I met a genius at the psych ward, now I want to be a camera engineer

[Sharktooth]

There's no need to reinvent the wheel. What is needed is more people that can fix all the broken wheels out there.

If you want to make a name for yourself, you'd be better off inventing fixes for existing cameras.

Some people have created names for themselves already. There's a guy that makes replacement door latches for all those broken plastic latches on Nikon backs. There's another guy that made a name for himself with inexpensive bright viewing screens for older medium format cameras. Those are the kinds of inventions that people really find worthwhile.

 

[djdister]

There's no need to reinvent the wheel. What is needed is more people that can fix all the broken wheels out there.

If you want to make a name for yourself, you'd be better off inventing fixes for existing cameras.

Some people have created names for themselves already. There's a guy that makes replacement door latches for all those broken plastic latches on Nikon backs. There's another guy that made a name for himself with inexpensive bright viewing screens for older medium format cameras. Those are the kinds of inventions that people really find worthwhile.

So true. Repairs for some types of analog equipment is getting very hard to find. Precision Camera Works in Texas is looking for an apprentice to train and take over the business for example.

 

[baachitraka]

no need. We have plenty of cameras already and it need are parts and fine mechanics.

Nevertheless, best of luck.

 

[Bill Burk]

Yes.

Even including the insane rotating mechanism that loads against the block, keeping register to the aperture arm within the last several degrees tolerance of turning?

Won’t need the aperture follower if there’s no light meter.

 

[Bill Burk]

Won’t need the aperture follower if there’s no light meter.

Next question: will you include a flat mount surface to allow “manual/auto” switch ? Or will you chamfer the lip to drop the tiny locking pin on SMCT to prevent “manual/auto” and/or include depth of field preview switch to push in the standard M42 aperture actuating pin?

 

[4season]

It will be a Copal Square Shutter.

That solves a lot of problems, but it might be easier to refurbish a Nikkormat or Kiev-19?

 

[Mike Feit]

I think I will do something entirely different.

 

[AERO]

I guess I'm just a complete nutcase

Not to worry, MIke...

I wanted to be a sex maniac but failed my practical.......

 

[runswithsizzers]

I think I will do something entirely different.

If someone wanted to build a new camera and sell it at low cost (less than 200 USD/Euro) I think the most feasable project would be a pinhole camera.

A pinhole camera could be manufactured from some combination of wood, 3D printed plastic, or machined aluminum in a cottage industry/garage environment. If designed to take medium-format film, and if the film transport used a red window for manual frame spacing, then I think it might possibly be sold in the target price range -- assuming the maker does not have any asiprations to become wealthy.

True, it might not be the camera of your dreams, but by taking baby steps a person will learn how to design, make, and market a camera.

After a pinhole camera, I think the next most feasable project would be a 3D printed camera -- body only -- designed to use some already-available lens which has a built-in iris-type shutter. In addition to learning how to use a 3D printer, this project would require some metal skills to make the lens mount and the film transport mechanism. The main problem with this second proposal is that the camera's commercial success depends on the availablity of a third-party lens, and the availability of that lens is beyond the camera maker's control.

There is a workshop in Budapest Hungary doing this now, Dora Goodman Cameras -- link: https://doragoodman.com/store-category/medium-format-camera/ She started out as a single person operation, but now has a few employees.

 

[Chan Tran]

Well, then the price will be 3000EUR.

Now that I think it's possible. If you have it's made in Germany I think you could sell it for that price. Made in Germany made an item much more valuable. It just have to be as good as the Pentax S3.

 

[pentaxuser]

Now that I think it's possible. If you have it's made in Germany I think you could sell it for that price. Made in Germany made an item much more valuable. It just have to be as good as the Pentax S3.

I think that 3000 euros was an off the cuff remark made by Mike in response to the way he felt his thread was going but no matter as he reached a decision on #57 that he will do something entirely different

pentaxuser

 

[Mike Feit]

I will start by doing accessories.

 

[Mike Feit]

If someone wanted to build a new camera and sell it at low cost (less than 200 USD/Euro) I think the most feasable project would be a pinhole camera.

A pinhole camera could be manufactured from some combination of wood, 3D printed plastic, or machined aluminum in a cottage industry/garage environment. If designed to take medium-format film, and if the film transport used a red window for manual frame spacing, then I think it might possibly be sold in the target price range -- assuming the maker does not have any asiprations to become wealthy.

True, it might not be the camera of your dreams, but by taking baby steps a person will learn how to design, make, and market a camera.

After a pinhole camera, I think the next most feasable project would be a 3D printed camera -- body only -- designed to use some already-available lens which has a built-in iris-type shutter. In addition to learning how to use a 3D printer, this project would require some metal skills to make the lens mount and the film transport mechanism. The main problem with this second proposal is that the camera's commercial success depends on the availablity of a third-party lens, and the availability of that lens is beyond the camera maker's control.

There is a workshop in Budapest Hungary doing this now, Dora Goodman Cameras -- link: https://doragoodman.com/store-category/medium-format-camera/ She started out as a single person operation, but now has a few employees.

I'm pretty sure I'm not ready for a camera yet. I will do different accessories first. I will shelve the camera project for now. But still, thank you everybody for the input.

 

[Chan Tran]

I think that 3000 euros was an off the cuff remark made by Mike in response to the way he felt his thread was going but no matter as he reached a decision on #57 that he will do something entirely different

pentaxuser

But it's actually a realistic price. He might think nobody would buy such a camera for 3000 Euros but there are. Very few but there are and the high price makes low volume possible. For 200 Euros one would have to sell in the millions.

 

[pentaxuser]

But it's actually a realistic price. He might think nobody would buy such a camera for 3000 Euros but there are. Very few but there are and the high price makes low volume possible. For 200 Euros one would have to sell in the millions.

It may well be a realistic price but that takes us back to whether it's a feasible project for Mike to begin with and the difficulties we highlighted in attempting such a project

I note he has moved onto accessories which certainly at first glance appears more achievable. For instance I have a test exposure for paper made from a fairly cheap laser printer. The design was given to us by Ralph Lambrecht .

That sort of accessory might well prove reasonably feasible

pentaxuser

 

[dokko]

Now that I think it's possible. If you have it's made in Germany I think you could sell it for that price. Made in Germany made an item much more valuable. It just have to be as good as the Pentax S3.

For 3000 EUR I could buy a freshly serviced Leica M6 in mint condition, so that‘s tough competition.
I strongly suspect a first attempt of any individual building a camera will not reach the same degree of sophistication.

3000 EUR will also buy me ten Pentax S3 or Nikon FM2 or Nikon F100.

 

[retina_restoration]

I will start by doing accessories.

Consider what people like Matt at Reveni Labs has done in the accessories market - he’s made some fantastic products. I have his spot meter (wonderful tool) and the radio-controlled shutter release (amazingly good) and they’re excellent, well-designed tools.
Perhaps there’s some clever accessory lurking in your imagination that you can bring into being? There’s a place in the photography world for creative minds to bring new tools to market.

 

[Chan Tran]

For 3000 EUR I could buy a freshly serviced Leica M6 in mint condition, so that‘s tough competition.
I strongly suspect a first attempt of any individual building a camera will not reach the same degree of sophistication.

3000 EUR will also buy me ten Pentax S3 or Nikon FM2 or Nikon F100.

But the high price that makes it even possible. Look at the Pentax 17 and Rollei 35AF For the money you could buy much superior camera but they do sell enough and that is possible. To make even a usable camera in Germany for 200 Euros is simply impossible unless you want to spend 3000 Euros to make it and sell it for 200.

 

[Chan Tran]

As far as making accessories may I suggest a DIAL. Something that looks like my avatar and sells for $20?

 

[Mike Feit]

I've got some ideas.

 

[Arthurwg]

Maybe a high tech pinhole?