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Fuzzyeyeballs
Tinkerer
Username: Fuzzyeyeballs
Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 08:06 am: | 
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Hello everyone. I'm pretty new here and hope someone can help shed some light on this problem I have.
I ain't good with camera repairs ... I'm just a hobbyist with itchy fingers. What I did was took the lens from a camera and 'planted' it into another camera. Then came the problem. Both the cameras were focus-free, so I assume they should focus at infinity.
After 'planting' the lens on the camera, I could not get it to focus properly. Btw, both are compact cameras with no zoom or AF.
The first roll I did for a test ... all the photos were blurred. Focus was off.
Then I extended the distance from the lens to the film a little bit and I got much better focus.
From the 2nd test roll, I realise closer subjects (see 2nd photo below) seems better focused.
Since the camera has no bulb mode, I can use some of those guides online to test infinity focus.
Can anyone help provide some help? If closer subjects seem more focused, is the lens too close or too far from the film?
Thank you in advance.
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Paul_ron
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_ron
Post Number: 147
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 05:18 pm: |
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Which camera are you using? |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 561
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 05:56 pm: |
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What did you 'plant' the lens with? From your results I would stick with gardening.
Are you just switching lenses on fixed focus cameras of the same model? If so, the swap should be trouble free when all components are replaced in the same position. Have you reversed any lens elements?
In the second photograph, the lens needs to be moved closer to the film plane to bring objects at infinity into focus - all other factors being correct. The first photograph is typical of results from lenses with optical elements that are not oriented correctly, or where the complete lens is positioned to close to the film - there is now plane of focus to be found anywhere.
However, judging by the light streaking on your images it looks like you have other problems also. Perhaps you should plant the cameras in the trash bin and pick up something that works. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 871
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 07:10 pm: |
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In order for the lens to focus correctly in the new camera, it has to be EXACTLY the same distance from the film that it was in its original camera. Guessing at random, shooting a roll of film, taking another random guess and shooting another roll is about the most costly way I can think of to grope your way to success .... I'm sure that for the money you'll have spent on film and processing you could have bought a camera that was capable of much better results than either of these was before you started working on them. |
Fuzzyeyeballs
Tinkerer
Username: Fuzzyeyeballs
Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 07:46 pm: |
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Wow! Thanks for all the very fast replies. I am very much into 'toy' cameras and crappy ones. The lens is from a disposable Konica Wai Wai which I love (17mm super wide) and I planted it in a Fujifilm point and shoot (don't really know the model but it's a focus-free point and shoot). THe reason I was doing it is because I wanted to be able to load the film like any other compact but with a 17mm lens.
I'll probably try doing some measurement and try again. I know this might sound silly in this forum but I love experimenting (despite the fact that I should stick go gardening ... oops ... most of us don't have a garden here in Singapore  )
As for the light leaks ... they are because I have not put back all the screws etc on the camera and didn't seal up the front of the camera yet.
Thanks a lot. |
Charlie
Tinkerer
Username: Charlie
Post Number: 206
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 05:30 am: |
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17mm is a pretty short focal length and I don't think many P&S camera bodies will acommodate it. When you have both lenses out, measure through from where the lenses mount on each camera to the film pressure plate. If both cameras aren't the same you will have a focus problem. Good luck |
Connealy
Tinkerer
Username: Connealy
Post Number: 19
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 08:01 am: |
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If you have the camera stripped down enough to see the shutter mechanism, you can probably check the focus visually by jamming open the shutter. Most people do that with a piece of ground glass or some Scotch Magic tape at the focal plane. That's tricky, though, with a small aperture. A better and simpler method is to use an slr to view a target at the focal plane as explained on the sites of Rick Oleson and Mike Elek. |
Connealy
Tinkerer
Username: Connealy
Post Number: 20
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 11:39 am: |
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Another consideration in focusing is that you will likely not want the lens focused to infinity, but rather to the hyperfocal distance for the single available aperture. With a 17mm lens at f-16, that would mean focusing at 2ft, giving a depth of focus of 1 ft. to inf. My impression with the Ultra Wide & Slim is that it may be set a bit closer than the hyperfocal distance. |
Connealy
Tinkerer
Username: Connealy
Post Number: 21
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 12:01 pm: |
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Did you try reloading the Wai Wai? I've seen several posts saying that isn't very difficult, and it seems like it would be a lot easier than trying to transplant the lens. |
Fuzzyeyeballs
Tinkerer
Username: Fuzzyeyeballs
Post Number: 3
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 08:20 pm: |
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@Charlie : Thank you
@Connealy : Thanks for the reply. I did not want to reload the Wai Wai as I wanted something more covenient and also it's meant to be a fun experiment trying to 'transplant' the lens. How can I jam open the shutter? There is no bulb mode and I don't know how to leave the shutter open. |
Petercat
Tinkerer
Username: Petercat
Post Number: 83
Registered: 01-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 03:06 pm: |
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Sounds like you are having fun with this! Please post a link here to photos taken with this setup when you have it finished. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 874
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 05:28 pm: |
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Connealy is right, but you're going to have a heck of a time trying to check the focus on a 17mm lens. I would go on the assumption that the Wai Wai was set for the hyperfocal distance and try to measure extremely carefully to set it at exactly the same distance in the other camera. This may mean that you have to build some sort of tube reaching back from the front of the camera to where the lens has to be... which in this case may just make the whole project that much more fun. It's amazing what you can do with a tube of J B Weld and some masking tape. |
Fuzzyeyeballs
Tinkerer
Username: Fuzzyeyeballs
Post Number: 5
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 12:58 am: |
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Thanks for all the replies. I've yet to find time to continue with this but will post here once there is (hopefully) progress. |
