Pix of your home-built cams here please

[Nikola Dulgiarov]

My DIY 8x10 camera and me All elements are home-built, including the bellows and GG.
The back takes my home built 18X24 cm and 8x10' holders, and commercial 8x10 holders as well. It is also suitable for wet plate, and a DIY bag bellows allows for ultra-wide-angle lenses. Together with a lens, a custom-made wooden tripod, and 5 film holders, the camera gear weighs 12KG and is easy to get around with.
here are a wet plate shot and a landscape from several days ago

 

[himself]

the camera gear weighs 12KG and is easy to get around with.

12kg is easy to get around with? what the hell are you using to move it around?
anyway, great work and nice shots - congrats

 

[Sandeha Lynch]

Two I made over Xmas ...

Both are a conglom of old parts, details on the first one here ...
http://sandehalynch.wordpress.com/2011/12/

It looks like ...

Result ...

The second is specifically for funky style with either pinhole or a reversed single element lens, details here ...
http://sandehalynch.wordpress.com/2012/01/

It looks like ...

Result ...

 

[holmburgers]

Really impressed by both Nikola and Sandeha's work; cameras and photos. The gold bellows camera is a gem...

 

[himself]

Two I made over Xmas ...

both look great, but really like the first one... and gold bellows? how terribly decadent, that must turn some heads down the mumbles

 

[holmburgers]

I'd like to solicit the opinions of all the skilled camera builders here.

If you were to build a "one-shot camera", how would you go about it?

A one-shot (tri-color) camera takes 1 exposure but exposes 3 negatives at once by splitting the light with 2 partially silvered mirrors. Let's assume the mirrors are easy to get and that the geometry could be easily calculated. How would you achieve the precision & rigidity to assemble something like this? Would love to here your thoughts.

Some inspiration here -> http://www.vintagephoto.tv/bermpohl_img.shtml

 

[Matthew Rusbarsky]

the mirrors are easy to get. Dead Link Removed

 

[holmburgers]

Indeed, thanks for the link. 5x7" mirrors are $100 a piece. Doable if you could figure out the rest easily enough.

A great design would be something that uses 3 6x7cm backs so you could have roll-film capabilities, in which case you could use the 75mm² mirrors.

Also, I think that any design using glass mirrors, as opposed to ultra-thin pellicles, would require other clear glass in the optical path to negate ghost reflections from the light passing through 2 surfaces per mirror, but Edmund's have AR coatings that might(?) obviate this step.

 

[nick mulder]

I've been involved in this with cine 16mm - but not using beam splitters ...

Prob best to start a new thread on it as to keep this one one topic (post pics of your camera here, once you've built it)

But yeh, you'll need a 2/3rd 1/3rd split mirror for the first split then a 50/50 for the second (1/3 goes to the first film, then %50 of 2/3's i.e. 1/3 to the other two) - then you'll need your three wratten gels or filters with quite a hefty intensity reduction in each to split the colors adequately, Hope you're not planning on photographic moving objects ? exposure might be too long - if not then consider using no splitters, and changing filters for three consequtive shots instead (what was done in 16mm). Have a look into Kinemacolor also.

As for precision & rigidity- where to begin !

um, just - er, - hrmmm - build it well ??

ok, think about this: while you are building the camera think about the process of verifying its output in terms of the output specifications you're after, once you're happy - you're happy - happy is happy = done...

If not, then look at what you're not happy with a deduce what is causing it, then fix it.

Every camera has faults - it's how picky you are that defines them

Long winded way of saying that maybe we can help with specifics once you hit a specific problem, but for now, it really is too hard to give advice. Hopefully someone will prove me wrong ?

btw, googling 'one-shot camera' and having a quick glance doesn't give any related hits

edit: just had a look at Edmund optics - interesting they dont do a 66T/33R or 33T/66R splitter huh ? And yes, go with the AR coated ones if you can - mind you, the natural responce of the filters involved will probably solve any bounce back issues - something to ponder

 

[holmburgers]

Thanks Nick,

You're probably right about keeping this thread sacred. Well if there's any interest, please go to (there was a url link here which no longer exists), where you'll see a lot of information on tri-colour cameras (there's about as many ways to refer to them as there are optical paths!... argh!)

I'm not outfitted to build any kind of camera, unless it's built of balsa wood or popsicle sticks, or something. I'm hoping that the "brain-trust" exemplified in this thread might be able to come up with some clever ideas if prompted.

Last thought; the bounce back problem is actually a problem of refraction. Since there is thickness to the mirrors, and the light enters them at angles, some of the light will be separated by a distance equal to the thickness of the glass. Or at least, something to that effect...

thnx!

 

[nick mulder]

Looks like that thread is where all your info is ?

I dont think balsa and popsicle sticks are going to get you far with this - but you're probably saying that in jest ? Why not start with a simple fixed infinity focus camera first, maybe even a pin hole with a 4x5 back or something - it'll get you going, do you have access to any workshop ? I picked up sooooo many ideas from watching other people work, tools that looked like a mystery in the shop all of a sudden have purpose very particular to my needs...

Years later and here I am with a auto tool changing 4 axis CNC VMC - yes, you'll need one of those soon too

 

[holmburgers]

Definitely in jest... :joyful:

Point is, I'm not asking how to build, I'm just asking for ideas from builders. Afterall, collaboration, specialized knowledge, outsourcing different operations... aren't these things the future of industry?

I'd love a workshop, it's just not an option in my life right now. However... I like the idea of a one-shot pinhole...

p.s. In that thread, you might be better off starting at the end and working towards the beginning; more links, pictures and stuff back there. I'm just trying to put all the related stuff I can find in one place.. with a solid dose of meandering conversation.

Cheers!

 

[nick mulder]

Well, you've outsourced me

Best I can suggest in the absense of you building anything (where you will learn the most) - is to simply read these forums, this thread in particular, start from the beginning and work your way to here.

 

[holmburgers]

My real hope is that I'll plant the seed (or virus if you prefer) into the brain of some aspiring camera builder here, and they'll be so overwhelmed by it that they must build a color-camera. Meanwhile, I just sit back and reap the benefits!

:devil:

hahaha, thanks for your help nick.

 

[Sandeha Lynch]

Here's the latest kitten out of my stable ...

That's the last of the brass and cherry. Have to find more.

 

[Steve Smith]

Slow down. You're making more than your fair share of cameras!


I like the combination of that bellows colour and the cherry. I also like your lens board clamps. They look easier to use than the common diagonally sliding plate.


Steve.

 

[himself]

looks great.

like Steve says, great colour combination.
what did you use for the rail? I've been thinking about using an old tripod leg and it looks like you've used something similar.

is it stable?

 

[Steve Smith]

Now I'm looking at the bellows again I'm wondering if they are actually that colour or is it just a reflection of light?


Steve.

 

[Sandeha Lynch]

It is a tripod leg, from a Cobra Eclipse. It's actually quite smooth and rigid, though there may be higher quality legs around.

It's bottle green acetate, Steve, so a little difficult to photograph accurately. In some lights it has quite a sheen to it.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Hey, Steve, if you want square section aluminum to use for a rail 1" x 1" 80/20 brand t-slotted extrusion may do for you. I use it for longer than standard rails for my little Cambo; Cambo SCs use a 1" x 1" rail -- original issue is hollow and has a spring-loaded stop at each end -- and the standards go on 1" x 1" 80/20. I used a piece of 1.5" x 1.5" 80/20 t-slotted extrusion as a base for my tandem Graphic.

I have no idea who sells the stuff in the UK. I got my 1.5" x 1.5" as scrap from http://www.kkdepot.com/product.asp?key=241 , got the 1" x 1" from 80/20 via Amazon. I don't mean to steer you only towards 80/20, there are other manufacturers of t-slotted extrusion.

 

[himself]

It is a tripod leg

ooh mega!

I'll be chopping sum legs offa stuff now just to try it

 

[nick mulder]

often thought linear bearings would make a very sturdy rail:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/C86327-Thom...802?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cfe5dc98a

thats just the first one I found - I bet there are much better suited versions out there... I know some commerical cameras already use them (a field camera if I recal)

 

[himself]

looks like a good idea to be sure, but I imagine 'twould have to stay at full length...

 

[nick mulder]

Yep,

One trade off for sure ... but the good thing is they are as rigid and repeatable/accurate as anything out there - of course you'd have to design the rest of the camera to the same spec to retain that.

 

[himself]

hmm, not sure the trade off is worth it tho' you know.
walking through a crowd, wouldn't want to take someone's eye out like