A few years back, a fellow photographer friend inquired if I was interested in doing a camera trade. A homemade Kodak Dualflex I, through the viewfinder (TTV) contraption for a Altoids mint tin pinhole camera (CK MintyCam). It sounded like a good trade to me to, so I got to work. Once we made the trade, I put this fine invention to work using a Sony DSC-828 digital camera and a bit of imagination to create a whole gallery of TTV images. After some time passed I thought, why not create one of these devices for my Canon EOS 5D and a 100mm ƒ/2.8 macro lens? I wanted to make it so I didn't have to hold onto the attachment while I focused and composed the shot. I cut a 3" diameter mailing tube to the right size for that lens and then taped the lens hood to a vintage Kodak Duaflex I TLR 620 film camera (made between 1947-1950). This way I could take the TTV attachment on and off the lens just by using the bayonet feature of the hood. After putting everything together and attaching it to my camera, I was pleased with the results this new lens attachment produced. I found that by keeping the f stop above ƒ/8 and the shutter speed around 180-200, made the edges sharp and allowed for ample depth of field. Below is a sample test shot took in Ocean Beach and a photo of what the thing looks when it's attached to the camera body. Holding and shooting it can be a awkward, but once you get the hang of it, it's a lot of fun to use. I admit, it's a bit of a gimmick, but when used correctly it can yield some really unique shots that make the photos feel like theyre encased in vintage glass.



Crudely stuck equipment ;-)
Thursday, April 5, 2012