Topic: Lomography's at it again. But this time I'm excited.

[Francois]

Yes, Lomography's at it again. But this time I'm actually excited to see what will come out of it.
I got their teaser in my inbox (http://www.thelomographer.com/2019/nl_lomomod_shutter_teaser/en?source=nl_lomomod_shutter_teaser&utm_campaign=nl_lomomod_shutter_teaser&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter)
I know it's just a shutter but it's been a very long time since they last did something film camera related.
Now, what could it be?
I guess we'll have to wait until Monday to know. One thing's for sure, it's going to be more exciting than the elections...

[John Robison]

Well, 2AM out here on the west coast. I’m an insomniac and just might be up (unwillingly) at that hour. Looks like something perhaps for the DIY crowd. That would be great.

[Francois]

Definitely would.
One thing's for sure, this one is going to be weird.
I got a message from them yesterday and in the teaser it looks like a system to make your own liquid filled lenses...

[John Robison]

Definitely would.
One thing's for sure, this one is going to be weird.
I got a message from them yesterday and in the teaser it looks like a system to make your own liquid filled lenses...

Have you ever done water drop photography? Place a water drop on a glass slide and use it to magnify what is under the slide, prop the slide up on a couple of dominos. Bring your SLR close and the drop acts as a extreme plus diopter lens. Interesting distortions. And of course we have all seen the photos taken of water drops hanging from plants that image the world behind them.
Last item I bought from them was that build it your self 35mm reflex with a mirror/drum shutter. The drum shutter design was not what I thought it would be so I sold it as soon as I finished building it. That is the trouble with these things. There is nowhere you can look them over before you buy them. 

[Francois]

I've never done the water drop photography you talk about.
I did make lenses with water and stretched saran wrap when I was a kid, but not much else.

When I'm done playing with the bunch of lenses I have lying around, I might try and make my own from various things found at the hardware store.
But one thing's for sure, it won't be easy...

I do have plans to make a lens out of the bottom of a coke bottle... but that's a whole other thing.

[John Robison]

I've never done the water drop photography you talk about.
I did make lenses with water and stretched saran wrap when I was a kid, but not much else.

When I'm done playing with the bunch of lenses I have lying around, I might try and make my own from various things found at the hardware store.
But one thing's for sure, it won't be easy...

I do have plans to make a lens out of the bottom of a coke bottle... but that's a whole other thing.

Back in my formative years (photographically speaking) a common slang expression for a bad lens was 'hey, it's a coke bottle'. As a gag I always wanted to, but never got around to, making a single element lens out of the bottom of a green coke bottle. At that time I was grinding a telescope mirror and had the grits to rough grind and polish out a lens. I figured about 80~100mm range and mount it up in series rings on a helical.
That would have been a lot of work for a few laughs though.

[Francois]

Right now I'm a bit stuck with the focusing bit of the project.
I also need to figure out how to cut the bottle.

[Bryan]

Right now I'm a bit stuck with the focusing bit of the project.
I also need to figure out how to cut the bottle.

There are several bottle cutting gizmos available that make it easy.  There are also several videos of DIY methods.  I always have trouble cutting glass.  At least with a coke bottle your not wasting anything expensive if you screw up multiple times like I do.

[AJShepherd]

Ok, so apparently this is a cardboard medium format camera with a liquid lens.
https://shop.lomography.com/en/cameras/lomomod/lomomod-no1

Though cardboard and liquid are not the best of friends so best hope for no leaks.

[Francois]

 I just saw it and really don't know what to think.

A 75$ cardboard camera with a hollow lens that you fill with a liquid of your choice in order to get different effects................
 

I thought it would be more exciting than the elections, but right now I'm about just as excited about this than I am about the elections...
75$ for cardboard?

[John Robison]

Right now I'm a bit stuck with the focusing bit of the project.
I also need to figure out how to cut the bottle.

Use circular diamond glass/tile cutting bits. Cheaper in a set, there are various sizes. A 35mm OD bit will leave a 30mm approx. size cut out. You should use a drill press at slow speed with plenty of water to cool and lubricate the bit. Go slow, this takes a while to grind through the glass.
There are focusing extension tubes available on e-bay from Chinese makers. They are typically $25~$35. Get one with M42 Pentax thread mount with a 15mm extension. Plastic M42 body caps can be had 5 or 10 at a time from e-bay sellers and can be adapted to hold lenses. Manual M42 extension tube sets are also cheap and come in handy to set up lens close to infinity with helical retracted.
This can run into a bit of money but once you have these items they can be configured to several lens projects. Everyone should have a M42 mount body, a Spotmatic or Fujica ST605n are good, not too expensive options.

[John Robison]

As to this new offering from Lomography.
Meh, I think my $75 (with tax and shipping) would best be spent on more film.
Interesting concept but......

[Francois]

Pretty much my thinking right now.
If they had made it out of laser cut wood, then I probably would have gone for it. But cardboard? I know they claim that the cardboard is more ecological but in the end, if it just falls apart and doesn't stand the test of time it's essentially a waste.
And at that price, you're pretty close to a good wooden pinhole camera like the Ondu. And way over a good old Holga (especially with the 25% rebate Freestyle has on them these days with the coupon code).

As for the coke bottle lens, I'll probably use some Dremel diamond blades to cut the bottle.
As for the focus mount, I try and keep things ultra cheap so I'll probably end-up making something myself. I'm thinking of two sliding tubes with a string that pulls and pushes one of the tubes inside the other using a small knob or something like that.

[John Robison]

For focusing also check out black ABS plumbing fittings at a hardware store. Some are threaded and are plastic so can be worked fairly easy. For a 35mm SLR a plastic body cap can be epoxied to the back to be able to mount onto whatever camera mount you have. They are also cheap, at least in the US, don't know about Canada.

[Francois]

Yeah, plastic pipe nipples are fairly cheap around here too.
If I just had a 3D printer at my disposal....