camera materials?

[Discoman]

Of course, some back story.
I was browsing around looking at field cameras and threads and reviews on them.
To yo cameras get good reviews, but weight complaints.
Wooden cameras generally get stability complaints.

So, I was wondering if a material like carbon composites could be used? They replace metal in a lot of things, being tougher and less bendy then most metals and much lighter. The problem is, they cost more to make and more time to make each part, and they won't bend, but shatter. So they do cost more.

Could this actually be done? If parts like the front and rear standards and glass holder, as well as the base could be made of composites, it should be easily surpassing metal in strength and stability, but with the weight of wood.
Unless it isn't possible, but if it is, it could mean that even a 20x24 camera is weight wise a reasonably portable thing.
Has this been done? Is someone currently doing so? Could I possibly be into something, or just throwing out some crazy idea that will never work?
Thanks in advance.

[Jay DeFehr]

It's definitely doable. A small vacuum bagging unit isn't expensive, and there's not much material, even in a large camera. The advantages of carbon fiber are exploited by Chamonix in some of the parts of their field cameras. The biggest challenge is design, I think.

I'm thinking about designing a printable LF camera, if I can find the time.

[el french]

http://www.lg4mat.net/LFcamera.html

[Steve Smith]

http://www.ipernity.com/blog/edwinlachica/38074

[Ole Tjugen]

Has been done, and failed due to price.

However the Carbon Infinity was not only carbon fiber, but also titanium and aluminium, besides being designed as a field-friendly monorail with unsurpassed specifications. Add a custom-made form-fitted oxhide bag for the whole thing (though not with room for film holders), and it's easy to see why most of the <100 cameras made went straight into collections and have never been used.

I'm happy to say that when Christophe Metairie sold the camera shown in the link, he sold it to me and I have continued using it.

[Leigh]

The problem with using any molded part(s) is the cost of the mold(s).

When you talk about making 10,000 units, it's easy to amortize $100,000 in mold cost.

When you make 100 units, the cost becomes prohibitive.

- Leigh

[Len Middleton]

It would be good to get some insight from those who have been down this road in the manufacturing process. Here I am thinking about Lynn on the manufacture of the C1 Green Monster and Black Monster (magnisium and aluminum castings), and Richard Ritter on the Zone VI (wood with metal fittings) and his more recent designs (carbon fibre rails, wood standards, large lightweight metal fittings).

Leigh's comment on the number of units you are designing the camera for is critical. If you are building prototypes or one-offs, or large numbers makes a big difference. Current technologies does make it a little easier (e.g. CNC machining) to prototype, but there is still the issue of development costs versus amortizing those costs over an entire production run. That can make a big difference in materials used. A some individuals have made their own cameras, but the choice of materials is generally wood, as that is doable individually without access to significant manufacturing capabilities.

I would be interested in hearing from those involved in the manufacturing decisions on LF camera and what weere some of the factors that drove the material and process decisions.

[Jay DeFehr]

Leigh,

Molds for a field camera shouldn't be very expensive. The parts could be designed in a good CAD program and printed with a 3D printer, and molds made from the printed parts. It would be very labor intensive, but materials costs should be reasonable. A lot of time/trouble could be spared by using off the shelf components and making the parts to join them.

[John Schneider]

I'm thinking about designing a printable LF camera, if I can find the time.

Either a photolithographic or stereolithographic process might make a very interesting camera.

[Jay DeFehr]

John,

I think there are lots of possibilities, and more every day. It's very exciting. I like the idea of using off the shelf components and printing the parts to join everything into a functioning camera. The design is the crucial element. What's needed is a LF photographer who is also good with Cad, and a good design freely available for download. That could spell trouble for the LF camera manufacturers at the economy end of the spectrum.