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View Full Version : Its finished (the camera i said i wanted to make)



Jake Middleton
9-Jul-2009, 05:46
Some of you may remember me saying i wanted to make a large format camera my self in 8x10

well here it is. The below picture is of my dad - i took this picture on enlargeing paper. I havent yet tryed film but have ordered some ilford ortho film and look foreward to trying that. This camera was never intended for field use, it is primarily for portraits and, well its made of chipboard but seems to work.

It is a slideing box camera of a primitive type - the back part you can see is the slideing element and has an attatchment for plate holder and focussing screen

wfwhitaker
9-Jul-2009, 06:00
Congratulations, that's neat. There's a lot to be said for simplicity. I look forward to seeing some of your ortho results.

Archphoto
9-Jul-2009, 06:50
It looks gooooood ! Congrad's !

Why ortho by the way and not regular pan-film ?

Peter

Jake Middleton
9-Jul-2009, 07:34
i wanted to use ortho because i can develop it under a red safelight and inspect the process - due to my shutter system that is worked by hand the exposure may be slightly wrong nd i would rather be able to watch the film until i think i have the right density (i will probably be doing cyanotypes with it so if i mess up the density its useless)

Glenn Thoreson
9-Jul-2009, 10:56
Very nice! Simple things are often best, I always say somtimes. :D

John Brady
9-Jul-2009, 11:12
If thats your dad, how old are you? He looks like a young guy which would make you an even younger guy (pretty brilliant deduction eh?).

You have a bright future ahead, I wish I was doing cool projects like this one when I was younger. I look forward to seeing more of your work.
www.gladesgallery.com

The Dread Pirate Robins
9-Jul-2009, 11:25
Nice work!

How did you achieve a light seal between the two sliding boxes, if you don't mind revealing your secrets?

Jake Middleton
10-Jul-2009, 08:50
hey, in awser to your questions yeah my dad is 48 and im 18. I made the box light tight by makeing a joint like shown below (also its lined with felt)


this line is the outer box

----------------------------l <-- that is the edge of the outer box with a bit that hooks
l l down
note the > l-------------------------------
hook up
this is the inner slideing box that slides out

Aender Brepsom
10-Jul-2009, 12:36
Congratulations for that wonderful camera! Must be fun using it.

sdwfx
10-Jul-2009, 14:45
i wanted to use ortho because i can develop it under a red safelight and inspect the process - due to my shutter system that is worked by hand the exposure may be slightly wrong nd i would rather be able to watch the film until i think i have the right density (i will probably be doing cyanotypes with it so if i mess up the density its useless)

Goodness! we need more young people like you. Do you realize how hard it is nowadays to find an 18-yrs old who can reason the way you do above?

Jim Fitzgerald
11-Jul-2009, 07:09
Jake, way to go. I agree, we need more young people who can think like you do and appreciate the "art" of photography. Even more rewarding when you build your own camera.

You can inspect regular film bur you have to get a green safelight and just inspect the film when about 85%-90% of the developing time has passed. After you do it a few times you will have it down.

Jim

Jake Middleton
11-Jul-2009, 09:38
oh wow i never knew that, green safelight for normal pan film? cartainly worth knowing - cheers!

MenacingTourist
14-Jul-2009, 07:36
There is something to be said about having an idea and actually executing it. Well done on the camera and print. Keep it up.

Alan.

eli
14-Jul-2009, 16:07
This looks like a great project to try.

Congratulations on the results, when can we expect to see your next LF camera?

Eli

Jake Middleton
15-Jul-2009, 00:25
My next camera, well as it happens my freind works for a malasian rubber research company and they had alot of equipment for takeing microscopic potos of rubber... but they got rid of a load of stuf a 4x5 film back amoung the stuff, i was given a load of things that would work on a 4x5 camera! If I had a lens for one I would certainly like to try to make one.

If i got one of those petzvals with the focussing wheel on the lens as well as a slideing box i could make quite a versatile range of focus im sure. I dream of doing wet plate one day but for now im going to play around with this one ive just made. The ortho film arived today so i might post some of the results.

Bye for now!

Wade D
15-Jul-2009, 02:59
Very impressive! As the others have said it is great for someone so young to have this much dedication to the craft. If you try pan film with the green safelight be sure to read up on the directions. If I'm not mistaken the safelight can only be used for a few seconds part way through development.

Samuel Burns Landsacape P
15-Jul-2009, 03:45
very nice!

I would like to use a similar construction to build a 16x20 ULF camera (on wheels) for running paper negs through. Do you have any photos of the rear of the camera?

Cheers
Sam.

Jake Middleton
15-Jul-2009, 09:43
Hi, yeah i have attatched 2 pictures of the back of the camera, it is a very simple light trap, just 2 frames of wood 1 either side of the plate. It has a felt lineing at the top where the plate slides in aswell. My "ground glass" as you cans ee is just a picture frame - from a charity shop, luckily just the right size. I didnt grind it i just stuck this frosting sticker to it - its like to give the effect of sandblasted glass in windows you dont want to be able to see through, but it gets an image on it.

Tintype Bob
15-Jul-2009, 11:11
WOW great job and it's wonderful to find a young person interested in large format photography. I'm guessing you will go a long way in what ever you do so keep up the good work

Thalmees
17-Jul-2009, 22:00
Jake ............
Magnificent,
This is the least I can say.

Mark Sawyer
17-Jul-2009, 22:59
Just adding my compliments as well! The camera reminds me of some of the early camera obscuras and Talbotype and Daguerrian cameras. There's a certain satisfaction to making your own equipment, especially so when it works and you make great images with it!