For Sale 285mm f: 4.6 Wollaston Soft Focus Lens

285mm f:4.6 Wollaston Meniscus lens

A simple meniscus lens, mounted in a PVC barrel configured to replicate the first true photographic lens invented by William Wollaston in 1812. Use it wide open for a very soft and "dreamy" photo. Progressively smaller apertures sharpen the image and creates a "turn of the century" photographic look. The bridge was shot at f:5.6 & f:11 on a 5x7 Deardorff.

The lens is a quality glass optic in a machined PVC barrel and flange. A 72mm metal filter ring is bonded into the barrel. Five aperture cards (aka: "Waterhouse Stops") from f:5.6 to f:22 are included.

I have 135mm, 155mm, 190mm, 250mm, 267mm, & 285mm lenses at the same price. Data sheets for each lens are here:
http://re-inventedphotoequip.com/Site/Data.html

Unmounted lens (includes the flange & screws): $65 + $11 USPS shipping.
Flange mounted on a Technika style lensboard (details on my website): $89 + $11 USPS shipping
Custom mounted on your own lensboard: Ask for a quote

A previous thread on the 285mm lens is here: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

More about Wollaston lenses here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_lens#The_earliest_photographic_camera_lenses

Reinhold

More details and other goodies at:
www.Re-inventedPhotoEquip.com
www.classicBWphoto.com

Wollaston is a very interesting character and one to which I have done some historical research. Some of his papers have been lost, but in terms of lens specifics he seemed quite an expert. If you can provide more information about Wollaston I would be pleased to learn.

I've beeen working with my 285mm from Reinhold and am extremely impressed with what it does. The workmanship is very professional and for his price, it's really a no-brainer.

Attached is a proof from a shoot last weekend with it. Very dreamy almost surreal look. Very different look from typical soft focus lenses. I highly recommend it.

Rienhold - you're a genius for coming up with this design - thanks again.

Any chance of a version that can be mounted in a shutter? I'd be keen to use one for portraits so for reasons of subject motion and suitable exposure, hat-shuttering doesn't really cut it.

Dan, thanks for your kind words.

Regarding shutters:

Barrel lenses have always been difficult to shutter. Finding an iris type shutter large enough to acommodate my 73mm diameter lens barrel is really a challenge. A lot of large format folks opt for using a Packard shutter, often mounting it inside the bellows behind the front standard. Unfortunatly, this approach eliminates most 4x5 cameras.

Another approach is to mount a Packard to the front of the lens using a variety of clamps, slip fit sleeves, and such. The Packard shutter is based on an old design that goes back 75~100 years and is famously dependable. I mounted a Packard #6 to one of my lenses for a customer last year using a machined slip fit collar. Here's the story:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
More about Packards here: http://www.packardshutter.com/

I now bond a metal 72mm filter ring into my lenses which opens a way to mount filters, hoods, ...and Packard Shutters... easily and quickly to the front of my lenses. This also makes it possible to mount a soon to be announced Guillotine shutter to the lens ( as hinted at here: http://re-inventedphotoequip.com/Site/Shutters.html ).

Reinhold

www.Re-inventedPhotoEquip.com

For those who have asked, the 335mm and 500mm lenses listed on my website should be available in the next few weeks.

I know that the ULF folks are waiting for something like this.

Reinhold


www.Re-inventedPhotoEquip.com

Very interesting, I would like to have 1 to play if not for the issue that I am saving cash for a camera upgrade as well as holders.

polyglot said:

Any chance of a version that can be mounted in a shutter? I'd be keen to use one for portraits so for reasons of subject motion and suitable exposure, hat-shuttering doesn't really cut it.

Click to expand...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

polyglot said:

Any chance of a version that can be mounted in a shutter? I'd be keen to use one for portraits so for reasons of subject motion and suitable exposure, hat-shuttering doesn't really cut it.

Click to expand...

I like the 190mm version with a speed graphic. 1/10-1/1000 second range!

It just so happens that I have an extra 190mm on a Speed Graphic lensboard.

It has an edge chip that is just noticable at wide open aperture.
The completed, mounted lens on the SG board is $158.
The chipped edge qualifies you for a $10 discount.

So... $148 + $11 USPS shipping.

Reinhold

www.Re-inventedPhotoEquip.com

I forgot to attach a photo of the lens.

Here it is, one photo shows the 190mm lens with it's 72mm filter ring on the Speed Graphic board. ($148 + shipping).

The other photo illustrates the lens with a filter and lenshood (not included) just to illustrate how this baby would look on your Speed Graphic camera.

Reinhold