Homemade 5X4 camera project.

[ColRay]

The front stand is taking shape.

 

[lesm]

I've never done any LF photography but I love the way you guys just seem to throw these things together and come up with so many gorgeous-looking instruments. I'm so impressed with how at ease you all are with the whole LF genre. "Think I'll knock up a 4x5 today." Amazing! One of these days I'm going to have a go.

 

[ColRay]

Iesm large format can be so easy. I knocked up a 5x7 pin hole camera in just a couple of hours and it cost under $20 using foam core board.

This is the camera

image taken with it ..5x7 paper negative

 

[John Austin]

Gorgeous cameras - When is the exhibition of their work coming to SW Western Australia?

 

[ColRay]

Thanks jba. "When is the exhibition of their work coming to SW Western Australia?" that would be nice. although all going well the camera may be in the local craft/art exhibition next year.

 

[ColRay]

Masking tape.. great stuff.

 

[ColRay]

Project on hold.. will start again in the new year.

 

[ColRay]

Change of plan.. I'm staying home over Christmas.. so I can work on the camera.

 

[ColRay]

 

[abeku]

Very inspiring thread! Keep up the good work.

 

[ColRay]

Thanks abeku

 

[ColRay]

I'm not sure if I should go for Monorail or Folding Flatbed and how much bellows extension do I need.. I guess the easy way is make a mock-up and do some tests.

So bolt the parts on some scrap timber and make light tight with a garbage bag.

Test using paper negative f12.5 30 sec exposure + yellow filter Foma paper and developer.. plus a bucket load of contrast added in PaintShop Pro.

 

[ColRay]

 

[zsas]

Congrats!!! Happy to see another film camera go into production!

 

[pbromaghin]

It's been great following your progress. Thanks so much for showing this.

 

[ColRay]

Thanks pbromaghin & zsas

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
The test bellows.. not a great result.

I used info on the constructing found on the internet . I may have got the measurements slightly wrong as the slats ended up very wide and the total width of the bellows was way over size .

Also the choice of material may have been not the best. I started by using home theatre black out material, it did stop the light but was very thick and would not fold that easy. Then for the outer cover I used some thinner black polyester material not as thick as the HT stuff but still not that good!.

Conclusion ..don't use the internet figures..try using something about the same size as one of my folding cameras.

 

[ColRay]