Need help choosing a lens for a home made box camera.

[Pitchy]

Howdy, new member and completely new to photography.
I built this wood box camera after seeing a video of a guy in Afghanistan using one so thought I`d give it a try.
I`ll post a walk around video of my camera and some pictures I`ve taken with it.
The lens is a magnifying glass that is about two inch in diam. it so far works the best for taking a negative and for taking a picture of the negative .
The issue I`m having with the magnifying glass is the image is clear in the center but gets blurry the further out ya go.
I bought some 135mm f4.5 lenses on ebay but they won`t give a big enough picture and I can`t slide the focus glass back far enough for taking a picture of the negative.
I feel like a real idiot asking but can someone give me some idea of a place to start with a lens, do I need something like a 300mm f-8 ?
Any help would be appreciated.
Paper size is 3 1/2 x5

Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loZlBVQQHG4

[ic-racer]

but they won`t give a big enough picture

A 135mm large format lens should be good to use, but perhaps not just any 135mm lens. For example, a 135mm lens for a rollfilm camera won't do.

If you are having trouble making your negative-negative copy to make the positive, and the image is too small, then you need to bring the paper negative closer to the lens. If you can't get it in focus, then you made the box too small or you are not pulling the focus rod out far enough.

[Pitchy]

A 135mm large format lens should be good to use, but perhaps not just any 135mm lens. For example, a 135mm lens for a rollfilm camera won't do.

If you are having trouble making your negative-negative copy to make the positive, and the image is too small, then you need to bring the paper negative closer to the lens. If you can't get it in focus, then you made the box too small or you are not pulling the focus rod out far enough.

Thanks for your reply, the box is 12x12 x26 so I think it`s plenty big.
The first lens I bought was a modern camera lens and the second a enlarging lens, the second one works good for taking the first picture (the neg.) and the picture covers the whole paper with the subject at 4-5 feet away.
That neg. is then put on the neg. board in front of the lens at about 8 inch away but I can`t focus on it with the glass all the way back.
The simple magnifying glass will take both pictures with the glass forward about 6-8 inch from the lens but the positive picture is blurry.
This is going to be difficult because I`m so illiterate about this.

[Pitchy]

Picture of the lens I bought, the old one is to small and the 50 mm takes a pretty good picture but real small, about 1x1 inch.
The 135mm is the enlarging lens.

[Pitchy]

Picture of the lens I bought, the old one is to small and the 50 mm takes a pretty good picture but real small, about 1x1 inch.
The 135mm is the enlarging lens.

Thanks for your interest , none of the lenses above would work for taking a picture of the negative.

[Pitchy]

Ok fellars we`re making progress now, took the lense of the 6x9 folding camera made a mount and it worked great.
The pictures look a lot better in person than what I`m posting but they are pretty clear.
The lighter picture was a 20 sec. exposure and the other was 30 sec using a light bulb on top of the camera for light.
These two are taken off a older negative that is kinda pink so that may effect it also, we`ll try a new negative next.
The negative is 8 inch from the lens and the glass plate is the same distance, cool.

[Pitchy]

This was the donor camera.



6x9 Folding 120 German Camera E. Ludwig 105mm F4.5

[Pitchy]

Took a new picture, they are for sure clearer, this is in the house.
The pictures are still turning pink, wonder if that`s the vinegar water stop wash.
I see in the video those guys only use a fixer then water, thoughts?

[jb7]

Glad it worked out-

Regarding the pink, you could try fresh fixer, and washing the print thoroughly.
If you want to use vinegar, it doesn't have to be a very strong solution...

[Pitchy]

Thanks, the pink is weird, can open up the back door of that camera and look at the picture and the white is as white as snow until it comes out that door and outdoor light hits it and it turns pink. Not near as bad indoors , haven`t tried the fixer yet been too busy chasing trespassers and poachers last couple days as deer season opened yesterday.
Found where one was shot and dragged under my fence this morning , sigh.