Longest tele lens in point and shoot cameras

darkosaric · Dec 28, 2014

Hi all,

I am looking for a long tele lens in small package, trying to make something like a "Miroslav Tichý" camera - so bad image quality is a plus, not a minus .
I got Olympus superzoom on a flea market: 140 mm on the long end. Is there something longer? Or some adapter to attach to it? I tried holga camera with tele adapter, 'nice' results, but not very long tele.

Thanks,

AgX · Dec 28, 2014

As far as I remember that Olympus lens already was at the far end.

What about using a binocular (or rather a monocular)?

OptiKen · Dec 28, 2014

Why is bad image quality a plus?
I know that taste is subjective but I really don't get it.
There are serendipity mistakes that turn out incredible and they will both amaze and delight me but aren't you supposed to throw out the crap?
Not everything we do is art. No matter how famous we may be or become, not everything we do is art.
Some of it is crap and even when we are trying for crap, what we end up with should be followed by the sound of flushing water.

If by some strange querk of fate, I become remembered after I am gone I honestly hope no one goes through my trash.
Fame will not change what it is.

TheFlyingCamera · Dec 28, 2014

I'm pretty sure that 135-145 was the longest tele zoom you could get on a point-n-shoot that shoots film. Those long zooms were pretty crappy with anything other than fast film in bright daylight because when zoomed in they became something like f8-f11 at the fastest.

darkosaric · Dec 28, 2014

OptiKen said:
Why is bad image quality a plus?
I know that taste is subjective but I really don't get it.
There are serendipity mistakes that turn out incredible and they will both amaze and delight me but aren't you supposed to throw out the crap?
Not everything we do is art. No matter how famous we may be or become, not everything we do is art.
Some of it is crap and even when we are trying for crap, what we end up with should be followed by the sound of flushing water.

If by some strange querk of fate, I become remembered after I am gone I honestly hope no one goes through my trash.
Fame will not change what it is.

I am not trying to make art in this experiment - just to have some fun. I want to see how difficult is to make a crappy small camera with very long tele lens. Why? Why not. Because it is fun.

darkosaric · Dec 28, 2014

AgX said:
What about using a binocular (or rather a monocular)?

Monocular on the diana or holga body taped with duct tape can be an option. I will search for some on the flea markets.

Sammelwahn · Dec 28, 2014

darkosaric said:
140 mm on the long end. Is there something longer?

Pentax Espio 150 SL

cliveh · Dec 28, 2014

darkosaric said:
Hi all,I am looking for a long tele lens in small package, trying to make something like a "Miroslav Tichý" camera - so bad image quality is a plus, not a minus .Thanks,

If bad image quality is a plus, why not make your own out of cardboard tubes and cheap magnifying lenses?

miha · Dec 28, 2014

Pentax Espio had an 48-200mm lens.

Ricardo Miranda · Dec 28, 2014

Yeap, Pentax Espio 200.

gone · Dec 28, 2014

I wasn't familiar w/ the photographer you mentioned until I googled it. Beautiful camera and lens, if I do say so myself.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...M&itg=1&ved=0CJsBEMo3&ei=9oKgVKX0HYyjNoSZhJAJ

The few photos here are very interesting. He's not just a photographer, he's an artist. His frames are an integral part of the images , and he drew on the images by hand also. But I also get a little trapped by the storyline. Would I think the same thing about simply seeing the photos before seeing his camera, and reading about the whole deal? I don't know.

Dead Link Removed

Good luck in your quest. It shouldn't be hard to get "bad" image quality from any camera, but the trick is to get bad image quality that is good or great, and I'm sure you know what I mean if you are after such a thing here. That will truly be the hard part. Still, lots of duct tape and a lot of time in the flea markets and thrift stores should get you something to start with, if you have the eye for the image end of it. Only one way to find out. I've always been of the opinion that a really good photographer can take a great photo w/ any camera, once he or she discovers their sense of style. That may take a while. In the meantime, as you said, have some fun!

John Koehrer · Dec 28, 2014

Yet another artiste's pics found in an old trunk and being interpreted by a gallery/critic? Or am I just not seeing it?:confused:

Anyway, enjoy what you're doing; you're having fun with it.

darinwc · Dec 28, 2014

I fear that a pentax point n shoot will be inclined to produce much better photos than the one you desire. But there is no harm in giving it a shot.
You may also consider getting a holga or lomo.

ciniframe · Dec 29, 2014

I have a Tamron 4X telescope with a series 5 mount attachment size. You would have to have a 35mm point and shoot that was all manual control and has a filter thread.

For example;
I have an Olympus 35RC.
I have a 43.5 to 43mm filter adapter on it.
I have a 43mm to series 5 adapter.
The 35RC lens FL is 42mm. @ f2.8 and the math works out as 4X42= 168mm.
The clear aperture of the 4x is 30mm.
So; 168mm divide by 30mm = 5.6 this is the maximum aperture of the system. Until you stop down below 5.6 the aperture is 5.6, even if you have the lens set to 2.8
Focusing (from 8 feet to infinity) is by scale, you leave the camera lens at infinity. You had be doggone good at estimating distance.
This thing is long, about 5 inches, so there is a lot of leverage on the filter threads of the camera. You have to handle this combo gingerly so you don't break the lens off the camera.
The results are....uh.....interesting, yeah, that's it, interesting.

One more thing, viewing and framing are by guess and by gumpshun.

I still see these 4X Tamron lenses on ebay. In fact, I have an extra one if i can find it. The camera to attach it to you have to find.

Chan Tran · Dec 29, 2014

Not a P&S but at one time I use a Pentax SLR with a 200mm f/4 lens and attach 2 cheap Vivitar 2x converter to make it 800mm f/16. Not sharp but usable in bright light.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Dec 29, 2014

With these long tele p and s cameras , important thing is to keep camera steady in your hands. If you find a one leg tripod , I bet your image quality improves.

But you are a very very good leica user , experimenting at low light conditions with humans - Elmar is one of the greatest - , experimenting with 70s colors on not focus , experimenting with strong colors , sea reflections , going to museum and photograph the paintings are faraway more rewarding than to use crapy japan lens on crapy compositions with lots of shake.

For second kind of things ,use a pinhole camera.

or buy a 135 mm leitz and create your art.

darkosaric · Dec 29, 2014

I was thinking about 135mm Leitz - I see one for 79 euros in local shop, little cloudy - but who cares. If I could find some 2x teleconverter in M mount (they exist?) - that could be interesting, and on my M3 focusing would be easy. SLR I want to avoid because they are too big and frightening and not fun in this experiment (too easy to get 400mm lens ).

I think that natural development of Holga and/or Diana F+ cameras will be that they will start to have removable lenses. My old Holga and original Diana are fixed with one lens, but they are already some tele and wide adapters. Only question of time then they (Lomography) will make tele lens for Holga and Diana. Once when you can detach lens from Holga - it is relatively easy to make you own lens, and if you have bulb option - you can find focus with hand made lens and then duct tape it.

Idea with RC35 and telescope is very nice , and thanks also for Pentax Espio tip.

blockend · Dec 29, 2014

Does anyone know what focal length Tichy's home made lenses were? They look about 135mm, not hugely long.

darkosaric · Dec 30, 2014

blockend said:
Does anyone know what focal length Tichy's home made lenses were? They look about 135mm, not hugely long.

This looks much longer than 135mm to me:

elekm · Dec 30, 2014

If you want to try something different, you can get a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex I or II and replace the front lens element with a Carl Zeiss 8x monocular as a telephoto lens.

I doubt you could handhold it for most photos, but it probably is something worth trying.

In terms of practicality, most makers didn't go too far on the P&S for several reasons:

- The P&S was for amateurs.

- Long telephoto lenses (beyond 90mm) magnify the image but also magnify camera shake.

- A lightweight camera isn't as easy to hold steady, which is important when shooting with a long telephoto lens.

Could be a fun project.

darinwc · Dec 31, 2014

i met a guy a few years back that would make custom lenses by combining two lenses, swapping elements, taping them in tandem, and all manner of contraptions.

They resulted in some pretty cool effects.

Longest tele lens in point and shoot cameras

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