Home Made 65mm Shift camera

[Steve Smith]

That's based on Schneider's figures, which I'm lead to believe tend to be conservative.

I think your'e right as they suggest it is for 6x9cm format which is very conservative for a 160-170mm image circle diameter.

A couple of years ago I started thinking about making a mini view camera to take RB67 backs. A defunct RB67 body with the back adaptor fitted would be a good place to start.




Steve.

[ic-racer]

Pinhole is never going to give me the sharp image I want unfortunately. Also its not going to be much use when I want to compose the image through the ground glass!

If you are going to have a ground glass, then you will need to manufacture a method to fit the film back to the camera so it corresponds the the ground glass with quite some exacting precision. Closer tolerances than a 4x5 view camera. Even a major view camera company couldn't get it right ( http://www.apug.org/forums/forum44/6...s-problem.html )

If you focus your camera at 20 feet, then indeed, things at 20 feet will be sharp. Something 3 feet away, in that case, will be sharper with a pinhole camera.

The compact Horseman 6x9 view cameras can really be had cheap these days. I think it would be slick to get one and modify it into a special 'high rise' camera with a home-made bag bellows and and extension block under the front standard. That will give you a precision, universal Graflok back and the ability to focus. ( http://cgi.ebay.com/Horseman-980-Ran...ht_5708wt_1033 ) (Link points to a beautiful Horseman 980 with matching 90mm lens that sold on ebay 17 bids to only $317 USD)

Having said that, the standard camera does a pretty good job of perspective correction with the Horseman brand 65mm lens with its 152mm image circle (on 6x9 film).

[Wishy]

Ah, same point was raised when I initially looked at the design. The ground glass doesn't need to be especially accurate IF the camera is focus free - I just need to be able to see how the image is going to line up. Nothing more, as I'll have sorted out infinity focus way in advance.
Pinhole just isn't the look I'm after. I have pinholes already, I know what I'll get.

Weren't sure on the coverage on the Horseman - thats actually a lot better than I'd expected. But I'm not sure I want to hack apart a good camera in order to attach bag bellows. Just feels wrong somehow as the cameras have plenty of good life in them still!
My understanding is the 980 is a reasonable amount of shift on the 90mm lens, but it becomes much more of a problem at 65mm as you've got to pretty much fold the front standard into the body to get infinity.

[Dan Fromm]

Pardon my inability to remember which model Linhof you should look at. The front section of the top of some models of Technika folds up to allow useful front rise when the front standard is inside the box. There are two hints: Technika, useful modification to a Horseman.


How much front rise do you need?

And why don't you need good focus?