DIY 6x17

radiant · Jan 24, 2021

Hi,

I got my 6x17 camera to a point where I could shoot some test shots with it so maybe it is time to show my creation

It is completely my own design and CNC milled from 4mm baltic birch plywood. I'm using Schneider- Kreuznach (Technika) Super Angulon f8 / 90mm lens.

The horizontal FOV is 86 degrees and the 35mm equivalent focal length is 18mm.

Today I shot first shots in really dull snowy conditions to paper positives so nothing to show yet. I'm going to try a roll of 120 film next.. Now I only need to find some scene that suits this true panoramic format

Dan Fromm · Jan 24, 2021

Usual question. I don't see the focus mechanism. What am I missing?

I ask because although I don't shoot 6x17 -- 6x12 is my widest -- I've found that 90 - 100 mm lenses have to be focused.

radiant · Jan 24, 2021

Dan Fromm said:
Usual question. I don't see the focus mechanism. What am I missing?

I ask because although I don't shoot 6x17 -- 6x12 is my widest -- I've found that 90 - 100 mm lenses have to be focused.

Focusing is done by moving the box where lens is attahed. There is adjustment "slide" is at bottom, unvisible in these photos.. However at f16 it is sharp from 1.7 meters so there isn't really need to focus..

wyofilm · Jan 24, 2021

Looks great! Can't wait until you post photographs. What is the black material made of? Is is solid or fabric?

radiant · Jan 24, 2021

wyofilm said:
Looks great! Can't wait until you post photographs. What is the black material made of? Is is solid or fabric?

Thanks, me neither! The weather is crappy for many days :/

It is black velvet like fabric with sticker at the back. Nice material for cameras!

Dan Fromm · Jan 24, 2021

vedostuu said:
Focusing is done by moving the box where lens is attahed. There is adjustment "slide" is at bottom, unvisible in these photos.. However at f16 it is sharp from 1.7 meters so there isn't really need to focus..

Thanks for the reply. Double sliding box. I take it you're going to put distance marks on the outer box. Since there seems to be no provision for a ground glass, how do you plan to do that?

radiant · Jan 24, 2021

Dan Fromm said:
Thanks for the reply. Double sliding box. I take it you're going to put distance marks on the outer box. Since there seems to be no provision for a ground glass, how do you plan to do that?

Yes, my plan is/was to mark certain distances so I can focus by moving the outer box to the mark. But I don't know how much I need that at all.

I can pre-focus by using ground glass in place of film plane. I was playing around with the focusing today with ground glass and I can confirm that the hyperfocal theory is correct

Dan Fromm · Jan 24, 2021

vedostuu said:
Yes, my plan is/was to mark certain distances so I can focus by moving the outer box to the mark. But I don't know how much I need that at all.

If my experience is any guide, you need it.

radiant · Jan 24, 2021

Dan Fromm said:
If my experience is any guide, you need it.

I believe in you. I don't have real experience on this format at all, only calculations.

The aspect ratio and FOV is so different than what I've used to shoot so there is lot of learning to understand how to even compose for this format

Dan Fromm · Jan 24, 2021

As I told you, I don't shoot 6x17. 6x12 and nominal 6x9. On these formats even lenses shorter than 90 mm have to be focused for best results (plane of best focus where wanted, etc.).

radiant · Jan 24, 2021

Dan Fromm said:
As I told you, I don't shoot 6x17. 6x12 and nominal 6x9. On these formats even lenses shorter than 90 mm have to be focused for best results (plane of best focus where wanted, etc.).

What I learned today with ground glass is that the area where infinity is sharp is quite "long". I couldn't see any sharpness change, only the shortest focusing distance changed. Of course after certain movement the infinity became blurry.

But that was only by looking at the focusing glass. I've understood that hyperfocal theory is based on "acceptable" sharpness and the CoC is key point in that.

warden · Jan 24, 2021

18mm!!!

This will be a fun project to watch develop.

radiant · Jan 24, 2021

jawarden said:
18mm!!!

This will be a fun project to watch develop.

I only got into this project after I started to calculate things I knew I couldn't skip this one.

I've also found out that the lens I'm using is capable for 6x24 at f22 .. I wish I didn't found that out..

radiant · Jan 25, 2021

What choices do I have for a viewfinder for this camera?

Maybe two frames in a row on top of the camera?

Fotoman has some adjustable ones, pretty pricey at this point.. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fotoman-Op...ispr=1&hash=item2c6786796d:g:IGgAAMXQUY1Q9-6c

radiant · Jan 25, 2021

Hey, I got first negatives shot with the camera!

Everything didn't go by the book like you can probably see from the negatives. But hey, this isn't Technorama, it's a wooden box

Few points:
- I probably overexposed by a stop. But one stop shouldn't be that much. I have to check the shutter speed. Overexposure + overdevelopment isn't the best combination
- The film was tracking wrong and I found the problem already.
- Focus problem or film tracking problem? See the left corner at both images.

Challenge: can you spot one mistake I made?

This was a good start still, I think!

radiant · Jan 25, 2021

I measured the shutter speeds and first I thought all times were doubled. But then it came to my mind if the iPhone SE2 has faster slow-mo video frame rate (compared to my previous phone 6S with 120fps). And sure it is! 240fps. The shutter speeds are pretty fine!

Orange=measured, blue=what is should be

radiant · Jan 29, 2021

I've been working on this camera because of crazy light leaks - which I didn't inspect before shooting as I was a bit of rush to get some frames I've designed few parts again and got much experience how the design should (have) be done.

The light leaks are 95% fixed, only few places that I can easily fix.

I have new strange effect on my negatives. It looks like uneven / dirty developing but I got the same effect on both Rodinal and Excel. Film is Fomapan 400. These can seen on contact prints also:

Any ideas what these could be?

Ambrown31 · Jan 29, 2021

Awesome DIY!

wyofilm · Jan 29, 2021

Looks fantastic!

With regard to uneven development are you referring to the right side of each photo in post#17?

warden · Jan 29, 2021

You have access to Very Good Tools and are using them well. Wonderful.

radiant · Jan 30, 2021

Ambrown31 said:
Awesome DIY!

Thank you!

wyofilm said:
Looks fantastic!

With regard to uneven development are you referring to the right side of each photo in post#17?

Thanks! Yes those "pools" or "webs" .. Both side on the upper photo. It seems to be visible in the dense part of the negative?

You cannot see those in this photo: https://www.photrio.com/forum/attachments/6x17878-1-jpeg.264648/ - that was taken camera pointing away from sun. The others are directly to the sun.

jawarden said:
You have access to Very Good Tools and are using them well. Wonderful.

CNC is a turbo boost in building things. The accuracy of all cuts, drilling etc. are something that I couldn't achieve without machinery. And it is nice to design on computer and the output is replicated with 1/100 mm accuracy.

radiant · Mar 3, 2021

I went for street photography here in my hometown yesterday, 2.3.2021. My plan was to shoot people walking in sunset with my DIY 6x17 handheld. I built a handle to it which was really nice to use and carry.

I pushed HP5 to 1600 to get more speed, but still I needed to shoot at 1/30, 1/60 at f16. I wanted to keep hyperfocal as close to camera as I could.

The shooting was bit tricky because I don't have any kind of viewfinder and not total success but still a fun evening in the city, in sunlight having a bit of spring wibe!

There are many things I need to fix in the camera but I don't really stress about those. It is what it is and I like this strange self-built box!

radiant · Mar 4, 2021

HP5 performed so well as pushed that I don't know if I ever expose it other than 1600. I increased contrast and overall "punch" quite lot after scanning because otherwise the tonal scale was too linear! No problems with shadow details in original scans.. Maybe my exposure was generous too so the exposure might not have been 1600, maybe 800.. But that is the beauty of good films, they are really flexible.

Also I proved myself that you can take film into light after stop bath. I don't know what happened in my fixing phase but the film came out totally unfixed after washes. So I needed to fix it in bright light and it worked well too. I couldn't see any issues with fogging.

Both rolls were not tightly reeled after shooting and I got some good light leaks to the film, which you can see on third picture. I need to make mods to the camera so it reels the film more tightly.

dirkfletcher · Mar 16, 2021

Cool build!

radiant · Mar 16, 2021

dirkfletcher said:
Cool build!

Thank you!

Lately I've been experimenting with some kind of viewfinder because it is pretty hard to frame the photos without. I might be too ambitious but I want to make salt prints from the negatives and do not want to crop the negative.

DIY 6x17

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