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Thread: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

  1. #1

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    ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    Over the years have accumulated three "Oscilloscope; optics:
    75mm f/1.9 Wollensak-Dumont OSCILLO- ANASTIGMAT in a Alphax... bought it for the Alphax shutter
    65mm f/1.0 & 65mm f/0.75 DE QUDE DELFT RAYXAR barrel lenses (for just a few $ couldn't pass them up).
    Back focus measured in mm's. Coverage looks to be less that 24mmx36mm but maybe OK at 1:1?

    The lens with the Alphax was intended to be used with an optic that I never was able to acquire. The other two optics look impressive but practically are paper weights. Have tried to find a cross sections for the 2 OLD DELFT lenses to see if they contained any convex-concave (double?) meniscus elements in them that could use on LF but dead end. Their construction is that they were never meant to be taken apart. Only way to access an element(s) is to essentially destroy the lenses which I'd have no problem doing if I knew they contained a lens element that I could use.

    Have seen custom adaptions of similar optics for use on small digital format cameras, but don't own and most probably never will own a small digital format camera that takes interchangeable lenses. So... what to do with these lenses? Very open up to serious suggestions (please leave out for using them as paper weights). Tried using them as macro lenses with their nil depth-of-field on my FX camera, works but of little interest to me.

    Thanks

  2. #2

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    Re: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    Sell them.

  3. #3

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    Re: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    Most were used for close up crt images with 3X4 Pl
    olaroid film and not super hi-res...I have a couple somewhere but a real wallflower with my other optics... Did some pola tests long ago, and nothing great stood out... And you would be lucky to cover 2 1/4" square at inf...

    Bob's right, and I heard somewhere that value is shooting up in price... (Maybe someone has found a digital application such as very shallow DOF with them...)

    I'd try to find out what they are being used for today, and find out what they are selling for...

    Steve K

  4. #4
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    Might the lens work as a loupe? Try that and let us know.

  5. #5

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    Re: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    Greg, most oscilloscope lenses are poisoned gifts. Not enough coverage for LF, sometimes poorly achromatized and generally poor performance.

    Oude Delft Rayxars and similar lenses from Rodenstock (xr- and tv-heligons) were used in pairs a relay lenses to transfer an image from, effectively, a fluoroscope screen to a TV pickup tube.

    Useful shutters, mainly Ilex and Alphax #3 but also some Copal Press #0, can be harvested from some oscilloscope cameras but many have electronic shutters that are basically useless.

    Re Jac's suggestion, I have an Oscillo-Paragon on my desk whose front cell works well as a loupe. The rear cell might be useful if its rear shroud could be removed. Sorry, I'm not motivated enough to take a hacksaw to it.

  6. #6
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    Re: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    I tossed the lens elements and kept the shutter. S.K. Grimes made for me an adapter to take 52 mm filters. (The commercial 46-52 mm adapters would not screw into the shutter properly). The combination of the adapter and a 52 mm close-up filter on the back of the shutter gave me an inexpensive meniscus soft-focus lens--a #3 close-up filter worked best on my 4X5. Experimenting with this arrangement saved me money--it has kept me from spending big bucks on one of the classic soft-focus lenses.

    I should add that my shutter needs to be sent to a repairman. The iris will not open completely because it was factory limited to match the f.1.9 aperture of the oscilloscope lens. That work can be done during a routine cleaning and lubricating procedure.

    I liked the soft-focus results enough to have Grimes make a second adapter for the front of the shutter. That keeps dust out of the shutter, and allows use of other soft-focus filters on the front. Various combinations of cheap soft-focus filters on both the front and rear give different focal lengths.

    I enjoy the experimenting.

    Keith

  7. #7

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    Re: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    After a little of research discovered that small mirrorless digital camera users have been adapting these optics into focusing mounts to be used as ultra high speed tele lenses on their cameras.

    Remembered Stanley Kubrick's film "BARRY LYNDON" where he used Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f/0.7 still lenses to shoot the movie with.
    http://neiloseman.com/barry-lyndon-t...s-f0-7-lenses/

    Viable option for having the 65mm f/0.75 optic adapted to a focusing mount for a Micro Four Thirds (M43) camera now sounds a path that would be very interesting to pursue... Then final prints Platinum/Palladium from digital negatives... Imagery about as far away from traditional LF and ULF photography as one could get, and definitely 180 degrees from the f/64 group. Now looking to borrow a Micro Four Thirds (M43) camera to see if this is at all possible. In the future will post my use of the 65mm f/0.75 optic, if it comes to fruition. Adapting the optic to a focusing mount to work on a a Micro Four Thirds (M43) camera my next challenge, have to look around and see how others have done it. Very open to suggestions on how to adapt this optic into a focusing mount.

    65mm f/1.0 optic intend on disassembling to see what its lens elements just are and if just possibly one of them can be used with my LF cameras.

  8. #8

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    Re: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    Greg, the Barry Lyndon lenses (there were more than one, my friend Charlie Barringer's brought 60,000 Euros plus, IIRC, a 20% buyer's premium in a Westlicht auction) were intended to be used at distance. 'scope and x-ray machine relay lenses are intended to be used around 1:1.

    Even so, there's much to be said with tinkering. I'd try a sliding tube with y'r Wolly 'scope lens, I think that if you play with it you'll find its flange-to-film distance at infinity is on the order of the focal length. I just asked my 75/1.9 Oscillo-Raptar paperweight and loupe about this, that's what I got.

    As for the x-ray machine lenses, I'd play with a stack of foamcore. One layer, two layers, ... For fine focusing and real headaches, black construction paper. Take this with a grain of salt, I've never been able to convince my self to get one.

  9. #9
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    I have 2 somewhere.

    Following this discussion with interest.
    Tin Can

  10. #10
    ic-racer's Avatar
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    Re: ? use of Oscilloscope lenses in LF?

    I'd just get a macro lens if interested in creating oscilloscope art.

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