New Mammoth Camera arrives!

[tgtaylor]

That's a great camera Garrett and for me tempting since I do "alternative" prints. A coupe of quick questions:
How much does the camera weigh when set-up? Can you shoot film negatives with it or are you limited to (glass?) plates?

Thomas

[goamules]

These cameras are rough approximations of 1870s Anthony wetplate cameras, before there were film holders and backs to hold them. So no, there is no provision for shooting film. You'd have to make one, or ask the builder if he could do that. Star Camera Co.

How the back works is you focus, then swing the ground glass out of the way. In the darkroom, you have poured collodion and inserted the wet plate into the holder. You carry it to the camera, pull the darkslide and shoot as with film. But you have to remove the plate holder and go back into the dark room to develop immediately, before it drys. You have about 5-10 minutes from the pour, to developing, to rinsing the finished plate. Almost like Polaroids.

[goamules]

I've cut lensboards many different ways. But this method is the easiest for me. The double bar cutter can adjust from about a 2" to 6" hole (we'll see for the next lens, a Mammoth!). I only got 2 factory lensboards so have selected two lenses that will be permanent fixtures on the camera. Probably. Using a hand turned brace bit ensures you won't crack the board, or have a razor sharp bit fly off the arm if you use too many RPMs on a power drill! This way takes about 10 minutes. Cut halfway through one side, then using the pilot hole you can turn the board over and cut the other side until the slots meet and the core drops out.



For the first lens I selected a classic Dallmeyer No. 3 Wide Angle Rectilinear. This is one of the lenses I've had the longest, and it deserves to be used for Ultra Large landscapes, which it was made for. I've shot it on 8x10, but Dallmeyer listed it for 16x18 if I recall. It does seem to cover the entire glass pretty well. I need a bigger dark cloth!

[goamules]

Civil war photographer Sam A. Cooley using a CC Harrison Globe, pattented 1862. The Dallmeyer Wide Angle Rectilinear was patented in 1866, and gave the Globe a lot of competition.

[Tin Can]

I've cut lensboards many different ways. But this method is the easiest for me. The double bar cutter can adjust from about a 2" to 6" hole (we'll see for the next lens, a Mammoth!). I only got 2 factory lensboards so have selected two lenses that will be permanent fixtures on the camera. Probably. Using a hand turned brace bit ensures you won't crack the board, or have a razor sharp bit fly off the arm if you use too many RPMs on a power drill! This way takes about 10 minutes. Cut halfway through one side, then using the pilot hole you can turn the board over and cut the other side until the slots meet and the core drops out.



For the first lens I selected a classic Dallmeyer No. 3 Wide Angle Rectilinear. This is one of the lenses I've had the longest, and it deserves to be used for Ultra Large landscapes, which it was made for. I've shot it on 8x10, but Dallmeyer listed it for 16x18 if I recall. It does seem to cover the entire glass pretty well. I need a bigger dark cloth!

Great that you showed how easy and safe it is to make lensboards.

Your methods wood make a good DIY post!

[cowanw]

Great that you showed how easy and safe it is to make lensboards.

Your methods wood make a good DIY post!

No pun intended.