Simple 4x5 camera build - pinhole & short lenses

[walter23]

This was originally going to be a simple box pinhole camera to use my 12-shot film magazine, but it grew in complexity so that now it will accommodate extensions from 40mm up to 180mm, will have a bag bellows and limited movements, etc. There's some work yet to be done but it's shaping up now.

Jobs left: attach ground glass (plexiglass) to GG frame. Mask and paint black internal surfaces. Add light trap felt & wood frame at rear for film holder. Glue everything up (plus tiny brass wood screws probably). Add rail & tripod mount. Add eyes & hooks or some other attachment mechanism for protective cover-plate (ie, lid). Fabricate and add bag bellows. Rig linhof technika lens board attachment mechanism.

This is mainly for pinhole use, but it will accomodate up to a 150mm lens, with movements (not sure if I want an elaborate U-shaped standard or just single-axis movement).

All the bits, unassembled:

Ground glass frame partially removed:

"Lid" installed in folded up configuration:

This is made out of poplar, with a couple of pieces from model airplane birch plywood. The stain was some kind of "classic oak" stain which I think was about the right colour for this. Ideally I would have probably wanted a sort of light green-brown to mimic the natural look of the poplar wood, but I couldn't find stain in that colour in stock.

 

[Barry S]

Whoa--very nice work. That's one upscale pinhole camera. How about adding a Packard shutter?

 

[walter23]

Hehe, or an old wooden curtain shutter.

I've got a 150 schneider that's pretty compact, and I'm thinking about looking for a tiny 90mm as well, then I'll have a very tiny & portable kit (the 12-shot film magazine isn't exactly tiny, but it fits in the recess at the back so it won't take much more room than the folded camera by itself). I envision throwing this sucker in the canoe or backpacking it places where I wouldn't really want to lug my whole 4x5 kit.

 

[deltafour]

Great Camera!

What did you do to keep the film holder in place?

Carl

 

[Dan Fromm]

Portrait orientation only?

 

[2bits]

Very nice!