Crowd funding is becoming increasingly popular among creatives. With more sites springing up and more artists asking for funds, Don’t Take Pictures spotlights projects that benefit the arts community.

 This month’s crowdfunding roundup presents the revitalization of a unique and historical lens.

Bringing Back the Meyer Optik Trioplan “soap bubble” Lens

Originally created in 1916 by Hugo Meyer, the Trioplan lens had an exceptionally sharp center of focus and high maximum aperture. When used at f.28, it created the unique “soap bubble” bokeh that it became known for. Now, a century later, a team led by Dr. Stefan Immes plans to redesign the lens, brining back a historical photographic effect and making it compatible for today’s cameras.

The Trioplan f2.8/100mm camera will be mounted for Canon, Nikon, Micro-Four-Thirds, and other modern DSLR and mirrorless cameras. The famous soap bubble bokeh is most noticeable in backlit situations when opened up to f2.8. When lowered to f5.6 and beyond, the lens renders images with a high contrast and sharpness. The team has brought the project back to the German town of Görlit, where the Tiroplan lens was first invented.

The Tioplan lens has been in the planning and manufacturing stages for the last two years. To bring this lens back into the hands of photographers, the team behind development has reached out to Dr. Wolf-Dieter Prenzel, one of the chief engineers for the original Meyer Optik company and one of the world’s leading experts on the Trioplan lens. Dr. Prenzel serves as the chief engineer for the redesigned lens.

The project has already far exceeding its funding goal and sold out of its Kickstarter pre-order awards. By supporting the project you can expand the production of this rare lens and bring a unique photographic look from last century into this one.

Read more about the Trioplan lens on their Kickstarter page.

There are 3 days left to fund this project.

Do you know of a crowd funding project that benefits the art community? Let us know at info@donttakepictures.com.