Newbie: Cheapest setup for a 6x17 camera?

[jasonjoo]

Hmm, I'm not at this point myself yet, but I hope to one day have my own darkroom. As of now, I'm able to use my universities darkroom to develop and print, so I'll take advantage of this as long as I can.

BTW Jason, I've seen your youtube videos and I think they are brilliant. I enjoyed each one! Thanks

[Mark Fisher]

I just finished (like tonight) a 6x15 (maybe 6x14) camera. I bought an old Kodak Autographic 3A....wierd camera....it has shift and rise but no way to frame it if you use it....but I digress. The camera originally took postcard sized negatives on roll film. That film is long gone unfortunately. With a bit of sheet metal (new pressure plate and film gate), black out cloth (to recover the bellows) and adapters for 120 film made from 120 film reels, I was able to fashion a panaramic camera for about $50 total. It came with a decent 170mm rectilinear (Kodak Angstimat I think) lens that just needed cleaning so I used that. My plan is to just use it to make small platinum contact prints and this lens is much more than adequate. I've heard of people using 90mm Angulons for this sort of conversion also. Other than a foamcore or cardboard camera, I can't think of a cheaper way to go. By the way, I did the whole conversion with an exacto knife, tin snips, a small hammer, a drill and a dremel tool......nothing too fancy.

[nsurit]

OK, how about $250. Check out this 6X18 pinhole by eightbanners (http://www.8banners.com/index.php?op...d=15&Itemid=36). I have there original wooden camera and it works great. I scan the negatives on an older Epson scanner, although I've just purchased a 5X7 enlarger and look forward to printing them from an enlarger soon. <[B^) Bill Barber

[Ian Grant]

Now stick a lens & focussing mount on that camera and it's very cheap option

Ian

[DougGrosjean]

3 different ways to get where you want to go are illustrated in the URLs below.

Kodak Panoram - about $400, shoots on 120 film.
35 mm Widelux - I'm guessing about $750.
Rollei panoramic mount - maybe $100, plus computer.

Results from the above cameras, shown on sites below.

Route 66, 35mm Widelux and 120-film Kodak Panoram:
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetc...Dl&unified_p=1

Trip home to Ohio from Santa Monica, via UT / CO, Widelux only:
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetc...p4&unified_p=1

And here's an example of a Rollei pano head attached to a Rolleiflex, then the images Photomerged:
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/4130332-md.jpg

Your head spinning yet?

Doug Grosjean

[Kevin Roach]

A lot of people are converting Kodak 3A cameras into 6x14 panorama cameras. or you could buy a couple of foldex folding cameras and cut/glue them to make a 6x17 back. fit it on a plate camera or 4x5 graphic. That's about as cheap as you can get. 50-100 dollars for a working panorama camera.

[Steve Smith]

The old Polaroid rollfilm cameras can be converted too. I did a 160 as shown in the attached pictures. The conversion is fairly easy.

I currently have a 110A but I can't decide if I want to convert it to 120 or 5x4 yet.

These conversions are not quite as wide as the Kodak 3A conversions as the final image size is around 6 x 10.5cm


steve.

[jamie young]

I would be curious to hear more about the kodak 3A conversions. Someone showing it on the web?

[Mark Fisher]

Jamie,

I'll try to go out and shoot with mine this weekend and share the results...if I don't freeze.....it has film in it and I did not document the design yet....go Pack!

[jamie young]

I actually thought you were talking about adapting a panoram 3A for 120 film, not a regular 3A. Though I should have read more carefully, I am curious what you come up with. Sounds interesting