I just got a "Lens in a Cap" from Loreo in the mail today. After taking a couple pictures of another lens with it, I tried some macro photos of N scale equipment that was handy. On my website (that is horribly out of date, but not quite abandoned yet ) I've posted some first test shots using the new lens at f/64 with the optional 10x magnifier. My first impression with this lens is that it was well worth the $15 that I spent for it. This is probably the cheapest lens that I'll ever buy.
I'd say that, for just $15, you could hardly go wrong! However, the proof of the pudding is not in close-up ability but in how much depth of field the lens actually provides and how sharp are the images within that focal range. There was/is a company that's been in the hobby for many years and advertises in Walthers catalog. They offer a "lens" attachment quite slimilar to what you are describing but for the princely sum of around $180(!). While it focuses very close and has considerable depth-of-field, nowhere is the image really sharp. It's good for novelty layout photos but produces nothing the magazines would ever accept for publication. I, for one, will be very interested to see how well your inexpensive version does. Keep us informed and do post more images. NYW&B
funny, I thought the PM model's lettering would be better as well... for $15 I think you got a good deal.
Pete, The cost is $11.00 here is the price sheet link http://www.loreo.com/pages/shop/loreo_products_online.html# I just ordered both the 10x and lens in a cap they accept pay-pal or Credit card
The other pinhole lens that I've seen advertised is from Fricko. I haven't seen it in the mags for some time. A local friend has one that he wasn't too impressed with. I found in looking at my photos from this test that there was a black piece of something on the lens (probably a sliver of plastic; looks like a very short hair at the center of every photo). I was able to blow it out, but haven't tried further shots yet. It'll get plenty of workout this weekend at the Waupaca train show, and I'll be sure to add more images as they are available. I found that the Lubot magnifier really reduces the effective focal area to not far beyond the lens itself, but without the Lubot, I got a decent focus on the f/64 setting with the subject about 2 feet from the lens.
Ah, the Lubot is the 10x magnifier! Doh! I experimented a lot with pinholes back in the late 60s, as I was getting into photography. Beyond my good gear, I had a number of really cheap lenses. Which I proceeded to modify in various ways. I made a 50mm f/1.8 Praktica into an f/64 by inserting an aluminum foil disk into the aperture slot. A terrible lens to begin with, the disk made it worse! My best results came from a spare Nikon lens cap. I drilled a 1/4" hole, then covered it with a foil disk with a small hole. I started at about f/128, which was too small. I ended up at about f/64 as I gradually enlarged the hole. The results were sharper than I expected. Later I made a Perspective Control pinhole. I just moved the hole off-center. Still later, inspired by the Apollo missions, I took color shots on black & white film. That is, I took one image with a red filter, one image with a blue filter, and a third image with a green filter. Then I tried to make a color print in the college's darkroom. I wasted a lot of paper and chemicals that night! I understood the principles (the same as today's digitals), but couldn't figure the exposures.
