Distorted lens

**natelfo** · 5-Mar-2011, 02:40

Does anyone know of a lens that produces a distorted image, kind of like a Lensbaby for 4x5? I really like the tunnel like focus effect, but don't care for spot focus filters.

**Mark Woods** · 5-Mar-2011, 10:23

Use a magnifying glass. The center is more or less sharp while the edges totally smear. At least that's the way the one I made looks.

jp · 5-Mar-2011, 12:16

For a tunnel focus look, take the front cell off a tessar lens (the longer the better). Then you have a meniscus lens of a shorter focal length. Getting in closer will increase the tunnel effect.

jp · 5-Mar-2011, 13:33

Pardon the imprecise focus. It is difficult when the image field isn't flat or sharp and I'm just playing around without anyone to please.

This with a 210 tessar. This normally focuses at the end of the track for photos 2-3 feet away.

**Dan Dozer** · 8-Mar-2011, 23:21

This was with the front half of an old Ilex Projection lens. I believe the lens is/was a petzval type, however the lens produced an image size much too small for my 8 x 10. I took the lens apart and used only the front glass and image size for this distance was easily large enough.

**kissssss** · 22-Mar-2011, 09:37

Nice soft! I love its softness

**Vaughn** · 22-Mar-2011, 10:38

Alex, Last Game of the Season
Alex Gets a Hit, Last Game of the Season

Magnifying glass lens, Type 55, Speed Graphic
Scanned contact prints.

**Louis Pacilla** · 22-Mar-2011, 11:13

Very nice images Vaunghn. See what you can do w/ a magnifying glass natelfo.

I love the shot w/ the fence in the foreground. Very nice Vaughn.

**Vaughn** · 22-Mar-2011, 12:05

Thanks, Louis. The fence does show the limited sharpness of the lens very well.

And the image shows how pathetic Alex's swing is (I taught him all I know about baseball!), yet he got a hit and a RBI!

No swirly bokeh, though...