Kit cameras/scratchbuilts/plans

[Skip Gilmore]

I'm a watercolor artist that scans and prints my art onto watercolor paper. However, some of my art is too large to scan so I photograph it with a 35mm SLR. |The problem is, that the photos are too small to enlarge vwry much without loosing the image sharpness. So I thought of the large or larger format camera. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on it because I'm a painter, not a photographer. So then I thought abo ut seeing if I could build one. It doesn't have to be very versital as it just stays in one place and I would change the settings a little for each shot.

Can you offer me a suggestion on what to do or where look?

I would really appreciate your input.

Thanks,

Skip Gilmore

[andrea milano]

Hi Skip! Whether you need movements or not, one of the best camera kits, for the money, is the Bender camera http://www.benderphoto.com . It seems relatively simple to assemble and all 'n all inexpensive (about $270. You can build it yourself from scratch but you need considerably more experience and some parts like bellows and film holder are difficult to build so why not buyng a kit like Bender's? Lenses ,you can use cheap reproduction or barrel lenses(incredibly cheap at times). I guess you don't need a shutter for your picture of watercolors!Maybe this will give you the push of doing more with photography. Welcome in the magic world of large format ! Andrea

[Ron Shaw]

You may also want to consider the Speed or Crown Graphic. You can find them for what the bender kit would cost, and they are well built and rugged.

[Bill Riley]

You might consider looking for an older "woodie" view camera. They come in a va riety of film formats from 6cm x 6cm to 11"x14". You can find a good usable 4x5 with minimal movements and no lens for under $100 and if you don't care about c osmetics, much cheaper than that. (Check bellows for pin hole light leaks with a bright flashlight). The recommendation of finding a process lens in a previou s response is good. I wouldn't be suprised if you would be under $100 for the w hole outfit (again if cosmetics are not important. Check local auctions ... unl ess you're in the Midwest then forget everything I said ... I don't need any mor e competition :-)

[Jon Grepstad]

If you are looking for a kit, the Bender kit is a good option. If you want to build a camera from scratch, you will find some information here: http://home.sol.no/~gjon

[jongrep]

If you are looking for a kit, the Bender kit is a good option. If you want to build a camera from scratch, you will find some information here: http://home.sol.no/~gjon

New URL: http://jongrepstad.com/

Jon Grepstad