Cheap, Bad but fun Lenses

[Imperitus]

I'm a new owner of a 20D. :) Joy.
But I'm strapped for cash, Christmas and all... So I can't afford any additional good lenses for a while.

Which got me thinking, are there any crappy lenses out there, the kind will produce completly unsuitable for professional use images, but which also might be fun to pick up for change and play with?

Such as a fish eye that distorts unevenly and has blurry spots? Or anything like that?

I'm not looking for something that will be functional so much as something I can play with.

Any ideas?

[Toogy]

Have you looked at the 50mm 1.8 MKII? It is really cheap AND very functional. It is very sharp and fast as well.

Or if you want something totally crazy, get one of these
http://www.lensbabies.com/

[Imperitus]

I have the 50mm 1.8, it's my primary lens. It's great. :)

The lensbaby stuff looks fun. thanks for the tip. :)

I'm just looking for things to tide me over while I save for my 70-200 2.8 IS :)

[Andy_T]

Tell us how it worked out ...

The lensbabies sure look like a fun way to suck dust into your camera...

Best regards,
Andy

[Barb42]

why would a lensbaby suck dust into your camera? I have one and it has glass just like any other lense. I have had no problems with it on my 10D. Check the samples on the lensbaby site and you will see some lovely work by some good professional photogs.

[DocFrankenstein]

How about making your own pinhole camera?
Or making your own lensbaby zoom?

[Imperitus]

That's actualy a great idea. I wonder if I can get some loose lenses and build my own tube/ atatchment... :)

[Illegally_Alive]

Get a holga, they're $20 and lots of fun!
Yeah, It's not a lens but it has a really bad one! Plus you can mod. it to hold 35mm.

[Imperitus]

Going to stop by american science surplus and grab some scrap lenes. :) Anyone know of a good source for mounts that will fit the canon EF ?

I might try building a pin hole lens as well. :)

Is there any danger from letting too much light hit the sensor ?

[Imperitus]

Never mind that, just realized I can pick up some spare canon body caps and use them. :)

I can't wait to get the parts and make FrankenLens. :)

[BearSummer]

why would a lensbaby suck dust into your camera? I have one and it has glass just like any other lense. I have had no problems with it on my 10D. Check the samples on the lensbaby site and you will see some lovely work by some good professional photogs.

The reason that a lensbaby will probably suck dust into your camera is the same reason that all lenses that change length when focussing or zooming do. If the lens gets longer or shorter then its internal volume changes, if it gets larger then air gets sucked in, when smaller it expells air. Dust is just one of those annoying facts of life like wasps, std's and politicians, they serve no obvious purpose, are annoying and you wish they would go away.

best wishes

BearSummer

[lomond]

You've got the best lens money can buy, for change. Save up and don't waste any money on crap. ( you get what you pay for. )
Lets see what you got with the 50mm 1.8

Cameron

[DocFrankenstein]

Never mind that, just realized I can pick up some spare canon body caps and use them. :)
You're a genius!

Now I'm gonna vandalize my canon body cap and turn it into an M42 adapter! :D

[Imperitus]

Cameron

Here's a recent shot with my 50mm, which I have a looong way to getting proficient with.
http://www.heidgerken.org/MiscPics/50mm.jpg

But here is this evenings project. :)

First I tried a convex lens, and got the following blurrry streaky type of images:
http://www.heidgerken.org/MiscPics/convex.jpgThat's my christmas tree btw.
Not much use. :(
But then I tried this concave:
http://www.heidgerken.org/MiscPics/lens.jpg
and turned this:
http://www.heidgerken.org/MiscPics/without.jpg
into:
http://www.heidgerken.org/MiscPics/with.jpg

That's pretty wide, I think if I get a clean lens, instead of the one I dug out of a bin at science surpluss and fix it to a clean uv filter(that's how I mounted it on the outside of my kit lens), I might have some worth playing with. :)

[DocFrankenstein]

Wait... what did you do?

Mounted what on what?

[Imperitus]

I stuck a 1 dollar surplus concave lens onto the uv filter of my kit lens:
http://www.heidgerken.org/MiscPics/kit.jpg

[DocFrankenstein]

Nice! :)

Try it on WIDE ANGLE :)

[ron chappel]

Forget the lensbaby,it costs about 30 times more than it's worth
Just about any old nikon lens will fit -just buy an adpter off ebay for about $35.
All screw mount lenses can also be used with a similar cheap adapter-also available on ebay.You can get other adapters but they cost alot.Olympus,contax/yashica and leica are the ones i know of
Other lenses can be used just by 'holding them on the front' LOL

[Andy_T]

Imperitus,

I'd also be in the crowd that tell you not to spend money on cheap crappy lenses if you don't have much. After all, there are cheap good lenses available...

OK, the 1$ surplus lens looks like a good idea, but the kind of lensbabies might be money you later miss when you want to buy your next 'real' lens.

Why not take a look at the eBay used lens sections for
- 35/2.0 (same build principle as 1.8/50 MK I)
- 28/2.8 (same build principle as 1.8/50 MK I)
- Zenitar 16 Fisheye (manual focus) ($ 150 new)

Best regards,
Andy

[Hatem Eldoronki]

Or the Peleng 8mm lens for about $200.

[Andy_T]

Or the Peleng 8mm lens for about $200.

Right, forgot that one.

If you get one of the Fisheye lenses, I think that they are T42 (screw) mount and come with an adapter for Canon. So *I think* you could use the adapter for other lenses, as well.

-> Anyone who really knows that for sure, correct me if I should be wrong!

Best regards,
Andy

[Hatem Eldoronki]

Right, forgot that one.

If you get one of the Fisheye lenses, I think that they are T42 (screw) mount and come with an adapter for Canon. So *I think* you could use the adapter for other lenses, as well.

-> Anyone who really knows that for sure, correct me if I should be wrong!

Best regards,
Andy
It comes with an M42 mount, and the EOS adapter is an extra ~$30..

[PekkaM]

I bought Tamron 28-75 2.8 and now I don't much use my 50/1.4 anymore.

[Barb42]

I assumed the guys in this forum were a bit tougher than that ...but then maybe art photography doesn't fit your true risk adverse nature http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif

[FlyingPete]

Going to stop by american science surplus and grab some scrap lenes. :) Anyone know of a good source for mounts that will fit the canon EF ?

I might try building a pin hole lens as well. :)

Is there any danger from letting too much light hit the sensor ?

I got a really basic attachment quite cheaply for T-Mount (Telescope) it is basically a EF fit with a screw thread, should be able to use it to mount all sorts of wierd stuff!

Shouldn't be any issues on too much light hitting the sensor, it is fully exposed when cleaning, however not actually 'on'

I have heard you can use the cap that comes with for the front of the EOS body as a pin hole, just needs the hole!