OK I misunderstood the context of the "lawn" comment.

But, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the point of a rat rod to build it yourself or to save money from buying a new vehicle?

With this dog lens the consumer is doing neither.

@crustovsky I said I'm sorry.

I get the point of shooting with a gritty lens. I don't understand why someone would go out of their way to spend 150 pounds on one when you can get one significantly cheaper.

The point about customization: the most customized lens is one you do yourself.

It's like Hollister and Abercrombie acid-wash jeans. You can buy them. They are expensive. But what exactly are you buying? The brand name?

If you can give me a logical reason to buy one of these lenses it will help your argument.

It's like the whole point of the GH2 hacks. What made it great was that a cheaper alternative to more expensive Canons and REDs was made a viable competitor. With the GH2 you are both saving money and there is a sense of satisfaction there.

@3kids Everyone is a student in some sense. I think it was Socrates that explained that those who say they know everything know nothing. I admitted that I misunderstood the product.

Just tell me why this is a good idea in English. Why would you do this. Why would someone buy this product as opposed to going to E-Bay or a yard sale and repurpose the lens by him/herself.

I already alluded to this before. The fact that you do not understand a product does not mean that the people who are buying it are idiots. In this case, a guy has figured out how to modify lenses in a way that people find appealing. Some people are willing to pay him to buy those lenses rather than spending a bunch of their own time figuring out how to modify them in a similar way. Not everybody wants to DIY. Some people just want to buy a finished product and start using it.

As an example, I had a Polaroid 110a sitting around for years as a project camera that I intended to modify to shoot 4x5 film by buying a broken Crown Graphic and harvesting its graflok back. Finally, I realized that it was so far in my backlog of project camera stuff that I probably wasn't going to find the time for it any time soon. I ended up sending it to a guy in Florida who modifies them and paying him for it. Now I have a Polaroid 110b/a hybrid which shoots 4x5 film. I've had a great time the few times I've taken it out so far and I'm really anxious to see some of my results. That seems better to me than it sitting on a shelf collecting dust waiting for me to be done with other stuff!

@photoman Reasons I would buy this product instead of making it myself:

• I give value for my time. I could spend hours googling what lens should I buy and then hunt it from eBay.
• Also time studying how it should be modded, what tools & materials should be used etc.
• And the time actually modding it.
• (Then there's still possibility that you screw it up.)

If I sum all the effort and I give value for your time, then yes, it makes sense to me to buy the lens if I'm buying just one.

If I'm planning to get several of them, maybe then studying this new subject is justified.

(Video production is hobby for me, and it contains tons of stuff to learn from different areas. If I can save my time and get the look I want with this lens instead of studying again new area about lens manufacturing, I will do it.)

DSO supposedly has other focal lengths in the works, and possibly an anamorphic. Anyone actively striving to provide us with fresh anamorphic offerings (real or imitation) gets a big thumbs up in my book. Two more lenses (35 & 85), and DSO has me. Hook line and sinker. At the very least, the extra price guarantees a matched set of lenses that have been through quality control and a good once-over setup. Add to that the (no small feat by the way) aperture mods and flare mods. To me it makes sense. It's already allowed DSO to improve and offer the complete rehoused cine-esque TRUMP lens.

@eatstoomuchjam $250 US is not reasonable when you can get the exact same lens (and yes the lens is a helios-the second image is captured from their website) when you can buy the same lens from a local seller at less than half the cost. If you want to change the color of the lens put a $2 colored lens filter on it.

If you want a scratch or dirt on every shot, scratch that same filter. You will get the same effect.

That money saved could go towards another piece of gear. If you are working on a budget for a project, how would you explain to the producer that you spent an extra $600 on three lenses because you wanted the bokeh to look like the Toyota logo.

They come right out and say that the lens is a Helios. No need to do detective work from pictures.

Go for it. Go buy a standard Helios and stick a cheap colored filter on the front and demonstrate to everybody here how you can do it for so much less. Until you post awesome results indistinguishable from the many examples available online which have been shot with DS lenses, you're talking out of your ass and nobody will (or should) take you seriously.

Oh I have, you're just trolling and/or seriously projecting your limited experience on others and lack of understanding of pretty much anything you're talking about. I'm starting to wonder if maybe you're "on the spectrum" and we just simply don't understand the immovable object in the way of you understanding how wrong you are here.

@photoman No need to quote Socrates, I've read the original texts, I'm Greek :) In addition I'm still a student, while working in tv/film production for more than a decade, even at the age of 32, doing my PhD (I also have 3 other media/tv/film related degrees, so I do appreciate... learning).

Now, moving on to your question, please do buy an old helios, try repurposing the lens by yourself, show us the result and if willing, describe us the process. Then we can find and explain the differences between yours and DS, and maybe you will actually learn something -or even make a business out of it- by researching it instead of going crazy just because you don't get it :)

p.s. I don't use or own a DS lens, and therefore can't critic it. From personal experience, I've learned to only judge a product after using it in person, otherwise it's just trash talk ;)

@photoman What is this video supposed to show? I own a helios as well, quite familiar with its look :)

@3kids It's not meant to show anything but that. It's a camera lens.

You can do a lot of stuff with editing and/or a filter. You don't have to buy the same lens for more than twice the price.

And if you are telling me about your PhDs you missed the point about me even referencing Socrates. College education is not indicative of real life experiences; it is an institution to train you to conform. We are forced to do it out of tradition; we comply because we want work.

Further, you are telling me you have some degrees and you live in Greece. If you do, upload photos. Show me your diplomas and passport.

@jpbturbo If you want to make it look filmic (scratches and stuff) overlay an 8mm or 16mm projection in digital editing. You can find stock footage on the internet available for download.

If you scratch or put dust on the lens it will be static, too. Every shot will have the same scratch and the same dust in the same place.

@eatstoomuchjam If the point of using these lenses is to achieve a lo-Fi look, then what is the difference if you use a lens filter. DSO offers low contrast options; they don't offer high contrast options.

I am not holding any of you back. If you think it's so great, why haven't you bought them already? I know why I am not buying any; why aren't you?