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Earth to Earth
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:30 pm    Post subject: Earth to Earth Reply with quote

I've been rather too busy to prepare my holiday photos. However, here is the first set, http://galactinus.net/vilva/retro/earth.html , views of the old cemetery in Kuhmo, Northern Finland, where I was attending Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival. The cemetery is situated only about 150 meters from the concert hall so one could visit it even during intermissions. These are rather quiet photos of a very quiet place.

Veijo


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like 9076 looks like to me a scene from Lord of the Rings, very artistic photo to me.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fascinating images. You really love your old lenses, don't you?


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beautiful pictures.

Class A Very Happy


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

9079 is my fav...
Do you keep the aperture mechanism totally out of the lenses or not. In case you take the mechanism out.. as this one is single element lens, this can be directly used by taking our and fixed in lens cap...
As these have good DoF, i am more interested in aperture control...


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

LucisPictor wrote:
Fascinating images. You really love your old lenses, don't you?


Well, yes. The Meniscus can produce quite enchanted photos, unlike anything else. Of course, I wouldn't use it as my only lens, but complementing it with the Radionars I can certainly do a lot of serious photography. The 4.5/105 Radionar is surprisingly sharp even wide open, which is the way I mostly use it, and the bokeh is extremely well-behaved under all circumstances, practically failsafe. It will take me a while to prepare my selection of scenery photos from Kuhmo, but here is an exhibit which ought to give you an idea (4.5/105 Radionar on 5D, at f/4.5):



and a 100% crop, very slightly sharpened, from a little bit behind the exact focus level:



Veijo


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ballu wrote:
9079 is my fav...
Do you keep the aperture mechanism totally out of the lenses or not. In case you take the mechanism out.. as this one is single element lens, this can be directly used by taking our and fixed in lens cap...
As these have good DoF, i am more interested in aperture control...


I have removed the aperture mechanism of the Meniscus because the whole idea is to use it as wide open as possible, i.e. at about f/5.6 in this case. Originally, it had a stop plate, which limited the maximum aperture to f/11, but then the photos taken with it were just ordinary. You'll have to provide some kind of a focusing mechanism as the lens has none - the original camera was a simple fixed focus design. I've used the lens body and focusing helicoid of a broken 135 mm lens, see http://galactinus.net/vilva/retro/eos350d_meniscus.html . The Radionars have front cell focusing, which makes things easier, and I've also retained the aperture mechanisms.

Veijo


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Veijo...
I bought Kodak (looks like) VPK camera... There is no details about lens.. single element.
The shutter is some





I dont have any lens (spare/broken) at this point. I have fixed the lens on M42 camera cap and using 2 ext tubes.. With rotation, able to get focus, but I havent get a chance to use...

Was your camera like this one... any special thing I need to take care..

Thanks for keeping us posted with your pics..


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ballu wrote:

I bought Kodak (looks like) VPK camera... There is no details about lens.. single element.


The lens on this model is a Meniscus Achromat, which has two elements in one group.

Quote:
Was your camera like this one... any special thing I need to take care..


Yes, it was as you can see from the photo on my Meniscus page. There are no special things, just:
- with the camera closed, open the round port at the back by turning it counter-clock wise
- separate the lens assembly from the bellows by loosening the threaded retaining ring accessible through the port
- open the camera and loosen the four screws attaching the lens assembly to the front panel
- the lens will be behind the shutter and aperture mechanism, which may not be working properly anymore as it has been exposed to the elements for quite many decades. The shutter and the aperture can be removed unless you want to have an adjustable aperture. Anyway, you ought to unscrew the round plate in front of the lens in order to get an aperture wider than f/11.

Veijo


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Veijo....

My set up looks like this.. (took aperture and shutter mechanism out of lens assembly)





Frankly, the results are not of your level. The sharpness is too low. I will try tomorrow in sunlight.. plus my focusing mechanism is too rudimentary..


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ballu wrote:

Frankly, the results are not of your level. The sharpness is too low. I will try tomorrow in sunlight.. plus my focusing mechanism is too rudimentary..


I hand-held the lens while testing. Remove one extension ring and try to focus with a loose lens. This will give you some idea about the achievable sharpness. In my setup, the lens is quite deep inside the barrel, which also acts as an effective lens shade. This may affect the apparent sharpness a lot under some circumstances as the lens has quite a low contrast despite having only two air-to-glass surfaces. You may also have to boost the contrast during PP - both global and local.

Veijo


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks...

Found interesting article...

http://blogs.salon.com/0004217/2005/10/07.html

The text of this article,

"The Pentax Soft 85mm f/2.2 lens for their 35mm SLRs is the same simple type of VP Kodak lens and it's soft image effect is very beautiful when used for flower subjects, close-ups and portraits."

In a day or two.. I will upload few results...


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What's the exact name of camera model please?


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Orio wrote:
What's the exact name of camera model please?


This is a Vest Pocket Autographic Kodak. There is also an older, non-autographic model called just Vest Pocket Kodak, which doesn't have the rectangular port at the back for scribing text through the film backing with a stylus - the port is visible near the right edge of the camera back in the lower photo by Ballu. There are also quite similar looking Vest Pocket Autographic Specials and two quite different looking VPK models, VPK Model B and VPK Series III, which two are not so interesting. Models looking like the Autographic VPK were available with quite many different lenses from the cheap Meniscus to an expensive Tessar. The Meniscus model can be identified as having an aperture limiter plate and also the shutter in front of the lens, i.e. the lens isn't visible at all except during exposure. Any model with a visible lens has one of the more expensive alternatives, a Rapid Rectilinear (a fully symmetric design), a Kodar (an anastigmat) or a Tessar (with front cell focusing!) or something else. The VPK is one of the most successful cameras in history, made by the million, and there were quite many variants of all the models.

Veijo


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

vilva wrote:
Orio wrote:
What's the exact name of camera model please?


This is a Vest Pocket Autographic Kodak. Models looking like the Autographic VPK were available with quite many different lenses from the cheap Meniscus to an expensive Tessar. The Meniscus model can be identified as having an aperture limiter plate and also the shutter in front of the lens, i.e. the lens isn't visible at all except during exposure. Any model with a visible lens has one of the more expensive alternatives, a Rapid Rectilinear (a fully symmetric design), a Kodar (an anastigmat) or a Tessar (with front cell focusing!) or something else. The VPK is one of the most successful cameras in history, made by the million, and there were quite many variants of all the models.

Veijo


Thanks Veijo. I am interested in a Meniscus lens such as the one that you and Ballu have obtained. The lens in the Kodak pocket camera I bought some months ago was probably too good for the kind of effects you are obtaining with your Meniscus lens. The photos just looked like out of an ordinary cheap lens.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

#1 is a cracker, love it.


Guido


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I once have done some experiments with an Agfa Isinar 1:11/42 lens (this is the lens of a late 60s Agfa Isorapid I).
This cam has another register than the EOS system, so if you connect it "correctly", you only can shoot close-ups. Well, turn in around and you get "regular" photos - OK, sort of...



This is not even close to Veijo's meniscus results but not bad for lens upside-down at a cam, isn't it? Wink


PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Veijo, whats the difference in Meniscus Achromat and Meniscus Autographic camera/lenses, or one is lens type and other is camera...


PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ballu wrote:
Veijo, whats the difference in Meniscus Achromat and Meniscus Autographic camera/lenses, or one is lens type and other is camera...


Meniscus is a simple, single element lens type, Meniscus Achromat is also a lens type but with two glued together elements to correct for chromatic aberration. Autographic refers to a system which allowed the photographer to scribble a note through the backing of a special type of film and then expose the text - the rectangular cover at the back of your VPK. There was originally also a metal stylus attached to the camera alongside the cover, but it seems to have been lost from your VPK.

Veijo