Pix of your home-built cams here please

[domaz]

I've build this camera from parts of a 4 lenses Cambo portrait old model camera. The lens is a Schneider Super Angulon 47mm XL. Drawer handles for lens protection. For the viewfinder, I used a lens of those used on apartment's doors, attached to a piece of PVC used to join PVC pipes. The GG cover is made from black K-line. I changed the position of the handle to horizontal, originally on vertical position of the camera. The 3 plywood plates will be substituted by a piece of exotic wood, I used these 3 plates just to test the hiperfocal distance, wich is about 3 meters (9 feet). The camera weights 1.6 kgs (3.5 pounds). This is the first photo I made with this camera, I used f22 to confirm that I would have everything on focus from 3 feet to infinity. I've already enlarged this photo on 12x16" fiberbase paper, everything is as I expected (something that doesn't happen too often!)

Amazing job! Using cheap materials and still making it look this good is quite an accomplishment.

[nana sousa dias]

Amazing job! Using cheap materials and still making it look this good is quite an accomplishment.

Thank you! I've been almost a year planning this camera. When I change the 3 plywood plates by a nice and well treated exotic wood plate, I think this camera will look good.

Now, I have plans to build a 5x7" wooden camera, equiped with a 90mm lens, probably with lens rise and fall, tilt/swing on the back.

[Andy38]

Hello ,
Sorry , it's in french , but here is a homemade SLR camera .
Looking only at the pictures gives an idea of work ; every part is built .
The guy thinks he finishes at the end of this year . Now he says the most difficult is making the mirror system...

[steven_e007]

WOW!

I would love to have the engineering skill and the access to decent equipment that this guy has.

A few years ago a friend said I could have a lathe. A decent full size model, it belonged to his uncle, but was in his way so he said I could have it on indefinate loan for as long as I wanted. I took delivery and found it was a mess. I repaired it, serviced it, cleaned it, set it all up... and then his uncle asked for it back

Thus ended my engineering hopes...

[Mike1234]

Truly impressive but... if I was going to put that much time/effort into making a roll film camera I would have built it to take 5" aerial film.

[Steve Smith]

I have made a bit more progress on my wide angle 6x12 camera. The link is below.

I've build this camera from parts of a 4 lenses Cambo portrait old model camera. The lens is a Schneider Super Angulon 47mm XL.

That's nice. I have plans to make a 5x4 using the same 65mm Super Angulon as I am using for my 6x12. I put it on a removable lens board to make it easy to swap between the two.

I can't begin to imagine how wide the view from a 47mm lens will appear on 5x4 film. I think it may be wide enough to capture the photographers arms!


Steve.

Steve.

[nick mulder]

Alrighty,

I made these leather bellows for the Houghton restoration you see pictured - not too shabby for a 105 year old camera huh ...





Learning lots about bellows every time I make them, can see a potential to get pretty tricksy if you wanted

A lot less swearing involved nowadays

Just need to fix up the lens board (notice the tape there?), build a new back that will fit the plate holders I have, make a handle and figure out an elegant way to connect to modern tripods (or build an appropriate one). The temporary Sinar 4x5 back adaptor was too ugly to be included in the pics.

[nick mulder]

I was thinking the other day I am proficient enough with wood but not so much metal so that I might buy myself a whole-plate/8x10 sized field camera completely/strip it and pull it apart as I did the Houghton above then remake the wooden parts in ULF sizes but use the brass parts from the original camera simply spaced further apart ...

There are obviously some restrictions like the racks length for the extensions and the slider thingy-lings. But my meagre metal working skills could at least order appropriate parts online huh ?

So its a kind of a ULF 'conversion' of sorts.

Your thoughts ?

[Mike1234]

OT: Hey Nick... interested in building a bellows or two for me?

[Steve Smith]

OT: Hey Nick... interested in building a bellows or two for me?

That's what I was thinking too!


Steve.