Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/03/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Greetings, I have just completed construction of the first working prototype of the Mumbo-Jumbo. At a bit over a meter in diameter, it's quite a handful, but all that mass makes it remarkably steady for hand-held shots at slow shutter speeds. That is if you can lift it! The M-J utilizes a new type of glass with dispersion characteristics so low they can only be described as, "Bottom of the Barrel", which apparently is where Hoya went to find the glass blanks they shipped us. The motivation for developing the Mumbo-Jumbo (or the M-J as Thomas and I like to call it), is to achieve the narrowest depth of field possible. At 1000mm and f:0.95 the M-J achieves a minimum depth of field of .003 nanometers. Essentially, nothing is in focus but the effect is truly awe-inspiring. The entire subject is a total blur except for a razor thin line that tracks the contours of whatever it is you're photographing! The fact that you have no idea what you've just photographed only enhances the viewing experience. While production of the M-J will begin next week, Thomas and I are already working on an improved design, utilizing a non-collapsible mount. This new mount will hopefully solve the somewhat awkward problem of the entire lens collapsing under it's own weight. We're calling it the Mumbo-Jumbo-Supreme, or just M-J-S for short. Peter Jon White