S.K. Grimes

S.K. Grimes Creators of custom photographic equipment and accessories. Contact us through our website skgrimes.com as we regular experience issues with Facebook messenger.

“What’s in the box?! What’s in the boooox?!”Fortunately, this one’s easy—we engraved it right on the lid. Inside: a cust...
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.

Some lenses walk. This one sprints.Rodenstock XR Heligon 75mm f/1.1—another one of our fast-glass projects. This fixed-f...
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.

Carl Zeiss Tessar 13.5cm f/6.3 in an old-school Compur #0 dial-set shutter. Sounds straightforward… until you realize o...
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.

Another session of brass lens therapy at SK Grimes. This Darlot barrel lens arrived needing a proper fl**ge, lens board ...
05/19/2026

Another session of brass lens therapy at SK Grimes. This Darlot barrel lens arrived needing a proper fl**ge, lens board mounting, and a fresh set of Waterhouse stops. We got it sorted out and back on the path to making dreamy images again.

Graflex focal plane cameras are some of the coolest cameras out there. Beneath that leather exterior lies a mahogany bea...
05/14/2026

Graflex focal plane cameras are some of the coolest cameras out there. Beneath that leather exterior lies a mahogany beauty—and a built-in shutter that opens the door to all kinds of interesting optics.

For this project, we modified the front lens board with a permanent M65×1.0 mounting fl**ge, allowing the client to quickly swap between a wide variety of shutterless lenses that would otherwise be difficult to use in the photographic world.

In a world where old projection lenses refuse to fade away…One Leitz Wetzlar Hektor 175mm f/2.5, originally built to thr...
05/12/2026

In a world where old projection lenses refuse to fade away…

One Leitz Wetzlar Hektor 175mm f/2.5, originally built to throw light across the silver screen, gets a second act. We disassembled the lens, stripped its original silver finish, blacked out the housing, added M65 mounting threads for a modern 65mm helicoid, and a matching rear cap to protect the protruding rear optic.

From projector booth to camera rig—coming soon to a viewfinder near you.

Like a classic childhood story—this project had a little bit of everything.A Cooke Anastigmat Series II 8.2" f/1.5 came ...
05/07/2026

Like a classic childhood story—this project had a little bit of everything.

A Cooke Anastigmat Series II 8.2" f/1.5 came in for a full suite of work: iris overhaul, custom lens caps, mounting to a 4" Wisner lens board, and fabrication of a lens board adapter for Arca-Swiss 141 compatibility.

Restoration, adaptation, and precision machining—all in one build.

Like fitting a compact car inside a freight container.This Arca-Swiss 171 mm lens board adapter was designed to accept a...
05/05/2026

Like fitting a compact car inside a freight container.

This Arca-Swiss 171 mm lens board adapter was designed to accept a Technika 4×5 lens board, allowing the use of a smaller, more common standard within a larger camera platform. When original boards become scarce or unavailable, adapting to a conventional format is often the most practical long-term solution.

The hood that never existed.Never seen a Taylor Hobson hood before? Neither had we—until we made one. Built for a 6½" f/...
04/30/2026

The hood that never existed.

Never seen a Taylor Hobson hood before? Neither had we—until we made one. Built for a 6½" f/2.5 Taylor Hobson Anastigmat, we did our best to match the lens’s original styling and design language, then added the logo for a little extra flair. A fitting companion for a truly distinctive piece of glass.

Flash! Ah-ahhh… another super-speed experiment from the lab.This 42mm f/0.75 Kowa barrel lens has been fitted with a Can...
04/28/2026

Flash! Ah-ahhh… another super-speed experiment from the lab.
This 42mm f/0.75 Kowa barrel lens has been fitted with a Canon EF mount—but with a very short fl**ge to focal plane distance, infinity focus lies in another galaxy. Instead, this one is set for approximately 5 ft focus, with the option to add mirrorless adapters for broader compatibility.

Not quite as fast as Flash Gordon… but close enough to bend a little light.

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Woonsocket, RI

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