For some time now I have been experimenting with "homemade" lenses. Ed Wenn's recent posting was just the shot in the arm I needed to take the final steps (Thanks Ed!). I opted for the Rollei SL66 as the test bed.
A simple magnifying loupe provided the optic which was mounted onto an inverted lens hood (machined to ensure infinity focus) and then attached to a spare Rollei mount. The result is an f2 lens with a focal length of approximately 150mm.
I have been encouraged by the first test roll and plan to make a few further refinements. The characteristics I find most appealing are the halo/flare effect, shallow DOF and the out of focus edges!
Regards,
Lawrie.