This and That

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A little bit of ramble tonite.

I have a few cameras on the workbench to shred and tear. Today I worked on a Kewpie, mounting the ~110mm Meniscus Lens in an M42 tube. Remaining is an Exacta mount Carl Zeiss Jena Polacolar f2.8 50mm lens to adapt to either my EOS or 4/3 systems. There is a mini German camera – Junka – that unfortunately has a 45mm registration, don’t know what I will do with that one- maybe a macro in an M42 tube. There is a Wollensak f4.5 triple all set for an M42 tube – I had to clean fungus from all three lenses – it needs a final cleaning before re-assembly. The original variable aperture is still functional on it. It is from an American made camera that was shipped to Germany for sale – an oddball for sure. More about each as I work them up and test them out.

The plan is to find a spot with a nice background- features at different distances, etc and test all my lenses and camera bodies so I can compare them for future reference and use. I’d hate to take lens B on body 3 to NYC when lens D turns out to be a much better performer on body 2. It will probably turn out to be an all day shoot with tripod and remote shutter release ( I will have to but two more releases- one each for the Fuji S2 and the Pentax *istD), so it will have to be either a completely overcast or Sunny day. Perhaps even two shoots – one with each sky condition.

I am addicted to Mafia Wars on FaceBook – Thompson Drum is my MW name.

On my favorite manual focus website recently, members from Austria and Viet Nam have been posting pictures, Makes the plain Jane scenery in Central New York State look very pale.

Enough !

Kodak Bimat Lens Images Added

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There is a new page in the right hand column with six images taken with a Kodak Bimat lens. The lens was attached to an M42 extender tube, then to the end of a bellows. The bellows was attached to my Canon XTi with a focus confirming adapter.

My Pinhole Day Entry

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Here is my entry taken on April 26, 2009. Canon XTi
If you see another number photo than 789 come up try refreshing. There are three photos named Playground and it seems to be occasionally causing the wrong one to appear.
Playground

Pinhole Day 2009 Website

Spring Is Here ! At Least Until Tomorrow …….

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We got a reprieve today. Last night the forecast was for 1-3 inches of snow and overcast for today. The snow did not fall and the Sun has been out all day. I took the time to take a few pictures with my Canon XTi with a Sears 50/1.4 M42 lens mounted with an adapter.

These were all taken at f1.4 to try out the small depth of field. I guess I am not going to have to spend money on a new EF Canon 50/1.4 lens. The Sears lens had been pushed into the back of a drawer after I compared it to my Canon EF 50/1.8 metal mount in relation to the additional brightness available. I just never considered using it seriously for actual photography. The DOF difference and the brightness have made me a believer, also it is nice to have a metal lens.

Anyone know the years of manufacture/sale for the Sears lens? Also, what company manufactured it ?

Kodak Bimat Lens Is Finally Mounted and New Pinhole Lens Almost Done

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It took longer than anticipated due to my midstream change to using a bellows for future mounting of old lenses to my Canon XTi.

The original method I was using involved purchasing an old lens, then removing all the optics, then getting the focal length set correctly, then taking the optics out of the old lens, and mounting the old optics. This was very time consuming.

Now I have a M42 screw type bellows mounted to the XTi via a focus confirming adapter (soon to be replaced with one of the new custom settings version). Then all that is needed is to directly glue the lens to an M42 screw type macro tube. Then screw on the lens to the bellows and shoot. Much easier and cheaper. As a bonus the lens is not harmed except for the glue used in the mounting.

Today I have finished the old M42 135mm mount for the pinhole project. All that is left is a quick visit to Mr Pinhole’s Website to get the dimension for the pinhole itself and then just get it mounted to try it out. I hope to be able to use this for Pinhole Day 2009.

Photos will follow when the Sun comes out (sometime in June I believe).

New M42 to EOS Adapter With User Changeable Custom Settings

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CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER ADAPTER INFORMATION ON MY BLOG

Today I received the user changeable adapter. The first hint that it wasn’t the ’standard’ chip was the default f1.4 rather than the f2.0 on the screen.

The directions say it can be used to set aperture value, focal length, calibration for front and back focus, and switch between AF/MF mode. I am only interested right now in the focal length and aperture – but the others I will play with later.

(eBay item #350132914444 – you have to ask for the new chip and pay a small premium for it.)

I quickly programed it by the use of my one right hand and my two left hands, both with two thumbs. In all, I was successful after the 16th attempt (I kept count on a stroke sheet). The first 15 were just getting used to the instructions. I finally got a handle on it when I tried the alternative method of entering the command mode using the AI SERVO mode.

Now I had an adapter set for 65mm focal length (EXIF info only) and f5.6. I mounted the old M42 lens body containing the VPK Meniscus lens and no aperture mechanism. This being the reason I wanted the adapter – the fixed aperture value.

The Sun was almost set, so I was able to shoot in AV mode against the Sun and every other direction and then to top it off, a shot at the side of the house in very dense shade. I shot with RAW and JPG (I was using the XTi).

Last week I did almost the same thing with my earlier f2.0 adapter and one half of the RAW were seriously dark to full black. The results tonight were very well exposed RAW in all shots. The EXIF showed the 65mm focal length, the aperture of f5.6 and the varying shutter speeds. AND it is also a focus confirming chip.

I am very happy overall and I will be ordering two more as soon as the pension check is deposited next week. This adapter is black anodized aluminum.

To prove it wasn’t a fluke, I dismounted the adapter and lens, mounted an AF lens, shot some with it and then remounted the MF adapter and lens. The settings were still there.

Now I have to wait for a decent day to go out and have some fun with this 90 year old lens.

A few new images

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CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER ADAPTER INFORMATION ON MY BLOG

I went out yesterday with the HawkEye 2A lens and the VPK meniscus lens. Both were used via an M42 to EOS focus confirming adapter. I visited the Fairmount Cemetery and the Erie Canal Park, both in Camillus, NY. There are pictures in both pages.

A New Chip Available For M42 to EOS Adapters

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CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER ADAPTER INFORMATION ON MY BLOG

I was looking for an M42 to EOS adapter that the seller would program with a custom aperture. There was one auction on eBay from a Hong Kong seller that alluded to being able to put aperture and focal length in. Using the ‘ask the seller a question’ route, the answer came back that there is a new chip available that allows the user to make changes in both the aperture and focal length information stored in the chip attached to the adapter. The price for the new chip added a minimal cost to the adapter with a generic f2.0. Also it makes slight mention of having an MF/AF option so when set to MF you can take a picture when the green focus LED is NOT lit. If set to AF, then you have to have focus confirmation before the shutter will fire. Of course I ordered one. I have no idea if there is a Nikon version available.

When I get the adapter with the new chip, I am going to try to set it for a focal length of 63mm and an aperture of 5.6. These are the general settings for the VPK meniscus lens. There is no aperture adjustment on the VPK lens assembly I put together. This should alert me, when in shutter priority mode, that the speed is too far afield; if it is, the f setting in the viewfinder of 5.6 will flash. Also, I will make sure it is set to MF in case I try some shots where the auto-focus might not work; as in low light, fireworks, moon images, etc. The focal length is only used as EXIF information.

I’ll put a posting in with my impression of the adapter after I give it a road test. If this works out, I will probably get an adapter for each of my ‘custom built’ M42/Kodak lenses.

A Few VPK Meniscus Lens Images Posted

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I was able to shoot some exterior shots with the VPK lens mounted on my Canon XTi via a focus confirmation M42 to EOS adapter. It was bright most of the time I was shooting, but cold and windy. The shots are in the VPK Meniscus page. The lens flare and softness are very obvious in them all.

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER ADAPTER INFORMATION ON MY BLOG

Another Old Kodak Lens To Mount On My DSLR

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On eBay I found a lens simply described as a Kodak BIMAT f11 to f32 lens with front lens focus and five shutter settings in a Kodex No.1 shutter; focal length or usage unknown. The main thing that caught my attention was it appeared that the aperture was being restricted to f11 in the same manner as Kodak used on the VPK lens and other lens models. To me this meant lens flare, which follows that it was probably uncoated, which follows that I wanted the lens. However, as is not my usual mo, I looked around on the Internet first and found two very nice references. The first had a very clear picture of the lens and the information that it was a 103mm lens that was meant for usage on at least one Kodak model – the Senior Six 20 – placing it at ~1939. The second website, in Japanese which Google would only translate the first third of the rather large page, showed opening the lens to allow re-positioning the aperture limiting ring. This resulting in an f6.0 to f32 aperture range.

In retrospect, I believe that by putting the front lens in the close-up position and just loosening the four mounting screws, it just might be possible to move the limiting ring with a small screwdriver tip. Use the pictures on the website below as reference.

Now for the best part- the lens was new in the box old stock ! For $19.95 and free shipping ! How could I possibly go wrong !

I received the lens yesterday and this morning I spent an hour doing the aperture modification. The hardest parts being not to loose the miniscule screws holding the front plate and determining which of the multiple starting points to use when re-attaching the screw on front lens. The threads allow at least three chances – all of which I found – too loose, too tight and just right.

Japanese Webpage

This lens is a little past halfway down and just after the Graflex Optar 135mm section.

Also yesterday, I went to my favorite camera store Hendricks Photo in Syracuse, New York and picked up, in M42 screw mountings via T4 PX adapters, two lenses. A Soligor 75-260mm -It can also be used as a hand sledge- and a Soligor 3.5 135mm. Both will be used as mountings for old lenses once the optics and aperture sections are removed. The zoom has a nice tripod mount.

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER ADAPTER INFORMATION ON MY BLOG