Big shot conversion?

[Drew Bedo]

I have been thinking about the socalled "point and shoot type of LF cameras lately. The TravelWides are being delivered now and there is a new modular camera from china out there. There was the HOBO from the '80s and the high end Fotoman and similar. These all use focal lengths yhat are wide angle, say 90mm and shorter.

Noodling around on e-Bay turned up several of the '70s era Polaroid "Big-Shot" portrait cameras, and I got to thinking. Could one of these cheap plastic bodies be converted to 4x5 (sure) and could a longer LF lens be mounted for infinity focus? I don't know the cone length of the B-S, but I'm guessing 10" or so. Maybe a barrel lens and use the Polaroid shutter.

Any thoughts?

[Bob Salomon]

Drew, not all of these types of cameras only used wide angles. The Linhof Techno took lenses from 65 to 135 mm.

The Sinar Handy also took a range of lenses.

[Drew Bedo]

Bob, I am sure you are correct . . .I was chattering off the top of my head, The thrust of my post was to spin out the concept of using a Big Shot doner body as the base for a 4x5 long focus project camera.

I can imagine converting the back to 4x5 as is done with other Polaroids, and mounting a lens of appropriate focal length out front. Dunno exactly how the frone would actually be done. Perhaps the easiest way would be to use a barrel mount and the Polaroid shutter. There must be a more sophisticated approach that involves serious surgery.

Am I just nuts or does this have any merit?

[Bob Salomon]

Bob, I am sure you are correct . . .I was chattering off the top of my head, The thrust of my post was to spin out the concept of using a Big Shot doner body as the base for a 4x5 long focus project camera.

I can imagine converting the back to 4x5 as is done with other Polaroids, and mounting a lens of appropriate focal length out front. Dunno exactly how the frone would actually be done. Perhaps the easiest way would be to use a barrel mount and the Polaroid shutter. There must be a more sophisticated approach that involves serious surgery.

Am I just nuts or does this have any merit?

You could also use something like the Wista Extension Tube set or Heliopan long and short metal lens hoods. Both thread together (not to each other) to make extension for lenses. The Wista set comes with threaded adapter rings for mounting 0, 1 and 3 shutters to the Extension Tube set. Also, extra tubes are available.
Basically, with the Wista tubes, you only need to have a lens board that will accept a 3 size shutter thread. With the Heliopan hoods you would have to do some fabricating since they come in standard filter sizes like, 62, 67, 72mm and not in shutter thread sizes.

[vdonovan2000]

I have been thinking about the socalled "point and shoot type of LF cameras lately. The TravelWides are being delivered now and there is a new modular camera from china out there. There was the HOBO from the '80s and the high end Fotoman and similar. These all use focal lengths yhat are wide angle, say 90mm and shorter.

Noodling around on e-Bay turned up several of the '70s era Polaroid "Big-Shot" portrait cameras, and I got to thinking. Could one of these cheap plastic bodies be converted to 4x5 (sure) and could a longer LF lens be mounted for infinity focus? I don't know the cone length of the B-S, but I'm guessing 10" or so. Maybe a barrel lens and use the Polaroid shutter.

Any thoughts?

I've played around a LOT with Big Shots and taken them apart (and had them fall apart on me!). It's basically a plastic box. The shutter is VERY primitive and it would be nigh on impossible to use it with any other lens. The back also would be hard to modify. You'd be better off getting a tupperware container drilling a hole in it, and mounting a copal shutter and lens on one side.

[vdonovan2000]

That said, used as directed they are great cameras.

[Drew Bedo]

So . . . Tupperware?

Thanks for the opinion based on experience.

Some ideas just aren't that good when you get up close to them.

[EdSawyer]

I've hacked the rangefinders off a couple bigshots to use on a Cambo Maxiportrait, which is basically exactly what you are talking about. It takes a 240mm lens, has a view finder, is a machined/cast aluminum body, and has a built-in tape measure to get subjects at the right distance. By adding a rangefinder instead, it's a perfect point-and-shoot 4x5 handheld head-and-shoulders portrait camera. And it has a Graflok back and takes all the typical cambo accessories. They are somewhat rare but not insanely so.

Another option that is worth exploring is get an old microscope camera off ebay. They usually are an aluminum cone approx 6"-8" long, and have a graflok back on them. The machining and build quality is great on these, and the front of them could adapt to nearly any lens with a little work. They often have tripod mounts or other mounting points machined into the body as well. And they go for a pittance, under $50 many times. One of those combined with a 240 tele lens would be a great camera for this purpose too (esp. with a bigshot rangefinder attached and calibrated).

-Ed

[Drew Bedo]

Took a quick look on e-Bay and saw mostly 35mm and Polaroid pack film cameras for Microscope usage. I'll keep an eye out for 4x5 though . . .good idea.

Started this thread because I saw a Big Shot and had a brain burp think ing it could be made into an infinity focus tel in 4x5 without too much trouble or expense. Had no real intention to do portraits . . .these responses have convinced me that my idea is just not something that I am going to do. Maybe the microscope thing though . . .

Thanks all.

[EdSawyer]

Drew: here's one on ebay that would probably work. Free 545 holder too! ;-) 201317410939