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  1. #1
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    I am in the (slow) process of building an 8x10 field camera modeled on my 4x5 Ikeda Anba. I've built the back and the frame, and there is still some woodworking, but at this point I'm thinking about sourcing metal parts. I'm using the 4x5 model because there are actually no good plans on the web for field cameras. There is also no good source for parts. I got to thinking that it might be possible for the many people on LFPF interested in camera building to pool their resources and design one (or several) generic cameras using standard parts, and then collectively source those parts.

    For example, gear racks are available from China relatively cheaply compared to sourcing such stuff from a specialty suppliers, but might have a minimum order of ten meters. That is a big buy for one person, but ten meters of rack will build less than 10 8x10 cameras, so if we all agreed on a standard rack size and design, bulk purchase would be feasible and keep costs down. The same could be done for knurled knobs and other metal parts. Using this approach we might be able to get entire parts kits for 30 or 40 dollars. If we had a standard design we could also get mass produced bellows, or at least find a common source for bellows materiel. Although everyone has wood available, a standard cutting list would make the use of a variety of different woods possible (for example, I could have mahogany blanks sufficient for an 8x10 cut and shipped from Thailand for probably $20 plus shipping).

    I think a lot more people would build cameras if they had a good design and could source materials relatively easily, but what do you think? Is this something anyone else would be interested in getting involved in?

  2. #2

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    Re: DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    Tim,
    I have an IA 4x5 and think it would be a great design for 8x10. I would certainly be interested in buying the necessary metal parts in kit form.

    Michael

  3. #3

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    Re: DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    Here is a website with many resources for building various types of large format cameras:

    http://home.online.no/~gjon/camerabuilders.htm

    Some of this is not in English and, like lots of pages which have been up for a few years, there are a few dead links. However, if you read the listings on 8x10 flatbed cameras, you will get a lot of ideas on how to do this without resorting to a lot of factory manufacture red parts. There are a few sets of plans with drawings and stuff. One of them has a cut list for the wood used. Designing a camera around commonly available bellows rather than having custom bellows made might be easier. There is a guy on eBay who is a pretty reliable source of a wide variety of bellows for factory built cameras.

  4. #4
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    Re: DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    Quote Originally Posted by jbenedict View Post
    Here is a website with many resources for building various types of large format cameras:

    http://home.online.no/~gjon/camerabuilders.htm

    Some of this is not in English and, like lots of pages which have been up for a few years, there are a few dead links. However, if you read the listings on 8x10 flatbed cameras, you will get a lot of ideas on how to do this without resorting to a lot of factory manufacture red parts. There are a few sets of plans with drawings and stuff. One of them has a cut list for the wood used. Designing a camera around commonly available bellows rather than having custom bellows made might be easier. There is a guy on eBay who is a pretty reliable source of a wide variety of bellows for factory built cameras.
    Thank you, but I am well aware of that website, and have searched it several times for good plans without finding any. What I'm most interested in is a professional quality design. The Raymond Kirby link, now dead, showed the quality of camera I'm interested in building, but he never included any detailed plans or sources for parts.

  5. #5

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    Re: DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Meisburger View Post
    Thank you, but I am well aware of that website, and have searched it several times for good plans without finding any. What I'm most interested in is a professional quality design. The Raymond Kirby link, now dead, showed the quality of camera I'm interested in building, but he never included any detailed plans or sources for parts.
    This one looks a lot like a Deardorrf-derived design and has detailed diagrams and instructions.

    http://web.archive.org/web/200409140...ail/camera.htm

  6. #6
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    Re: DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    Quote Originally Posted by jbenedict View Post
    This one looks a lot like a Deardorrf-derived design and has detailed diagrams and instructions.

    http://web.archive.org/web/200409140...ail/camera.htm
    Yes, that one looks better.

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    Re: DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Meisburger View Post
    Yes, that one looks better.
    That design was listed on the Norwegian LF Builder's site.

  8. #8
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    Re: DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    Michael, an 8x10 based on IA would be one of the lightest available. Although extension would only be about 600mm, I think that would be fine for backpacking and landscape photography.

  9. #9

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    Re: DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    Quote Originally Posted by jbenedict View Post
    Here is a website with many resources for building various types of large format cameras:

    http://home.online.no/~gjon/camerabuilders.htm

    Some of this is not in English and, like lots of pages which have been up for a few years, there are a few dead links. However, if you read the listings on 8x10 flatbed cameras, you will get a lot of ideas on how to do this without resorting to a lot of factory manufacture red parts. There are a few sets of plans with drawings and stuff. One of them has a cut list for the wood used. Designing a camera around commonly available bellows rather than having custom bellows made might be easier. There is a guy on eBay who is a pretty reliable source of a wide variety of bellows for factory built cameras.
    My website is moving by the end of October: jongrepstad.com

    Jon Grepstad

  10. #10

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    Re: DIY Open Source Field Camera Design

    Is the idea dead or are there plans to make plans?

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