How to create Waterhouse stops for antique lenses

Large format photographers who work with antique Petzval lenses know the hassle. You get a pretty new brass lens, but there are no Waterhouse stops included. “Hey I don’t care, I shoot anyways wide open all the time” some might say. With some, I also include me. But then you find yourself on a very sunny day and struggle with doing a very quick exposure, like here https://youtu.be/nStEK3zV5tA?t=438 (and you will end up anyways with an overexposed image, even with the not so light sensitive wet plate process). Oh yes, and there is also the creative point of stopping down your lens – but wait, who really does that if you can have a dreamy, swirly Petzval bokeh, right? 🙂 Just kidding, I would have needed these Waterhouse stop more often than I thought of. That’s why I finally 3D printed them (there is also another option) and did a tutorial for you guys, so you can make them too without having to much trouble. At the end I also decided to make carrying case for them, to have them in a safe place. If you don’t want to make them by yourself, check out http://gear.mhaustria.com – where I will make them for you (Dallmeyer 2B and 3b Waterhouse stops are available right now, but you can contact me here https://www.markus-hofstaetter.at/pages/kontakt/ and we will figure something out for your lens).

Highend Waterhouse stops: https://camera-obscura.photography/ (you need to ask for it)
Thingverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/mhaustria/designs
Another Waterhouse stop Project on Thingverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4731495
Affinity Photo and Designer: https://affinity.serif.com/ Image
Vectorizer: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/image-vectorizer/id789656124?mt=12
Free online image Vectorizer: https://www.autotracer.org/
Morphi App: https://www.morphiapp.com/ Ideamaker: https://www.raise3d.com/ideamaker/

PETG Filament I used: https://www.extrudr.com

Get yourself a beautiful print here: http://prints.mhaustria.com

Get cool analog shirts here shirts.mhaustria.com

For online wet plate workshops, visit this http://online.mhaustria.com

For private wetplate workshops (Nassplattenworkshop contact me here: http://www.markus-hofstaetter.at/pages/kontakt/ (German and English available)