Home made focussing system

[julian_858]

Hi folks, I've just completed building a homemade 4x5, point and shoot, focussing camera. I am particularly pleased with my alternative focussing system and wonder how alternative it really is. The only focussing system I know of anywhere near this was the fine focussing system used on some antique microscopes. This idea though, came to me from a moped clutch. Part two of the story can be viewed here at http://job.webstar.nl/newcampg.html For the rest you will have to visit my homepages listed below. I welcome your co mments. julian http://job.webstar.nl/

[Doremus Scudder]

Julian, Intriguing camera! Could you elaborate a bit more about your focusing system. Is it coupled to the viewfinder somehow (it didn't look that way in the pictures)? How exactly does the mechanism move the lens back and forth? Do you simply estimate distances and set the focus according to a scale on the camera somewhere? I'm curious. Regards, ;^D)

[Patrick Chase]

Hi Doremus;

Julian's web page says "scale focussing", which implies that you focus by estimating the subject distance and then racking the focussing mechanism in or out until the focussing distance scale tells you you're focussed in about the right place.

-- P

[Carlos Co]

Julian, I always wished I had your skill in putting things together. Congratulations - that is a really neat system that is very much deserving of further tweaking/optimization.

[julian_858]

By saying 'scale focussing", I did mean as Patrick said. I've added a page with a schematic drawing of the inner workings at <http://job.webstar.nl/focuspg.html> Thanx for the commentarys.

[julian_858]

Whoops, that went wrong ! The new page is at <http://job.webstar.nl/focuspg.html>

[julian_858]

What is this ? The millennium bug ? <http://job.webstar.nl/focuspg.html> or is this something to do with Microsoft Explorer ?

[julian_858]

Why doesn't the URL show up ? http://job.webstar.nl/focuspg.html If it doesn't work this time, just check the pic, Cam3, the link is there.

[Alan Gibson]

The camera looks really nice. I have seen cameras that focus by pressing against a spring before, but yours looks especially neat. Congratulations!

Just putting something in angle brackets doesn't make it into a hot link. You have to write:

a href="http://job.webstar.nl/focuspg.html"

and put that in angle brackets, add a link name, and /a also in angle brackets, like this:

Your link.

[Erik Ryberg]

Damn, Julian, that is a cool camera. I am now totally ashamed of the shabby old box cameras I have been building.