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Thread: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    Hi!


    I need some help form you experts
    I am looking for lense sthat can cover a image circle of 1.500cm. Schneider XXL lenses do cover a 900cm image circle but I need more.

    Someone told me that I should loook for lenses that were used in analog copiers but I didn't find anything on eBay. Do you have any idea where I could fin such lenses?

    Thanks!

    P.S.: I need that lens for the following project:
    cubestories.com

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
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    Re: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    Interesting that you ask for directions to a lens you say you already have. "Inside the cube we have a giant lens that displays an image of 1,20m x 1,20m on a large plane."

    There's a recent thread on the French LF forum that addresses the question. Here's the link: http://www.galerie-photo.info/forumgp/read.php?2,60406

    Short answer, the participants came up with lenses that won't quite do what you want, also with some unfindable ancient curiosities. For them, go here: http://trichromie.free.fr/trichromie.../27/PERIGRAPHE

  3. #3

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    Re: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    OH yes we made alens for ourself but the image quality is not very good and aperture is not fast enought to portrait people.
    Thansk for the links. Will take a look now.

  4. #4

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    Re: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    If you didn't need to make portraits, I'd say ditch the lens all together, and convert the cube into a "Camera Obscura." Your huge pinhole camera would probably function more efficiently without a lens, but then your exposure times would quite long.

    A very large "process" lens is what is needed if you want to make portraits.

    The best example I can think of is the one-of-a-kind room size Polaroid camera used by Joe McNally to make portraits of New York City 9/11 responders. That camera use a lens taken from a U2 spy plane.

    http://nyppa.org/mcnally_911

    You might want to contact Joe for any advice he can offer. He's very helpful.
    When I grow up, I want to be a photographer.

    http://www.walterpcalahan.com/Photography/index.html

  5. #5
    Richard K. Richard K.'s Avatar
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    Re: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    Quote Originally Posted by amonsul View Post
    Hi!


    I need some help form you experts
    I am looking for lense sthat can cover a image circle of 1.500cm. Schneider XXL lenses do cover a 900cm image circle but I need more.

    Someone told me that I should loook for lenses that were used in analog copiers but I didn't find anything on eBay. Do you have any idea where I could fin such lenses?

    Thanks!

    P.S.: I need that lens for the following project:
    cubestories.com
    Fantastic project, congratulations!

    I seem to recall that Doug Busch used a 40x60 camera (I may be wrong!!) to photograph Chicago back in the 80s. Such a camera would have an image circle of 1831 if I calculate correctly, and a lens that covered it will cover yours. Doug Busch had a series of ULF lenses made (another avenue?!?) - de Golden Busch - some of which are still around but I don't know their coverage. You may want to contact him and ask him for advice:

    http://www.superlarge.com/

    Godd luck with your project!
    When I was 16 I thought my father the stupidest man in the world; when I reached 21, I was astounded by how much he had learned in just 5 years!

    -appropriated from Mark Twain

  6. #6
    joseph
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Chapel Hill NC
    Posts
    1,401

    Re: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    What a wonderful camera- well done-

    You often hear comments about the camera being no more than a tool,
    and that is often true-
    But a camera can be much more than that, as you've proved with this-

    Hope you make it to Dublin-

    I suppose you can set up a movable easel inside, and use that to focus?
    I've got a big old Reconnaissance lens, 36", a telephoto, so only has a 500mm image circle- but at portrait distance, at 1:1, the image circle is more like 1.3m-
    and because it's a telephoto, the back focus is only 1.4m at 1:1 - approximately-

    It wouldn't be good quality, dof would be razor thin, and it only stops down to f/16-
    but I suppose, if you want everything in focus, you have your Olympus Compact...

    You sometimes see large process lenses for sale, but they can have really big asking prices-

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    15

    Re: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    Quote Originally Posted by Walter Calahan View Post
    If you didn't need to make portraits, I'd say ditch the lens all together, and convert the cube into a "Camera Obscura." Your huge pinhole camera would probably function more efficiently without a lens, but then your exposure times would quite long.

    A very large "process" lens is what is needed if you want to make portraits.

    The best example I can think of is the one-of-a-kind room size Polaroid camera used by Joe McNally to make portraits of New York City 9/11 responders. That camera use a lens taken from a U2 spy plane.

    http://nyppa.org/mcnally_911

    You might want to contact Joe for any advice he can offer. He's very helpful.
    Hi Walter!

    First of all thanks for your help. I will contact Joe and ask him for help. Another known person (Adirano Lolli) suggested me to look for the lens from old analog copiers for architecture works. I dind't find any

    Quick question. Which kind of paper did Joe use for that pictures?

    Bye!

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    15

    Re: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard K. View Post
    Fantastic project, congratulations!

    I seem to recall that Doug Busch used a 40x60 camera (I may be wrong!!) to photograph Chicago back in the 80s. Such a camera would have an image circle of 1831 if I calculate correctly, and a lens that covered it will cover yours. Doug Busch had a series of ULF lenses made (another avenue?!?) - de Golden Busch - some of which are still around but I don't know their coverage. You may want to contact him and ask him for advice:

    http://www.superlarge.com/

    Godd luck with your project!
    Hi Richard! Many many thanks for your help! Let's hope Doug will help me

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    15

    Re: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    Quote Originally Posted by jb7 View Post
    What a wonderful camera- well done-

    You often hear comments about the camera being no more than a tool,
    and that is often true-
    But a camera can be much more than that, as you've proved with this-

    Hope you make it to Dublin-

    I suppose you can set up a movable easel inside, and use that to focus?
    I've got a big old Reconnaissance lens, 36", a telephoto, so only has a 500mm image circle- but at portrait distance, at 1:1, the image circle is more like 1.3m-
    and because it's a telephoto, the back focus is only 1.4m at 1:1 - approximately-

    It wouldn't be good quality, dof would be razor thin, and it only stops down to f/16-
    but I suppose, if you want everything in focus, you have your Olympus Compact...

    You sometimes see large process lenses for sale, but they can have really big asking prices-
    Hi JB7!
    Our plan is to travel accross Europe to take pictures in all 27 EU nations. It's "a bit" ambitious I know but you should definitely come with us to take a picture!

  10. #10
    Arca-Swiss
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    291

    Re: What are the lenses with the biggest image circle?

    The de Golden Busch lenses he used were built by 'Melles Griot'. They did have huge image circles. I know there were 750mm and 600mm and, I think, longer with very wide image circles. They are still in business so you might inquire.
    Rod Klukas
    US Representative
    Arca-Swiss USA
    480-755-3364
    www.arca-swiss-usa.com

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