Eidoscope

[Two23]

I'm borrowing a 375mm Eidoscope #2 from a generous member here and finally got a chance to use it yesterday on my 2D 8x10. It's fairly heavy so I ended up putting the rear rail on the camera and using back focus so I could keep the front standard centered over my tripod. This worked well. Next time I'll try using my tripod block under it instead. I drove a couple hours west to one of my favorite retired churches--St. Procopious. I know the lens was designed with portraits in mind but I wanted to take my time getting familiar with it.

I had some trouble with my chemicals. The collodion was nearing the end of the bottle and I think had lost a lot of ether solvent. It would coagulate as I poured. My silver needed filtering, and the temperature was only in the 40s--about 10 degrees cooler than forecasted. I was also trying out a new potassium nitrate developer. It took me several tries to get everything figured out. First shot was made on 5x7, and the second on 8x10. It did a beautiful job covering on 5x7 but looks like there isn't much room for movements on 8x10. I do like the way the lens rendered the images. I was shooting at f8 to slow exposure down to 1/2 second.

I had fun on this outing but think I'll need some more practice to understand this lens. It's different from my others. Looks like I need to focus it at the aperture I want to use instead of focus then stop down. I also need to be careful where I place the sharper center in the image, like I do with Petzvals. After some more practice I'll feel confident enough to try a portrait or two.


Kent in SD

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Nice images. Eidoscope's have a nice signature. I was going to sell my #1 19" that is a great lens for my Century 8A. Still on the fence on it. I do love the images it gives me.

[Mark Sawyer]

I do like the way the lens rendered the images. I was shooting at f8 to slow exposure down to 1/2 second...

I had fun on this outing but think I'll need some more practice to understand this lens. It's different from my others. Looks like I need to focus it at the aperture I want to use instead of focus then stop down.

Lesson number one in soft focus lenses: stopping them down reduces the soft effect, a little more so at far distances where the depth of field id deeper. By f/8, the Eidoscope is losing most of its soft signature, but still has a particularly lovely rendering.


The collodion was nearing the end of the bottle and I think had lost a lot of ether solvent. It would coagulate as I poured.

Keep a bottle of ether/alcohol mixture in your kit, and add a little as needed when the collodion gets thick. (In practice, I find simply alcohol works just as well.) More importantly, keep the cap on the collodion bottle as much as possible. I always cringe when I see open collodion bottles just sitting there.

Probably what you already knew, but there it is...

[Two23]

I didn't have a way to control exposure other than to stop the lens down. As it was I was at 1/2 second which is about my fastest limit. I do keep the cap on my bottles. I've been using this one for four or five months and it's down to the bottom. I'll refill it today and that should put enough fresh ether in. Also need to sun and filter the silver. It's finally warm enough outside now.


Kent in SD

[Hugo Zhang]

Try to use gel ND filters to reduce light. I tape them on the lens front before exposure when needed.

[Dugan]

I really like the 8x10 image.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Great atmosphere in these images, nice POV as well