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Havoc
25-Nov-2018, 09:06
I was looking for a "very light" 4x5 because I don't take my Wista along much because of the weight. Also my shoulders are giving me trouble so that was a second reason. So I started a thread here and got a few ideas but often the cameras proposed ticked some boxes but not all. http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?148562-Very-light-4x5-camera-with-125mm-lens

So I tought about making something myself. But before going too ambitious I decided to adapt make a first build based on my 4x5 pinhole http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?136967-LF-Pinhole-design-and-building&p=1442479&viewfull=1#post1442479 This pinhole was made with the idea to use a Fujinon SWD 75 on it but this never happened.

The goal was to make a lenscone for a Fujinon W 125/.6 so it sits at the hyperfocal distance for f/16 (or higher). This would give a dof from about 6 meters to infinity. First mounted the lens on the Wista, measured out the hyperfocal distance of 14 meters and focussed. Next with a film holder and lens removed I measured from the front of the lensboard to the film: 121.7mm.

Went to the shop and turned an aluminium lenscone. More chips than result but here it is:

http://users.skynet.be/sb262617/forum_foto/diy_4x5/diy_4x5_1_sm.jpg

This weighs 1.5 kg incl lens, filmholder and tripod adapter. Or about half of the Wista without lens and without filmholder. Still have to paint the inside black.

Dan Fromm
25-Nov-2018, 10:21
So far, so good.

Did you shoot with the 125 on the Wista focused at the hyperfocal distance you chose before cutting metal?

Havoc
25-Nov-2018, 11:47
I did shoot with the 125 on the Wista, but not at hyperfocal. Would have been a good idea to do that first now you mention it.

Jac@stafford.net
25-Nov-2018, 12:24
Still have to paint the inside black.

May I suggest that instead of paint you use black flocking material (https://www.edmundoptics.com/f/light-absorbing-black-out-material/11682/)?

Havoc
25-Nov-2018, 14:04
Good idea about flocking, but I do not have that around. Might order some. But the inside of the box is painted just as well. I do have some thin black felt, usable you think?

Jac@stafford.net
25-Nov-2018, 14:45
Good idea about flocking, but I do not have that around. Might order some. But the inside of the box is painted just as well. I do have some thin black felt, usable you think?

I'm afraid I've never used felt, just paper flocking. For paint I use Testor's flat-black aerosol.
Best of luck with your build. It interesting!
Love the machined lens cone.

EDIT: Regarding focus I prefer a focusing helix in all builds such as this one (http://www.digoliardi.net/super-wide-4x5-1.jpg). (Different builds available.) However I am open to alternatives.

Oh another strange combination (http://www.digoliardi.net/veriwide-4x5/veriwide-4x5.jpg). :)

--
Jac

Havoc
19-Jan-2019, 03:42
Some health issues and bad weather kept me inside but finally I got some photos taken, developed and scanned. All images on Fomapan 100, microphen (8') and scanned on a V700 at 4800. Gimp reduced the 16-bit gray to 8-bit but no sharpening, no level adjust (and in case of the first I didn't put the horizon straigth).

http://users.skynet.be/sb262617/forum_foto/diy_4x5/4x5_20190119_001_sm.jpg

http://users.skynet.be/sb262617/forum_foto/diy_4x5/4x5_20190119_003_sm.jpg

http://users.skynet.be/sb262617/forum_foto/diy_4x5/4x5_20190119_004_sm.jpg
This one was handheld.

So all in all I'm rather pleasantly surprised, this is better than expected. But it shows that it isn't finished. I need a level (already machined but have to mount it) and something to frame. Now I also ned a way to find out if some issues I see (last image is clearly less sharp to the right) are due to the lens or to the mounting.

chassis
19-Jan-2019, 10:31
Looks great!

Pieter
19-Jan-2019, 12:33
Mechelen. You're between Antwerp and Brussels...

Havoc
19-Jan-2019, 14:39
Looks great!

Thanks for the kind words. Guess it was worth the work after all.


Mechelen. You're between Antwerp and Brussels...

I was at that time ;) I work there and sometimes take the train to get there (and back home).

Havoc
19-Jan-2019, 15:22
A couple others, this time on FP4. This time I adjusted the levels a bit, rotated obvious (and dubious) horizons and did a bit of sharpening after scaling.

http://users.skynet.be/sb262617/forum_foto/diy_4x5/4x5_20190119_007_sm.jpg

http://users.skynet.be/sb262617/forum_foto/diy_4x5/4x5_20190119_008_sm.jpg

http://users.skynet.be/sb262617/forum_foto/diy_4x5/4x5_20190119_010_sm.jpg