Anyone know how to build an 8x10 camera?

[a100]

Not sure how to build an 8x10 camera. I have inherited an Toyo 8x10 film holder and fancy a project!

Do you know of any instruction manual or how to guide? Not had any luck with a finding a guide on YT!

Thank you!

 

[Pieter12]

A view camera can be a very simple wood-working or 3-D printing project. Look at the intrepid cameras for example. Bellows can be made or sourced. Your biggest challenge will be finding or building the back holder, a Graflok style is very convenient, but you could probably improvise something. Just make sure the ground glass plane without the holder matches the film plane when the film back is in place.

 

[Paul Howell]

At one time in the 50 and 60s Popular Photography and Modern Photography ran articles for DYI View Cameras, as I recall the plans would work from 4X5 to 8X10. I just peeked, several U Tubes feeds and this.

https://jongrepstad.com/building-a-large-format-camera/

 

[a100]

A view camera can be a very simple wood-working or 3-D printing project. Look at the intrepid cameras for example. Bellows can be made or sourced. Your biggest challenge will be finding or building the back holder, a Graflok style is very convenient, but you could probably improvise something. Just make sure the ground glass plane without the holder matches the film plane when the film back is in place.

Thank you, Pieter. Yes, that is the biggest challenge, the rest should be ok I think

 

[a100]

At one time in the 50 and 60s Popular Photography and Modern Photography ran articles for DYI View Cameras, as I recall the plans would work from 4X5 to 8X10. I just peeked, several U Tubes feeds and this.

https://jongrepstad.com/building-a-large-format-camera/

Thank you Paul, there are so many designs here, thank you! The trouble is trying to figure out how to build the back holder, some of these manuals are very complicated.

 

[gone]

I know you don't want to hear this, but that has never stopped me before! It would be a LOT easier and a lot less work to buy a fixer upper 8x10 camera and rehab it.

Is there a particular reason you want to shoot 8x10? That is an expensive endeavor, not to mention a PITA to lug around. If you've never shot LF, try an old Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 camera or something like it to see if you are even interested in LF. Or buy a pinhole 8x10 camera on fleabay, those are "reasonably" priced. Unless you plan on shooting paper negatives, 8x10 film is crazy expensive per shot. You will burn through several hundred dollars very quickly just figuring things out. You will also be maxed out at 8x10 prints, you don't even want to know how much an 8x10 enlarger and lens would cost. My blood pressure just shot up simply typing "8x10 enlarger".

Or you could buy a 35mm/MF camera, an enlarger, and a bunch of film, paper and chemicals and be making 11x14 and smaller prints pretty quickly.

 

[GregY]

yes.... Keith Canham, LF Deardorff et al..... why try to re-invent the wheel.....

 

[awty]

You can make a 8x10 pinhole camera very easily, just a single box. Need to make a rebate edge on one end to take a film holder. Can hold the film holder in with elastic bands. Pin hole at the front.
Or if you wish to use a conventional lens, then just a box in a box, enabling you to focus.
I have made both, not hard. Becomes harder when making bellows and giving the camera movements.
I made a 14x17 box in box camera, made in an afternoon. The 14x17 film holder was more challenging.

 

[koraks]

Do you know of any instruction manual or how to guide?

There are a couple of threads on this on the largeformatphotography.info forums. Jim Fitzgerald comes to mind; he's one of the people who has built several LF cameras for his own use - all larger than 810 I think, but the principles are the same.

Intrepid has been mentioned; if you fancy building something yourself, have a look at how intrepid has done it for relatively easy solutions to the problem of the back, for instance. They also use a combination of laser cut plywood and 3d printed fittings that I'd within reach of amateurs without awesome woodworking skills. The added benefit is a lightweight construction at the cost of rigidity.

 

[Don_ih]

I was gonna say exactly what @awty said. For a project, there's no reason to get as fancy as bellows and movements. And it doesn't have to be expensive - you can put photo paper in an 8x10 holder (you will need to trim it, though, since 8x10 film is ~7 7/8" wide).

 

[DWThomas]

Here's my 8x10 pinhole camera.
(Some of the woodworking was a bit tricky, but the general concept is simple.)
So far I've been shooting X-ray film with it.

 

[Vaughn]

Awty and Don...thinking along the same lines. Something to hold the lens (or pinhole), something to hold the film holder, and something to hold the dark in between!

 

[gordrob]

Go for it. It will be a steep learning curve but on the plus side you will get to buy more tools

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Shouldn't be too hard, especially if you have access to some decent tools and have at least high school woodworking skills like me. I was able to slap together a 14x17. I built it around the film holder. I'm quite happy with it except for the bellows. I put up with it for over a decade. No more, as I ordered one from Custom Bellows.

 

[a100]

I know you don't want to hear this, but that has never stopped me before! It would be a LOT easier and a lot less work to buy a fixer upper 8x10 camera and rehab it.

Is there a particular reason you want to shoot 8x10? That is an expensive endeavor, not to mention a PITA to lug around. If you've never shot LF, try an old Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 camera or something like it to see if you are even interested in LF. Or buy a pinhole 8x10 camera on fleabay, those are "reasonably" priced. Unless you plan on shooting paper negatives, 8x10 film is crazy expensive per shot. You will burn through several hundred dollars very quickly just figuring things out. You will also be maxed out at 8x10 prints, you don't even want to know how much an 8x10 enlarger and lens would cost. My blood pressure just shot up simply typing "8x10 enlarger".

Or you could buy a 35mm/MF camera, an enlarger, and a bunch of film, paper and chemicals and be making 11x14 and smaller prints pretty quickly.

Haha! Yes, of course it would be a lot easier forsake. I think I looked up a 8x10 enlarger a while back, I don't to experience that again, ahaha!

 

[a100]

yes.... Keith Canham, LF Deardorff et al..... why try to re-invent the wheel.....

perhaps there is another way!

 

[a100]

Here's my 8x10 pinhole camera.
(Some of the woodworking was a bit tricky, but the general concept is simple.)
So far I've been shooting X-ray film with it.

Thank you, Dave, This is super helpful. This going to sound like a really silly question but would you know how to calculate the focal length a lens and the film? Thank you!

 

[a100]

Go for it. It will be a steep learning curve but on the plus side you will get to buy more tools

That's the mindset, worst case scenario, more tools! ahaha

 

[a100]

Awty and Don...thinking along the same lines. Something to hold the lens (or pinhole), something to hold the film holder, and something to hold the dark in between!

Yes, that's one of many options!

 

[neilt3]

As far as making a DIY large format camera , it depends on if you need movements or not as to how complecated it needs to be .
The most simple design is two boxes , one slightly bigger than the other that just slides over the smaller one .
Sliding out reduces focus distance , a layer of velour between them acts as a light trap .
When I wanted to do some 10"x8" on a budget I made a step up box that fastens on the back of a 7"x5" camera I already have .
The hardest part ( or one part that requires precision ) is the focus screen and the DDS holder .
Rather than making one I contacted Intrepid to ask about buying a spare back off one of their cameras .
They had me place an order for a 10"x8" to 7"x5" step down back with a note in it that the order was for a standard 10"x8" back .
The price seems to have gone up since I bought mine , but what hasn't ?
https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/collections/accessories/products/8x10-to-5x7-reducing-back

 

[DWThomas]

Thank you, Dave, This is super helpful. This going to sound like a really silly question but would you know how to calculate the focal length a lens and the film? Thank you!

Hmm -- well the best approach would likely be to do a sort of optical bench experiment and try to come up with the distance between the lens reference (mounting) surface and a piece of white mat board or foamcore to project an image. The subject you point it toward can be 100s of yards away (the moon? a practical infinity) or closer in if you wish to optimize for closer focus. You could then measure from the lens board surface that the lens mounts on to the surface of a dummy film in a holder with the dark side out.

The practicality of pinhole is that pinhole to film distance isn't particularly critical. If I were building a camera to use with a lens I would probably try to come up with some sort of adjustable positioning for focus. Especially with 8x10, there is a fair amount of motion required to focus at things a few feet away. The telescoping box sections mentioned upthread is certainly one way to get there.

It would also be cool to make a frame that matches the film holder, but with a ground glass surface mounted in it such that the ground surface is at the distance corresponding to the film plane of a normal holder. With that and a dark cloth (old jacket, or whatever) over the whole affair, one could adjust composition and focus on the ground glass -- just like a "real" view camera.

You can make a ground glass by wet sanding a piece of acrylic glazing with wet-or-dry sandpaper. It won't likely compete with a commercial one, but with patience it could be usable.

So that's my 1.3 (after tax) cents!

 

[Jim Jones]

For building a basic LF camera, try https://jongrepstad.com/building-a-large-format-camera/. I haven't used this article, but his other information has consistently been reliable.

 

[a100]

For building a basic LF camera, try https://jongrepstad.com/building-a-large-format-camera/. I haven't used this article, but his other information has consistently been reliable.

Thank you, so much info on here it is quite overwhelming!

 

[a100]

As far as making a DIY large format camera , it depends on if you need movements or not as to how complecated it needs to be .
The most simple design is two boxes , one slightly bigger than the other that just slides over the smaller one .
Sliding out reduces focus distance , a layer of velour between them acts as a light trap .
When I wanted to do some 10"x8" on a budget I made a step up box that fastens on the back of a 7"x5" camera I already have .
The hardest part ( or one part that requires precision ) is the focus screen and the DDS holder .
Rather than making one I contacted Intrepid to ask about buying a spare back off one of their cameras .
They had me place an order for a 10"x8" to 7"x5" step down back with a note in it that the order was for a standard 10"x8" back .
The price seems to have gone up since I bought mine , but what hasn't ?
https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/collections/accessories/products/8x10-to-5x7-reducing-back

This is very help and a viable solution, thank you Neil!

 

[a100]

Hmm -- well the best approach would likely be to do a sort of optical bench experiment and try to come up with the distance between the lens reference (mounting) surface and a piece of white mat board or foamcore to project an image. The subject you point it toward can be 100s of yards away (the moon? a practical infinity) or closer in if you wish to optimize for closer focus. You could then measure from the lens board surface that the lens mounts on to the surface of a dummy film in a holder with the dark side out.

The practicality of pinhole is that pinhole to film distance isn't particularly critical. If I were building a camera to use with a lens I would probably try to come up with some sort of adjustable positioning for focus. Especially with 8x10, there is a fair amount of motion required to focus at things a few feet away. The telescoping box sections mentioned upthread is certainly one way to get there.

It would also be cool to make a frame that matches the film holder, but with a ground glass surface mounted in it such that the ground surface is at the distance corresponding to the film plane of a normal holder. With that and a dark cloth (old jacket, or whatever) over the whole affair, one could adjust composition and focus on the ground glass -- just like a "real" view camera.

You can make a ground glass by wet sanding a piece of acrylic glazing with wet-or-dry sandpaper. It won't likely compete with a commercial one, but with patience it could be usable.

So that's my 1.3 (after tax) cents!

Thank you Dave, I would prefer to build a camera to use with a lens. Ofcourse that adds much more complexity to the whole project but already there is considerable learning in the process. Will take this way and chew over with my remaining budget of £0, already down $1.3! haha.