I don't know if I am ADHD but I have about 4 interests that keep me playing all the time. Photography, Bicycles, dinghy sailing and playing with wood. I agree that when I am playing at them I am at my healthiest. I am going to start experimenting with some old lenses now. Thanks again!
Never get too old to play, I'm 53 and still do lots of crazy things and projects. You might want to get a 3D-printer, it's a great asset for the "mad scientist" type. I have printed several lens plates, including one with a 70mm extension tube to use with a huge old Soviet 300mm lens, for my Graflex and a lot of other camera stuff including a pinhole camera. Great for all kinds of experimental things, very easy and cheap to try different dimensions and shapes.
@@ShootOnFilm I myself have an old Creality Ender 3 which I have been upgrading over the years and a newer Ender 3 V3 KE and I have been quite happy with them. I have also read good things about Bambu Labs ones if you are no interested in tinkering with the printer itself. Most printers use open source software and commonly available components which makes modifying them easy, Bambu is a closed system so not much you can upgrade or modify but it is said to be an easy and realiable machine you can just start using out of the box without much fuss. There are also lots of great videos on the subject on YoyTube.
Experimenting is a great way of finding different ways to express yourself with your photography. Really good to see as this encourages me to start more photo projects. Thanks Ari
Starting down the path of large format naturally leads to fun DIY projects. Sometimes we need things that are too expensive, hard to find, or just don't exist at all. This is one of the hidden benefits - in pursuit of new images or looks, we have to engage more creativity to invent solutions. Well done, Ari!
So much more satisfying to make something than to buy something: better for the mind and often for the wallet too. Your adventures in photography are a perfect antidote to the tyranny of the megapixel - thanks!
I hope someday to travel to Finland and meet you for a cup of coffee and discuss…whatever. Mostly just to say thank you in person for such entertainment and inspiration. I eagerly look forward to each video, thank you for sharing with us all. ❤
Simple yet so amazing!! A great, "why not" or "just for the heck of it", kind of invention. It's fun to experiment. Right now I am playing with some old parts lenses. Never thought of pvc pipe...great idea!
Many years ago, I picked up a magnifying glass from the dollar store. Focal Length was about 120mm. Glued it to a wooden lens board, and stuck it on my 8x10. Had a few Waterhouse stops I made from black construction paper, that I taped on. Got some lovely images...
True. But here is the issue that I didin't want to go in this short video :-) : In a simple lens, the focal length is typically measured from the optical center of the lens, often referred to as the principal plane of the lens, not directly from the front or back element. However, with complex, multi-element photographic lenses, the situation becomes more nuanced: Single-element or Thin Lenses: In the case of a thin lens, where there's essentially one "optical center," the focal length is measured from that optical center to the focal point. The optical center is ideally located somewhere inside the lens structure, though it’s usually closer to the physical center. Complex Multi-element Lenses: For modern lenses that consist of multiple elements, the focal length is measured from what is known as the rear principal plane. This is a theoretical point within the lens system, often within the middle or rear section of the lens, depending on the lens design. As I just haphazardly put the lens together (or if somebody gets a noname brass lens), there is no way of knowing where the optical center is. Therefore, with all due respect, your guidance is useless, even if correct. You need to measure infinity and how it changes as the lens moves further. That is the only way to detect the focal length if the optical center is unknown. Sorry for the long answer, but you raised an important topic I probably should have mentioned!!
@@ShootOnFilm Yes, I see your point. This was just a thin lens. And I just shoot landscapes or stars, so infinity if the only focus I use. Thanks for your videos.
Very nice! I have a few glass elements lying around - condensers & heat shields from old slide projectors - that I’ll use to have some home made lens fun now. Thanks as always for sharing your toys!
I always find Saturday mornings difficult. Waiting and watching for Ari’s video to drop. I pass the time as best I can, and then without warning, it arrives. Always exciting, always something new, frequently fascinating with just a touch of wackiness. Makes the long wait worthwhile. Thanks Ari, let me know when the kick starter funding is open, if you decide to go into production with this 130mm f/ 2.6 bokeh beast!
That picture of the dog (Puky?) is so cute! I also made a lens from a loupe once. It just fitted in a Copal-Press shutter. The results were very satisfying, the same look as your samples. Experimenting is fun!
Thanks thanks. His name is Cookie. An extra shutter is also an excellent tool for all kinds of experiments. It also removes the need for separate aperture blades!
Wow! That is really cool! Of the coffee cup the f5.6 I personally liked the most! And the picture of Cookie at f5.6 I also really liked. From the two pictures at f5.6 that seems to be the f stop that I enjoy most seeing the pictures! This is a really cool video thank you for sharing!!!
The f number is simply the number of diameters within the focal length. I did this with my 3 year old son, 27 years ago. Magnifying glass and cardboard tube ( paper towel ) ... 👌
A very cool arts and crafts project. : In reality, things a re a bit more coplicated, as I explained to steven somergere else. He said "For an object at infinity the focus point is the focal length." For the F number, as I explained in my video, f number =focal lenght divided by the entrance pupil diameter, which is the same thing. But here is the "science" In a simple lens, the focal length is typically measured from the optical center of the lens, often referred to as the principal plane of the lens, not directly from the front or back element. In a manufactured lens that point is typically marked on the lens. It can be close to the front element or at the back or in the middle. Depends on the lens glassware and shape. In a self made lens nobody knows :-) Single-element or Thin Lenses: In the case of a thin lens, where there's essentially one "optical center," the focal length is measured from that optical center to the focal point. The optical center is ideally located somewhere inside the lens structure, though it’s usually closer to the physical center. Complex Multi-element Lenses: For modern lenses that consist of multiple elements, the focal length is measured from what is known as the rear principal plane. This is a theoretical point within the lens system, often within the middle or rear section of the lens, depending on the lens design. As I just haphazardly put the lens together (or if somebody gets a noname brass lens), there is no way of knowing where the optical center is. You need to measure infinity and how it changes as the lens moves further. That is the only way to detect the focal length if the optical center is unknown. Also the entrance pupil diameter is not the "tube diameter". It is close but that once again depends on the design. Those few links that I provided explain the thing in detail.
I did the same a while ago with the front element of a damaged nikon lens (something like a 35-70mm). I had to put it in reverse tho. It is around 120mm and cover 5x7, I use it quite often... I like the dreamy look of it...very sharp center and super soft corners...
Very nice project for those long winter evenings. I don't think you need all the math stuff because the light transmittance (aka t-stop) of those loups can't be super great, so it is the unknown factor plus one would need to calculate the f-stop of the diy aperture. So one would need to experiment anyway. Unfortunately I don't own a Speed Graflex, only a Crown, so I would have to use just a cover as shutter... But thank you very much for this show and tell, very entertaining as always! BTW: Dr. Frankenstein is the name of the guy who created the monster, which had no name.
An f2.6 lens is very fast for 4x5, so your depth of field would be microscopic. For the still life f5.6 looked best to me. For the outside images, I liked both the f5.6 and f2.6 images. I bet you would get rainbows on the edges with color film due to the uncorrected glass. It might be interesting to try some funny shaped iris holes (triangle, six pointed star, square) that are fairly large to see what kind of bokeh you get.
No "Paint It Black" piano version? :D I too love using unconventional lenses, but haven't built any of my own. I have a Canon 100mm f/1.5 X-ray machine lens currently in the mail, but I have to be honest, I don't even own a X-ray machine. From what I've read it's for a 6x6 camera but the flange distance is 1,5mm (ouch). We'll see! Maybe it works better in reverse.
Very cool lens, impressive image quality. It amazes me that you handhold that Graflex (although I've seen many old movies where they were used that way). Do you use the ground glass or have you marked a focus scale on the bed?
Great episode. I am attempting to build a 4x5 box camera to double as an enlarger for cyanotype printing. Could you explain the use of 2 lens on each side of the tube and how the tube length was calculated? Thanks.
Thanks thanks. This may not be helpful for your project. I did not calculate anything. What I did was take two magnifying glasses, and then just experiment by looking through the ground glass and then finding a distance that pleased my eye. And the cutting the pipe for that distance.
You could use just a magnifier and the lens board. That would be a single-element lens. Based on my tests, it's even more extreme and doesn't focus that well in the middle. But why not -- many people remove their back elements from their lenses for extra goofiness.
Extremely useful video. I am looking for a similar lens for my iphone 12 mini, to get a blurry background around the subject for videos. And I don't like the software blur that iphone does, its doesn't detect furr of cats or my hair properly. Any suggestions if I am trying to make similar setup for mobile phone?
I always love to see that you've made a new post😁🙏👍
Thanks for watching!
Me too.....
I don't know if I am ADHD but I have about 4 interests that keep me playing all the time. Photography, Bicycles, dinghy sailing and playing with wood. I agree that when I am playing at them I am at my healthiest. I am going to start experimenting with some old lenses now. Thanks again!
I'm there too. Music, photography, software, boats ....
Oh by all means, keep playing! I find your approach to photography delightful and inspiring. Thank uou!
Great build for a pictorial lens! Thank you for the videos to share your projects.
take this as a compliment, you're the mad scientist of photography, yes they are Waterhouse f/stops I have a Pitzval lens with a set of them
Thank you! I take it as a complement very much 🙂
👍Greetings from New Zealand.
Awesome project...now I know how to experiment with all the glass removed from my faulty zoom lenses.
Brilliant project and really worthwhile results from next to no cost for your materials. I'm so pleased you shared this idea.
Yeah, it's a lot of fun to do, too! As long as you tolerate a bit of "artistic results", eh eh :-)
Never get too old to play, I'm 53 and still do lots of crazy things and projects. You might want to get a 3D-printer, it's a great asset for the "mad scientist" type. I have printed several lens plates, including one with a 70mm extension tube to use with a huge old Soviet 300mm lens, for my Graflex and a lot of other camera stuff including a pinhole camera. Great for all kinds of experimental things, very easy and cheap to try different dimensions and shapes.
Yeas. I've been thinking about getting one. Is there a model you'd recommend? What to avoid?
@@ShootOnFilm I myself have an old Creality Ender 3 which I have been upgrading over the years and a newer Ender 3 V3 KE and I have been quite happy with them. I have also read good things about Bambu Labs ones if you are no interested in tinkering with the printer itself.
Most printers use open source software and commonly available components which makes modifying them easy, Bambu is a closed system so not much you can upgrade or modify but it is said to be an easy and realiable machine you can just start using out of the box without much fuss.
There are also lots of great videos on the subject on YoyTube.
@@Murgoh Thanks! I better start to study these things then :)
Experimenting is a great way of finding different ways to express yourself with your photography. Really good to see as this encourages me to start more photo projects. Thanks Ari
Go for it 🙂
Starting down the path of large format naturally leads to fun DIY projects. Sometimes we need things that are too expensive, hard to find, or just don't exist at all. This is one of the hidden benefits - in pursuit of new images or looks, we have to engage more creativity to invent solutions. Well done, Ari!
I totally agree. Also, you always learn something when engaging in DIY projects!
Wow, what a creative approach. I really enjoyed your work on this! Thank you for one of the most fantastic videos I have seen! Go on playing!
Thank you, thank yu. Much appreciated -- and thanks for watching!!
Interesting to see how the 5.6 reduces the vignetting so significantly.
Nice job!
True. And makes the sharp circle much wider!
Art + science + MacGyver = Something Else! Brilliant … thanks and keep ‘em coming.
Thanks thanks :-)
Playing is our only real job after all don't you think. Enjoyed the time as usual! Have a great week!
Thanks. You too!!
So much more satisfying to make something than to buy something: better for the mind and often for the wallet too. Your adventures in photography are a perfect antidote to the tyranny of the megapixel - thanks!
Thanks thanks. yeah, megapixels are not really my thing :-)
I hope someday to travel to Finland and meet you for a cup of coffee and discuss…whatever. Mostly just to say thank you in person for such entertainment and inspiration. I eagerly look forward to each video, thank you for sharing with us all. ❤
Come on over! The weather is getting perfect for photography!
Te felicito Ari ...tus videos son motivadores .
Simple yet so amazing!! A great, "why not" or "just for the heck of it", kind of invention. It's fun to experiment. Right now I am playing with some old parts lenses. Never thought of pvc pipe...great idea!
Yeah. I'm not interested in comparing megapixels and going with the flow. This is arts and crafts!
Many years ago, I picked up a magnifying glass from the dollar store. Focal Length was about 120mm. Glued it to a wooden lens board, and stuck it on my 8x10. Had a few Waterhouse stops I made from black construction paper, that I taped on. Got some lovely images...
Yes, indeed. Simple as that :-)
This is amazing, great photos!
Thanks, thanks!
Wow!! Unbelievable results with shockingly simple materials. 😲👌🏻👌🏻👏🏻
yeah. this is actually a usable lens for specific applications. As soon as my daughter gets back home I'm thinking of some portraits :-)
@ShootOnFilm cool 😊👍🏻👍🏻
Hi Ari, reelin' in the video. Clever idea with the Waterhouse stops! Amazing results from this lens.
.....So you grab a piece of something that you think is gonna last
Thanks for watching! :-)
For an object at infinity the focus point is the focal length.
True. But here is the issue that I didin't want to go in this short video :-) :
In a simple lens, the focal length is typically measured from the optical center of the lens, often referred to as the principal plane of the lens, not directly from the front or back element.
However, with complex, multi-element photographic lenses, the situation becomes more nuanced:
Single-element or Thin Lenses: In the case of a thin lens, where there's essentially one "optical center," the focal length is measured from that optical center to the focal point. The optical center is ideally located somewhere inside the lens structure, though it’s usually closer to the physical center.
Complex Multi-element Lenses: For modern lenses that consist of multiple elements, the focal length is measured from what is known as the rear principal plane. This is a theoretical point within the lens system, often within the middle or rear section of the lens, depending on the lens design.
As I just haphazardly put the lens together (or if somebody gets a noname brass lens), there is no way of knowing where the optical center is. Therefore, with all due respect, your guidance is useless, even if correct. You need to measure infinity and how it changes as the lens moves further. That is the only way to detect the focal length if the optical center is unknown.
Sorry for the long answer, but you raised an important topic I probably should have mentioned!!
@@ShootOnFilm Yes, I see your point. This was just a thin lens. And I just shoot landscapes or stars, so infinity if the only focus I use. Thanks for your videos.
@ thank you for watching and commenting. This is what makes it for me :-)
I love this channel! The image of the tree against the lake is my favorite!
Thanks, thanks! And thanks for watching!
Fun to watch, and interesting! I can't exactly believe the "one hour", seems like quite a few hours, but absolutely worthwhile, and some nice results.
Thanks thanks :-)
A very impressive and clever endeavor. I always enjoy your show. Swimming in creativity.
Thanks thanks -- and thanks for watching!
Very nice! I have a few glass elements lying around - condensers & heat shields from old slide projectors - that I’ll use to have some home made lens fun now. Thanks as always for sharing your toys!
Go for it. Those seem like excellent parts for exciting projects!
Love it!
I always find Saturday mornings difficult. Waiting and watching for Ari’s video to drop. I pass the time as best I can, and then without warning, it arrives. Always exciting, always something new, frequently fascinating with just a touch of wackiness. Makes the long wait worthwhile. Thanks Ari, let me know when the kick starter funding is open, if you decide to go into production with this 130mm f/ 2.6 bokeh beast!
Thanks thanks. That's an exciting idea. Maybe I could finally get rich? ;-)
Dont encourage him...he had enough aggro with the Zine!!🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@rossmansell5877 true!
Hey Ari you have made yourself a large format Holga brilliant stuff:)
Ari, Thank you for inspirations!!!! Now i am thinking about doing something similar ;)
That picture of the dog (Puky?) is so cute!
I also made a lens from a loupe once. It just fitted in a Copal-Press shutter. The results were very satisfying, the same look as your samples. Experimenting is fun!
Thanks thanks. His name is Cookie. An extra shutter is also an excellent tool for all kinds of experiments. It also removes the need for separate aperture blades!
Love it ! Great fun and keeps the brain ticking over
Thanks thanks!
Very interesting! I have not seen any other RUclips channel quite like yours. Thank you so much for the thoughtful videos 📷.
Thank YOU for watching!!!
Briliant, Ari! Great stuff.
Thanks thanks!
Wow! That is really cool! Of the coffee cup the f5.6 I personally liked the most! And the picture of Cookie at f5.6 I also really liked. From the two pictures at f5.6 that seems to be the f stop that I enjoy most seeing the pictures! This is a really cool video thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks. I agree. 5.6 is the sweet spot.
The f number is simply the number of diameters within the focal length. I did this with my 3 year old son, 27 years ago. Magnifying glass and cardboard tube ( paper towel ) ... 👌
A very cool arts and crafts project.
: In reality, things a re a bit more coplicated, as I explained to steven somergere else. He said "For an object at infinity the focus point is the focal length."
For the F number, as I explained in my video, f number =focal lenght divided by the entrance pupil diameter, which is the same thing.
But here is the "science"
In a simple lens, the focal length is typically measured from the optical center of the lens, often referred to as the principal plane of the lens, not directly from the front or back element. In a manufactured lens that point is typically marked on the lens. It can be close to the front element or at the back or in the middle. Depends on the lens glassware and shape. In a self made lens nobody knows :-)
Single-element or Thin Lenses: In the case of a thin lens, where there's essentially one "optical center," the focal length is measured from that optical center to the focal point. The optical center is ideally located somewhere inside the lens structure, though it’s usually closer to the physical center.
Complex Multi-element Lenses: For modern lenses that consist of multiple elements, the focal length is measured from what is known as the rear principal plane. This is a theoretical point within the lens system, often within the middle or rear section of the lens, depending on the lens design.
As I just haphazardly put the lens together (or if somebody gets a noname brass lens), there is no way of knowing where the optical center is. You need to measure infinity and how it changes as the lens moves further. That is the only way to detect the focal length if the optical center is unknown.
Also the entrance pupil diameter is not the "tube diameter". It is close but that once again depends on the design.
Those few links that I provided explain the thing in detail.
I did the same a while ago with the front element of a damaged nikon lens (something like a 35-70mm). I had to put it in reverse tho. It is around 120mm and cover 5x7, I use it quite often... I like the dreamy look of it...very sharp center and super soft corners...
That's a good point! Never throw old damaged gear away .. use them to build something new 🙂
Great job!
Thanks!! Much appreciated!!
Inspiring and musical, thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Genius!
:-) A fool, maybe?
Excellent 😮👍
Thanks!
Marvellous!
🙂
Very nice project for those long winter evenings. I don't think you need all the math stuff because the light transmittance (aka t-stop) of those loups can't be super great, so it is the unknown factor plus one would need to calculate the f-stop of the diy aperture. So one would need to experiment anyway. Unfortunately I don't own a Speed Graflex, only a Crown, so I would have to use just a cover as shutter... But thank you very much for this show and tell, very entertaining as always! BTW: Dr. Frankenstein is the name of the guy who created the monster, which had no name.
All true. You can also just experiment and try them out! -- also the Frankestein, but so commonly misused that I thought ....
An f2.6 lens is very fast for 4x5, so your depth of field would be microscopic. For the still life f5.6 looked best to me. For the outside images, I liked both the f5.6 and f2.6 images. I bet you would get rainbows on the edges with color film due to the uncorrected glass. It might be interesting to try some funny shaped iris holes (triangle, six pointed star, square) that are fairly large to see what kind of bokeh you get.
Those are good ideas. I have some long-gone Kodak color-positive film in the basement .....
awesome
:-) Thanks!
Cool!
🙂
No "Paint It Black" piano version? :D
I too love using unconventional lenses, but haven't built any of my own. I have a Canon 100mm f/1.5 X-ray machine lens currently in the mail, but I have to be honest, I don't even own a X-ray machine. From what I've read it's for a 6x6 camera but the flange distance is 1,5mm (ouch). We'll see! Maybe it works better in reverse.
Very cool lens, impressive image quality. It amazes me that you handhold that Graflex (although I've seen many old movies where they were used that way). Do you use the ground glass or have you marked a focus scale on the bed?
I marked the focus with a piece of tape on the rails! :-)
Great episode. I am attempting to build a 4x5 box camera to double as an enlarger for cyanotype printing. Could you explain the use of 2 lens on each side of the tube and how the tube length was calculated? Thanks.
Thanks thanks.
This may not be helpful for your project. I did not calculate anything. What I did was take two magnifying glasses, and then just experiment by looking through the ground glass and then finding a distance that pleased my eye. And the cutting the pipe for that distance.
@@ShootOnFilm Thanks for the information. I will continue my experimentation.
One question: why do we need a tube, is there a reason or could we simply use the magnifier ?
You could use just a magnifier and the lens board. That would be a single-element lens. Based on my tests, it's even more extreme and doesn't focus that well in the middle. But why not -- many people remove their back elements from their lenses for extra goofiness.
@@ShootOnFilm ah right, thank you
I liked that image of the houses shot at f/2.6, it looks like it was shot with a Holga. What speed was the film...HP5?
Extremely useful video.
I am looking for a similar lens for my iphone 12 mini, to get a blurry background around the subject for videos.
And I don't like the software blur that iphone does, its doesn't detect furr of cats or my hair properly.
Any suggestions if I am trying to make similar setup for mobile phone?
Be making frankenstien lens from this and that some work OK some don't but it is the journey that is fun.
Its the journey that matters :-)
this is how a holga was invented haha
An Ariga!
Probably :-)
Are you reelin' in the years?
Stowin' away the time
Yes great idea, why not mass produce this lens and call it the
TT Ari zen lens 😅
Branding. Heck, yeah! :-)