Weird, Odd, and Unlikely Lenses - Recommendations Please

[jim10219]

As I toil building my current 8x11 (digital scanner) camera I wanted to get some (hopefully) cheap 'lenses' to experiment with when it is completed.

From reading and research I know many large format photographers use meniscus lenses, and lenses from enlargers, copy machines, and slide and movie projectors.

I was curious to know any recommendations not so much from the latter but from other types of lenses that may be odder or even things that may act like a "lens" --- so anything from any industrial / optic industry to even toys -- I'm game!

How about a straw lens?
https://www.designboom.com/art/farre...ra-02-14-2017/

Or a Fresnel lens may give you a weird look.

[Greg]

Was told that that Sally Mann took a ball-peen hammer to damage/crack the front lens element... not sure how true that is, just passing on something I was told. I do remember reading that she used lenses with damaged elements.

[goamules]

How much did your scanner and other parts of your camera cost? You should spend 72% of the cost of the camera on the lens for it. For example:

custom wetplate camera - Dallmeyer 3B
Deardorf 8x10 - Gold Rim Dagor
Kodak 2D 5x7 - B&L IIb Tessar
Crown Graflex 4x5 - 127mm Ektar
Homemade cardboard LF camera - whatever you want

[Winger]

I have one lower section with lens from a pair of binoculars glued to a lens board. It's only sharp-ish in the middle, but looks kinda cool sometimes (and sometimes it's just bad).