Making as much of a DIY 8x10 camera as I could

[Andrew O'Neill]

Well done!

[jimskelton]

Really cool. Did you manage to find a backpack to fit or are you going to make a DIY(would be pretty fitting not gonna lie )
Also if you planning to make a backpack from leather I can ask my brother a few questions(he's been leatherworking for over a decade, mostly making stuff like bags and holsters( he usually copies stuff like alien gear holsters with some minor tweaks and in leather instead of kydex), hence he might give you some pointers if you've never done it )

I was hoping to find a backpack somewhere-- I have a few locations I want to take this, so it needs to be designed so it won't wreck my back, or the rest of my body. The camera weighs around 6-10 lbs more than the average 8x10, and the tripod weighs a similar amount, though I could take a lighter weight one and not extend the legs...

[John Layton]

Holes Jim....HOLES!

When I build my metal camera...the SolidWorks program said it would weigh about 24 pounds without holes. So the holes were designed in and created, resulting in a camera that actually became stronger than it was before, with the weight being reduced to a total of just over 7 pounds.

Yes, I know that wood is different...but still - looking at your camera (at least in photos), I'm guessing that, with a number of judiciously drilled holes...yours could lose about one third of its current weight without any real compromises.

At any rate...a set of Forstner drill-bits and either a drill-press or a firm and steady hand can get you there.

[Jeembo]

I was hoping to find a backpack somewhere-- I have a few locations I want to take this, so it needs to be designed so it won't wreck my back, or the rest of my body. The camera weighs around 6-10 lbs more than the average 8x10, and the tripod weighs a similar amount, though I could take a lighter weight one and not extend the legs...

Go with something with waist support then, otherwise you gonna strain your shoulders way too much. Ask around at your local leatherworkers if you've got any, doubt normal backpacks(i.e from your typical sports store) going to work for it(Maybe there are some specialized camera pack, but those rarely have waist support, and with such weight might be uncomfy as hell).

[Jim Jones]

I made the film holder first, then measured the film offset and built it into the ground glass offset when I made that. I've used both the ground glass and film holder on another DIY sliding box camera and they seem to be pretty well matched.

This is too late to use for the fine camera you have already produced. The standard ASA dimension from the face of the film holder to the face of the septum dividing the front and back of a standard 8x10 film holder is .260 +/- .016 inches. Using standard dimensions for something like film holders lets you use standard film holders instead of having to make them.

[jimskelton]

You're the second person who has suggested drilling holes. If I did this, I would likely work on the base and focusing slide since they probably contains 1/3 of the total camera weight. And I suppose I wouldn't have to drill straight through--if I put holes on the inside of the base and stop short of the outside it wouldn't look too bad.

Do you have a picture of your metal camera? I'd be interested in how it looks with all those holes!

Holes Jim....HOLES!

When I build my metal camera...the SolidWorks program said it would weigh about 24 pounds without holes. So the holes were designed in and created, resulting in a camera that actually became stronger than it was before, with the weight being reduced to a total of just over 7 pounds.

Yes, I know that wood is different...but still - looking at your camera (at least in photos), I'm guessing that, with a number of judiciously drilled holes...yours could lose about one third of its current weight without any real compromises.

At any rate...a set of Forstner drill-bits and either a drill-press or a firm and steady hand can get you there.

[jimskelton]

I'm thinking that what I should do is get ahold of a wooden 8x10 film holder and see how it's built. I think I built mine quite differently than standard, and they were built for expediency (just used a table saw blade to cut the dark slide and film grooves) and within the limitations of wood stock (softwood at the time) and functionality (they do work, though they're a little awkward to use). I suppose if I got the standards for 8x10 I could just build another back to spec and either purchase or try making a film holder and ground glass. The back was the easiest part to build as it's made of softwood. I tried finding the 8x10 standard but it seem somewhat elusive...

This is too late to use for the fine camera you have already produced. The standard ASA dimension from the face of the film holder to the face of the septum dividing the front and back of a standard 8x10 film holder is .260 +/- .016 inches. Using standard dimensions for something like film holders lets you use standard film holders instead of having to make them.

[jimskelton]

I'm thinking that a modified child backpack might work. They're designed to hold up to 30 or so pounds, and the newer ones have pretty good waist and back support.

Go with something with waist support then, otherwise you gonna strain your shoulders way too much. Ask around at your local leatherworkers if you've got any, doubt normal backpacks going to work for it(Maybe there are some specialized camera pack, but those rarely have waist support, and with such weight might be uncomfy as hell).

[Jeembo]

I'm thinking that a modified child backpack might work. They're designed to hold up to 30 or so pounds, and the newer ones have pretty good waist and back support.

Hmmm, honestly that might work, gotta check that dimensions fit and maybe add on a strap or two for a tripod and viola

[John Layton]

Jim...here are a few pix of my metal camera - with the last one showing lots of holes as per your request: