S.K. Grimes

06/18/2026

I like to call it “the common denominator.”

Sometimes a client already has adapters from A→B and C→D, but really, wouldn’t it be nicer to just go straight from A→D with one clean solution?

In this case: Series 9 to a Lee 100 filter system. Sure, you could stack step-up and step-down rings, add weight, reduce clear aperture, and make life complicated… or you could just make one proper custom adapter and eliminate the headache.

06/16/2026

They’re back… another brass beauty returns to the bench.

This Hermagis No. 6 barrel lens came through the shop for a fresh set of Waterhouse stops and is now ready to head back out into the world. Of course, we also included one of our new custom storage cases to help keep everything organized and lens-specific.

06/11/2026

“Hold my beer…”

A Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 converted from a Leica M lens into a barrel lens for mounting onto a Copal shutter? Sure, why not. This one took a fair bit of head scratching, and the focal length ultimately had to be fixed, but we successfully remounted the lens for use in a larger custom camera project.

06/09/2026

So have you heard the one about a Schneider Apo-Digitar 120mm f/5.6, a Copal #0 shutter, and an idea walking into a bar?

Neither had we—but somehow it ended with a custom ALPA setup complete with an extension tube. Sometimes clients already have half the puzzle sitting on the bench: a lens, a shutter, a few parts, and a vision. They just need someone willing to connect the dots, machine the missing pieces, and make the whole thing work together.

That’s where we come in.

06/04/2026

Taylor Hobson Cooke 4.62" f/6.5 barrel lens front-mounted to a Copal shutter. The recessed mounting and low-profile aperture ring made the original markings difficult to access and read, so we designed a removable engraved ring to translate the aperture scale to a more visible surface. Functional, clean, and fully reversible.

06/04/2026

06/02/2026

“Ah snap!” — not exactly the sound you want to hear while handling camera gear.

Even some of the best cameras out there can suffer from aging plastic parts. In this case, an Arca Swiss bellows frame cracked and caused a persistent light leak. We duplicated the frame in aluminum, restoring function while significantly improving strength and durability.

05/28/2026

“What’s in the box?! What’s in the boooox?!”

Fortunately, this one’s easy—we engraved it right on the lid. Inside: a custom set of Waterhouse stops for a Dallmeyer 3A lens (serial #67930, to be exact).

We’re always refining even the simplest accessories, so our custom stop sets now include personalized storage cases to help keep everything organized and lens-specific.

05/26/2026

Some lenses walk. This one sprints.

Rodenstock XR Heligon 75mm f/1.1—another one of our fast-glass projects. This fixed-focus lens received a custom bayonet mount and matching lens hood, giving this speed demon a proper modern setup.

05/21/2026

Carl Zeiss Tessar 13.5cm f/6.3 in an old-school Compur #0 dial-set shutter. Sounds straightforward… until you realize old #0 shutters aren’t always modern #0 shutters.

Today’s #0 standard is M32.5×0.5, but this vintage Compur had its own ideas. We machined a custom retaining ring while still designing it to fit a standard 35mm #0 lens board opening.