I designed an updated Wigglegram lens to bring to Open Sauce 2023 in San Francisco!
concept
After the purchase of my full-frame Sony a7rIII and with OpenSauce 2023 around the corner, I thought it was time to update my previous design and fix some of the user experience in the process!
process
One of my main frustrations with the previous version of the lens was the precision of the focus ring. Depending on the subject, the photographer could have to sort through multiple full rotations of the ring to hit the desired focus.
Then, inspired by George Moa's design, I wanted an adjustable aperture that could accommodate a greater variety of lighting situations.
With those in mind, I prototyped various parts and swapped out the threads of the previous design with a helicoid, closer to how other lenses actually work. Then, for ease of use, I added a stem to the ring, making it easy for the photographer to move through the entire focus range with just around an inch of motion. The second hand can steady the camera WHILE adjusting the focus with the knuckles. HUGE improvement.
Then, inspired by George Moa's design, I wanted an adjustable aperture that could accommodate a greater variety of lighting situations.
With those in mind, I prototyped various parts and swapped out the threads of the previous design with a helicoid, closer to how other lenses actually work. Then, for ease of use, I added a stem to the ring, making it easy for the photographer to move through the entire focus range with just around an inch of motion. The second hand can steady the camera WHILE adjusting the focus with the knuckles. HUGE improvement.
For the aperture... it ended up being some of the most mind-bending 3D modeling I've ever done. After a half-dozen prototypes, I ended up with a functional aperture that I was really happy with!
[Going to add a video here...]
results
The only problem? Even at 5mm... it was too thick in the assembly and inhibited the focus range. I tried to shrink most of the components down even further... but at the size I needed, it was unreliable. It worked ENOUGH for the event itself.
For this time around, I used a large flash that GREATLY improved the quality of photos in dimmer environments.
For this time around, I used a large flash that GREATLY improved the quality of photos in dimmer environments.
Aperture: Epilogue
In a later version, I swapped out the aperture for a series of fixed size "aperture chips". These replaced the aperture mechanism and allowed a few pre-sized apertures to slot in as needed. This also had the benefit of ensuring the apertures were evenly sized and circular.
Someday, I'm going to return to this and get the variable aperture working... maybe with the Carver Air that I preordered?...
In a later version, I swapped out the aperture for a series of fixed size "aperture chips". These replaced the aperture mechanism and allowed a few pre-sized apertures to slot in as needed. This also had the benefit of ensuring the apertures were evenly sized and circular.
Someday, I'm going to return to this and get the variable aperture working... maybe with the Carver Air that I preordered?...