DIY - Large Format Camera?

Takizawa · Sep 13, 2012

Have any of you tried making your own Large Format Camera?

Are there any 'do it yourself' large format camera kits still on the market? Would be great if we could develop a really simple, affordable kit. Something that does not require cutting your own slabs of wood, etc.. Might sound crazy, but even get that funded on Kickstarter.com . What are your thoughts?

Daire Quinlan · Sep 13, 2012

I've made my own 8x10 from foamcore and rubber bands ...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dairequinlan/4300741225/

The bigger you go the less precision needed. Though this is completely lacking in any movements. When I ever the chance to revisit it I'll do something a little more sophisticated.
A couple of the better shots I've gotten out of it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dairequinlan/4386036602/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dairequinlan/4386033060/

Takizawa · Sep 13, 2012

Thank you for sharing. Fascinating and I love the two photos.

Mark Fisher · Sep 13, 2012

Probably be easier to start with an old one and rehab it. There are so many old ones out there that I don't think there is much market for an assemble-it-yourself. Although with a CNC router and a little time, it wouldn't be too hard to knock out a kit....maybe when I retire

Like Daire, I also made a foam core camera that could be easily adapted to wood. It is based on the one shown in Alan Greene's book Primitive Photography (I think?):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotofish/sets/72157594320898072/

I also rehabbed a Calumet C1....it really wasn't all that hard, but I have a ton of images to help out others who want to do the same:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotofish/sets/72157622663052152/

I'm hoping to start on a hybrid Eastman/Deardorf/carbon fiber Frankencamera this winter. I'll post the result if I ever get around to doing it!

Mark

johnielvis · Sep 13, 2012

I've built many--get a standard ground glass spring back and a front standard portion that accepts lensboards...everything in the middle make from cardboard and tape--if you make it fixed focus (or change lens to focus) you will end up with a mainly cardboard aerial camera that is extremely light and extremely strong and extremely rigid. This is my preferred design.

be sure to line the inside with somethign dark and non-reflective---dark corduroy works nice--this eliminates flare like a bellows.

Also the cardboard body is basically free--people throw out nice boxes that can be re-purposed....make a mistake--throw it out and start over--costs you a back, a front tape and cardboard....and filmholders and lens of course...

Dan Fromm · Sep 13, 2012

Jon Grepstad has written a book on making LF cameras. Download it from here: Dead Link Removed

jodya · Sep 16, 2012

Takizawa said:
Have any of you tried making your own Large Format Camera?

Are there any 'do it yourself' large format camera kits still on the market? Would be great if we could develop a really simple, affordable kit. Something that does not require cutting your own slabs of wood, etc.. Might sound crazy, but even get that funded on Kickstarter.com . What are your thoughts?

i just started making 4x5 sliding box, chamfered front cameras. The plan is to start offering them for sale as a complete finished camera and as a kit.
This one is made from hardwood plywood so the materials are not that expensive.

johnielvis · Sep 17, 2012

jodya said:
i just started making 4x5 sliding box, chamfered front cameras. The plan is to start offering them for sale as a complete finished camera and as a kit.
This one is made from hardwood plywood so the materials are not that expensive.

looks pretty good there--does it slide out the front? what's inside "the door" on the top?

removed account4 · Sep 17, 2012

i make and sell them out of foam core and paper holders too
i've made bigger than 11x14 and as small as 2x3

kb3lms · Sep 17, 2012

I've been thinking about making a small LF camera probably in a 4x5 size. What do you do for a simple lens? Don't really know anything about LF and haven't really looked into it very much. Can you use an enlarger lens? Or, is there something else you folks would recommend as a good starting lens?

removed account4 · Sep 17, 2012

kb3lms said:
I've been thinking about making a small LF camera probably in a 4x5 size. What do you do for a simple lens? Don't really know anything about LF and haven't really looked into it very much. Can you use an enlarger lens? Or, is there something else you folks would recommend as a good starting lens?

sure!
as long as you don't need a shutter ..
lenses harvested off of folding cameras
and old box cameras sometimes have shutters attached,
and are cheap !

have fun
john

kb3lms · Sep 17, 2012

Oh, yeah, shutter. Duh!

Ok, starting lens with a shutter. So where do you look? Harvest off something old and used? That could work.

Dan Fromm · Sep 17, 2012

kb3lms said:
Oh, yeah, shutter. Duh!

Ok, starting lens with a shutter. So where do you look? Harvest off something old and used? That could work.

I've extracted some decent lenses in Compound and Compur shutters from Folding Pocket Kodak Specials. The cameras were offered with gazillions of different lenses from different makers. IMO the best relatively common lenses fitted to them are f/6.3 Tessars, which were engraved Zeiss Kodak Anastigmat, Tessar, B&L Tessar IIb. f/6.3 Tessars from #3 and larger FPK Specials will cover 4x5. The 170/6.3 Kodak Anastigmat in Ilex shutter fitted to larger FKP Specials is the same design as the 203/7.7 Ektar, should do very well as a slightly long normal lens on 4x5.

You can find FPKs at camera shows and on eBay. If you search for them at camera shows, you'll have to open a lot of them (to see what the lens and shutter are) to find a good lens. You'll see a lot of B&L Rapid Rectilinears with horrible balsam in EKCo Ball Bearing Shutters.

Plan/budget for shutter overhaul.

jodya · Sep 17, 2012

"looks pretty good there--does it slide out the front? what's inside "the door" on the top?"

the back slides in and out to focus. the door on top opens to access the focusing screen and where the plate/film holder goes. I made this one to take a wet plate holder as well as a film holder. it works pretty good and looks great if your into the old style.
no movements though.

Reinhold · Sep 19, 2012

If you stick with black & white, shutters are more of a luxury than a necessity.

Learn how to use Ansel's hat or Jim Galli's high speed dark slides:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

And then there's the old standby: Packard's...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uqQmzlRMRI

Learn how to develop by inspection to avoid shutter speed anxiety.

Reinhold

www.Re-inventedPhotoEquip.com

Steve Smith · Sep 19, 2012

My favourite DIY camera site: http://www.raymentkirbycameras.co.uk/ Take a look through the Workshop pages.

Steve.

jon_G · Oct 16, 2015

Dan Fromm said:
Jon Grepstad has written a book on making LF cameras. Download it from here: Dead Link Removed

Please note that in October 2015 my webpages on building large format cameras move to: jongrepstad.com

Jon Grepstad

DIY - Large Format Camera?

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