This is the Rarest Lens in a Pandemic

Weird lens aficionado Mathieu Stern has created the rarest of camera lenses with the most precious of materials (in the ongoing pandemic): a roll of toilet paper.

Stern found an optical lens that fit perfectly inside the cardboard tube and then added another tube (with an aperture and rear mount attached to it) to serve as the focusing barrel.

Sliding the toilet paper roll front element forward and back allows you to focus on your subject.

Here are some sample photos captured using the toilet paper lens:

“You can say the results look like crap,” Stern says, “but it’s pretty normal for a toilet paper lens.”

Best of all, the lens can still be used for its alternative purpose if you find yourself in a crunch.

You can find more of Stern’s weird lens experiments on his blog and YouTube channel.