marek_
Established
I've used bicycle puncture repair glue (flexible) mixed with black acrylic paint - building the layers up both inside and out. Worked nicely.
My home made 4x5...........
- Thread starter atlcruiser
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atlcruiser
Part Yeti
slight setback!
I just heard from all the guys in China. I expected everything to arrive this week as they said they would. I was e mailed by the three vendors today tellign me it all went out today! I ahve at least another week to 10 days with no parts!
I just heard from all the guys in China. I expected everything to arrive this week as they said they would. I was e mailed by the three vendors today tellign me it all went out today! I ahve at least another week to 10 days with no parts!
oftheherd
Veteran
I've heard liquid electrician's tape works well. I haven't tried it on my 8x10 bellows yet as NASA is still mapping the constellations.
pixelatedscraps
Well-known
I've been thinking about getting into making my own 4x5 field camera too. Would be interesting to see how the project goes, and most likely I will be kicking myself for hitting Buy it Now on one of Patrick Putze's 4x5 Polaroid 110A conversions when I probably could have done it much cheaper myself...
atlcruiser
Part Yeti
parts are trickling in!
got the helicolid this week. I am pretty jammed up in the darkroom for a while then off to New Orleans for a class 1st week of april. I hope to get a few days to cobble this up after that.
Apologies for the early press release 🙂
got the helicolid this week. I am pretty jammed up in the darkroom for a while then off to New Orleans for a class 1st week of april. I hope to get a few days to cobble this up after that.
Apologies for the early press release 🙂
marek_
Established
Hi,
This is my first proper post other than a few pictures. This is a really good forum to get lost in the world of photography, and also to educate oneself with the help of many knowledgeable and interesting people.
Atlcruiser, I hope you don't mind me posting my efforts in this thread.
I had a couple basic 9x6 folders lying around. I prefer the squareness of 6x6 in medium format so 9x9 seemed an interesting option. Other than the lens, viewfinder and plates, I wanted to fabricate the camera out of things found around the house. So we have: plywood, hardboard, screws, wood glue, varnish, decorators cork, poster paint, A4 document folder, double-sided sticky tape, some velvety material, and a few days of getting things wrong then right.
So here is my 9x9 large format-ish camera. Ordering some 9x12 sheet film tomorrow - but couldn't wait - had to see if the thing works so used some Ilford photo paper. These pictures have been scanned into Photoshop, inverted, and had some curve adjustments done. I'll have a better idea if it focuses properly once some film's been through it, but for now it's looking promising. The problem now, dabbling with large format is I already have plans for my next camera, the 'mark II' model - a slimmed down version. But I should test this one with film first and be sure it works. I'll post my efforts in a few days.
Mark
This is my first proper post other than a few pictures. This is a really good forum to get lost in the world of photography, and also to educate oneself with the help of many knowledgeable and interesting people.
Atlcruiser, I hope you don't mind me posting my efforts in this thread.
I had a couple basic 9x6 folders lying around. I prefer the squareness of 6x6 in medium format so 9x9 seemed an interesting option. Other than the lens, viewfinder and plates, I wanted to fabricate the camera out of things found around the house. So we have: plywood, hardboard, screws, wood glue, varnish, decorators cork, poster paint, A4 document folder, double-sided sticky tape, some velvety material, and a few days of getting things wrong then right.
So here is my 9x9 large format-ish camera. Ordering some 9x12 sheet film tomorrow - but couldn't wait - had to see if the thing works so used some Ilford photo paper. These pictures have been scanned into Photoshop, inverted, and had some curve adjustments done. I'll have a better idea if it focuses properly once some film's been through it, but for now it's looking promising. The problem now, dabbling with large format is I already have plans for my next camera, the 'mark II' model - a slimmed down version. But I should test this one with film first and be sure it works. I'll post my efforts in a few days.
Mark
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marek_
Established
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
brilliant! how you made the wooden box focus?
marek_
Established
Before I dismantled the folder I measured the distance between the lens and film plane - about 10 times then averaged the figures. I had about 4mm of thread to play with when attaching the lens to the box - adjusting with cut-out plastic washers to get the correct distance. It's not a precise method but the focus seems to be OK at both 3.5ft and infinity - most likely by a fluke though. The lens is a 105mm Kodak Anaston from a Sterling II.
atlcruiser
Part Yeti
Marek...way to go! Very cool set up.
I keep getting distracted on my project.........i iwll start soon 🙂
I keep getting distracted on my project.........i iwll start soon 🙂
marek_
Established
Thanks Atlcruiser.
Been testing some Fomapan 100 through the camera. These are contact prints scanned with a basic all-in-one printer/scanner, so not too sure how to judge their quality. Developed them in rodinal 1:50 although can't judge whether these pics are representative of this. Anyway, seems to work OK as a camera. Do get some funny looks though carrying a wooden box around.
Mark
Been testing some Fomapan 100 through the camera. These are contact prints scanned with a basic all-in-one printer/scanner, so not too sure how to judge their quality. Developed them in rodinal 1:50 although can't judge whether these pics are representative of this. Anyway, seems to work OK as a camera. Do get some funny looks though carrying a wooden box around.
Mark
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marek_
Established
charjohncarter
Veteran
We all get funny looks with some of our equipment. Just carrying a Leica IIIf I get funny looks, maybe it's me. I like your 'box' and think you have a splendid funny looking camera.
Ezzie
E. D. Russell Roberts
Here´s how I did it on mine. My 90/f8 SW Fujinon has a flange to film distance of 91.4mm. Contruct the box to exceed the distance by a mm or two to take into account inaccuracies, and then sand the box down until you get the distance correct. How you know you have the right distance is the difficult part. That´s where an SLR with a big tele-lens comes in handy. Open the lens on the DIY camera to max aperture (and least DoF), set both lenses to infinity. Open rear of DIY camera and if you have a ground glass mark the front surface with a felt tip pen. If you don´t have a GG, use semi transparent tape across the film gate and mark this the same way. Put a light source behind the DIY camera and point the SLR through the DIY camera lens. You´ll see the marks you made on the GG or tape. When the distance is correct the marks will be in focus. The camera will now be in focus at infinity. Mine has a helicoid, so this is fine. For a fixed focus camera you´ll have to have the lens mounted further away from the film plane, depending on the lens and its hyperfocal setting, maybe as little as 1-2mm.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1320408&postcount=47
charjohncarter
Veteran
I developed some from my Polaroid 95 conversion to 4x5. Lens is sharp down the middle but falls off a little at the edges. This is Arista EDU Ultra 400 in Rodinal 1+100:
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marek_
Established
Hi, thanks John.
I added a strap to make it slightly more portable. Still getting the funny looks, on a few occasions from giggling school girls that thought the camera was a handbag - which made me laugh.
Your bench picture is wonderful. I like the idea of using large format for photos of quite humble objects/places - it almost seems excessive to use all that film, but the results have so much clarity, and feel to me more exciting when I look at them. I also just like the everyday, there's usually something special hidden amongst it.
Here's a couple new pics - on this occasion Fomapan 100 developed in T-max 1:9. Think I prefer this combination to Rodinal - although I can just about make out the differences with my crappy scanner.
Mark
I added a strap to make it slightly more portable. Still getting the funny looks, on a few occasions from giggling school girls that thought the camera was a handbag - which made me laugh.
Your bench picture is wonderful. I like the idea of using large format for photos of quite humble objects/places - it almost seems excessive to use all that film, but the results have so much clarity, and feel to me more exciting when I look at them. I also just like the everyday, there's usually something special hidden amongst it.
Here's a couple new pics - on this occasion Fomapan 100 developed in T-max 1:9. Think I prefer this combination to Rodinal - although I can just about make out the differences with my crappy scanner.
Mark
Attachments
Ezzie
E. D. Russell Roberts
Maybe this will inspire you to get on with it?
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1612565&postcount=92
atlcruiser
Part Yeti
I popped the baloon waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too soon on my 4x5 P+S plan. I actually have all of the aprts but I made the mistake of buying a deardorff 810....I am now deep into the darkside 🙂
The P+S will be on hold for a while. Apologies for starting the thread and failing to follow through but it seems to have sparked some interest.
I really am fooling with a linhof kardan as a combo sort of P+S and tripod mounted WA mini LF rig..really I am 🙂
deardorff 810
cc mid377.jpg by urbanlandcruiser, on Flickr
The P+S will be on hold for a while. Apologies for starting the thread and failing to follow through but it seems to have sparked some interest.
I really am fooling with a linhof kardan as a combo sort of P+S and tripod mounted WA mini LF rig..really I am 🙂
deardorff 810
cc mid377.jpg by urbanlandcruiser, on Flickr
Carterofmars
Well-known
John that is awesome.