT - meant to say - thanks for the guesses! Fun.

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Last edited by thePiRaTE!!; 05-08-2008 at 02:56 AM.

[ftpaddict]

Schneider lens! Great choice.

[creampuff]

That's an enlarging lens you got there.

[k100d]

i'm happy that my question prompted you to find another lens!
it'd be cool to see a picture of how you mounted it to the K20D

[thePiRaTE!!]

Schneider lens! Great choice.

I think it chose me! But as it turns out, it seems well suited to the role.

That's an enlarging lens you got there.

Supposed to be good to 6x7! I can turn the little tape roll to extreme angles. I wonder if the 5.6 is a little limiting bokeh wise though, but so far, so good. Seems highly regarded in its original purpose. I tried adding another roll of tape - the tennis ball shot is with this 'extention tube' on. I suspect more would produce sharper results - if I could manage the light somehow.

i'm happy that my question prompted you to find another lens!
it'd be cool to see a picture of how you mounted it to the K20D

Well, mounting it is too generous of a term. I just literally am holding a shrouded roll of duct tape against the my open K20 body. I added a tape buffer which blocks the light and acts a squishy focus adjustment. I press harder for infinity and hold it out farther to focus in. This also allows me to tilt and shift the lens creating the noted effects in the first two images. For the amount I'll use a t+s lens, I'm going to fix up my idea a bit and make this my permanent solution. The lens is actually decently sharp! Gotta love Pentax in-body SR.

[maxwell1295]

I noticed that your lens is 80mm. These things come in quite a few focal lengths. I wonder if the others (50mm, 100mm, 150mm, etc.) would work just as well...

[thePiRaTE!!]

This line was designed for large format, so it bodes well. The larger the frame the lens can cover, the more it can be bent in 35mm with light to spare. I think two will be enough for me, I intend a wider one for city shooting. I'll have to scour the shop first though, see what else is just lying around!

Don't pay too much though - its tricky hand holding the body and the lens. Took me lots of takes to get good shots. Even when I dialed one it, when I checked the back screen, I had to take off the lens to use my hand, so if it was off, it meant setting up from scratch each time. .. . Makes me wonder if there isn't a whatever-mount-this-is to K t+s adapter like those ones from the Ukraine.

[thePiRaTE!!]

Thought I'd add a couple more shots, out of interest -

The 'Mount'. A plastic tube end shoved in a roll of duct tape, with the lens housing nestled in front of it. The shroud of duct tape in back acts to reduce light and buffer my focus/pan/tilt against the camera body for stability... sort of, lol.



And an interesting performance perk, apparently no purple fringing -

[séamuis]

I wonder if a canikon user would do this?

[stevebrot]

You may be able to get an adapter to mount it on a bellows and may even be able to get infinity focus!!!

Aren't most enlarging lenses 39mm Leica thread or T-mount?

[thePiRaTE!!]

I wonder if a canikon user would do this?

maybe, but not as well

You may be able to get an adapter to mount it on a bellows and may even be able to get infinity focus!!!

Aren't most enlarging lenses 39mm Leica thread or T-mount?

I'm just about to do some research on the topic. This lens has some threads up the body a bit that affix it to its housing, but it looks to me that the housing itself fit into something else after that. I'd love to get a t+s K-adapter for it, if such a thing existed. For the time being, my little duct tape shroud gets me out to infinity... from time to time, heh.

[Abbazz]

I'd love to get a t+s K-adapter for it, if such a thing existed.

Here you are:
Zörk Multi-Focus System
Novoflex Balpro T/S Bellows

Cheers!

Abbazz

[WJW]

Componons are typically 39mm Leica thread and fit most standard enlarging boards. They one you have would have been mfgd in about 1969/1970 and was designed for enlarging 6x45 & 6x6 negatives. It is a single coated 6 element-4 group design.

[thePiRaTE!!]

Thanks for the insight fellas. THe mount seems like it might be an odd ball, here's what I found in a rec.photo.darkroom user group -

"I have a Componon 80/5.6 mounted on my old Durst M600, it has a 25mm
thread (if I remember correctly). If it's the same, you need a custom
adaptor ring to mount it on a 39mm.
Rgs"

"The one I had was a Durst branded Componon 80/5.6 this had a smaller
thread than 39mm. It used a special lens plate with smaller therad.
The plate had the same outer diameter as the ones with 39mm thread.
So it worked perfect.

But why not go for the Componon S 80/4 which has 39mm thread mount?
Darkroom equipment is so cheap now that you can get it for very little
money.
I switched from the 80/5.6 to the 80/4 and the extra stop was very nice.
If you use glass holders you can use 5.6 as your working apperture."

Mine doesn't say Durst or anything, so maybe its still 39mm... I'll check some more.

As for the mount choice, I think if I were to go with one, I'd definately look into the Zoerk MFS. Sells list for 549US including Pentax-K adapater and 39mm housing. But, there is mention of a model inclusive of the componon 80/4 for 899 mentioning the lens is adjusted for infinity...

Further, my copy of this 80/5.6 is broken. I opened it and the aperture (15-blade!!) is almost seized. Will need a good cleaning in Ronsonol when I get the time. Not sure its worth anything more than my duct tape housing for the time being, though its interesting to use it as is for free, for now, hehe.

Thanks again guys.

[WJW]

Not sure its worth anything more than my duct tape housing for the time being, though its interesting to use it as is for free, for now, hehe.

It is not a bad enlarging lens........