Planet Randy

Merced River View

From Will Dunniway’s Yosemite 2012 Workshop

5×7 CGA

El Capitan

From Will Dunniway’s Yosemite 2012 Workshop

5×7 CGA

9.5″ f/4.5 Aldis No.19
5×7 CGA
1.25 minutes, wide open
OWH
“Market Pantry” Vinegar Developer
KCN

I mixed “Market Pantry” Vinegar Developer and tried it out today. Developed this ambrotype for about 30 seconds and it actually worked.

6″ f/~5 No Name Petzval Magic Lantern
4×5 CGA
6 seconds, wide open
OWH
“Market Pantry” Vinegar Developer
KCN

Well, it was bound to happen eventually. Dropped the 333mm lens, my heart sank a little then I saw my 148mm waiting for its turn.

The fun is dead - long live the fun!

I’m really liking how this $7 lens renders with collodion.

Surplus Shed 333mm Cemented Achromat Doublet
12 seconds, noon
4×5 Black Aluminum
OWH
KCN

Here’s proof that you don’t need expensive brass lens to have fun with collodion. Perused Surplus Shed and found an Achromat Cemented Doublet for $7.00 with a focal length of 333mm and diameter of 42.7mm giving an aperture of roughly f/8 at infinity.

333mm Achromat Doublet Lens Spec

After wrapping black electrical tape around the lens (I plan on blackening the edge with permanent marker next time), I chucked it up on an lens iris clamp and mounted it on the Gundlach 4×5 Korona.

333mm Achromat Doublet Lens on Korona

I grabbed my favorite succulent and mixed some Ol’ Workhorse – the result is quite pleasing.

333mm Achromat Doublet lens 4x5 test

Surplus Sheed 333mm Cemented Achromat Doublet
35 seconds, 5:00 pm SoCal sun
OWH
KCN

I really need to clean my scanner. Given the slow speed of wet plate, there’s an abundance of lens formulas available at Surplus Shed for some collodion adventure.

Scored a Darlot Portrait Lens last month at the Camera Show. It was a bargain considering these brassies have gone up considerably with the resurgence of wet plate collodion and the petzval mongers. It’s an 8×10 lens size 4-4 with a back focus of 10.5″; it looks it could be used on an 11×14 format in portrait distance. I found some details on this lens from an 1890 catalog, of course nothing beats an actual image from it which I plan on making this weekend. I made a leather lens cap for it.

A Real Darlot

Darlot Portrait Lens 1890 Catalog

The lens cost $32 in 1890, in today’s dollar it would be about $800 – about the price I would ask for.