Show us your home made camera...

[pepeguitarra]

Pepe! Great selection of wood figuring for the front!
I love it!
Thanks. It is oak. I was saving it for a guitar, it is quarter sawn and bookmarked joint. I am working on a 4x5, which will be ready tomorrow.

[Colin Graham]

5x7 non-folder I made last fall. It's more or less a wide angle design, but with the triple extension a 360mm is usable at infinity.

http://colinflanarygraham.com/darkshop/public_html/darkshop/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/field.jpg

http://colinflanarygraham.com/darkshop/public_html/darkshop/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/done1.jpg

http://colinflanarygraham.com/darkshop/public_html/darkshop/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/done2.jpg

[Tin Can]

Well done!

[Jac@stafford.net]

Colin, it's beautiful, clearly robust engineering and design.

[plywood]

That is gorgeous. You should see the contraptions I build....no wait, after seeing that I'd be too embarrassed to post photos of my homemade cameras.

[Keith Fleming]

Bravo, Colin! Beautiful work--the new camera and your photos too.

Keith

[Havoc]

Excellent work! I really like it.

[Colin Graham]

Thanks for the comments.

I cribbed the base tilt design from Chamonix. I needed relatively narrow standards and hardware to make the camera compact enough to fit in my backpack. I thought the standards would be pretty floppy without the usual angled support braces, but they're very rigid.

Ecbuyonline2008 made the custom bellows, they did a fantastic job.

http://colinflanarygraham.com/darkshop/public_html/darkshop/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/riserblock.jpg

[Jac@stafford.net]

Excellent choice of fasteners, too!

[Colin Graham]

Funny you should mention that- I spent so much time on the McMaster-Carr website during this project that I would occasionally get booted for 24 hours. I think viewing too many of their CAD drawings sends up a red flag. Finding the right size stock knobs for all the movements is usually the most frustrating part of making a camera. I finally broke down and got a little hobby metal lathe.

[Nimrod]

Really amazing camera.

[EarlJam]

Here's a home made camera from the other end of the build-quality spectrum. During WW2, my dad was attached to a USAAF reconnaissance squadron based in the UK, working in the photo lab. By fall of 1944, he apparently had some time on his hands and built a 4x5 camera out of scrap wood and what appears to be an enlarger lens. It's likely that he folded the bellows himself, something he often promised to teach me but never did. The letter to his brother, that I found with the picture of the camera and sample image from it, describes the camera and how he used it.

178787 178788
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[Roger Thoms]

Nice, really enjoyed reading your dads letter, made me smile, seem your dad had a good sense of humor. Thanks for sharing the photos and letter.

Roger

[plywood]

I dunno, looks like it did a credible job on the portrait. Stop down to f22? I seldom go faster than f16 so f22 is only one stop down.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Here's a home made camera from the other end of the build-quality spectrum. During WW2, my dad was attached to a USAAF reconnaissance squadron based in the UK, working in the photo lab. By fall of 1944, he apparently had some time on his hands and built a 4x5 camera out of scrap wood [...]

Your fathers built camera is the minimalist type I admire considering the economy of the time. Thanks for that.

FWIW I was stationed at UK recon base: RAF Upper Heyford.

[EarlJam]

Thanks, all. My dad was based at RAF Alconbury. I posted a short photo essay on Filmwasters a few months back, with some of his pictures of the lab, etc. For much of my life, I've been primarily a small format shooter, 35mm and MF. I kept my dad's Graflex 4x5 SLR and have a Century 5x7 that was given to me when I was in high school, and will eventually get both cleaned up and start to use them with what I've learned from this forum.

http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=9290.0

[James R. Kyle]

5x7 non-folder I made last fall. It's more or less a wide angle design, but with the triple extension a 360mm is usable at infinity.

http://colinflanarygraham.com/darkshop/public_html/darkshop/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/field.jpg

http://colinflanarygraham.com/darkshop/public_html/darkshop/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/done1.jpg

http://colinflanarygraham.com/darkshop/public_html/darkshop/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/done2.jpg

==========================


Elegant. That is the only word I would use for this excellent work. You need to be very proud of your work in the build of this camera.
I have made four (4) "Sliding-Box" cameras, over the fall and winter. Rather crude as compared to yours, but they work well for what I am doing (Paper Negatives). I am making use of Photo-Paper as the "Film-Base" in my cameras. Building "around" brass 1880 lenses and "Waterhouse" stops, with a Lens Cover to let in the light and sutting it out after 1 to 10 seconds. I am currently making use of old Kodak Polycontrast "F" and Kodabromide II papers. These have been in storage at my father's house since 1969 to 1974. (I resently recovered these when my father passed away -- I never thought that he had kept that old paper. Anyway = I shall post photos of my 8X10 "Sliding-Box" camera.
Just wanted to tell you - that You did one really great job of craftsmanship on your build.

[James R. Kyle]

178845

178846

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I built these "Sliding-Box" cameras for the reason of William Henry Fox Talbot use cameras like this for his experiments with Paper Negatives. I bought the lenses on eBay for about 130 U.S.D. and simply built a box around the dimentions of the focal distance of the lens used and the dimentions of the film holders that I have. They seem to work very well.

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[Andrew Plume]

Colin: your build is amazing, really terrific - btw do you still make 'panoramic style images' of the Washington/Oregon coast.............?

James: equally impressive but in a different form

best

Andrew

[Colin Graham]

Thanks guys. James, those sliding box cameras turned out great, they look like fun projects.
Andrew thanks for asking but I haven't used any pano formats in a while.

[Andrew Plume]

Thanks guys. James, those sliding box cameras turned out great, they look like fun projects.
Andrew thanks for asking but I haven't used any pano formats in a while.

Thx Colin

regards

Andrew

[James R. Kyle]

Thanks to everyone who had a look at my camera builds. Weather you have commented or not.

Yes - these were fun. And a few local photographers here is Saint Louis, Missouri are seriously looking into making photographs from Paper Negatives. Two want me to build one for them. I do not know about doing that, as I feel they are so easy to build, why don't they do the build theirselves? Perhaps they are not as handy as I am - and or - do not have the tools. These cameras can be built with very simple tools. All that it takes is a little effort and time.

;-)

-0-

[DirkFletcher]

Risking public outcry, I wanted to share a camera I just finished. My goal was To make a small and lightweight 6x12/65mm camera for travel. Notes about the project are on my blog, http://dirkfletcher.blogspot.com and other completed projects are on my Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dirkfletcher/albums
179465179466.

[Havoc]

Nice solution for getting a lightweight panoramic camera.

[animaux]

A simple 8×10 Back for a Sinar F, mounted to a (slightly flimsy) aux standard. Including bellows, which are slightly stiff but working. The ground glass is rather ground acryllic, and the spring back is »hair tied«.

184478

More images @ flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/animaux/albums/72157691241924251)

[plywood]

A simple 8×10 Back for a Sinar F, mounted to a (slightly flimsy) aux standard. Including bellows, which are slightly stiff but working. The ground glass is rather ground acryllic, and the spring back is »hair tied«.

184478

More images @ flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/animaux/albums/72157691241924251)
Did you use one of those whole page Fresnel lenses for the GG. From the photo it looks like a Fresnel.

[animaux]

Did you use one of those whole page Fresnel lenses for the GG. From the photo it looks like a Fresnel.

Yes, forgot to mention it. It’s a cheap reading aid simpy taped to the ground glass.

[Fr. Mark]

Nicely done! I've thought about making an 8x10 and 14x17 format change kits for my Sinar P, even bought some aluminum pieces but haven't progressed from there.

[MacSimski]

Ok. its been more than one and a half year since the last post, so let me revive this.

As stated in another post about designing my own parametric film holders, I'm in the process of building a Large format camera, based on an old ex-militairy espionage camera lens, A 919mm Bell & Howell beast, set in A Fairchild K-38 shutter. the thing weights as much as 15 kilo alone. It is married to the bellows of an Agfa RPS 2024 reproduction camera, of wich i also used the aluminium frame to hold the groundglass and film. Before using the agfa bellows, I made my own bellows from plastic laminated paper, used here in the netherlands to pack milk and yoghurt. i got a roll with black plastic on both sides, but unfortunately i foud out that this was not completely black.


here some pictures.

1. first setup with plastic bellows. this was a pain to set up as the weight of the lens tried to topple the camera without the back attached.
https://photos.simski.nl/_data/i/galleries/Cameras/20170627105615-17a584fa-me.jpg

2. old back for unfinished camera, now replaced
https://photos.simski.nl/_data/i/galleries/Cameras/20170627104526-4703abb0-me.jpg

I should have included a banana for scale, but rest assured this beast is huge. around the rim of the lens are three M8 bolts holding the lens to the lensbord. I never thought I would need a spanner number 13 to fasten a lens to a camera...

3. new setup on two tripods. this makes setting up the camera way easier due to the weight of the lens now on its own tripod. It is still missing the pinion and rack for focus. I will use the column of an Durst 600 enlarger for this, focussing the back side of the camera only.
https://photos.simski.nl/_data/i/upload/2019/11/10/20191110221934-17edfa3a-me.jpg

[DirkFletcher]

4x5 wide camera with removable lens and focusing helical for 6x12 use.
Recently finished a 65mm 4x5 wide camera based on the WillTravel 3D printable camera. I replaced his bungie loaded ground glass back with a non ground glass spring style back that makes it easier to unload and reload with one hand. I replaced the grip with a smaller grip that keeps the camera smaller to fit in a bag better and lastly I removed his 3D printed helical and replaced it with a flange that allows the same lens and helical combination to be removed and fitted to my 6x12 camera.

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[Tin Can]

Nice and simple

[James R. Kyle]

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Here are Two 8X10 and a 4X5 "Sliding-Box" cameras that I built - These are rather easy to make. A powered table-saw really helps. (Sorry... No"plans" just went and designed them as I built them.) Well! After all a camera is only a box that is light-tight, with a Lens at one end and a film holder at the other.

[Tin Can]

Like!

[Scyg]

204253204254204253204256204255
Here are Two 8X10 and a 4X5 "Sliding-Box" cameras that I built - These are rather easy to make. A powered table-saw really helps. (Sorry... No"plans" just went and designed them as I built them.) Well! After all a camera is only a box that is light-tight, with a Lens at one end and a film holder at the other.
Nice! I was thinking of building a similar 8x10 before I decided to splurge on my Agfa-Ansco.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

204253204254204253204256204255
Here are Two 8X10 and a 4X5 "Sliding-Box" cameras that I built - These are rather easy to make. A powered table-saw really helps. (Sorry... No"plans" just went and designed them as I built them.) Well! After all a camera is only a box that is light-tight, with a Lens at one end and a film holder at the other.

Lovely work! Was planning on building a small one (quarter plate) in coming summer holiday since chance is we'll stay at home

[John Layton]

My first 11x14 camera consisted of sliding boxes...weighed a ton - two tons when added to the Quickset "Gibralter" tripod on which it was mounted! Camera and tripod both gone, so no photos - just memories.

[MAubrey]

I posted this in the Show your ULF camera thread, but it should be here, too. :)

My Bender 5x7 (originally 4x5) and my 11x14 "folded" into its traveling form.

The 5x7 uses 15mm rails designed for video camera rigs for focusing.

On the 11x14, the rail is made up of a 400mm acra swiss place, with two double acra swiss clamps that attach to two 200mm plates. Fully extended, I get ~760mm of rail length, though my bellows can go to 950mm. Full movements for the front and shift and tilt in the back. I made a recessed lensboard for my Angulon 210mm f/6.8. It's deep enough for 165mm and I'm hoping to get a Super-Angulon 165/8 at some point to try.

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[grat]

@DirkFletcher: Nice camera. Now all you need is a Grafmatic on there.

[James R. Kyle]

@DirkFletcher: Nice camera. Now all you need is a Grafmatic on there.

Thank you.....204624

Just added This "bad-boy".... No shutter - But I did build a "Front f-Stop "Waterhouse" Slide-In aperture attachment - And in that, I am using Photo Paper as a "film-base". It works very well. Just a lens cap like the photographers of the 19th century did. :-)

[quigon]

I needed a lighter camera, as I can no more carry heavy bulky 8x10 cameras (I've got a fantastic Sinar 8x10).204758204759204757204760

it weighs only 2.5 kg (without lens)

[Barry Kirsten]

I've been working on this all year, a good lockdown activity. 5x7 made from Huon Pine, a native of Tasmania. Prized for boat building (it resists rotting) and fine furniture making. I considered traditional materials like walnut, cherry teak etc but could see no reason not to use Huon Pine. It's turned out strong and light (2.2kg all up) and has respectable movements. I just got it all assembled yesterday and have only the ground glass screen to grind and zero marks for the movements to add.

The movements are: Front, 50mm rise/fall, 40mm L/R shift, swing and tilt as per bellows; Rear, 30 degrees backward tilt, forward tilt as per bellows, 12 degrees L/R swing. The extension will go out to 530mm but due to the thickness of the bellows material I can only get to 400. This is Ok because I rarely use more than 2x normal focal length. I think I should also be able to use a 90 degree wide angle without a recessed board, which will be handy as I plan a 4x5 adapter.

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[Maris Rusis]

Beautiful work, beautiful materials, beautiful camera. Now the wish is more pictures of the camera and more pictures by the camera. Will it extend your successes with Xray film?

[Dugan]

Beautiful!

[revdoc]

Stunning! I wish my efforts were half as good.

The huon pine must have cost a pretty penny.

[Barry Kirsten]

Thanks everyone. Maris I'll do some more pics of the camera as soon as I make the screen. As for my success with X-ray film, I've only ever used the Kodak Dental Panorama 5x12 film, and I do find it very nice. The good thing about the size of that film is that one sheet will cut down conveniently into a 5x7 and a 4x5. I certainly plan to do more work with it. revdoc, the Huon Pine was pretty cheap... from memory about $60 for a cardboard box of offcuts but $40 for postage. I've got enough left for a couple more cameras!

[James R. Kyle]

I've been working on this all year, a good lockdown activity. 5x7 made from Huon Pine, a native of Tasmania. Prized for boat building (it resists rotting) and fine furniture making. I considered traditional materials like walnut, cherry teak etc but could see no reason not to use Huon Pine. It's turned out strong and light (2.2kg all up) and has respectable movements. I just got it all assembled yesterday and have only the ground glass screen to grind and zero marks for the movements to add.

The movements are: Front, 50mm rise/fall, 40mm L/R shift, swing and tilt as per bellows; Rear, 30 degrees backward tilt, forward tilt as per bellows, 12 degrees L/R swing. The extension will go out to 530mm but due to the thickness of the bellows material I can only get to 400. This is Ok because I rarely use more than 2x normal focal length. I think I should also be able to use a 90 degree wide angle without a recessed board, which will be handy as I plan a 4x5 adapter.

207268

Very nice work.

[Barry Kirsten]

Thanks James. I also have in the back of my mind an 8x10 or possibly bigger sliding box camera, partly inspired by your previous posts.

[Michael Roberts]

Looks great, Barry! Congrats!

[DirkFletcher]

I recently completed two cameras that are virtually the same except for their finish. One has the traditional 1970-80’s era SLR style finish with polished chrome and black leather. This camera has a chrome Linhof Technika branded 65mm f/8 Super Angulon. The second camera has a more of a blacked-out stealthy, tactical finish with all of its exposed chrome surfaces sprayed with a luster black finish and also a fresh black leather kit. This camera is fitted with a black anodized second generation Super Angulon.

I’ve added a 49mm to 52mm step up ring on the lenses to give the lens a little bit of physical protection and bring the 49mm filter ring up to a more common (and affordable) 52mm thread if you want to use filters, especially when shooting black and white.

The cameras began their life somewhere 1931 and 1934 as classic folding Zeiss Ikon 520/15’s which were also known as the Ikonta D. Shooting 116 and later 616 you got eight 6.5 x 11 images per roll.

After my conversion, the camera yields six 2 1/4 x 11 images on standard 120 film that’s loaded using two sets of spindle adapters. Advancing through (an updated) red gel window, you advance to frames 3, 5 1/2, 8, 10 1/2, 13, 15 1/2.

The permanently attached Arca Swiss plates are mounted perpendicular to the camera body which keeps the camera level when it’s on a flat surface. Helpful when shooting, it also keeps pressure off of the helical assembly.

I recently found a much lower profile spring loaded accessory shoe which keeps the masked 21mm Voigtlander viewfinder much lower then using an accessory shoe for a flash. The profile is lower than my previous conversions which helps when go to fitting it into a camera bag.

These are the 5th and 6th 6x12 conversions (I think...) that I’ve made, and without a doubt, the most refined to date. My goal was to make a camera as small and easy to use as possible with the reality they will most likely be used alongside a digital system. This is how most of my custom cameras end up being used.
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[James R. Kyle]

Thanks James. I also have in the back of my mind an 8x10 or possibly bigger sliding box camera, partly inspired by your previous posts.

Barry...
WOW! Thank you for the honor. I strive to get many photographers interested in the Paper Negative process. Not only as a practice with any large format camera. But too, it is a lot of fun - as one never truly knows the outcome. Different papers react to different lighting situations. The ISO is in the "basement" (ISO 3 to about 12). One of the best things about the use of Photo-Paper as a "film base" - (Recording Medium) is that you may load the holders in the darkroom under the safe light.
I must caution anyone that would attempt the making of Paper Negatives with the use of photo-print paper. It becomes rather addictive. I have gone from using the manufactured developers to making my own developer concoctions, using the raw chemicals. I have followed the formulas in Steve Anchell's great book = "The Darkroom Cookbook" to start with. And I took his advice about experimenting with different weights and strengths of the chemicals which make up different developers. I am having one hell of a good time doing so.

You will find that the building of a 8X10 (or larger) Sliding-Box camera easier than smaller ones (i.e. = 4X5). At least that was my experience.

May the Light be with you...

James..

[Barry Kirsten]

Dirk, these are superb! No other word for them. As one who plays around with camera builds I can see a level of finish that I always strive for but seldom meet. I also have a Linhof branded 65/8 Super Angulon which I've thought would be good in a homemade camera. I've had great results with this lens in a 6x9 camera. Well done.

James, I recently got some grade 2 Fomaspeed paper especially for paper negatives. It's a long time since I did a paper neg and I'm looking forward to getting into it. Thanks for the encouragement.

[Tin Can]

This and your newer post are inspiring

Did you see the results of paper reversal recently from member Pound?


Thank you.....204624

Just added This "bad-boy".... No shutter - But I did build a "Front f-Stop "Waterhouse" Slide-In aperture attachment - And in that, I am using Photo Paper as a "film-base". It works very well. Just a lens cap like the photographers of the 19th century did. :-)

[DirkFletcher]

Dirk, these are superb! No other word for them. As one who plays around with camera builds I can see a level of finish that I always strive for but seldom meet. I also have a Linhof branded 65/8 Super Angulon which I've thought would be good in a homemade camera. I've had great results with this lens in a 6x9 camera. Well done.

Thanks so much Barry!

[elgatosuizo]

I wanted a wooden 8x10 camera à la Shenhao, Tachihara, Deardorff etc. With lots of shiny parts.
Since I have a well equipped workshop (I also build guitars) I started to plan. First I bought some film holders and a lens on eBay. I decided to improvise and didn't make a detailed construction drawing. Just some raw calculations. I looked for as many pictures as possible and started to combine elements of some cameras. I started with the frame and decided step by step how to build the next part. I painted the wooden parts with wood glaze, smoothed them with steel wool, waxed and polished them.
The metal parts were cut from aluminium profiles (not anodized), partly milled and polished. Different knurled nuts (m6, m6 and m4) I found in the hardware store, so at least this one did not have to be turned.
I was able to make a bellows myself (tedious job), but it was not flexible enough (too thick material used), so I finally used it for my DIY 8x10 enlarger. I bought than a custom made 8x10 bellows on Aliexpress. The camera is with 33cm width a bit bigger than the models I had looked at. That's because in the beginning I made the self-made bellows 1.5-2cm wider than usual. That resulted in the width of the frame. Difficulties to find a suitable gear rack for the micro-focusing gave me the idea to use a GT2 belt (often used in 3D printers) and appropriate pulleys. I got is done in 4 weeks (about 3h per day in my workshop) as I wanted to test it as soon as possible.

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[Tin Can]

Very nice and elegant!

I like the Belt focus, zero lash

If we use 100 hours of custom shop labor at $100 to $200 per or more...

I realize you may have more spare time in your personal business

What is next?


I wanted a wooden 8x10 camera à la Shenhao, Tachihara, Deardorff etc. With lots of shiny parts.
Since I have a well equipped workshop (I also build guitars) I started to plan. First I bought some film holders and a lens on eBay. I decided to improvise and didn't make a detailed construction drawing. Just some raw calculations. I looked for as many pictures as possible and started to combine elements of some cameras. I started with the frame and decided step by step how to build the next part. I painted the wooden parts with wood glaze, smoothed them with steel wool, waxed and polished them.
The metal parts were cut from aluminium profiles (not anodized), partly milled and polished. Different knurled nuts (m6, m6 and m4) I found in the hardware store, so at least this one did not have to be turned.
I was able to make a bellows myself (tedious job), but it was not flexible enough (too thick material used), so I finally used it for my DIY 8x10 enlarger. I bought than a custom made 8x10 bellows on Aliexpress. The camera is with 33cm width a bit bigger than the models I had looked at. That's because in the beginning I made the self-made bellows 1.5-2cm wider than usual. That resulted in the width of the frame. Difficulties to find a suitable gear rack for the micro-focusing gave me the idea to use a GT2 belt (often used in 3D printers) and appropriate pulleys. I got is done in 4 weeks (about 3h per day in my workshop) as I wanted to test it as soon as possible.

207430 207431
207429

[elgatosuizo]

Very nice and elegant!

I like the Belt focus, zero lash

If we use 100 hours of custom shop labor at $100 to $200 per or more...

I realize you may have more spare time in your personal business

What is next?
Thanks...
Nah... I didn't worked on it at weekends. so it was about 60h of work. Building things in my home workshop is my hobby: so it's 60h of fun for me. Actually I'm building small stuff: cutomized enlarging frames (for black borders), FB paper drying frames and a motorized rotator for jobo tanks. Next bigger project isn't LF related (guitars again).

[James R. Kyle]

I wanted a wooden 8x10 camera à la Shenhao, Tachihara, Deardorff etc. With lots of shiny parts.
Since I have a well equipped workshop (I also build guitars) I started to plan. First I bought some film holders and a lens on eBay. I decided to improvise and didn't make a detailed construction drawing. Just some raw calculations. I looked for as many pictures as possible and started to combine elements of some cameras. I started with the frame and decided step by step how to build the next part. I painted the wooden parts with wood glaze, smoothed them with steel wool, waxed and polished them.
The metal parts were cut from aluminium profiles (not anodized), partly milled and polished. Different knurled nuts (m6, m6 and m4) I found in the hardware store, so at least this one did not have to be turned.
I was able to make a bellows myself (tedious job), but it was not flexible enough (too thick material used), so I finally used it for my DIY 8x10 enlarger. I bought than a custom made 8x10 bellows on Aliexpress. The camera is with 33cm width a bit bigger than the models I had looked at. That's because in the beginning I made the self-made bellows 1.5-2cm wider than usual. That resulted in the width of the frame. Difficulties to find a suitable gear rack for the micro-focusing gave me the idea to use a GT2 belt (often used in 3D printers) and appropriate pulleys. I got is done in 4 weeks (about 3h per day in my workshop) as I wanted to test it as soon as possible.

207430 207431
207429

One word = WOW!

[cjbecker]

What focus helical do you use?

[John Kasaian]

Alas my frozen turkey pinhole camera is long gone and I neglected to take a photograph of it.:(

[@kj_roper]

Not sure if this is the right forum-----
Here is my homemade camera obscura project "Door Frames"


https://vimeo.com/719226255

[Fr. Mark]

Wow,that's an amazing set of photos! I like how it renders people, and wish they didn't go by so fast in the video. I imagine I'm not alone in wanting to know the tech specs i.e. lens used, f-stop, kind of paper, developer and so on. I also liked how you made a functional camera out of easily made materials and didn't insist it had to be more complicated/pretty than it needed to be.

[@kj_roper]

Hi. Thank you for your kind words. You can see more of the photos (in depth) at my instagram handle or my website kyleroper.com ---

Specs:
LENS: NIKKOR W - 300mm f5.6
The f stops varied but usually exposures between 1 second & 10 seconds -- paper rated at ISO 6
EMULSION: Paper ILFORD RC IV MULTIGRADE [8x10, 5x7, 4x5] + Harman Direct Positive Paper + some Ilford ORTHO 80 FILM
DEVELOPER: ILFORD MULTIGRADE & ILFORD PQ UNIVERSAL

[ericantonio]

That was very fun to watch!

[@kj_roper]

That was very fun to watch!

Thanks. Was hoping this might be something of interest for this community.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Viewed cross eyed from a distance may help to experience some 3-D stereo effect (the camera was made with wood from an old garden table in our street put aside as waste):

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52070584354_1bd41de1cd_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2nkimBL)

[Tin Can]

Very nice work!

Did you make the traditional tripods also?

I have a few of them, soon to be used on NOS 45 Pinhole boxes




Viewed cross eyed from a distance may help to experience some 3-D stereo effect (the camera was made with wood from an old garden table in our street put aside as waste):

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52070584354_1bd41de1cd_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2nkimBL)

[Dugan]

Beautiful craftsmanship!

[John Layton]

hhmmm....ooooohhh - yes!...I got it! The 3-D effect! Cool! :cool:

[Ron (Netherlands)]

[QUOTE=Tin Can;1648741]
Did you make the traditional tripods also?
/QUOTE]

Thanks ... the tripod in the picture came with one of the bought Tropicas to my home, but for now it is a nice match to this camera -
I just started to collect some wood to make a more period matching one like this:

https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/UA4AAOSwfmxh7nqL/s-l300.jpg

mostly made from oak..

[maltfalc]

Viewed cross eyed from a distance may help to experience some 3-D stereo effect (the camera was made with wood from an old garden table in our street put aside as waste):

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52070584354_1bd41de1cd_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2nkimBL)

those aren't cross-eye viewable.

[maltfalc]

Indeed not everyone will have 'the sense' of experiencing the 3-D effect...I know since some members of my family are unable to, others did however....

.. if you wear glasses you probably will be hindered too ....(A friend of my took off his glasses and was able to view it, but not with his glasses on)no, those aren't cross-eye viewable, period. the left eye view is on the left and the right eye view is on the right. if you view them with your eyes crossed, you'll get a jumbled mess of things looking further away than the things they're clearly in front of. you need to keep your eyes uncrossed to view those in proper 3d.

[Ashishwakhlu]

As a start to an 8X10 camera build I converted an Arca Swiss 4X5 camera to 8X10 using a hand built 8X10 "adapter back" I also fitted a second 8X10 "adapter back" to a Sinar P 4X5 Camera, pictures attached with results. Thanks
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[DirkFletcher]

Couple conversions I've recently completed. The smaller one on the left is a 6x9 w/ a 47mm f/8 in a focus mount. Enjoyed playing with silver accents on this one including taking down the Arca plate to silver with black detail.

The Wirgin conversion has a fixed focus modern 47mm f/5.6 SA with an 18mm Voigtlander finder that is masked down to match the field of view of the camera. This is the third Wirgin conversion that I've built and the first one where I rolled the left side of the Arca plate to match the curve of the camera body. It wasn't sitting flat so I added a shim on the bottom so the camera doesn't sit at an angle when you set it down. Each time I build one, there are little improvements that I realize would be helpful.
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[Michael Roberts]

As always, extremely impressive work, Dirk!

[James R. Kyle]

I would like to see some home made cameras. I have plans to make a LF camera and would like to see your designs. I would like to build 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 P&S cameras.

Ok...
Here is a "Sliding-Box" 4X5 I made a few years ago.230917

[James R. Kyle]

And another "Sliding-Box" = This one is a 8X10...230918

[James R. Kyle]

I did make a "Total Movement" 4X5 as well as "Sliding-Box" focusing cameras.....

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[Michael Roberts]

Awesome, James! Those are some really handsome looking cameras! Especially the 4x5 up on that Ries tripod.

[James R. Kyle]

Awesome, James! Those are some really handsome looking cameras! Especially the 4x5 up on that Ries tripod.

Thank you for the complements.

Mainly I just enjoy building most anything that comes to mind.
Usually I do not make drawings or "blueprints". I just build it from what I see in my mind's eye.
During the build, I do take some photos just incase someone would like to make one of their own. I then take the photos and write a [PDF] to distripute to other builders. That would be the "plans" that they would be able to work from.

Thank you again...

James.

[Paul Kinzer]

I posted a thread (https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?170243-My-DIY-8x10-Frankencamera) about mine a couple of weeks ago, in case you missed it.

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[Michael Roberts]

That is an amazing machine, Paul!

My wife wants to know if it also makes coffee.

[Paul Kinzer]

Michael Roberts: Hmmm... I didn't think of that. Maybe I'll add coffee making to the bigger camera coming up.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Not DIY cameras, but DIY lens modifications

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52567978531_475c91eca4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o6fCzr)Done Five Fuji GX680 lenses converted to PLaubel Peco Jr (https://flic.kr/p/2o6fCzr) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

Been working on these five Fuji Gx680 (first I converted them to Plaubel Makiflex Barrel Mount Lenses). When my two 6x9cm Plaubel Peco Junior cameras came to me, I decided to further convert these lenses, adding modern Seiko Shutters from the Fuji 210mm and 250mm WS series of lenses. All good even the f/stop scales will work good without modifications. These are 90's era cutting edge glass for the Fuji GX680, used for studio and professional use. From left to right, Peco Junior focused at infinity, with 65mm F5.6 GX680. Amazing to look through! Next the 80mm F5.6 GX680, then the 100mm F5.6 GX680, then the 125mm F3.2 Uber Glass. Best of the Best, they also make a F5.6 model. Finally the other Peco Jr, focused at infinity with the 180mm F3.2 GX680. Some portrait photographers say this lens is TOO sharp for portraiture, subjects complain. LOL All these lenses have Beeg image circles, allowing for full use of the Peco Junior's front and back movements. So the best lenses from that era, combined with one of the tiniest most precise view cameras ever made. What a match-up! Can't wait to take out a small bag, small tripod, and try out all this new stuff. In the foreground is the new shorty sawed-off focusing rail, great with the really wide older lenses.

[James R. Kyle]

I posted a thread (https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?170243-My-DIY-8x10-Frankencamera) about mine a couple of weeks ago, in case you missed it.

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Gad-Zooks!
Like - WoW!

Very good work.

;-))

[MAubrey]

Okay. So here is Beta version 1 that I think many of you have seen before:
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Next post: The from-scratch build, version 2.

[MAubrey]

My first attempt at building an 11x14 is above. The elastic is failing and needs to be replaced. The bellows, while light-tight are terribly ugly and cumbersome. The front standard is much larger and difficult to deal with that I want. So I started from scratch. I bought bellows. I made the basic frames from 2020 t-slot. I separated front rise/fall from front tilt with great success. And I standardized to Sinar lens boards & a Linhof 96x99mm adapter. I'm still working on the back. the leaf springs aren't thick enough and I'm waiting for new ones to arrive from McMaster Carr (feeler gauge). But I'm extremely pleased by how well its worked out.

The focusing system is the same: Arca Swiss style plates and clamps all around. That's the one thing I really liked from the original.

The weight is still the same. Without the rail, both cameras come in at 11.2lbs/5.1kgs.

Edit: Oh, and I switched from cherry to Walnut for the wood parts.
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[xandr]

elgatosuizo, 4-Sep-2020, 11:02: Great work !

[xandr]

A 6x12 camera built from two 6x6 "Paxina" cameras
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/145497036@N02/49515440941/in/album-72157713051313013/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/145497036@N02/49515440956/in/album-72157713051313013/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/145497036@N02/49515441011/in/album-72157713051313013/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/145497036@N02/49514921153/in/album-72157713051313013/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/145497036@N02/49515441106/in/album-72157713051313013/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/145497036@N02/49514921183/in/album-72157713051313013/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/145497036@N02/49515663787/in/album-72157713051313013/

[xandr]

a 6x12 camera built for the 6x12 Horseman roll film back

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[xandr]

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[bojove]

47mm Super Angulon w/ Linhof back for 6x6 - 6x12 role back or 4x5 holders. Homemade Handheld 4X5.

[jimskelton]

Here's an 8x10 camera made out of a coffee table (I did a separate post on it but thought I should add it it this one):

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Pretty much everything was home made except for the lens elements, nuts, bolts, and screws, fabric/cardboard for the bellows and some glue.

[Fr. Mark]

I love the coffee table camera! I've re-used all sorts of things in the pursuit of photography (and astronomy) to keep the costs down and for the joy of re-using things. The bellows looks great. I've made 2 bellows for 8x10's, one straight and one tapered. it is a tough job to do well and yours looks amazing. The color suggests you used blackout curtain material like I did for my two. Did you? Does the front standard support tilt/shift/swing? Again, love it!

[jimskelton]

Yes, I did use blackout curtain fabric. It was inexpensive ($10CDN) and seems to work well. I did make a big mistake on it though--I wasn't aware that I needed to alternate the narrow/wide ribs between the top/bottom and sides, so the top/bottom folds down tapered fine, but the sides don't. It still works, and does fold down, though the side ribs stand up. And yes, the front standard had tilt/shift/swing. Tilt/shift is the same knob so it's a little tricky to use. I suppose the rear standard has tilt down capability as well...


I love the coffee table camera! I've re-used all sorts of things in the pursuit of photography (and astronomy) to keep the costs down and for the joy of re-using things. The bellows looks great. I've made 2 bellows for 8x10's, one straight and one tapered. it is a tough job to do well and yours looks amazing. The color suggests you used blackout curtain material like I did for my two. Did you? Does the front standard support tilt/shift/swing? Again, love it!

[Mr.Vasily]

Nice ! I would love details of build, is it 3d printed ?

This is 3D printing. SUNLU PLA+ filament. Printer Creality Ender 3 v2 modified. STL files and others, here

https://disk.yandex.ru/d/MjzVEiWs1xsngw

[Daniel Unkefer]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52904189447_29f279a285_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oAXNnn)Makiflex Standard BandL Super Cinephor Linhof Graflex Back (https://flic.kr/p/2oAXNnn) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

This is my second Makiflex Standard, bought from a shoppe in Vienna. It has been heavily, professionally modified. Note the custom Side Handle. The Front Standard is HEAVILY MODIFIED, note the precison machine werk. Quite a bit of the camera has been removed! Right under the lens is a LENS SWING MECHANISM, which has a ball detent (NICE) and swings the front standard on the optical axis of the lens. Quite a bit of Swing is possible, seems very sturdy and built to last. The cool thing about the Standard Makiflex, is that the inside throat is more spacious, and has no cables getting ini the way of BEEG lens. This boat anchor of a lens, is a Bausch&Lomb Super Cinephor, 159.1mm F2.0, which is outrageously fast. It looks great I think on this camera, and it will get some use this Spring, I can tell you. It's going to be FUN. This is a olde lens meant for 70mm and 35mm Cinema Projection, like in a commercial theatre. Cool that it fits the Standard, but won't fit my Automatic Makiflex, for the above reasons. So this lens is an Uber Speed Light Sucker, great that I can swing the front, say like, when doing a portrait or still life. On the back is the Makiflex 4x5 Holder that takes Linhof Plate Holders, or Graflex Graphic Holders, with the flip of a couple of switches top and bottom. Linhof Holders are much thicker, and can also take planfilm or glass plates. They are mucho Deluxe :)

[Michael Roberts]

This started out as a simple 4x5 box camera built around the 90mm Wollensak Optar f6.8, a tiny, light weight lens, paired with a 1lb 15oz travel tripod. Then mission creep set in.... Added a 127mm f4.7 Kodak Ektar...then a 2x5" splitter...then a 2 1/2 x 4" splitter (https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?173524-Splitters!). So, three formats x two focal lengths = six compositional possibilities.

Camera weighs 13oz w/o lens, 18oz with the 90mm. 1/4" mahogany and cold worked brass. 6 1/4 x 5 1/4" (w x h). 1/4" sockets for landscape and portrait. Acrylic focus screen. Leather strap handle.

Still thinking about adding a wire viewer or optical viewfinder for hand-held shooting.

[rfesk]

This started out as a simple box camera built around the 90mm Optar f6.8, a tiny, light weight lens, paired with 1lb 15oz travel tripod. Then mission creep set in.... Added a 127mm f4.7 Kodak Ektar...then a 2x5" splitter...then a 2 1/2 x 4" splitter. So, three formats x two focal lengths = six compositional possibilities.

Camera weighs 13oz w/o lens, 18oz with the 90mm. 1/4" mahogany and cold worked brass. 6 1/4 x 5 1/4" (w x h). 1/4" sockets for landscape and portrait. Acrylic focus screen. Leather strap handle.

Great job! Looks neat.

[Michael Roberts]

Thanks rfesk!

[Ron (Netherlands)]

This started out as a simple 4x5 box camera built around the 90mm Wollensak Optar f6.8, a tiny, light weight lens, paired with a 1lb 15oz travel tripod. Then mission creep set in.... Added a 127mm f4.7 Kodak Ektar...then a 2x5" splitter...then a 2 1/2 x 4" splitter. So, three formats x two focal lengths = six compositional possibilities.

Camera weighs 13oz w/o lens, 18oz with the 90mm. 1/4" mahogany and cold worked brass. 6 1/4 x 5 1/4" (w x h). 1/4" sockets for landscape and portrait. Acrylic focus screen. Leather strap handle.

Still thinking about adding a wire viewer or optical viewfinder for hand-held shooting.

Beautiful camera and well thought out with spring back; and what a nice wood/finish!

[Tin Can]

Agree, very nice!

I prefer wire finder

I like the old German finders that fold and compensate for distance

I have that lens on Norwegian printed 4X5

I add a heavy QR for ballast


Beautiful camera and well thought out with spring back; and what a nice wood/finish!

[Michael Roberts]

Thanks Ron and Tin Can!

[Havoc]

This started out as a simple 4x5 box camera built around the 90mm Wollensak Optar f6.8, a tiny, light weight lens, paired with a 1lb 15oz travel tripod. Then mission creep set in.... Added a 127mm f4.7 Kodak Ektar...then a 2x5" splitter...then a 2 1/2 x 4" splitter (https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?173524-Splitters!). So, three formats x two focal lengths = six compositional possibilities.

Camera weighs 13oz w/o lens, 18oz with the 90mm. 1/4" mahogany and cold worked brass. 6 1/4 x 5 1/4" (w x h). 1/4" sockets for landscape and portrait. Acrylic focus screen. Leather strap handle.

Still thinking about adding a wire viewer or optical viewfinder for hand-held shooting.

Great looking camera and nice details like the handle. I should add one to mine. As for the wire frame finder, I tried making one but so far I failed. Maybe that mission creep thing as I wanted to have an adjustable one for different focal lengths.

[Michael Roberts]

Thanks Havoc!

[Tin Can]

I use this for making LINHOF and Calumet C1 Dark Cloth support

They both came as OE

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0859MBB3B/ref=sw_img_1?smid=A3D5W4EAQSO8A4&psc=1

I also use LINHOF folding triple wire finders

of course many old cameras have their version



Great looking camera and nice details like the handle. I should add one to mine. As for the wire frame finder, I tried making one but so far I failed. Maybe that mission creep thing as I wanted to have an adjustable one for different focal lengths.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

My latest 8x10. It is Mahogany and fashioned after the Ebony SW810. Can't wait to try it out.

[Michael Roberts]

That looks amazing, Jim!

[cgratham]

Jim, I concur. Your 8x10 above ^^^ is gorgeous!

Chris

[Gord Robinson]

Beautiful camera. Nice work on the wood and metal parts. I am sure you will enjoy it.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Thanks everyone. Since I have three 8x10's it looks like the two Ebony style cameras are spoken for. I still have enough parts that I made for three more cameras! Maybe this winter? Possibly Cherry this time or another Walnut or Mahogany who knows.