K. B. Canham 20x24" cmaera

**Mark_3632** · 3-Mar-2006, 09:41

Just out of curiosity, how much does it cost to build these things? Sandy, you built one didn't you?

**sanking** · 3-Mar-2006, 10:15

Mark,

Yes, I built one some years ago, but my camera making skills are not anywhere near those of Canham so it is pretty rough compared to what you would expect from a professional camera maker. But it is very functional.

How long it would take depends a great deal on your wood and metal working skills, but for people who have built smaller cameras in the past scaling up to this size is not a big deal, and just in terms of time I would estimate that for the same design it won't take much longer to build a 20X24" camera than an 8X10".

When I built my 20X24" I simply took the design of my 5X7 Nagaoka and scaled it up. If I were to do it again I would probably start with an 8X10 monorail camera and adapt a back and front standard to it than do what I did. In any event, working with a camera this large is a very difficult proposition for one person. I have a close friend who used to go out with me a lot shooting and he helped me a lot setting it up. But alas, he found a new wife and has other priorities at this time so the 20X24" has not seen much action recently. But I do have a couple of trompe d'0eil type projects that I think it would be perfect for so I plan to hold on to it for a while.

Sandy

**Mark_3632** · 3-Mar-2006, 13:23

I was wondering more about the monetary cost to build one. Ball park figure.

**sanking** · 3-Mar-2006, 14:52

I did not count, but I am sure the total cost was under $300. But I also made the bellows.

In time, maybe 50-75 hours.

Sandy

**Terence Spross** · 4-Mar-2006, 20:12

Whenever I see such a large sum for equipment I wonder if someone has actually thought it out in terms of cost per shot compared to a cost per shot for an alternative method to achieve the same goal.

I think anyone who wanted to shoot in ULF would think long and hard about exactly how often they are going to use such a camera what type of shots are anticipated and what lens and focusing range are going to be needed. Even if swings and tilts are normally used by the photographer, are they needed for the desired ULF shot(s). The lens will still be a major part of the price. If in the studio maybe a shutter could be avoided by using subdued light, a lens cap, and strobe light illumination would suffice. Considering the difference between a lens in shutter and one without, it seems one could endure subdued light for the few shots. So, maybe a custom big box camera is all thats needed, and if a client isn't going to actually see the camera it doesn't need to be pretty. The difference in price divided by the number of shots actually taken amounts to a considerable amount of money to offset any convenience when taking the shot.

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Your joking about a scanning back? ----- If the subject is a still life and a digital file is the goal, maybe a a couple hundred dollar frame for mounting a single digital camera in multiple positions (sequentially) makes sence with the goal of merging the files together to a single large file. Say even an 8MP raw x 6 exposures is about 47MP after discarding about one MP of overlap.

**bglick** · 4-Mar-2006, 22:41

After discussing many projects with Keith, regarding custom cameras, I marveled at the process he painstakenly goes through to design and build these larger cameras. He uses some very costly design people as well as, some very costly machine shops to make his parts. After you come to grips with the cost and risks involved in these cameras, I am more shocked he performs the task, then I am over the price tag. As everyone knows, the volume is low, very low. The waste factor on metal is always large, as all parts are machined down from blocks of metal. Its amazing these guys still exist, and I sure hope they continue....

**Terence Spross** · 6-Mar-2006, 12:01

I hope my comments don't insinuate that camera craftsmen making excellent cameras are charging too much. On the contrary, I understand the effort involved in custum design and construction of machines (as I have done a significant amount of that) and I have also been involved in the fabrication of (3d) artwork. These cameras are a combination of both.

I was commenting from a user standpoint, using a tool to create artwork - photographs - and simply suggesting the cost may not be logical in some circumstances considerering other ways to achive the same result.

**Mark Sampson** · 6-Mar-2006, 13:00

Well, rationality is a small part of the decision-making process here. No one photographs in ULF because they have to do it, they shoot ULF because they want to. I admire people who shoot ULF - their dedication is matched only by their results- but 4x5 is my current limit.