Source for single element optics?

[Greg]

Years ago depended on Edmund Scientific as a source for simple lenses. Well times have changed and they no longer offer an extensive line of glass lenses. Am working on two projects that I need to acquire single element lenses for. Is there anyone out there that offers a selection/range of single element lenses?

[Peter De Smidt]

Surplus Shed? Thorlabs?

[Mark Sawyer]

Just buy close-up diopter lenses, dirt cheap on ebay, pick your focal length and diameter. They come in filter mounts which can even screw into a shutter!

[Jody_S]

There's a thread here somewhere by Nodda Duma about building a cooke triplet with commercially available glass. I believe he gave the name of 1 or 2 suppliers where the lenses could be purchased.

[jnantz]

hi greg

i've been making lenses for years with surplus shed stuff
its cheap and their website is great, and they often times have
massive blow out sales where they sell stuff even cheaper than usual.

others suppliers are around, but i locked into the shed and haven't really looked
anywhere else.

[Nodda Duma]

Edmund Optics, Thorlabs, Melles Griot, Newport Optics are the COTS lens suppliers that I can think of without being at my desk. They supply the lion's share of stock lenses for industry. Of those, Thorlabs sells lenses shaped to minimize spherical aberration.

Edmund does have a "seconds" outlet but the name escapes me at the moment. If I remember I'll post it. It's not Edmund Scientific.

Alibaba also has vendors which will supply custom lenses for remarkably low prices from China. The quality is not consistent enough for critical design work (They tend to substitute out-of-spec glass in the middle of production runs), but should be fine for what you intend. A single element landscape lens would be easy to find.

Good luck.

[Tim Meisburger]

About a week ago I bought a 1000mm plano convex lens (to shoot the moon), and a 240mm positive meniscus (to use for soft focus stuff) from Surplus Shed. Total cost $9.50, plus about five bucks for shipping (to Bangkok).

[Jac@stafford.net]

Third vote for Surplus Shed. Here are a couple monsters!

4000mm (http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l3177.html) focal length, 2600mm (http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l3855d.html) I don't know about their coverage.

[djdister]

Third vote for Surplus Shed. Here are a couple monsters!

4000mm (http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l3177.html) focal length, 2600mm (http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l3855d.html) I don't know about their coverage.

The 2600mm is out of stock, but thanks for highlighting these guys, I'd never heard of them before...

[Jac@stafford.net]

The 2600mm is out of stock, but thanks for highlighting these guys, I'd never heard of them before...

Years ago there were some super deals on, for example, Metrogon lenses for $25. I got a mess of them, two in very cool high speed shutters. I mention this to remind others that you can call or e-mail them for items you do not find. That's how I got the shutters.

[Dan Fromm]

Edmund's outlet is Anchor Optics. www.anchoroptics.com

[djdister]

Years ago there were some super deals on, for example, Metrogon lenses for $25. I got a mess of them, two in very cool high speed shutters. I mention this to remind others that you can call or e-mail them for items you do not find. That's how I got the shutters.

That's even cooler, will have to check them out...

[Tim Layton]

I get mine from surplus shed.