A new line of Chinese pictorial lenses!

**Jim Galli** · 9-Apr-2008, 08:05

BTW, I was busy cracking jokes and forgot to say the pictures truly are stunning. Great Job!

**darr** · 9-Apr-2008, 08:20

Mark,

You are indeed teaching so much to your kids (and us) -- they are lucky to have you! And as usual, your photography is stupendous!

Thanks for sharing,
Darr

**Dave Aharonian** · 9-Apr-2008, 08:31

Mark, Kudos to you for doing this work with the kids. In grade 6 we made pinhole cameras in shoeboxes on photo paper. For me, it was the start of my lifelong interest in photography. The portraits you've made are really wonderful. Makes me glad I didn't end up forking out $800 for the Petzval that went on ebay yesterday!

**Chauncey Walden** · 9-Apr-2008, 09:17

But, are they multicoated?;-)

**Mark Sawyer** · 9-Apr-2008, 10:16

Originally Posted by Chauncey Walden

But, are they multicoated?;-)

Yes they are, with little fingerprints...

**Mark Sawyer** · 9-Apr-2008, 10:28

Originally Posted by Benno Jones

Great stuff, Mark. Could you possibly post a pic of the lens on a lensboard so I can get a better idea of just what you did? I'd love to experiment with homemade lenses but I'm rather non-mechanical and have a hard time picturing things like this.

Thanks!

Here's one of the 4x5 with the 9.5" 2F99c lens on a cardboard lensboard (it's black on the backside), and the 8x10 with the 14" 1F99c lens on a Pergo lensboard. By the way, I lied about them all being f/3.8. The 14" is an f/3.5, and is now properly engraved as such with a Sharpie...

And the 2F99c lenses sitting brand new in the store:

Sadly, they are currently out of the 14" size. But I spent $5.35 (with tax) stocking up on five more each of the 9.5" and 12" lenses. Don't you wish you could do that with the old Veritos...

Any other questions, let me know...

**Benno Jones** · 9-Apr-2008, 11:17

Thanks! The pics verify what I was picturing in my head, but I wanted to be sure.

**Brian Bullen** · 9-Apr-2008, 11:47

Mark, I wish I had a High School photography teacher like you! My teacher was fully uninspiring and you are exactly the opposite. Thanks for the lesson and the beautiful photos.

**Eric Biggerstaff** · 9-Apr-2008, 15:01

Mark,

You and your students should be proud, the work is simply beautiful.

**Pat Kearns** · 9-Apr-2008, 20:19

I am amazed over the images. You've come up with the Poor Man's LF Lensbabies. You need to head to Home Depot or Auto Zone to get some rubber gaskets to use as Waterhouse stops. Looks like I'm off to Dollar Tree to buy me some new lenses.