DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

[brandon allen]

I just mean that a consensus needs to be reached regarding what sort of camera to design and obtain parts for. Is it going to be an English-style folder? Tailboard? Other?

I could lock myself in my study and hammer out a complete set of plans and scour the web for parts suppliers, but if it's all for a camera that nobody wants to build, then what's the point?

But certainly, the rubber must meet the road sometime. Since the whole idea is to create a "standard" let's pick a design and get cracking!

To this end I have begun designing a reversible spring back suitable for this project.

I am most familiar with Sketchup, so that's what I'm using. Basically it is 12"x12" square and 5/8" thick (including a 1/4" thick light seal).

Here is a view of the design so far with and without the film holder in place. I haven't bothered with the ground glass frame yet.



Here is a detail of the stiles that make up that basic frame with a bit more detail worked in.



The dimensions are very easy to change. I would welcome input.

[Mick Fagan]

The dimensions are very easy to change. I would welcome input.

Would it be possible to use decimal inches, or whatever it is you use for inches on computer programmes in the USA?

Once a design is complete, I would then metricate it as I use metric measurements and converting something down to 1/64 of an inch to millimetres could get tricky.

I grew up with feet and inches, I was a youngish adult when Australia converted to metric measurements over 40 years ago, I have never wished to go back to feet and inches, they are just so user unfriendly, not to mention computer unfriendly.

Mick.

[Tim Meisburger]

Brandon, that looks good. I've already built the back for my camera, so I can make measurements from that as well. I can do both imperial and metric, but I need to step away from this project for about a month, as I'm off to the US to take my daughter around to look at colleges, then install my son at the University of Arizona, where he is an incoming freshman.

Then I'll be back!

[brandon allen]

Would it be possible to use decimal inches, or whatever it is you use for inches on computer programmes in the USA?

Once a design is complete, I would then metricate it as I use metric measurements and converting something down to 1/64 of an inch to millimetres could get tricky.

I grew up with feet and inches, I was a youngish adult when Australia converted to metric measurements over 40 years ago, I have never wished to go back to feet and inches, they are just so user unfriendly, not to mention computer unfriendly.

Mick.

I'd be happy to just do the whole thing in metric if that's easier.

I very much prefer SI units, but doing woodwork in the USA essentially requires use of "traditional" units. It's an uphill battle. All the tools and materials come in fractional measurements. When I started putting my wood shop together I vowed to work in metric - rest of the country be damned! - but it didn't take long to realize that I was swimming upstream.

Decimal inches is almost as good as metric...

But I digress...

Does anybody have CORRECT measurements for an 8x10 (that's inches folks...) film holder? The specs listed on the website everyone seems to refer to are obviously flawed. This becomes apparent if you try to create a 3d model based on those measurements.

I don't own any 8x10 holders or I would measure for myself.

[Daniel Moore]

Following this thread with great interest. Fabricating my own 4x5 has long been a desire.
I've owned a Chamonix (Phillips inspired, I presume) and an Osaka field camera. The Osaka design was light years behind the Chamonix for rigidity. Even though the Chamonix used some carbon fiber, the rigidity I'd attribute to the hardware alone.

Drawing up the CAD model/editing can become a big job, possibly too much work for one person in this particular endeavor. Let me know if I can help. I would propose any contributors work in DXF format for cross compatiblity between CAD packages and ease of interchange. Though my woodworking career has been in fractional inches, I draw in decimal inches and I have no issue working in metric units. Any decent CAD package can export to any of these, no problem.

Tim, if you ever care to take your paper and pencil into the computer, take a serious look at Viacad 2D/3D. The lastest version can be bought for as little as 69.00 USD with a discount coupon code that seems perennial on the net. All the power you'll ever need for woodworking, metal working. Much easier to draw/edit with precision than Sketchup. It's by far the easiest program to learn 3D CAD on as well.

[Jerry51]

Hello, I am very much interested in building an 8x10 or 11x14 field camera. I am a retired cabinetmaker and have access to a woodshop so the wood parts wood be no problem for me.
Have you developed any plans yet for the Field Camera?

[brandon allen]

Jerry, welcome! Presently there is active discussion about what style camera to design and procure parts for. So, at this moment - no no plans yet.

[jbenedict]

RE: Film holder standards

Search on: ANSI film holder measurements and you will get a number of ANSI standard dimensions for film holders.

Some of the larger holders, especially for banquet cameras, don't follow a standard and holder and camera must be matched together. If you build your backs to these ANSI standards you will be able to use standard film holders. (Fidelity, Lisco, etc.)

[Jac@stafford.net]

RE: Film holder standards

Search on: ANSI film holder measurements and you will get a number of ANSI standard dimensions for film holders.

The last time I checked it cost $$ to acquire those specs. I might be wrong, regardless it is time to post them into a public place. Does anyone already have it to share, or should I?

[Tin Can]

Is anybody saying these are not correct?

http://home.earthlink.net/~eahoo/page8/filmhold.html