Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from June, 2021

Building a micro anamorphic setup for the Pentax Q

My project was to build two light anamorphic setups - one for my Pentax Auto 110, which I really love, and one for the Pentax Q, which I never use but does yield decent results in the "digital aesthetics" field.  Since the project didn't work out for the Pentax Auto 110 for now, I will share the more successful results of the Pentax Q. This was the base idea: Find a filter that can be screwed onto the best zoom lens (to avoid cropping) Remove the glass from this filter to keep the ring with the thread Replace the glass with a donut-shaped piece of wood or cardboard Fix a small cellphone anamorphic lens onto that  Here's how it went: Find a filter that can be screwed onto the best zoom lens (to avoid cropping) This one was easy. I decided to use the 02 "Standard Zoom" lens for the Pentax Q which has a thread of 40.5mm. And used a Fotasy Pro 1-D as filter. Remove the glass from this filter to keep the ring with the thread That was equal parts fun and dangero...

The cute medium format camera I built combining two cameras into one

There are several attitudes regarding broken cameras.  Some people would believe that you have a duty to fully restore them to their original appearance, and failing to do so makes you a vandal. Some people think they become trash and should be discarded.  And lastly, some people, if the two first options are uncomfortable or impossible, will think you can repurpose their parts to make something else. Now, I personally don't have a lot of respect for people who turn old cameras into lamp shades or paper weights.  A camera is a camera, and for as long as some of its parts can function, it should be used as a camera as much as can be, imho.  I recently came across a Semi-Leotax camera with a totally broken lens (glued focusing ring, moldy lens, completely destroyed shutter with parts jangling inside of it...). And I also had a $2 Holga, which I thought was very bulky and kind of hard to carry around because of that.  I always thought one of the Holga's weak points...