New DIY 4x5 Camera kit to be launched soon!

[svarzaru]

Since the Bender camera closed their shop a while ago, the only kit on the market is the Buldog kit. For those who want an alternative to this MDF made kit, I am working on launching a series of camera kits, the first one to be a folding 4x5 camera.

As of now, the first small production run is scheduled for sometime in the fall. The design of the folder is nearly complete and I am now working on programming the CNC machine to make the parts for the prototype. The target price is $200-$350 depending on the features selected, but the final pricing will be determined later, during the summer.

If you want to be informed of the developments, please visit my blog at http://diycamerakit.blogspot.com/ (http://diycamerakit.blogspot.com/)where you can subscribe to updates through an RSS feed. Once the website (http://www.diycamerakit.com) is up, I will integrate the blog into it.

Here is a render of the camera (the materials shown are not necessarily the ones that will be offered, see the blog for details).

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wOEOTETg9EY/SfDE3TkHeKI/AAAAAAAAAas/KVrn_ifn8k8/s1600-h/4x5+cam+1+-+cocobolo+%2B+chrome.pnghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wOEOTETg9EY/SfDE4Djj3jI/AAAAAAAAAa0/H9h0MKte4s8/s320/4x5+cam+2+-+cocobolo+%2B+chrome.png

[William McEwen]

I didn't know Bender ceased doing business. Glad you're taking over!

Best of luck. A good looking camera!

[Turner Reich]

Excellent work, keep going, you will succeed. I like what I see and how you are persistently working out the design and production issues.

[Doug Dolde]

I'd sure pick something besides Cocobolo. It looks like crap in that wood.

[walter23]

I think this is a really promising looking kit. Something much nicer than the bender style, that the final builder can have some pride in. Best of luck with this project.

[Peter De Smidt]

Great project! I hope it's a big success.

[Tim Meisburger]

Yes, good luck on this! You might also consider selling just the plans, hardware and bellows. I have some black walnut in the US that would be nice for a camera, or here in Bangkok its easily to get mahogany.

[rknewcomb]

I'd sure pick something besides Cocobolo. It looks like crap in that wood.

I really like the pattern in the wood you've used in the illustration - really different and very cool looking.
Robert Newcomb

[MenacingTourist]

Best of luck to your project!
I'm interested in "parts" as well.

[ruckusman]

Just had a look at your site, think if you can make it happen you may be onto a winner.

Perfect for people wanting real quality and features who can't afford or justify the cost of the other cameras available.

I've just finished building a 6x17 using joined Mamiya press backs and an Arca Swiss rail and focusing mechanisms as I wanted movements.
Difficult to pack and carry though.
Wood field camera like what you're planning would work perfectly for what I've made.

BTW on your site when going back to the top via the navigation link on the top left hand side, the bottom part of the frameset is repeating

regards

Glenn

[Photojeep]

I think your design and attention to detail is very good! I'm anxious to see how all of this comes out.

Best of luck,
Randy

[Carsten Wolff]

I'd sure pick something besides Cocobolo. It looks like crap in that wood.

Agreed, looks like funky, but still bad Art Deco. All the best!

[jon.oman]

Interesting. I will follow your progress.

[ustwo]

Love the design..and look forward to the bellows kit - I think you will find a whole new group of interested people in camera collectors - if you can offer a red outer covering then it would make a good affordable replacement for original bellows...

And if you decide to upsize the design to a 8X 10 then you have at least one buyer....

Good Luck!

[welly]

Fantastic, I've been considering a little folding camera for times when I don't want to/can't be bothered to take out the sinar rig. Consider a kit sold.

[azdustdevil]

For marketing purposes, I believe it would be best to offer a pdf drawing so the user could make a camera from scratch, another kit with only the metal parts, and another with metal and wood parts, and a fourth which would be the completed camera.

I would rather see stainless steel parts than brass as stainless is far more durable.

[Brian C. Miller]

Agreed, looks like funky, but still bad Art Deco. All the best!

Hey! I like Art Deco! And that camera doesn't go far enough, not by a long shot! And I want an 8x10 version, too. Could it be convertible with an 11x14 back?

[sully75]

I believe Sorin is on vacation at least until next year. Which...I guess is pretty soon.

[JamesEarleStewartJr]

So does anyone have any idea what's going on with the DIY camera kit site? I discovered it last week (or so) while doing some web searches but this week when I try to visit, it's been listed as an attack site and I can't get through to it unless I disable a bunch of browser security stuff that shouldn't be disabled? Does anyone know these guys and what progress has been made on releasing the kit?

[walter23]

So does anyone have any idea what's going on with the DIY camera kit site? I discovered it last week (or so) while doing some web searches but this week when I try to visit, it's been listed as an attack site and I can't get through to it unless I disable a bunch of browser security stuff that shouldn't be disabled? Does anyone know these guys and what progress has been made on releasing the kit?

I had my own site listed as an attack site once by firefox's "safe browsing" or whatever the hell. The problem was that my site was with a pretty insecure host with servers that were always being compromised, and links to trojan "virus scan" sites were always being added in weird places in my web directories. It would take me awhile to notice; and when I inevitably got blacklisted by one of the safe browsing services, I had to spend a fair bit of time fighting with google to have the flag removed.

Something like that may have happened here.

Eventually I got fed up and moved to another host and I've had no problems.

[Julie-Anna]

Congratulations! ...how exciting!

[John Kasaian]

Too cool for school! :D

[Drew Bedo]

Verry interesting. Best of luck to you!

[dupont07]

I can't access to all of the links to read the details of diy bellows kit. Can you send me the details for that kit, I want to restored my Gunlarch 5x7 camera's bellows.

[Michael Batchelor]

I can't access to all of the links to read the details of diy bellows kit. Can you send me the details for that kit, I want to restored my Gunlarch 5x7 camera's bellows.

I got this from Sorin just a few days ago when I wrote to him directly.

from Sorin Varzaru xxx@yyy.com
to Michael Batchelor <xxx@yyy.com>
date Fri, Apr 29, 2011 at 4:45 AM
subject Re: Welcome to DIYCameraKit

I've been traveling since August and everything is on hold. Someone hacked my web site and I didn't have time to fix it. I may restart things in the summer.

Regards

Sorin

[nickademusss]

Hope things are going well with a kit, I have always wanted to build a LF 4x5
If you complete a set of kits I want pricing and availability as soon as you can get it!

I am not a fan of the bull dog, I want real wood camera kit!

[buggz]

I too would like to do this.
I want to get my niece involved as well.
this would be a great project.


Hope things are going well with a kit, I have always wanted to build a LF 4x5
If you complete a set of kits I want pricing and availability as soon as you can get it!

I am not a fan of the bull dog, I want real wood camera kit!

[sully75]

Sorin's site has been inactive for several years, I think from mid 2010 on. It's a real shame, his bellows kits were amazing. I beta-tested his kit making system and it was great and made really wonderful bellows, I think better than anything else that's available at any price. A very smart guy. But I think at this point, until you hear otherwise, there isn't going to be a camera kit.

[svarzaru]

I'm afraid the project is on hold indefinitely at this point. In Aug 2010 I left the country for almost a year and when I came back I moved to NYC where I don't have access to a shop. For now I still have everything in storage, so I didn't lose hope completely, but I have no immediate plans to re-start work on the kit project. Should that happen, you guys would be the first to know.

Sorin

[sully75]

Sorin any chance of the Bellows kits coming back? I'm assuming no. But they were seriously awesome.

[pixelatedscraps]

I'm very excited to hear you're back in the US. I think what you're doing is a great idea and would benefit a lot of users out there who either don't have the time or skill to tinker and build something from scratch but have the curiosity to start somewhere.

If you ever do get a couple of kits ready, mark me down as a guaranteed customer!

All the best with the project.