Show us your home made camera...

[Barry Kirsten]

I've been working on this all year, a good lockdown activity. 5x7 made from Huon Pine, a native of Tasmania. Prized for boat building (it resists rotting) and fine furniture making. I considered traditional materials like walnut, cherry teak etc but could see no reason not to use Huon Pine. It's turned out strong and light (2.2kg all up) and has respectable movements. I just got it all assembled yesterday and have only the ground glass screen to grind and zero marks for the movements to add.

The movements are: Front, 50mm rise/fall, 40mm L/R shift, swing and tilt as per bellows; Rear, 30 degrees backward tilt, forward tilt as per bellows, 12 degrees L/R swing. The extension will go out to 530mm but due to the thickness of the bellows material I can only get to 400. This is Ok because I rarely use more than 2x normal focal length. I think I should also be able to use a 90 degree wide angle without a recessed board, which will be handy as I plan a 4x5 adapter.

[Maris Rusis]

Beautiful work, beautiful materials, beautiful camera. Now the wish is more pictures of the camera and more pictures by the camera. Will it extend your successes with Xray film?

[Dugan]

Beautiful!

[revdoc]

Stunning! I wish my efforts were half as good.

The huon pine must have cost a pretty penny.

[Barry Kirsten]

Thanks everyone. Maris I'll do some more pics of the camera as soon as I make the screen. As for my success with X-ray film, I've only ever used the Kodak Dental Panorama 5x12 film, and I do find it very nice. The good thing about the size of that film is that one sheet will cut down conveniently into a 5x7 and a 4x5. I certainly plan to do more work with it. revdoc, the Huon Pine was pretty cheap... from memory about $60 for a cardboard box of offcuts but $40 for postage. I've got enough left for a couple more cameras!

[James R. Kyle]

I've been working on this all year, a good lockdown activity. 5x7 made from Huon Pine, a native of Tasmania. Prized for boat building (it resists rotting) and fine furniture making. I considered traditional materials like walnut, cherry teak etc but could see no reason not to use Huon Pine. It's turned out strong and light (2.2kg all up) and has respectable movements. I just got it all assembled yesterday and have only the ground glass screen to grind and zero marks for the movements to add.

The movements are: Front, 50mm rise/fall, 40mm L/R shift, swing and tilt as per bellows; Rear, 30 degrees backward tilt, forward tilt as per bellows, 12 degrees L/R swing. The extension will go out to 530mm but due to the thickness of the bellows material I can only get to 400. This is Ok because I rarely use more than 2x normal focal length. I think I should also be able to use a 90 degree wide angle without a recessed board, which will be handy as I plan a 4x5 adapter.

Very nice work.

[Barry Kirsten]

Thanks James. I also have in the back of my mind an 8x10 or possibly bigger sliding box camera, partly inspired by your previous posts.

[Michael Roberts]

Looks great, Barry! Congrats!

[DirkFletcher]

I recently completed two cameras that are virtually the same except for their finish. One has the traditional 1970-80’s era SLR style finish with polished chrome and black leather. This camera has a chrome Linhof Technika branded 65mm f/8 Super Angulon. The second camera has a more of a blacked-out stealthy, tactical finish with all of its exposed chrome surfaces sprayed with a luster black finish and also a fresh black leather kit. This camera is fitted with a black anodized second generation Super Angulon.

I’ve added a 49mm to 52mm step up ring on the lenses to give the lens a little bit of physical protection and bring the 49mm filter ring up to a more common (and affordable) 52mm thread if you want to use filters, especially when shooting black and white.

The cameras began their life somewhere 1931 and 1934 as classic folding Zeiss Ikon 520/15’s which were also known as the Ikonta D. Shooting 116 and later 616 you got eight 6.5 x 11 images per roll.

After my conversion, the camera yields six 2 1/4 x 11 images on standard 120 film that’s loaded using two sets of spindle adapters. Advancing through (an updated) red gel window, you advance to frames 3, 5 1/2, 8, 10 1/2, 13, 15 1/2.

The permanently attached Arca Swiss plates are mounted perpendicular to the camera body which keeps the camera level when it’s on a flat surface. Helpful when shooting, it also keeps pressure off of the helical assembly.

I recently found a much lower profile spring loaded accessory shoe which keeps the masked 21mm Voigtlander viewfinder much lower then using an accessory shoe for a flash. The profile is lower than my previous conversions which helps when go to fitting it into a camera bag.

These are the 5th and 6th 6x12 conversions (I think...) that I’ve made, and without a doubt, the most refined to date. My goal was to make a camera as small and easy to use as possible with the reality they will most likely be used alongside a digital system. This is how most of my custom cameras end up being used.

[James R. Kyle]

Thanks James. I also have in the back of my mind an 8x10 or possibly bigger sliding box camera, partly inspired by your previous posts.

Barry...
WOW! Thank you for the honor. I strive to get many photographers interested in the Paper Negative process. Not only as a practice with any large format camera. But too, it is a lot of fun - as one never truly knows the outcome. Different papers react to different lighting situations. The ISO is in the "basement" (ISO 3 to about 12). One of the best things about the use of Photo-Paper as a "film base" - (Recording Medium) is that you may load the holders in the darkroom under the safe light.
I must caution anyone that would attempt the making of Paper Negatives with the use of photo-print paper. It becomes rather addictive. I have gone from using the manufactured developers to making my own developer concoctions, using the raw chemicals. I have followed the formulas in Steve Anchell's great book = "The Darkroom Cookbook" to start with. And I took his advice about experimenting with different weights and strengths of the chemicals which make up different developers. I am having one hell of a good time doing so.

You will find that the building of a 8X10 (or larger) Sliding-Box camera easier than smaller ones (i.e. = 4X5). At least that was my experience.

May the Light be with you...

James..