Fisheye for 8x10? What is the widest ever?

[William Mortensen]

jj- I think the new XL Nikon SW lenses have driven the prices down on the Super Angulons and Grandagons, but it still varies with each individual purchase. I got mine (a Linhof Select in a shutter) for around $200 (I think) a few years ago, as it had a couple of inconsequential spots on the rear coating. A center filter is necessary if you're at all critical about the corners, even in b/w.

The Surplus Shed had some Metrogons for around $30 each a month or two ago, but they're huge and heavy. I just had to get one out of curiosity, but the 159mm Wollensak is a thousand times more usable in that focal length.

[John_4185]

Mark Sawyer Surplus Shed had some Metrogons for around $30

I find, the 6" Metrogon is pretty small by my humble standard, or at least very light. There's hardly anything to it.

Speaking Surplus Shed, you probably know, but for the rest: Fred bought all the remains of Wollensak. I have dibs on all the BIG lenses he might find. Really, I've no idea what's left. Anyone in the area might consider stopping by to visit Fred and look around.

[Dan Fromm]

John, I spent part of an afternoon last spring rooting through a pole building full of, mainly, useless junk from Wollensak. Replacement elements for lenses I don't have. Barrels for lenses I don't have ... I'm just not enough of a hopeful tinkerer.

In fairness to Mark, some of the Metrogons in the basement were fully mounted up. In that state they're bulky and heavy.

[John_4185]

Oh, fully mounted up - well, sure, there's all that support infrastructure. They were intended to be bolted to an aircraft belly mount. You can always tell military gear - it seems designers assume every little piece will have its own Alice Pack accessory - the grunt.

If you ever have the chance to remove the elements from a 6" Metrogon you will be amazed - they weigh almost nothing.

[Eric Leppanen]

Wisner sells a 90mm Hypergon (www.wisner.com/Page20.html), but presumably it is expensive and he is not accepting orders right now. Mr. Wisner himself of course is entirely another line of discussion..... :-)

This thread provides a little more info on Hypergons: www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0035rc

In addition to the 90mm SA-XL, I'd be curious as to how much useful image circle can be coaxed out of a 72mm SA-XL. Just a thought.....

[John_4185]

Wisner sells a 90mm Hypergon (www.wisner.com/Page20.html), but presumably it is expensive and he is not accepting orders right now. Mr. Wisner himself of course is entirely another line of discussion..... :-)

Let us leave Mr. Wisner be. IMHO he deserves a respite. As for the Hypergon, well I hope he finds time and a place in which he wishes to use it.

Life is short. Be well.

[Jan Van Hove]

Were there ever any Wisner Hypergons actually made?

Considering that they are made-to-order and that there is actually to pic of it on the website, I'm kind of skeptical...

As for "Fish-eyeness", Is there any way of getting a fisheye distortion look on a view camera in some other way that to mount a MF fisheye?
I guess that if the russian 30mm Arsats project an image circle big enough to fill a 6x6 frame, they could make a nice circular image on a 4x5, indeed...

Otherwise, a screw-in fisheye lens converter on any view-camera lens would give the necessary distortion, but also a significant loss of image quality...

PJ

[William Mortensen]

Regarding the Metrogon, I apologize for speaking a little cavalierly about the weight. Mine came mounted up in a full aircraft case. Even after removing it, there is a huge shutter attachment which also acts as the barrel. There are no adjustable f/stops. I'm considering cutting away everything I can, but don't want to start until I find out whether the shutter is aluminum or magnesium, (which can go "boom!") The elements themselves are, I'd say, about average in weight and a little larger in size than the "typical" lf lens. To get one in a conventional shutter would (it appears to me) be a pretty complex machining task best left to S.K. Grimes & Co. The f/12.5 and f/9.5 Wollensaks drop in your shirt pocket comfortably. But the Metrogon's maximum f/6.3 aperture would be nice for focusing...

If anyone knows a simple way to mount these up, (jj?) please let me know!

I've never heard of an actual existing example of a Wisner Hypergon, but I've seen photos of a fairly modern Fuji Hypergon. It didn't have a fan or center filter, so I don't know how or if one could compensate for the corner fall-off...

[Ole Tjugen]

The original Hypergon was sold in two versions. With fan, for 135° coverage, and (cheaper) without the fan for 110° coverage. Available focal lengths were 60, 75, 90, 120, 150 and 200mm. Since the price without the fan was only about 12% lower it's no surprise there weren't many of those!

The main problem with modern manufacture of the Hypergon is the deep inside curvature, which precludes automatic grinding. If anyone wants to make their own the curvatures and refractive index for the 90mm is given in Kingslake's "History of the Photographic Lens".

There is no particular reason why a LF fisheye lens couldn't be made. Presumably both the Hill "Sky Lens" of 1924 and the AEG fisheye of 1932 were made for plates? After all they were both made for scientific use in an age when no scientist would dream of using anything but glass plates for serious work...

[Bob Younger]

I've had great success with the Super Symmar XL 110. Even been able to use a little swing and tilt though rise and shift are problematic.
The one problem is ensuring you can get the lens either in a recessed board, or your camera accomodates getting the lens close enough to the film. And then of course you have to ensure that your front standard and tripod leg are not in the frame. Everytime I put it on I'm amazed at the breadth of the view. It's superb for photographing long views of walls where you need a huge depth of field; or for very close objects, such as interiors.
Bob Younger