Busy hands | Disquiet mind

Okay, okay. I didn't get disposable cameras to practice film photography. No, I got them to cannibalise the lenses.

You see, I saw KickThePj's video 'Taking Retro Photos with DIY Camera Lens', and fell down a rabbit hole. Mathieu Stern was the first person I could find doing this, in his video 'How to Make a Lens from a Disposable Camera (90s film look)'. Which dpreview helpfully wrote up for people who don't do videos; 'summary of Mathieu Stern's video'.

The plan is to take these cheap plastic lenses off the disposable cameras once you've shot the roll of film, and fit them to your regular digital camera. This should give a simple, in-camera, way to get that more 90s look, with soft focus and light aberrations.

( Details )

When set, attach to camera and use
Photo by chebe

My results differ to those of the creators in the videos above. I believe they're both using full-frame cameras, whereas I'm using micro-four-thirds cameras.

The main difference is that where they seem to have a focal length of about 1.5 metres to infinity (Kodak says 1m-infinity), I'm seeing that the focal point is about the length of my arm, around 50-70 centimetres. Which is about half that of my prime lens.

I'm also seeing less chromatic aberration, and not really seeing any warping around the edges. One benefit of my particular make of micro-four-thirds cameras is that they have in-body image stabilisation. Which gives me hope that this lens will work well with videos.

Here are some examples, with no modifications in post (except resizing).

( Photos with disposable camera lens on digital camera )

The first thing I notice, in comparison to the unaltered disposable camera is the colour grading; my digital camera is much cooler. Next it's that the digital camera is still much sharper / is more high-definition. Even with the difficulties with the focus length. For a more direct comparison I went back to the woods, and took more tree photos attempting to get closer to that warmer, more 90s look. I took the photos below in RAW, and with my cameras Vintage I filter. Which is closer, but more of an over-exposed 70s look to my eye.

( More photos with disposable camera lens on digital camera )

This, while not entirely successful, was an interesting experiment. I did try changing the focal length by gluing another lens so that it sits flush with the lens cap, so that the image would be closer to the camera sensor, in the hopes of finding a sharper position, but that made the focal issues even worse, so I'll spare you the details. Mostly it proves to me that I need to learn more about the maths behind optics.

But one thing that did work really well was using these new lenses with extension tube rings (for my micro-four-thirds camera). What these do is give you different combinations of length that moves the image further from the sensor, which makes the image larger (at the cost of cutting off the edges). Which means I now have a quite affordable macro lens. (And which has already come in useful.)

When all is said and done, this sense of being able to experiment with otherwise prohibitively expensive equipment, is very liberating. I am unlikely to be able to improve on the work of the specialists, but I can have fun learning, and maybe create some accidental impressionistic art along the way.

Seamwork's Clarke is a loose-fitting tank top, that is meant for bursting your stash. Clearly I've misunderstood that term this whole time because this top requires a significant amount of fabric for the type of top it is. I have made this before (version 1), and there are some changes I'd like to make.

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Seamwork Clarke, finished, front view
Photo by chebe

You've repaired your cassette player. You spend time digging out your old cassettes, only to discover that the tape has snapped and is loose inside the cassette case. What do you do? Learn how to repair them of course!

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Lower section of a cassette tape, with clear leader tape threaded
Photo by chebe

Seamwork's Alice is a basic long-sleeve high-neck knit t-shirt. I have made it before, but the end result was not really a success. Largely because the fabric wasn't stretchy enough. This time I'm going to make this without any changes, with a view to wearing it as a base layer.

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Seamwork Alice, finished, front view
Photo by chebe

The Panasonic RQ-CW03 portable cassette player is a basic (stereo) tape player from the turn of the millennium. It plays tapes, even has an extra-bass switch, but that's it. No recording, no radio. I remember having to go out and buy this, because I had moved on to CDs, but unfortunately my Irish language exam prep hadn't. As a result, this has largely sat in a drawer unused, slowly yellowing, since that exam. And, predictably, when I last pulled it out to listen to some tapes it was no longer functioning.

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A delicate arrangement but workable. Unfortunately, every screwdriver I had was either too big or too small for the trimpot, except, oddly, the one on my Leatherman (Free T2). It fits almost perfectly, like, suspiciously so. A bit like how the Bic biros are (still) exactly the right size and shape to wind the cassettes. But I'm lucky it did fit as it enabled me to adjust the speed, which was wildly out.

Then I partially reassembled the player, and tested with a music tape. The extra-bass still works, but the volume pot is scratchy. I hit it with some electrical contact cleaner spray, worked the wheel back and forth, and let it dry. Cleared that crackling right up.

And this friends is everything I remember tape being. The sound is amazing, and the extra bass mode really delivers. All while conveniently attached to my belt/waistband. I think it's incredibly sad that this quality of player is no longer readily available. Especially considering the low cost of it when brand new. But I'm delighted to have mine working again!

Speed trimpot adjustment procedure
Photo by chebe