Using and Modifying the Travelwide 4x5 camera

[Drew Bedo]

Right you are Randy. I was just venting some coffee pressure on a rainy Saturday.
This thread will eventually amass a body of practical knowledge about these cameras that will be a gold mine. Your remarks about price point are spot on too.

Folks forget that the whole concept for this camera was a light weight wide (ish) angle 4x5 camera for well below $200. Re-read the first posts 250 pages ago in the KS announcements thread for yhe designe philosophy. Only cigar box pinhole cameras cost less. The long wait has generated anticipation and raised expectations, and now Christmas is here.

[OeT]

I am now pretty happy with my 3d printable hand grip design for this camera.





I used a pretty low resolution when printing this grip so the finish is not the greatest but i just wanted to test it out before spending time on a higher resolution print.
The grip can be downloaded here if anybody wants to make their own one

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1103382/#files

[Tin Can]

I am now pretty happy with my 3d printable hand grip design for this camera.





I used a pretty low resolution when printing this grip so the finish is not the greatest but i just wanted to test it out before spending time on a higher resolution print.
The grip can be downloaded here if anybody wants to make their own one

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1103382/#files

Very nice and thanks for the work and file.

I need a left side grip...

Thanks again!

[OeT]

Thanks I'm gonna start the work on the left side tomorrow.
Do you think I should add a similar holder for the shutter release or should I just make a hole from top to bottom as it is on the camera?
May I'll do both.

[Tin Can]

Thanks I'm gonna start the work on the left side tomorrow.
Do you think I should add a similar holder for the shutter release or should I just make a hole from top to bottom as it is on the camera?
May I'll do both.

Yes do both, perhaps add areas for straps and even a place to bolt on a metal cold shoe, which may be needed if the OE shoes break.

Maybe wait for more input also.

I use old film camera flash handles, but they are not perfect either as the TW has a small base, which does not grip an old style flash handle well.

I believe they made their base small for minimum weight and a problem with large filled areas warping the rest of the body in production molding. I may be wrong.

Never forget that second guess Sharpshooting is way easier than invention and production reality!

[plywood]

Yes do both, perhaps add areas for straps and even a place to bolt on a metal cold shoe, which may be needed if the OE shoes break.

Maybe wait for more input also.

I use old film camera flash handles, but they are not perfect either as the TW has a small base, which does not grip an old style flash handle well.

I believe they made their base small for minimum weight and a problem with large filled areas warping the rest of the body in production molding. I may be wrong.

Never forget that second guess Sharpshooting is way easier than invention and production reality!

For the small base perhaps you could configure the base plate to have a locater pin that fits in the bore hole. That would keep the camera from rotating on the base. I am building a handle that will attach from the top. I placed a long 1/4-20 bolt through the left bore hole and a piece of angled aluminum bracket to attach the handle to. Having a hard time describing it but don't really know how to post pictures.

[Jim Cole]

I have my new TW camera calibrated and ready for some film.

Here she is with her Russian rangefinder, viewfinder and 90mm Angulon with shutter release.



I do like the idea of the beefier grip as presented by OeT.

[OeT]

For the small base perhaps you could configure the base plate to have a locater pin that fits in the bore hole. That would keep the camera from rotating on the base. I am building a handle that will attach from the top. I placed a long 1/4-20 bolt through the left bore hole and a piece of angled aluminum bracket to attach the handle to. Having a hard time describing it but don't really know how to post pictures.

I'm not quite sure what you mean.
I use a 6mm threaded rod that goes through the hole on the camera with the top and bottom plate that then attaches to the grip with two M4 screws.
The hole and the bottom plate does have a lip that makes the piece fit snugly to the camera if that's what you mean.



I also made a instruction guide with pictures on how to put it together.

[plywood]

I'm not quite sure what you mean.
I use a 6mm threaded rod that goes through the hole on the camera with the top and bottom plate that then attaches to the grip with two M4 screws.
The hole and the bottom plate does have a lip that makes the piece fit snugly to the camera if that's what you mean.




I also made a instruction guide with pictures on how to put it together.

Ah, now I see how it attaches to the camera, I couldn't tell from the first two pictures. Doggone clever and does not add unnecessary bulk to the already small camera.

[Steve Goldstein]

One of the first things I did with my Travelwide was to slap a Really Right Stuff mounting plate on the bottom so I could use my tripod while calibrating the helical. I tightened the attachment screw as much as I dared since I didn't want to rip the bushing out of the body, but the plate still spun a little when I put the camera on the tripod. Smooth anodized aluminum against smooth plastic doesn't have much friction. Then I found another small RRS plate I had, model BPnS, which comes with a thin cork gasket on the side that contacts the camera. The BPnS is pretty small, being made for lightweight Point-n-Shoot cameras, but it does the job. Problem solved.