Parts For DIY 8x10 Camera?

[LFLarry]

Hi, I am looking for sources for some key parts to build my own DIY 8x10 camera.

- Bellows ?
- Ground Glass ?
- Fresnel Lens ?

I think I can build everything else myself.

Thanks Larry

[Pere Casals]

Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxC48_sd6BM&t=190s explains howto diy a GG, you will need to learn how to cut glass and polishing edges, it can also found at ebay.

For the bellows, search "cambo 8x10 bellows" at ebay, you will find: Cambo 8x10 Replacement Long Bellows with mounting frames installed

If you want to finish the project promptly, you will be busy with the mechanics, so I'd directly use spare bellows, rather than spending time in making that. The CAMBO geometry is really simple, and using that standard may help.

I would not think in a fresnel for the moment, that's largely unnecessary, good for extreme wide angulars, but you will have to take care about more critical things. Anyway you can search ebay 300X300mm Plastic Solar Fresnel

If you are proficient in 3D drawing I'd recommend you first make the drawings of an existing camera, this will give you a conceptual learning, you will find some refinements like an adjustable bed (perhaps by sanding some supports) for the GG to allow alignment.

In my case I made detailed drawings of a cambo sc, only to undertand well the solutions used by these designers, a view camera can be quite simple, but a sound design always has refinements that are hard to perceive in a bare visual inspection, there are little details that are very well elaborated.


Anyway DIY LF community has plenty of drawings that can be dowloaded, mostly for wooden field cameras.

[Ray Van Nes]

There are a number of bellows manufacturers. Custom Bellows in the UK are very good. You can find GG on Ebay or hell, I have one kicking around in my cabinet. You can get Deardorff springs from CatLabs as well other bits and pieces.

[LFLarry]

Thanks Pere, excellent information!



Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxC48_sd6BM&t=190s explains howto diy a GG, you will need to learn how to cut glass and polishing edges, it can also found at ebay.

For the bellows, search "cambo 8x10 bellows" at ebay, you will find: Cambo 8x10 Replacement Long Bellows with mounting frames installed

If you want to finish the project promptly, you will be busy with the mechanics, so I'd directly use spare bellows, rather than spending time in making that. The CAMBO geometry is really simple, and using that standard may help.

I would not think in a fresnel for the moment, that's largely unnecessary, good for extreme wide angulars, but you will have to take care about more critical things. Anyway you can search ebay 300X300mm Plastic Solar Fresnel

If you are proficient in 3D drawing I'd recommend you first make the drawings of an existing camera, this will give you a conceptual learning, you will find some refinements like an adjustable bed (perhaps by sanding some supports) for the GG to allow alignment.

In my case I made detailed drawings of a cambo sc, only to undertand well the solutions used by these designers, a view camera can be quite simple, but a sound design always has refinements that are hard to perceive in a bare visual inspection, there are little details that are very well elaborated.


Anyway DIY LF community has plenty of drawings that can be dowloaded, mostly for wooden field cameras.

[LFLarry]

Thanks Pere, excellent information!



Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxC48_sd6BM&t=190s explains howto diy a GG, you will need to learn how to cut glass and polishing edges, it can also found at ebay.

For the bellows, search "cambo 8x10 bellows" at ebay, you will find: Cambo 8x10 Replacement Long Bellows with mounting frames installed

If you want to finish the project promptly, you will be busy with the mechanics, so I'd directly use spare bellows, rather than spending time in making that. The CAMBO geometry is really simple, and using that standard may help.

I would not think in a fresnel for the moment, that's largely unnecessary, good for extreme wide angulars, but you will have to take care about more critical things. Anyway you can search ebay 300X300mm Plastic Solar Fresnel

If you are proficient in 3D drawing I'd recommend you first make the drawings of an existing camera, this will give you a conceptual learning, you will find some refinements like an adjustable bed (perhaps by sanding some supports) for the GG to allow alignment.

In my case I made detailed drawings of a cambo sc, only to undertand well the solutions used by these designers, a view camera can be quite simple, but a sound design always has refinements that are hard to perceive in a bare visual inspection, there are little details that are very well elaborated.


Anyway DIY LF community has plenty of drawings that can be dowloaded, mostly for wooden field cameras.

[jim10219]

I've made my own ground glass before. It's really easy. Pere Casals' video he linked shows the basics. There are a ton of other videos online as well. My tip would be to have the glass cut for you first, if you haven't cut your own glass before. It can be difficult to do without the proper tools and experience. Most hardware stores will do this for you for little or no extra charge. About the only thing you can do to mess it up beyond repair (besides dropping it) is accidently flip it over and grind both sides. Otherwise, if you use too fine of grit, just regrind it with a courser one. Or vice versa. If it's not smooth and consistent all around, just keep grinding. If you get hot spots, use a courser grit. If you don't get a sharp image, use a finer grit. I can do a 4x5 glass from scratch in about 30 minutes (though it will wear out my arm). I personally like 600-800 grit. I think the aluminum oxide is supposed to be better than silicon carbide, but I've used both (not in the same grit) and they're not much different.

As for a Fresnel, I always use the reading magnifiers you can find at any office supply store. The kind you place directly over the sheet of paper. They're cheap, easy to cut (the same method as glass, just a whole lot easier to do).

And for the bellows, I'd probably recommend just buying some online. The reason is that not only are they kind of difficult to DIY well (but definitely not impossible), but sourcing all of the materials can be a real pain. I've actually been on the lookout for some thin, cheap, flexible, opaque fabric for bellows for quite a while. I can't seem to find any locally (outside of some very expensive leather). I'm sure I could find some online, but I'm weary of buying something that I can't try out first. I've already bought 2 different brands of blackout curtains that claimed to block 100% of the light, only to find out that wasn't even close to true once I hung them. In any case, its for a back burner project, so I'm not in a hurry to find the right fabric just yet. Though if you're desperate, I've heard of people cutting up film changing bags and using that fabric.

[LFLarry]

Thanks Jim. Good info!



I've made my own ground glass before. It's really easy. Pere Casals' video he linked shows the basics. There are a ton of other videos online as well. My tip would be to have the glass cut for you first, if you haven't cut your own glass before. It can be difficult to do without the proper tools and experience. Most hardware stores will do this for you for little or no extra charge. About the only thing you can do to mess it up beyond repair (besides dropping it) is accidently flip it over and grind both sides. Otherwise, if you use too fine of grit, just regrind it with a courser one. Or vice versa. If it's not smooth and consistent all around, just keep grinding. If you get hot spots, use a courser grit. If you don't get a sharp image, use a finer grit. I can do a 4x5 glass from scratch in about 30 minutes (though it will wear out my arm). I personally like 600-800 grit. I think the aluminum oxide is supposed to be better than silicon carbide, but I've used both (not in the same grit) and they're not much different.

As for a Fresnel, I always use the reading magnifiers you can find at any office supply store. The kind you place directly over the sheet of paper. They're cheap, easy to cut (the same method as glass, just a whole lot easier to do).

And for the bellows, I'd probably recommend just buying some online. The reason is that not only are they kind of difficult to DIY well (but definitely not impossible), but sourcing all of the materials can be a real pain. I've actually been on the lookout for some thin, cheap, flexible, opaque fabric for bellows for quite a while. I can't seem to find any locally (outside of some very expensive leather). I'm sure I could find some online, but I'm weary of buying something that I can't try out first. I've already bought 2 different brands of blackout curtains that claimed to block 100% of the light, only to find out that wasn't even close to true once I hung them. In any case, its for a back burner project, so I'm not in a hurry to find the right fabric just yet. Though if you're desperate, I've heard of people cutting up film changing bags and using that fabric.

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

This isn't an 8 x 10 camera build, but it might give you some good ideas.

http://www.jbhphoto.com/view-camera-project/8x20-camera-1/