[Brightcolours]

I got this Epis 400mm 1:4 projector lens. A search learned that it actually is a Leica made/designed lens. 

It is about 13cm wide, with a ~10cm front element diameter. Apparently (looks like it too) it has 3 elements. The whole lens assembly 11.5cm long, and it has an outer "tube" with focussing guidance.

 

The lens has a very wide projection image. If I assume a crop factor of 2.4 for FF in comparison to 6 x 9, this lens would make a fine longer portrait lens on MF 6 x 9 format  (166m, f1.66 FF equivalent).

 

It would also do fine as a large format lens, or tilt shift lens on MF (due to its huge projection circle).

 

I have not experimented enough with it to know exactly how far it should be from the image plane at infinity, but quickly checking the front end would be about 48cm away from the image plane. If I want to mount it on my DSLR, that will mean I have to make a construction of about 40cm between lens and camera.

 

No idea yet what kind of resolution that would give... these long focal length lenses were for a long time preferred over tele designs because of central sharpness and contrast, and it is a Leica designed optic, so who knows?

 

I'll have to see what kind of construction(-materials) I can come up with. A shame my 6 x 9 camera is a fixed lens folder, else that would be a very interesting project  :lol:

[Brightcolours]

And I could find some 2nd hand Canon LIDE scanner and convert it to a scanner camera.. 

That would make a 45mm f0.45 FF equivalent.. How fun would that be?

[Brightcolours]

Here you can see this unusual lens, next to a Canon EF 35mm f2:

 

[mst]

Wow, impressive!

-- Markus

[arvydas]

There is one (EPIS 400mm 1:3.6) used in Karlshamn's (Sweden) Kreativum (local science center) to illustrate pinhole camera; you can try to use it like that

 

 

 

 

[Brightcolours]

There is one (EPIS 400mm 1:3.6) used in Karlshamn's (Sweden) Kreativum (local science center) to illustrate pinhole camera; you can try to use it like that

Hehe, that is pretty cool. Must be a pretty big room, when they use a 111mm hole as "pin hole"

 

If I want to make photos like that, I would need a BIG blinded room with a nice view (or preferably a truck), huge rolls/sheets of photo sensitive paper, and a very big darkroom to process the paper...

 

Lots of fun ideas for this lens!

[soLong]

....i'm convinced now....this is an antidote to the little camera people - looking forward to seeing your b double(veryLargeTruck)setup now bc

[Brightcolours]

....i'm convinced now....this is an antidote to the little camera people - looking forward to seeing your b double(veryLargeTruck)setup now bc

Well, I got it wrong there yesterday, soLong. A pinhole camera does not have any optics, and it does not focus because of that, making that you can project an image at any distance from the hole. 

With a lens like this, light does get focussed, and you can't just use any distance to the lens as projection plane. 

 

That does not make a truck for "portable" big pinhole camera less cool, just not with this lens!

[arvydas]

Indeed, it's illustration and not a real pinhole camera; but for given conditions everything looks the same, and it is easier to arrange such thing at museum. I am sure you are aware of this; IMO knowing distance (6m) and size (2,25m) of the projection and size of the object that is projected (14cm) should allow to calculate the distance where to place the camera.

 

 Really looking forward to see the results - I already want one .

 

A.

[Brightcolours]

Thanks arv, I the lens indeed came for a machine like that (but different manufacturer). It is nice to see the lens element configuration in that brochure.

 

The lens is not designed to be sharp for an APS-C size sensor area, but instead for A5 to A4 size. The results I have gotten wide open are very soft. When I "close it down" by adding an aperture in front and behind the lens, the image improves considerably, I tried with an f7 aperture.

 

But the lens will be huge, and for an f8 lens or something that makes little sense. So, for now I will first pursue the scanner camera path, as this lens will be great for that application..

 

Here is an image of the test configuration I made, which gives you a little bit of an idea what a big lens it would be:

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]