A new line of Chinese pictorial lenses! [Archive] - Large Format Photography Forum

Mark Sawyer

8-Apr-2008, 19:00

Well, it's like this...

We've been covering photo-history in my high school classes lately, and when we looked at the soft focus stuff from the Photo-Secession through Hurrell, I also brought in some stuff made with my vintage and home-made soft focus lenses.

The kids liked them, and a few wanted to try out the soft-focus look, but I didn't want to bring in the expensive old ones (teen-agers are pretty rough on photo equipment...), and my home-made ones are just for me. So I decided there must be a good third option...

Down to the 99-cent store I went, and bought a few magnifying glasses, cheap but made with real glass at least... There were two (small and medium) together for 99 cents, and a larger one for 99 cents by itself. The focal lengths turned out to be 9.5", 12", and 14", and all had an f/stop of about f/3.8. Perfect!

I ground the plastic handle off the 9.5" lens, and attached it to a blank lensboard with a bead of "liquid nails". We put it on the Cambo 4x5 at school, and tried it out. Without a shutter, we'd focus, cover the lens, pull the darkslide, turn off the room lights, pop the flash (bounced off an umbrella), cover the lens, flip on the room lights and reinsert the darkslide. These are from the first day's work, some by me, some by students. I could tell you which were which, but it doesn't really matter...

A few from the 2F99c (2 for 99 cents!) lens:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/2500hi.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/4500hi.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/8.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/6500hi.jpg

BarryS

8-Apr-2008, 19:12

Very cool--those look pretty nice for a one buck lens. I recently got a bag of mixed lens elements with some darkroom gear and I'd like to build some of my own simple view camera lenses.

Vaughn

8-Apr-2008, 19:14

Beautiful...and such a wonderful way to move students away from the idea that the art of photography is not about the latest and greatest piece of equipment!

(but did you have to sharpen the images in PhotoShop?)

Vaughn

Mark Sawyer

8-Apr-2008, 19:21

Thanks, guys! The only manipulation in photoshop was to match the tone and contrast to the prints (at least as close as I can get it on my monitor!) and take out the dust on the underside of the scanner's glass.

It really is a nice project with the students, so simple they can understand it on the most basic levels, and the equipment is cheap enough they could do it on their own after high school.

I'll scan the one 8x10 we did with the 14" 1F99c lens and post it in a little bit...

Hugo Zhang

8-Apr-2008, 19:24

Mark,

These pictures are very unique and beautiful! Quite an eye opening experience!

Hugo

Frank Petronio

8-Apr-2008, 19:24

All those suckers who spent an extra $1298.37 on their lens are kicking themselves right now, lol, great stuff!

IanMazursky

8-Apr-2008, 19:45

Wow! These are great shots. It makes me really want to go out and try this with my Crown Graphic.
I wonder if i could find a lens big enough to cover my 12x20? I really like the soft focus dreamy look.

Mark Sawyer

8-Apr-2008, 19:46

And this is the first and only 8x10 image we've done with the 14" 1F99c lens. Also Regina's first 8x10 ever. I think she done good...

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/5500hi.jpg

Jim Galli

8-Apr-2008, 19:55

"Values plummeted on rare and ancient soft focus optics today as a new line of foreign lenses was unveiled at an attractive pricepoint."

Several students were heard to ask "...who would pay $3000 for a lens when a 99¢ one will work just as well?" Jim Galli commented that this has been tried before but people have short memories and Pinkhams, Eidoscop's and the like will be back up to stupid money by next week, ten days tops.

David A. Goldfarb

8-Apr-2008, 19:55

Great project!

The 8x10" looks almost like a drawing. It would make an interesting gum print.

Mark Sawyer

8-Apr-2008, 20:03

Hey, Jim! I'll trade you five of these lenses for one Pinkham & Smith lens... ;)

It does seem sometimes that there's a surprisingly fuzzy line between P&S lenses and PoS lenses... :rolleyes:

Mark Sawyer

8-Apr-2008, 20:05

Great project!

The 8x10" looks almost like a drawing. It would make an interesting gum print.

Funny, the first print Regina pulled, I was thinking, "that would make such a beautiful photo-gravure..."

BarryS

8-Apr-2008, 20:17

And this is the first and only 8x10 image we've done with the 14" 1F99c lens. Also Regina's first 8x10 ever. I think she done good...

You aren't kidding--that's a beautiful image.

Anupam

8-Apr-2008, 23:12

Hat's off ... good stuff.

Asher Kelman

8-Apr-2008, 23:40

Mark,

The portraits are extraordinary!

Some of us lose sight of the goal and get lost in the vehicle choice to get there! You are a great travel guide for your class!

These kids will have a good lesson for their lives if you also show them the prices of rare lenses we lust after!

You have used a $1 piece of glass to add some extra to their lives:

extra + ordinary=extraordinary!

Good job and humbling!

Asher

Capocheny

9-Apr-2008, 00:37

Outstanding examples of what you can do with low-cost optics...

Kudos Mark!

Cheers

John Kasaian

9-Apr-2008, 01:12

Truly beautiful images, Mark!

Wimpler

9-Apr-2008, 02:20

I did exactly the same thing for this test picture:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/106/317074204_5038f42b68.jpg

This one was about 300mm f3. An exposure of a couple of seconds on a paper 4x5 negative.

I must admit your portraits are a lot more exciting then my test image! But the lenses seem to perform equally interesting!

wfwhitaker

9-Apr-2008, 07:58

My high school was never so interesting as this. Can't wait to see your yearbook!

Benno Jones

9-Apr-2008, 08:00

Jim Galli

9-Apr-2008, 08:05

BTW, I was busy cracking jokes and forgot to say the pictures truly are stunning. Great Job!

darr

9-Apr-2008, 08:20

Mark,

You are indeed teaching so much to your kids (and us) -- they are lucky to have you! And as usual, your photography is stupendous!

Thanks for sharing,
Darr

Dave Aharonian

9-Apr-2008, 08:31

Mark, Kudos to you for doing this work with the kids. In grade 6 we made pinhole cameras in shoeboxes on photo paper. For me, it was the start of my lifelong interest in photography. The portraits you've made are really wonderful. Makes me glad I didn't end up forking out $800 for the Petzval that went on ebay yesterday!

Chauncey Walden

9-Apr-2008, 09:17

But, are they multicoated?;-)

Mark Sawyer

9-Apr-2008, 10:16

But, are they multicoated?;-)

Yes they are, with little fingerprints... :D

Mark Sawyer

9-Apr-2008, 10:28

Great stuff, Mark. Could you possibly post a pic of the lens on a lensboard so I can get a better idea of just what you did? I'd love to experiment with homemade lenses but I'm rather non-mechanical and have a hard time picturing things like this.

Thanks!

Here's one of the 4x5 with the 9.5" 2F99c lens on a cardboard lensboard (it's black on the backside), and the 8x10 with the 14" 1F99c lens on a Pergo lensboard. By the way, I lied about them all being f/3.8. The 14" is an f/3.5, and is now properly engraved as such with a Sharpie...

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/IMG_0590400hi.jpg

And the 2F99c lenses sitting brand new in the store:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/IMG_0588400hi.jpg

Sadly, they are currently out of the 14" size. But I spent $5.35 (with tax) stocking up on five more each of the 9.5" and 12" lenses. Don't you wish you could do that with the old Veritos...

Any other questions, let me know...

Benno Jones

9-Apr-2008, 11:17

Thanks! The pics verify what I was picturing in my head, but I wanted to be sure.

Brian Bullen

9-Apr-2008, 11:47

Mark, I wish I had a High School photography teacher like you! My teacher was fully uninspiring and you are exactly the opposite. Thanks for the lesson and the beautiful photos.

Eric Biggerstaff

9-Apr-2008, 15:01

Mark,

You and your students should be proud, the work is simply beautiful.

Pat Kearns

9-Apr-2008, 20:19

I am amazed over the images. You've come up with the Poor Man's LF Lensbabies. You need to head to Home Depot or Auto Zone to get some rubber gaskets to use as Waterhouse stops. Looks like I'm off to Dollar Tree to buy me some new lenses. :p

Murray

10-Apr-2008, 00:12

Really nice stuff.

Yeah, my HS photg. teacher was a jerk, to be charitable.

Here are my reading glass semi-symmetricals. Apologies for the phone-cam images. I haven't put stops in or shot anything with them yet.

$1/pair also. I used I think a +2.50 and + 3 and +3.5 pair, one isn't finished yet.

I picked the goofiest looking reading glasses I could find. Seriously, was I going to choose 'attitude glasses' at a $ store?

http://www.uptowngallery.org/Murray/ReadingGlassLenses/no0.jpg
http://www.uptowngallery.org/Murray/ReadingGlassLenses/no1.jpg
http://www.uptowngallery.org/Murray/ReadingGlassLenses/no2.jpg

Paul H

10-Apr-2008, 03:34

Great images, and a great lesson for the students.

I might have to find a $2 Shop and see what they have here!

eddie

10-Apr-2008, 04:29

And the 2F99c lenses sitting brand new in the store:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/IMG_0588400hi.jpg

Sadly, they are currently out of the 14" size. But I spent $5.35 (with tax) stocking up on five more each of the 9.5" and 12" lenses. Don't you wish you could do that with the old Veritos...

Any other questions, let me know...

har har har! great stuff. awesome shots. now take your new soft focus chinese lenses over to the FS section and see if you can start the price climbing. i am sure you could get 10 times your money easy! :)

did you use one lens from the magnifying glass or both of them?

eddie

Darryl Baird

10-Apr-2008, 07:17

GREAT! How much for these "Sawyer Magnigon" lenses in modern shutters? You could start a bidding war right here.

Thanks Mark, you made my day (and it's early). Today I'm talking to students about LF lens specs, styles, and modern choices... I'm going to come back here for the grand finale. I can't wait to see their faces. :eek:

Well, it's like this...

We've been covering photo-history in my high school classes lately, and when we looked at the soft focus stuff from the Photo-Secession through Hurrell, I also brought in some stuff made with my vintage and home-made soft focus lenses.

The kids liked them, and a few wanted to try out the soft-focus look, but I didn't want to bring in the expensive old ones (teen-agers are pretty rough on photo equipment...), and my home-made ones are just for me. So I decided there must be a good third option...

Down to the 99-cent store I went, and bought a few magnifying glasses, cheap but made with real glass at least... There were two (small and medium) together for 99 cents, and a larger one for 99 cents by itself. The focal lengths turned out to be 9.5", 12", and 14", and all had an f/stop of about f/3.8. Perfect!

I ground the plastic handle off the 9.5" lens, and attached it to a blank lensboard with a bead of "liquid nails". We put it on the Cambo 4x5 at school, and tried it out. Without a shutter, we'd focus, cover the lens, pull the darkslide, turn off the room lights, pop the flash (bounced off an umbrella), cover the lens, flip on the room lights and reinsert the darkslide. These are from the first day's work, some by me, some by students. I could tell you which were which, but it doesn't really matter...

A few from the 2F99c (2 for 99 cents!) lens:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/2500hi.jpg

chachahavana

13-Apr-2008, 15:40

This is just great and unbelieveable !! This is the style I like very much, very Margaret Juliet Cameron look !! What lens ( Mag Glass ) did you use on the 8x10 ?
You said you use a flash, isn't it more difficult to shoot it under normal light, I mean to cover the lens and all that !? Thank you for sharing !!

I've been looking for a f/2.8 Xenotar for a while, may be this is a good alternative !!

Mark Sawyer

14-Apr-2008, 09:38

har har har! great stuff. awesome shots. now take your new soft focus chinese lenses over to the FS section and see if you can start the price climbing. i am sure you could get 10 times your money easy! :)

did you use one lens from the magnifying glass or both of them?

eddie

Just one lens at a time. Simplicity itself!

I should have kept my mouth shut about what these are. I coulda sold 'em for a bunch!

This is just great and unbelieveable !! This is the style I like very much, very Margaret Juliet Cameron look !! What lens ( Mag Glass ) did you use on the 8x10 ?
You said you use a flash, isn't it more difficult to shoot it under normal light, I mean to cover the lens and all that !? Thank you for sharing !!

I've been looking for a f/2.8 Xenotar for a while, may be this is a good alternative !!

On the 8x10 we used a 14" f/3.8, which you only get one of for 99 cents.

Our normal room light id pretty boring, just overhead flourescents with no windows. The exposure time there would be about a quarter second, so subject motion would be a factor. The strobe is the only option for decent looking light. Plus it lets the background go a bit darker, which we like, and it's more fun.

Thanks again, everyone!

Ralph Barker

14-Apr-2008, 09:54

Love the images, Mark, and what a great idea for your class. Kudos to the kids, too.

The only problem is that there will now be a big run-up on the price of magnifying glasses (as with old brassies), and the dollar stores will be forced to stop carrying them. ;)

lisa larson

13-Jul-2009, 16:39

Thank you for all the info. I love the portraits done with the Chinese mag. lens. They are beautiful! Is there a lens wth a shutter that would give this effect that would fit the Wista 4 x 5 ? Thanks. Lisa

Mark Barendt

13-Jul-2009, 17:38

Mike1234

13-Jul-2009, 19:54

Who the heck do you think you are, Mark Sawyer?! In one just single post you've completely deflated my Imagon lust. Now what am I to do with my Rod' softy???

Petzval Paul

13-Jul-2009, 21:38

Is what you see on the GG what you get, or do you need to adjust the focus as with other non-achromats?

Jim Galli

13-Jul-2009, 22:05

Is what you see on the GG what you get, or do you need to adjust the focus as with other non-achromats?

I think what appears as delightful peripheral fuzz in the BW photos would be hideous color banding in a color photo with no real way to correct it, focus or otherwise.

fuegocito

13-Jul-2009, 22:37

I never did find the 2F99C lens, so I made do with the 1F99C lens

5x7 neg

Mark Sawyer

14-Jul-2009, 00:01

Is what you see on the GG what you get, or do you need to adjust the focus as with other non-achromats?

Jim is probably right about the chromatic aberrations, but I checked pretty carefully for focus shift, and didn't find any, so no focus adjustment needed for that.

Remember, the depth of field spreads a little with the spherical and chromatic aberrations, so even with the minimal overall depth of field, it's somewhat forgiving within a small range. Enough to compensate for a small focus shift? Maybe...

We're definitely going to play with them more this year! :)

Mark Sawyer

14-Jul-2009, 00:03

Who the heck do you think you are, Mark Sawyer?! In one just single post you've completely deflated my Imagon lust. Now what am I to do with my Rod' softy???

Ummmm... sell it to me cheap? :D

Mike1234

14-Jul-2009, 00:29

Ummmm... sell it to me cheap? :D

"Cheap" is a relative term. There's cheap, dirt cheap, and tin-can-alley cheap. ;)

I have a 250 in Compound w/ no discs (the shutter does have an aperture) and a 300 in barrel w/ all three discs, shade, and ND filter. The former is in good cosmetic condition w/ blotchy coatings but no scratches and the latter is near mint with perfect coatings. I'm open to offers/trades.

I'm piecing together a compact 6x9cm system (or a very small 4x5 for dedicate 6x9cm shooting)... looking for 47 f/5.6 and 65 f/5.6 SA's and a 90 f/8 SA... or a 5.6... just trying to save bulk/weight. For that matter I guess they could all be f/8. Furthermore, they could all be Acugons or a mix. I may also be interested in a very lightweight 4x5 or 6x9 camera capable of easily shooting ultrawide to moderately long lenses (47-360mm).

BTW, since you're interested in unusual optics, I have a rare Taylor-Hobson Series VIIB Wide Angle Anastigmat 2 1/2 inch (~65mm) factory front-mounted in a Compur-P. If what I've read is true this tiny gem covers 4x5.

After this we should probably take it off-line... PM me if there's any interest in purchase/sale/trade.

numnutz

15-Jul-2009, 06:22

goamules

15-Jul-2009, 08:39

OK, maybe I should try this. I have two of the large lenses from the innards of a magic lantern, will they work Mark?

They are convex on one side, flat on the other. Holding them up to the wall I get a soft image at about 8 inches, and they're so large they must be about f2. I better get some cardboard out for a lensboard.....

Mark Sawyer

15-Jul-2009, 10:57

Here Is my effort - Taken through a window on a rainy day last week with my Gandolfi 5 x 4.

First one is from a rectangular hand magnifying glass. Focal length guesstimated as around 250mm aperture about F3. I taped the glass over a lensboard with a hole in black card approximating an aperture of around f8 over the glass.

Fine images! They fit the soft aesthetic. I've wondered about those rectangular magnifying lenses, what sort of image they would give. Was your f/8 aperture hole round? How did the image look "wide open"?

OK, maybe I should try this. I have two of the large lenses from the innards of a magic lantern, will they work Mark?

They are convex on one side, flat on the other. Holding them up to the wall I get a soft image at about 8 inches, and they're so large they must be about f2. I better get some cardboard out for a lensboard.....

If the lens throws an image, the film or plate will catch it! Whether the quality of the image is something you want to work with is the big question. Sounds like you have some experimenting to do...

Archphoto

15-Jul-2009, 13:20

And that makes LF such wonderfull camera's: you can experiment with lenses of all kinds without having to take the camera apart with srewdrivers: just get your self a new (or used) lensboard.....

Great shots, great fun for little money .....

Peter

Dave Wooten

15-Jul-2009, 13:29

I think Rodenstock will coat lenses, only thing is turnaround time is not that optimal. :)

ljsegil

16-Jul-2009, 03:12

I think Rodenstock will coat lenses, only thing is turnaround time is not that optimal. :)

Might be something special to see Rodenstocks's reaction if you send in one of Mark's 2F99c specials for their premium multicoating. Could ask for mounting on a Sinar DB board in order to use the auto aperture feature of the Sinar shutter as well, taking full advantage of the myriad and mysterious optical qualities inherent in Mark's new optical system concept. Now there would be a conundrum for the mighty Rodenstock, might further extend their turnaround time a bit (or trigger an immediate event in the return post from the good wizards at Rodenstock).
Yours in mirth and admiration (much more the latter),
Larry

Mike1234

16-Jul-2009, 11:48

^^^ They would probably just grin and take his money. :)

Mark Sawyer

16-Jul-2009, 13:44

^^^ They would probably just grin and take his money. :)

Just like my old girlfriend... :rolleyes:

CatSplat

16-Jul-2009, 14:32

How would one go about measuring the aperture of these? Just estimating?

Mike1234

16-Jul-2009, 16:12

How would one go about measuring the aperture of these? Just estimating?

It has something to do with diameter vs. FL but I can't remember the formula. I'll bet Mark knows.

Mark Sawyer

16-Jul-2009, 16:18

How would one go about measuring the aperture of these? Just estimating?

Pretty easy, really:

1. Hold the lens in front of a white wall or sheet of cardboard and focus on something far away. Measure the distance from the lens to the wall. This is the focal length. (You can also measure from the lens to the ground glass if you have it on a camera.)

2. Measure the diameter of the lens.

3. Divide the focal length (1.) by the lens diameter (2.), and the answer is the f/stop!

Example: if it's ten inches from the lens to where the image focuses on the wall, and the lens is two inches in diameter, divide ten by two. You get five. It's an f/5 lens.

CatSplat

17-Jul-2009, 07:31

Aha, math to the rescue! I knew it was a ratio of some kind but I didn't know it was that simple.

CatSplat

21-Jul-2009, 18:53

Alright, so I dropped by my local dollar store and grabbed the only remaining glass-lensed magnifying glass in the shop ($1.50). I've fabbed up a lensboard and mounted it on the 4X5. It looks to be a 250mm lens with a 90mm diameter - and unless my calculations are terrible that makes it almost exactly a 250mm f/2.8! It's swirly as heck and the coverage seems massive, although I wouldn't say it's sharp in the corners, haha! I'll post some pics when I get some shots taken, hopefully this evening as I've really got no way of using a hat-shutter in broad daylight with an f/2.8 lens.

Toyon

22-Jul-2009, 07:03

Wonderful project. However, I think it is incorrect to call these "soft focus" lenses. Soft focus lenses are soft across the entire field (caveat: the center may be relatively sharper than the edges). We need another term for lenses that are not sharp outside of an inner circle - something like "grad-focus lenses".

stealthman_1

22-Jul-2009, 19:22

This whole thread is just really, really cool. Thanks for sharing and inspiring! :)

jb7

22-Jul-2009, 19:47

yes, lovely pictures-

sorry, but I prefer German pictorial lenses...

I put the lens from this, about a 50mm...
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/8715/jb4567agfa5427.jpg

into this-
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/4127/jb4567front545pro5483.jpg

Here's one from Amsterdam a few weeks ago
FP10c 45
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/3746638769_121db53f69_o.jpg

Jim Galli

22-Jul-2009, 19:50

yes, lovely pictures-

sorry, but I prefer German pictorial lenses...

I put the lens from this, about a 50mm...

into this-

Here's one from Amsterdam a few weeks ago
FP10c 45

Oh, that's way cool. Is that some kind of rail car?

jb7

22-Jul-2009, 20:27

Sorry Jim, not a rail car, a canal boat, the Belle Epoque-
a group of us hired it for a few hours-

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2651/3746641783_b80cd0312a_o.jpg

RocketRick

10-Dec-2009, 13:57

Now I'm starting to wonder what would happen if I tried using one of those fresnel "page magnifier" sheets in place of a lens board and lens....

- Rick

Bosaiya

10-Dec-2009, 14:09

Now I'm starting to wonder what would happen if I tried using one of those fresnel "page magnifier" sheets in place of a lens board and lens....

- Rick

I use one for a brightscreen. Shhh, don't tell!

ljb0904

10-Dec-2009, 14:59

Mark, these are great! Thanks for sharing!

Turner Reich

10-Dec-2009, 15:56

How about combining one of these with other lens shapes or designs? Time to experiment.

Aahx

10-Dec-2009, 16:44

This is a cool thread.

Another fun place to pick up optics (but much higher priced) is a place like http://www.edmundoptics.com if one is wanting to build/design there own lens and needs higher quality glass.

SteveKarr

10-Dec-2009, 17:31

WOW ... I clicked on the Edmund Optics link ... Boy do I feel dumb ... numbers everywhere...

Turner Reich

12-Dec-2009, 06:22

I went to the Dollar store and found a 14" 1F99c lens in mint condition in original package with instructions and it was a "buy it now" so I took a huge chance and went for it. Turns out it's not coated but what the hey it's new glass and what an image it projects. I just put it up to a wall with a window on the other side of the room and the image is clear and bright with that beautiful pattern it is know for. They really knew how to make them in '09. You don't get deals like this every day do you? And it's fast too, about f 4.0. It's a barrel lens but it can be adapted to a shutter, like a hat very easily. Too bad I couldn't find a serial number but it was made in the Far East, I know that for sure.

Mark Sawyer

12-Dec-2009, 08:36

As mentioned earlier in the thread, Rodenstock might be able to coat it for you. And I'm sure S. K. Grimes could mount it into a modern shutter. I'm sure it's worth the investment, as the lens would at least double, perhaps even triple in value!

Turner Reich

12-Dec-2009, 14:43

1F3.00M lens multicoat?

What about a homemade coating? A decent lens shade is necessary too.

Asher Kelman

23-Jun-2011, 03:03

More pictures!

bobwysiwyg

23-Jun-2011, 04:54

The only problem is that there will now be a big run-up on the price of magnifying glasses (as with old brassies), and the dollar stores will be forced to stop carrying them. ;)

.. or, inflate the store name accordingly. :D Great thread, great pics, can't wait to give some of this a try. Thanks for the OP.

goamules

23-Jun-2011, 06:12

cdholden

23-Jun-2011, 06:14

Asher Kelman

23-Jun-2011, 08:46

Mark started this thread back in 2009. Since then all the magnifying glass lenses have mysteriously disappeared from all dollar stores nationwide. Rumor has it they were bought out by a soft focus lens entrepreneur, who is working with toilet paper tube vendors, and is preparing to market a new pictorialist lens.
I think you're right! Only there's a catch to this!

He's now in Europe removing the very last stocks! It's not so that his old fashioned petzvals will eventually regain their royal position again! The new cardboard toilet mount was started as a rumor. The truth is painful and shows the lengths these rich entrepreneurs will go to to exploit us! Rich dentists and lawyers snapping up softfocus lenses for $5,000 and driving prices out of our reach is nothing to this. At least then, these fine new artistic tools are available for future generations and, perhaps, Cooke can copy them if we sign up and promise to buy enough for a limited run.

The reality is far worse than that and simply unconscionable.

I discovered in the Wall Street Journal, this morning, to my horror and disgust, that the revered lens is not going to ever reappear on the general market as the expected! They're open about it! It's a major coup. All the Photokina reports and APUG stories were a ruse! Sadly the WSJ reports that, even now, the entire stock of prized optics is being broken up to make micro lenses by the millions for the iphone 5!

I can't disclose who advised them on this matter, but incidentally, the WSJ also reports that an anonymous philanthropist has funded an unprecedented donation of free iphones to the entire population of Tonopah, Nevada. Jim Galli's wife, apparently, refused to make any statement, but reportedly has been refurnishing an addition to their house.

Asher

Mark Sawyer

23-Jun-2011, 10:28

Now gentlemen, don't panic! I have some very good news. I've been in contact with the good people at Cooke Optics, and since these lenses are so revered and in demand, they are going to introduce a modernized version, just as they did with the PS945. This new lens will be called the PoS99cent, and will be multicoated and set in a Copal 3 shutter. Suggested retail will be $3,995, so find a dealer and reserve yours soon!

Greg Miller

23-Jun-2011, 16:34

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Owen21k/IMG_0588400hi.jpg

Hmmm. I'm wondering how those X-Ray glasses i ordered from the comic book would work... :p

Uri A

27-Oct-2011, 22:28

Mark, this is the coolest thread I have ever seen. Kudos!

Vaughn

27-Oct-2011, 22:51

Since you re-opened this thread...

Alex, Last Game of the Season
Speed graphic w/ magnifying glass lens
Type 55
Scan of a contact print

Uri A

27-Oct-2011, 22:57

Beautiful, Vaughn.

Type 55... seriously, isn't there SOME factory in China that can make this happen goddammit ?!?!?!

Mark Sawyer

27-Oct-2011, 23:34

A few more weeks, and a new crop of students will be at them again... :)

Vaughn

27-Oct-2011, 23:40

Beautiful, Vaughn.

Type 55... seriously, isn't there SOME factory in China that can make this happen goddammit ?!?!?!

If a Chinese businessman had been on his toes, he would have bought the whole factory and shipped it to China...maybe that would have worked.

The beauty of the material was due to the (rumored) Kodak Panatomic X used for the negative in the Polaroid product. The magic was in the monobath goop in the chemical pod. The engineering was getting it all together in one package!

Mark -- good to hear that! Have fun!

Another:
Alex at Bat -- and getting a hit in the last game of the season
Scanned contact print.