$100 DYI 8x10 camera

[grzybu]

Witam,

Hi,

Here is my new 8x10 camera.
It based on Jon Grepstad book: Building a Large Format Camera (http://home.online.no/~gjon/jgcam.htm)
Because of lack of decent quality hardwood I've decided to make if from 10mm birch plywood. It required some simplifications in desing, but I don't complain.
Using plywood let me to avoid of gluing most of the frames because I could just cut square and route it if needed.
My carpenters skills are about to none and this is also one of the reasons why I've choose plywood.
I have only really basic tools, most sophisticated are $20 jigsaw and $100 hand router.
Material cost is below $100.
I've made ground glass by myself using 2mm glass and cosmetic corundum.
Bellow is made of black cardboard and seems to work fine. I think I'll impregnate it later so I could take it outside.
I had to make simple wooden tripod head for this camera too.
There is still some things to do with the camera, it needs to be blackened inside, focusing gear is needed. I think I"ll make new, smaller front standard, too.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7404/12318215434_4d2137ec2d_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3760/12317783215_4ee4b61fac_o.jpg

It was lots of fun making this camera and still is ;)
Now it's time to make some photos. Here is the first one from the camera:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5532/12301774864_44b4b39b46_o.jpg

[B.S.Kumar]

I think you did a great job with the camera! I wish I had your carpentry skills.
And good photo too!

Kumar

[Regular Rod]

Well done.

RR

[grzybu]

I think you did a great job with the camera! I wish I had your carpentry skills.


If you will be able to look closer you will see it's far, far from being even decent carpentry job. But it works so I don't care too much ;)

[Jim Jones]

That's a fine job of making a practical camera. There are several advantages to such a large front standard. You can improvise huge lenses. You can substitute a long rail and box lens extender, and use the bellows for focusing very long lenses. You can add a twin lens setup for 3-D images, or an array of lenses for multiple images on one sheet of film or positive paper. You could even hide a d****** camera inside for instant photography.

[B.S.Kumar]

Well, I don't have even those rudimentary skills :)

Kumar

[grzybu]

That's a fine job of making a practical camera. There are several advantages to such a large front standard. You can improvise huge lenses. You can substitute a long rail and box lens extender, and use the bellows for focusing very long lenses. You can add a twin lens setup for 3-D images, or an array of lenses for multiple images on one sheet of film or positive paper. You could even hide a d****** camera inside for instant photography.

Good point about large front standard. If I'll make smaller one I'll leave current one and the frame so it could be easily replaced.

[jp]

Looks good!
The large front standard also allows you to use larger packard shutters.

[vinny]

You can quickly blacken the inside with a Marks a lot marker. Two coats and it will never flake off.

[Dan Fromm]

Cute. How does the front standard go together? What material (dimensions, in particular) did you use for the rail and how long (not that it matters a lot) is the rail?

[MMELVIS]

Very nice work

[grzybu]

I got two rails, 30 and 70cm so I should be pretty versatile. Rail is 25x25x1.5mm aluminium. Looks like it's most stable part of the camera ;)

[grimoald]

Czesc!
Great job, I really like it! I made 4x5 using the same project sources, but my camera weren't stable (tripod mount ). Now I'm looking for diy lf enlarger.

[mdarnton]

The weakness I can see is that there might not be enough friction to keep the lens panel and back in their straight positions when you want them there. You might consider adding the kind of stabilization that B&J put on their view cameras--a second removable bolt down below the pivot to hold the board and back in place in their 0 degree tilt positions, as you can see on the back here: http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4102/4738265661_454cf9a294_o.jpg On the front, they just used a slider on the back of the standard that acted like the lens board l slider, to fix the front in line with the standard (you can see the same strategy in that photo on the bottom, to keep the front from swinging), but a similar bolt on the front would work fine. One hole and a thumb screw would do the job.

[grzybu]

You're right. Adding another bolt in rear frame looks like good idea. I still have few things to fix.

[C. D. Keth]

Re: the big front standard. It keeps you from having to make a tapered bellows.

[grzybu]

This was the reason I've made big one. But tapered bellow won't be much harder to make after I've made straight one. It's just cardboard.

[Raf]

:cool:bNice job over there, congradulations!
I am also trying to make one, I wonder if you would mind to show the back a little more, the spring I mean. I am still not clear how you did it.

[BetterSense]

Exactly what kind of cardboard did you use?

[grzybu]

:cool:bNice job over there, congradulations!
I am also trying to make one, I wonder if you would mind to show the back a little more, the spring I mean. I am still not clear how you did it.

I've used round metal bar instead of spring. It works quite good, but I may over-complicated it a little bit. Now I see it could be little bit simpler. But it works.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/12586440143_3885ece193_o.jpg

[grzybu]

Exactly what kind of cardboard did you use?

It's regular black cardboard you can buy in artist supply stands in markets. Sheet size is about 50x70cm so I needed three.

[AtlantaTerry]

Excellent!

To darken the inside you might want to try to find self-adhesive black flock paper. Here in the USA some can be found at Hobby Lobby and also at Edmund Scientifics so you could order some to be shipped to you via mail.

http://www.hobbylobby.com/home.cfm
http://www.scientificsonline.com/

I am no woodworking expert but would flat black wood stain also work? What did camera makers use 100 years ago to blacken the insides of their cameras?

[grzybu]

I've already blackened camera's interior with mixture of black gouache and black ink.

[BetterSense]

To darken the inside you might want to try to find self-adhesive black flock paper.

Are you talking about the stuff that is like felt? I've seen that at Hobby Lobby, but I always worried about it shedding fibers onto the film.

[grzybu]

My camera has new front standard and new focusing mechanism. It works much better now and yesterday I've took it out for a very first time.
This is how it looks in the field:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5613/15637416471_b8528e9d17_o.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/15640094365_36df0d185d_o.jpg

Because I have made only one double sided holder so far I was able to take whole two shots on x-ray film:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3941/15616382156_32e70d4d4e_o.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3940/15640094395_f2132a7a9b_o.jpg

[MMELVIS]

Very nice shots with the camera and xray film.

[Michael Roberts]

Looks great with the new front standard, knobs, stain, etc.

Great job!

Really like the first still life you posted, too. Keep it up!

Thanks for sharing your work.

[John Kasaian]

Good work! Awesome!

[Mark Sawyer]

Lovely photographs, regardless of the camera! But there's also a satisfaction in making your own tools...

[bvy]

Love this.

[axs810]

Looks great! Is it pretty sturdy out in the field?

[grzybu]

I can't compare because I've never used LF camera but mine, but with new wooden frames it's much sturdier. At least it doesn't have any problems with handling Zeiss Tessar 300/4.5 which isn't small at all.

[BuffaloJohn]

This is actually beautiful. Care to make another one? :)

[richardman]

Yes, I think you can make a small amount of $$ making these. I would like one if the price is right...

[grzybu]

Thanks for the kind words.
Interesting idea about making another for sale, but...
This was my first, more advanced wooden project I've ever made.
If I was able to do it then almost everybody could do it at least as good ;)
I think it looks best from the distance or on photos. If you look close it will reveal the truth. It is $100 camera made by wood ignorant and it's visible on closer inspection ;)
With my tool set (hand drill, very basic jigsaw and absolutely simplest hand router) it would take quite a long to make one. Shorter than first one, but still a lot. To make it faster it would require some investment in tools.
The other problem is that all dimensions are mine, I don't even have proper 8x10 film holder so film back is made to handle for 18x24cm x-ray with hand made holder.

[grzybu]

You've made me start thinking about this and maybe I should try?
How much do you think will be a reasonable price for such simple, but not crude camera?
I mean monorail, standards, back ready for standard 8x10 film holder, GG with fresnel lens, bellow. Maybe I should add to complete kit simple singlet lens with waterhouse apertures and simple holder for 18x24cm x-ray film?
So one will need just the tripod with head.
The whole camera will be designed rather for contact printing with focusing gear I've found more than good enough for this.
It should be bit better than mine, but I already know what and how to fix some issues.
It will be made using hardwood and some plywood for flat frames, where edges are not visible (I'm not a fan of plywood edges).

[richardman]

The 4x5 KickStarter wood camera is... $200-$250? For myself, this could be my "starter 8x10" or a wetplate 8x10. Movement is probably not very important in that case. Your advantage over old ones would be that it's new. My gut feeling is that if it is more than $500-$600, it loses the "starter camera" appeal.

[grzybu]

I was rather thinking about $300-400 range to keep it affordable. This should be the started kit, with all the movements for those who want to try how it's to shoot LF. Shooting with x-ray film makes LF affordable and double sided x-ray film is great for alternative processes too.
It should be also possible do dismount it from the rail by just unscrewing two knobs under the front and back standards and put them together. It works quite well in my camera, but it could be done better and I'm able to take it outside without problems.
Well, I'll have to build the prototype first to estimate the effort and material cost.
Then we could talk about improvements that won't make it more expensive.

[richardman]

If you can do it at that price, I will almost certainly buy one, as would a small number of people, I suspect

[zozur]

Cześć
Just few questions
How much does it weight?
Can you write dimensions of rear standard?
How do you made new focusing mechanism?

[Leszek Vogt]

Wow, this is tempting to make....tho I'm still trying to abstain from 8x10. Too many projects to start on this...

Les

[grzybu]

Rear standard is 30x30cm inside.
Focusing mechanism is simple rack&pinion gear. It's quite big, but works smooth and when locked is very stable.
I'm learning some more advanced woodworking and I see how badly this camera is made.
Project is fine, but details are bad. But that's why I'm learning woodworking to make it much better.

[jongrep]

Witam,

Hi,

Here is my new 8x10 camera.
It based on Jon Grepstad book: Building a Large Format Camera (http://home.online.no/~gjon/jgcam.htm)
Because of lack of decent quality hardwood I've decided to make if from 10mm birch plywood. It required some simplifications in desing, but I don't complain.
Using plywood let me to avoid of gluing most of the frames because I could just cut square and route it if needed.
My carpenters skills are about to none and this is also one of the reasons why I've choose plywood.
I have only really basic tools, most sophisticated are $20 jigsaw and $100 hand router.
Material cost is below $100.
I've made ground glass by myself using 2mm glass and cosmetic corundum.
Bellow is made of black cardboard and seems to work fine. I think I'll impregnate it later so I could take it outside.
I had to make simple wooden tripod head for this camera too.
There is still some things to do with the camera, it needs to be blackened inside, focusing gear is needed. I think I"ll make new, smaller front standard, too.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7404/12318215434_4d2137ec2d_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3760/12317783215_4ee4b61fac_o.jpg

It was lots of fun making this camera and still is ;)
Now it's time to make some photos. Here is the first one from the camera:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5532/12301774864_44b4b39b46_o.jpg

Please note that my website is moving. New URL: jongrepstad.com

My book can be downloaded free of charge there.

Jon Grepstad