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Is it such a good idea to build your own view camera?

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Laurent

Laurent

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Laurent submitted a new resource:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists) - Is it such a good idea to build your own view camera?

Is it such a good idea to build your own view camera ?

Disclaimers:

I do no want to prevent you from building your camera, but just share my experience.

The following reflects my experience so far, and should not be seen as a critic against plan-makers or kit-makers.


So here you are, much involved in photography for some years, but dreaming of something radically different. You think you know all you need to know about 35mm SLR, your pictures may or may be as you want...
Click to expand...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
comments from the previous article system:

By Laurent - 10:25 PM, 12-13-2004 Rating: None
I'm absolutely sorry for the formatting of the budget part... Could not work it out !
Laurent

By argus - 03:50 PM, 03-21-2005 Rating: None
Any progress on this?

By Pat Bunn - 07:10 PM, 03-24-2005 Rating: None
I have a set of Jons plans - I also have a 9x20 metal lathe, A metal mill, A table saw and many more tools that would be useful. - But I would never try to build a camera as a first camera. Only as a fun project.
But I still have not even started. The only real reason to build a camera is for personal satisfaction (in my opinion)
 
Sean said:
comments from the previous article system:

By Laurent - 10:25 PM, 12-13-2004 Rating: None

The only real reason to build a camera is for personal satisfaction (in my opinion)
Click to expand...


That's my opinion. Do I want to take photos or work in my workshop? If you like creating things by hand, a camera is as good a project as any. I would like to do this - I just never get my necessary projects done (HoneyDo) to have the time.

As for wood, metals, fasteners, etc. If you're in the making stuff business, these things are easy to find. Money - probably little savings, and don't count your time.

Just IMHO :cool:

Bruce
 
Sean said:
The only real reason to build a camera is for personal satisfaction (in my opinion)
Click to expand...

Two thoughts about this:

1) I have very few construction type skills, so this is probably not for me, but...
2) If I did have those skills, and the appropriate tools and workplace, I would seriously consider this, if only for the opportunity to adapt a camera to my own particular circumstances. So many of the cameras (and many other things in this world) seem to be designed by right-handed people, for right-handed people. If I was building my own, it would be very well configured for mostly single handed use by a left-handed person - i.e. someone like me!
 
MattKing said:
Two thoughts about this:

1) I have very few construction type skills, so this is probably not for me, but...
2) If I did have those skills, and the appropriate tools and workplace, I would seriously consider this, if only for the opportunity to adapt a camera to my own particular circumstances. So many of the cameras (and many other things in this world) seem to be designed by right-handed people, for right-handed people. If I was building my own, it would be very well configured for mostly single handed use by a left-handed person - i.e. someone like me!
Click to expand...
.
" If triangles had a god, they would give her three sides . . . "
 
I have a couple of old wood and brass cameras from the 1890's (Underwood "Instanto" 1/4-plate and 1/2-plate). The 1/2-plate camera I am currently making a new back for it, so that I can use my 4x5 DDS with; but due to the non-standard plate holders, I'm also going to have to make a new back for the (good condition but incorrectly sized) 1/2-plate holder that I have!
I've built a couple of sliding box cameras before, which worked surprisingly well too! So, for me, I'd definitely build my own.
Best wishes,
Dee.
 
I have no recollection of making that post 14 years ago.
But it still rings true :smile:.
 
I've spent the last few days contemplating designs of an ultra large format camera to build. Going back to your 2006 question: I probably wouldn't build a 4x5 camera or even an 8x10 thanks to the abundance of both used 4x5 cameras and quasi lower cost 8x10 cameras. However, the same cannot be said of ULF cameras, where the used market is limited and the new cameras are expensive. The first question I've been struggling with is what size? 16x20 or even larger. Or even something like 8x20. Between cabinet joinery (which I can do), selective McMaster-Carr hardware fittings, and buying bellows (which I don't want to do myself), it wouldn't be too bad a project. A camera I built wouldn't be as light or convenient as a new Chamonix, but the price would be much better.

The most important consideration is finishing some furniture projects for my wife before starting on a camera.
 
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