After adapting a 4x5 RB Graflex SLR camera to do quarter-plate wetplate collodion, I decided I liked the simplicity of seeing the image just before exposing the plate and having the reflex mirror flip the image to show the lateral reversal the actual plate would image, so I decided to design one to do whole-plate. Well, after some thought, just nix that idea. Such a camera would be huge. Instead, I'm building a view camera to do full-plate.
So now the next idea ala Graflex SLR is to do another smaller reflex camera specifically for the 3.25" x 4.25" format and without the focal-plane shutter since exposures are into the seconds with wetplate and a hat works well for the shutter. I want to use a short lens to have the image vignette a bit on the plate so I figure I need a 90-100mm focal length lens. Well, can't do that because infinity focus of such a lens interferes with the mirror flipping out of the way (and doing it ala Bronica S would overly complicate the design and construction given my limited woodworking skills).
So I what I really need is a Twin Lens Reflex design, but then matched short Petzvals would be prohibitively expensive even if Mr. Galli would allow the acquisition of same. Ah, but there are those ubiquitous Kodak Duoflex cameras with what I suspect are meniscus lenses with edges encumbered by their mount and fixed apertures to eliminate the various optical effects someone like me might find desirable around the edges of the frame. And they are cheap too. So I dug into the closet and found one, and I'll be hitting the Thrift Shoppes tomorrow to find its sib.
A quarter-plate Lacewood TLR with (crocodile?) leather viewfinder hood and bellows...hmmm?
Oh! Wait a minute. This is starting to sound like that old TLR I put black-and -white spotted contact paper on and turned into a Moomiyaflex. Maybe I'll grab the guts from that and use the lens-change-lock-plate-thingy as a shutter, interchangeable lenses, flash synch on the Seiko...
Coffee. I need more coffee...
Joe
So now the next idea ala Graflex SLR is to do another smaller reflex camera specifically for the 3.25" x 4.25" format and without the focal-plane shutter since exposures are into the seconds with wetplate and a hat works well for the shutter. I want to use a short lens to have the image vignette a bit on the plate so I figure I need a 90-100mm focal length lens. Well, can't do that because infinity focus of such a lens interferes with the mirror flipping out of the way (and doing it ala Bronica S would overly complicate the design and construction given my limited woodworking skills).
So I what I really need is a Twin Lens Reflex design, but then matched short Petzvals would be prohibitively expensive even if Mr. Galli would allow the acquisition of same. Ah, but there are those ubiquitous Kodak Duoflex cameras with what I suspect are meniscus lenses with edges encumbered by their mount and fixed apertures to eliminate the various optical effects someone like me might find desirable around the edges of the frame. And they are cheap too. So I dug into the closet and found one, and I'll be hitting the Thrift Shoppes tomorrow to find its sib.
A quarter-plate Lacewood TLR with (crocodile?) leather viewfinder hood and bellows...hmmm?
Oh! Wait a minute. This is starting to sound like that old TLR I put black-and -white spotted contact paper on and turned into a Moomiyaflex. Maybe I'll grab the guts from that and use the lens-change-lock-plate-thingy as a shutter, interchangeable lenses, flash synch on the Seiko...
Coffee. I need more coffee...
Joe
