Any experience with inexpenisve fresnels?

[David du Busc]

Has anyone had any success locating inexpensive [or less expensive] fresnels for use on an 8x10 or larger camera? I'd like to find something for my 7x17 [optimized for a 12" lens] and not break the bank.

Thanks,

David

[Annie M.]

Free..... Go to your bookshelf and flip through your big old National Geographic Atlas of the World ...you will probably find that it still contains the 'fresnel' map magnifier (6"x 9"). I have been using one of these hand held with my 7x11 for the last six months.... It gathers light so the image on the glass is brighter by a least a stop, also I hold it about 6 inches back from the glass and the image is nicely magnified and I no longer need to carry a loupe. I started using this as a temporary solution but have not found the need to move up to a 'real' fresnel.

[Ernest Purdum]

At WWW.candhsales.com you'll find one I wouldn't consder very inexpensive at $89.50. It is, however, larger than your needs.



Although fresnels are a peculiar sort of lens, they are lenses and have specific focal lengths. This could mean That one might not work well for your application.

[Kevin M Bourque]

Nice fresnel, Ernest!

We used to have one of those back in college...you could melt asphalt with it. Scrap lumber bursts into flame quite nicely, too.

[David du Busc]

That sucker might be too dangerous for me to own.. Last summer I got a whiff of something at the studio and started to look around for the source.....skylight + Luxo magnifying lamp..... bad combination. Burned a hole through several sheets of paper and wasn't about to stop there.



David

[Tracy Storer]

Hi David, I've bought several large fresnels from Edmund Industrial Optics for installation on a couple of the Wisner 20x24 cameras I've worked with as well as my 14"x17". Check out their website:

http://www.edmundoptics.com/

http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlinecatalog/displayproduct.cfm?productID=2040&search=1

If I recall correctly a 20"x24"-ish Fresnel of 30" focal length costs about $200. The choices in focal lengths and grooves per inch go way down in the bigger sizes, but the ones I've used work wonderfully. As posted in other threads, I also use a P-95 Plexiglass (comes frosted on one side) ground glass-virtually unbreakable. My plan is to eventually make the fresnel on the 14"x17" removable to make critical focusing easier. If you get one and need advice on cutting it, let me know. Good luck,