[Leica] Fisheye Foolishness?

[Jim at hemenway.com (Jim Hemenway)]

Folks:

I really like shooting with a fisheye lens and wanted to try a larger 
format than 35mm and medium format, but couldn't find a lens which will 
give me fisheye effects on large format.

So, I built this with a lens that I had in a drawer.
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/4x5-Fisheye-L.jpg>

It's a 4x5 Fisheye camera with an 85mm image circle.

I used an old beat-up Speed Graphic which I stripped down to just the 
box and the focal plane shutter.

Then I killed an ailing Kiev 60 to harvest its body parts.
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Kiev60.jpg> to get a lens mount for 
the 30mm fisheye lens which I then installed on a piece of wood which 
fits tightly into the camera box.
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/4x5-FisheyeMount-L.jpg>

This is what it looks like from the side:
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/4x5-Fisheye-side.jpg>

Here's some of the first photos from the week before last:
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/BackPorch-with-Ears-Ektachrome.jpg>
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/FrontYard-Right-with-Ears-Ektchrome.jpg>

You can see that the "ears" of the built-in lens hood, interfere with 
the 180 degree sweep of this lens when used with this "camera".

So I used a pair of tin snips to remove them:
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Fisheye.jpg>

These photos are from this past week without those pesky "ears":
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/FrontYard-Right-Ektachrome.jpg>
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/BackPorch-Ektachrome.jpg>
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/TwistedTree-Polaroid.jpg>

I had forgotten just how much "real estate" is seen at 180 degrees, so 
this im me, not part of the lens hood at the top:
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/TwistedTreeandMe-Polarod.jpg>

I've bought a Graflok back on ebay to replace the decrepit existing 
spring back.  Then I'll be able to use the Polaroid back without the 
heavy duty rubber bands.  I also want to get a reflex hood for it.

Now I have to do some shooting with it to determine how to get the best 
photos out of it, versus a square or rectangular fisheye format.  Maybe 
someting like this: 
<http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/AtTacoBob's-Polaroid.jpg>

As you can see, I've already branded it with one of our favorite 
company's logos... I fully expect them to contact me soon with an offer 
which I won't be able to refuse.

Jim