first try: point and shoot in 4x5

[Havoc]

I was looking for a "very light" 4x5 because I don't take my Wista along much because of the weight. Also my shoulders are giving me trouble so that was a second reason. So I started a thread here and got a few ideas but often the cameras proposed ticked some boxes but not all. http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ith-125mm-lens

So I tought about making something myself. But before going too ambitious I decided to adapt make a first build based on my 4x5 pinhole http://www.largeformatphotography.in...=1#post1442479 This pinhole was made with the idea to use a Fujinon SWD 75 on it but this never happened.

The goal was to make a lenscone for a Fujinon W 125/.6 so it sits at the hyperfocal distance for f/16 (or higher). This would give a dof from about 6 meters to infinity. First mounted the lens on the Wista, measured out the hyperfocal distance of 14 meters and focussed. Next with a film holder and lens removed I measured from the front of the lensboard to the film: 121.7mm.

Went to the shop and turned an aluminium lenscone. More chips than result but here it is:



This weighs 1.5 kg incl lens, filmholder and tripod adapter. Or about half of the Wista without lens and without filmholder. Still have to paint the inside black.

[Dan Fromm]

So far, so good.

Did you shoot with the 125 on the Wista focused at the hyperfocal distance you chose before cutting metal?

[Havoc]

I did shoot with the 125 on the Wista, but not at hyperfocal. Would have been a good idea to do that first now you mention it.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Still have to paint the inside black.

May I suggest that instead of paint you use black flocking material?

[Havoc]

Good idea about flocking, but I do not have that around. Might order some. But the inside of the box is painted just as well. I do have some thin black felt, usable you think?

[Jac@stafford.net]

Good idea about flocking, but I do not have that around. Might order some. But the inside of the box is painted just as well. I do have some thin black felt, usable you think?

I'm afraid I've never used felt, just paper flocking. For paint I use Testor's flat-black aerosol.
Best of luck with your build. It interesting!
Love the machined lens cone.

EDIT: Regarding focus I prefer a focusing helix in all builds such as this one. (Different builds available.) However I am open to alternatives.

Oh another strange combination.

--
Jac

[Havoc]

Some health issues and bad weather kept me inside but finally I got some photos taken, developed and scanned. All images on Fomapan 100, microphen (8') and scanned on a V700 at 4800. Gimp reduced the 16-bit gray to 8-bit but no sharpening, no level adjust (and in case of the first I didn't put the horizon straigth).






This one was handheld.

So all in all I'm rather pleasantly surprised, this is better than expected. But it shows that it isn't finished. I need a level (already machined but have to mount it) and something to frame. Now I also ned a way to find out if some issues I see (last image is clearly less sharp to the right) are due to the lens or to the mounting.

[chassis]

Looks great!

[Pieter]

Mechelen. You're between Antwerp and Brussels...

[Havoc]

Looks great!

Thanks for the kind words. Guess it was worth the work after all.

Mechelen. You're between Antwerp and Brussels...

I was at that time I work there and sometimes take the train to get there (and back home).