8x10 for under $20.00

[Gustavo_Castilla]

Hi as an unemployed artist I was FORCE to get creative in order to shoot 8 X 10
Film and so I found this site and some other that talk about Large format then it came to me if lots of people build a roll or small format cameras how can I build an 8 X 10 and so I put my thinking cap on and here is what I cam up with.
First you need 2 sheets of black foam board from say office depot. some contact glue , exacto knife black tape and a ruler.
Plus materials for the pin hole , a piece of brass from model shop will do .
o.k. first cut a piece of board that is 8 inches plus double the thickness of the material you are using , then cut 2 pcs for the top and 2 for the sides( I will add Images latter) and make a box easy right? .Glue the pieces together try to keep them square. .
Now cut a piece of foam board to 8 x 10 (this will be your lenses board) and make sides and top about 7 inches deep,
you glue and insert into larger box (film holder) and presto all that is left it to tape the joints to prevent light leaks .
the nice thing about this simple design is that the smaller box holds the film flat against the inside of the larger box and you can add shims to change the Film to lens distance another extra is that you could use a piece of illustration board to keep a flatter plane inside the larger box I will up load Images latter thanks .
Comment are welcome

photos will have to wait until rain gives us a break in Los Angeles

 

[rorye]

Looks great, looking forward to seeing some images!
Rory

 

[127]

Congrats! Building stuff like this is way rewarding.

I built my 5x4 on similar lines - except I used mdf, cut a hole in the back to take a film holder, and put a lens in the front (pulling the box open and closed to focus). The total cost was about $35 including film holder and lens (no shutter).

I'd consider using the smaller box as the back half as this reduces light leaks (any light getting in hits the front rather then the film).

Ian

 

[Gustavo_Castilla]

expanding

Hi that is a great idead I am looking into doing something like that

 

[BradS]

Excellent idea! Can't wait to try it out.

 

[phototech]

Another option to elimiate the leaks is to create a third box that would cover the others from the front. Thus creating a "triple box" not unlike the ones your film comes in. The only opportunities for leaks in this arraingment is from your lens openings (you would need two, one in each of the front panels) and from any faulty seams. This will also eliminate the need to re-seal the camera with tape everytime you load. It will be faster and last longer. I would also suggest using black silicon sealer on the interior seams of the panels instead of glue when you assemble the box. This stuff is amazing at sealing our light and will add a great deal of strength to the assembly. Use plenty during construction and you can trim off excess after it has cured.
While you are building, make your box a little oversized in one dimension to make it easier to "grab your film or paper by one edge during the unloading step. If you carve a shallow finger sized relief in the back panel, it will help you get behind the film when you unload. Also, glue some small strips of foam core or other inert and cheap (after all, this is the goal,yes?) to three walls of the "film back", ALMOST up against the back. Leave about a millimeter or so to allow the paper to fit behind them. Think of the "grooves" in a standard film back to get the idea. This will help hold the film/paper in place during transport and eliminate any need to tape it in place. If you choose to glue in these shims, remember to carve your "finger hole" near the wall that does not have a shim. Can't wait to see your images!

 

[Flotsam]

That Black foamcore is a photographer's dream. Completely opaque, lightweight, and easy to work with. I used it to make custom fit light blockers for my windows which meant that I didn't have to wait until nightime to start printing.

 

[smieglitz]

I've used the black foamcore to construct a square box with an internal septum running vertically from front to back. There is a pinhole located on either side of the septum in order to expose sequentially or simultaneously. This give me two vertically-oriented 3 1/2"x5" pictures on a single 5"x7" sheet of film. If exposed simultaneously, I have a stereo pinhole image set. I also took the 5x7 groundglass spring back from an old Seneca view camera I had with leaking bellows and taped it to the foam core box in order to allow easy use of standard sheet film holders.

Joe

 

[Gustavo_Castilla]

Now that is a great Idea