My DIY 4x5 point & shoot.

[briand]

:) Hi all from Oz.
this is the project Ive been working on, Its a 4x5. 6x7 ,6x9, home built camera, the body is made from wood,it has a 10mm up & down shift, 58mm Schneider XL lens, the focusing device I bought from China on Ebay. I am using a spare Horseman back. I took a test shot and it seems to work Ok, so far so good :rolleyes: has been fun to make.
Cheers Brian :D .

[Caivman]

Not Bad, any other info on it?

[amac212]

What a beaut! Yes, I'd like to hear more about the 'focusing device' and does it have a tripod mount?

[Ash]

The 'focusing device' looks identical to the focus helical I bought for my 5x7.

If I'm correct then you want "jinfinance" on ebay,
http://stores.ebay.com/RJ-camera-accessory-store

Search focus helical and it will come up, roughly $140 and takes a couple weeks or so to arrive. They're very well built and available with most focal length scales printed on.

[briand]

Hi. :)
Yes Ash the focusing device was from jinfinance, its really good nice and smooth.
it does have a tripod mount, its the block at the center bottom of the camera, its a wooden block with a 5mm alloy plate, glued and 4 countersunk screws going right through to the body, I routered out a groove on the back of the body and glued strips of black felt to make it light tight when the horseman back is clipped on, I have yet to make the handle for it. haven't decided if Ill go ahead and make one from aluminum ???
I have access to laths and milling machines. could be interesting ???
Cheers all & thanks for the interest. :D

[eduardtoader]

Hy all. I´ve tried to locate a thread about DIY PS cameras but the search option don´t help me a lot.

I have some sapelli recycled wood and I would like to build a 4x5 point and shoot camera with a Sinar rear element in it back. I have a Schneider 90mm f8 and I would like to know how deep should be the box. Well, how many milimeters should I have from the lens plane to the ground glass? Someone know where I could see the focus distance of my 90mm to infinite? The depth of the box (from lens plane to GG) should be the same as the distance needed by the 90mm to focus at infinite? The helical mount should move away the lens from the infinite focus point ? How many mm could move a helical mount one lens? Wich is your advice?

I was looking for helical mounts and I saw some Zuiko DYI helical focus mechanism adapted to a large format lens. Someone of you could reccomend me a MF lens or a 35mm lens focusing sistem I could transform it and mount my 90mm on it?

Any information would be welcome.

thanks to all

eduard

[el french]

Hy all. I´ve tried to locate a thread about DIY PS cameras but the search option don´t help me a lot.

I have some sapelli recycled wood and I would like to build a 4x5 point and shoot camera with a Sinar rear element in it back. I have a Schneider 90mm f8 and I would like to know how deep should be the box. Well, how many milimeters should I have from the lens plane to the ground glass? Someone know where I could see the focus distance of my 90mm to infinite? The depth of the box (from lens plane to GG) should be the same as the distance needed by the 90mm to focus at infinite? The helical mount should move away the lens from the infinite focus point ? How many mm could move a helical mount one lens? Wich is your advice?

I was looking for helical mounts and I saw some Zuiko DYI helical focus mechanism adapted to a large format lens. Someone of you could reccomend me a MF lens or a 35mm lens focusing sistem I could transform it and mount my 90mm on it?

Any information would be welcome.

thanks to all

eduard


This thread has a formula for calculating the offset from infinity settings: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=73094

The amount needed for setting to the minimum hyperfocal distance is surprisingly small (around 3mm for a 100mm lens).

The bellows draw (extension) for a 90mm lens at infinity should be 90mm but may depend on the specific flange focal length of the lens.

[JimL]

Schneider has the specs here (https://www.schneideroptics.com/info/vintage_lens_data/large_format_lenses/super-angulon/data/8-90mm.html). What you want is the flange-focal distance which will be the distance from the mounting surface on the shutter (i.e. front surface of the lens board) to the film plane. At this distance from the film plane, the lens will be focused at infinity.

Jim


Hy all. I´ve tried to locate a thread about DIY PS cameras but the search option don´t help me a lot.

I have some sapelli recycled wood and I would like to build a 4x5 point and shoot camera with a Sinar rear element in it back. I have a Schneider 90mm f8 and I would like to know how deep should be the box. Well, how many milimeters should I have from the lens plane to the ground glass? Someone know where I could see the focus distance of my 90mm to infinite? The depth of the box (from lens plane to GG) should be the same as the distance needed by the 90mm to focus at infinite? The helical mount should move away the lens from the infinite focus point ? How many mm could move a helical mount one lens? Wich is your advice?

I was looking for helical mounts and I saw some Zuiko DYI helical focus mechanism adapted to a large format lens. Someone of you could reccomend me a MF lens or a 35mm lens focusing sistem I could transform it and mount my 90mm on it?

Any information would be welcome.

thanks to all

eduard

[eduardtoader]

This is what I can read in front of my lens:

Schneider kreutznach 90mmf8 super angulon 8716626. It´s mounted on a Compur shutter. How could I know wich type is it? On the Schneier web I see two models - coated and mulfticoated. There are 10mm focusing difference.

Yhanks for your help

[eduardtoader]

How about the helical mount? Could i use the focus system of a 35mm lens or MF lens to make my own helical mount? It´s a good idea to try it or it´s very difficult to calibrate the paralelism of the lens with the film plane?

cheers

eduard

[Ash]

You can use the helical from a 35mm format lens, but usually the barrel is too small or it's too fiddly to modify and fit a LF lens to. By the time you find the right lens, and do all the work, you may as well buy the helical from China. That's how I felt anyway.

[eduardtoader]

That´s true but for the moment I only see en e..y two helical mounts and them are not cheap.. I chose to make it my own.

Any idea will be welcome. thanks for sharing your experience.

[el french]

Hi. :)
Yes Ash the focusing device was from jinfinance, its really good nice and smooth.
it does have a tripod mount, its the block at the center bottom of the camera, its a wooden block with a 5mm alloy plate, glued and 4 countersunk screws going right through to the body, I routered out a groove on the back of the body and glued strips of black felt to make it light tight when the horseman back is clipped on, I have yet to make the handle for it. haven't decided if Ill go ahead and make one from aluminum ???
I have access to laths and milling machines. could be interesting ???
Cheers all & thanks for the interest. :D

What is the thickness of the helicoid focusing device (from the camera body) when it's fully contracted and when it's fully expanded? I'm trying to decide if I want to make a point and shoot or if I want to be able to focus as well. Jinfinance doesn't show any dimensions on ebay.

What did you do to make the wood light tight?

[briand]

Hi El.
the helical is 15.83mm when closed when fully extended add 7.48mm, this is the measurements of the one I bought from jinfinance. it is mounted on a linhof lens board.
you will need to router rebates in the wood so when the back is clipped on it will be light tight, where I have a sliding lens panel I also used black felt to light proof it.
Hope this helps,
PS Ive nearly finished one of my alloy ones, just waiting on a viewfinder, I used a Cambo revolving back And Standard and fitted it with a 47mm XL.
will post some pics when finished
Cheers Brian

[eduardtoader]

Thanks to all for your ideas and sugestions. I´ve looked to the Jinfinance items and there are not any helical mount to sell.

I´m thinking to adapt a mamyia press helical mount to my 90mm. How you see this?


cheers

eduard

[briand]

Hi Eduard.
you need to type in: linhof wide angle device . at jinfinance and you will see there are a lot for sale. $138.00 I bought one last week should be here this week, they are very good to deal with.
cheers Brian :D

[eduardtoader]

Hi El.
the helical is 15.83mm when closed when fully extended add 7.48mm,

I have it located. I´m wonder how the helical mount could have more mm closed than extended? When you are focusing, the in piece come out from the fixed piece - it´s true or it function is diferent?

[Steve Smith]

You can use the helical from a 35mm format lens, but usually the barrel is too small or it's too fiddly to modify and fit a LF lens to.

I found a solution in an old Olympus OM lens (it's ok, it was broken allready!). Link here: http://stevesmithphoto.webs.com/pano612.html


Steve.

[briand]

I have it located. I´m wonder how the helical mount could have more mm closed than extended? When you are focusing, the in piece come out from the fixed piece - it´s true or it function is diferent?
Eduard.
the helical is 15.83 when closed. when fully extended you need to add 7,5m
so it will be 22.81mm. hope this is clearer, closed 15.83 extended 22.81
cheers Brian :D

[eduardtoader]

Yes sir! Imposible to say it better.

[eduardtoader]

I found a solution in an old Olympus OM lens (it's ok, it was broken allready!).

I love the shape of your helical mount. You´re good.

[el french]

I found a solution in an old Olympus OM lens (it's ok, it was broken allready!). Link here: http://stevesmithphoto.webs.com/pano612.html


Steve.

Amazingly enough, I have one of these lens that also has a bad aperture. I have it mostly disassembled now, but have a question or two.

How did you remove the last piece inside the inner helical? It looks like it is one piece: ZC145700 in the parts list located here: http://olympus.dementia.org/hardware/PDFs/50mm_f1.8.pdf

How did you attach the 9mm PVC piece to the helical?

[alexn]

I love your camera.

I am making one similar in the next two weeks. Its going to be the revolving back from a Linhof monorail camera, fixed focus 75mm F/4.5. I will use a 37mm wide angle adapter (used for handicams) as a viewfinder. I might even use the lens board on the front, so i can use a helical focuser, small top hat or a recessed board used backwards and I might be able to use a 90 or 110mm.

Obviously, we're talking about 0 movements, not even shift, and it wont hold a candle to the quality of yours seen in this thread, but hopefully I'll have a workable hand holdable 4x5 as opposed to my 5kg + monorail setup... Considering I already have all the parts I need apart from some wood.. I might get something nice like cherry or ebony.. Maybe something truly Australian like Yellow Box Gum.... Should be nice.

Any info you have on issues you ran into and ways around them or possible shortcuts, I would be hellishly grateful.

Thanks mate,

Awesome work on your P&S

[jb7]

There might be something in this thread that could be of interest-

http://www.photographyireland.net/point-and-shoot-project-t28210.html

[alexn]

Nice jb7 - Bookmarked that... Thats something like what I'm looking to build... I was thinking maybe one block of wood hollowed out with a film back on it..... I am looking for a really natural woodgrain look to it... I want people to see it and instantly know its home made... but not because its rough looking, but because it looks hand crafted. and moulded to my hands. I will be making an anatomical grip for it ala technika, but again, hand carved to suit my hand.