building a camera

[sf]

I am currently looking at building a fixed focus body with a rangefinder to fit my Fuji 75mm f5.6 4x5 lens. I like it to be a sort of rangefinder field camera - like the Cambo superwide bodies but cheaper. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with fixed focus cameras, particularly large format. I might buy a helical focusing mount to add a little find focusing adjustability, but I would like to keep it simple and just set the lens at infinity distance from the film plane. This thing will be for landscapes mostly, but it would make a very interesting point and shoot too. One heck of a street photography machine. Perhaps a little too conspicuous? Hmm. . .yes.


My design idea is to use the front and rear standards of an old 4x5 and set them at the infinity focusing distance of the lens (with recessed board). I'd machine some body that would hold those standards and a film back rigid. I'd mount two quick release plates on the camera - one on the bottom, one on the side. Then, I'd find a usable rangefinder and set it on top of the camera. Now, I would obviously use a tripod.

Does anyone have any input? My #1 question is, where might I find a good focusing mount for the thing? I looked at Robert White and they have a really nice selection of helical stuff for super-angulons, but my lens is Fuji SWD and I am not sure about the compatability.

This might be a little off topic, but my vision of this camera is as a rangefinder, much like the old Graflex Crown graphics, etc. I want to be able to set the lens at infinity, and use it as a landscape camera exclusively and never worry about looking through the ground glass.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Ok I'm a little confused by the "Fixed Focus" statement and then saying you want to put a rangefinder on it. Do you mean a viewfinder perhaps?

With a 75mm lens on 4x5 @f22 and focused at about 1.8 meters everything from 0.9 meters to infinity will be in acceptable focus. For street photography I would add a graphmatic film holder to allow me to shoot 6 shots relatively quickly.

I have been thinking about something like this and using my 88mm Bausch & Lomb for a point & shoot 4x5. I don't see the need for a focussing helical with this type of depth of field.

Wayne

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

You may want to look at these sites:

http://www.bostick-sullivan.com/Hobo/welcome.htm

http://job.webstar.nl/newcampg.html

Wayne

 

[sf]

thanks for input so far

thanks for input so far

thanks for the input, the links were extremely valuable to me. Many people who I have spoken with about this project have told me that I absolutely need a helical focusing mount in order to do it right. Of course now I know I do not need that.

And yes, I did mean 'viewfinder' not 'rangefinder', forgive me.

I will probably do what the guy at hobo did, but I will build it smaller, probably use something nice like Canary or myrtle or something exotic, and will mount the 75mm lens on there and use the Graflex back with the 6 shooter (Graphmatic) and leave the ground glass in just for double checking my composition.

Thanks again, those links cleared lots up for me since the internet provided very little support.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Don't set infinity; set the hyperfocal distance at full aperture.

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)

 

[Heath]

I have several fold up viewfinders from old folding cameras if you are interested.

Heath

 

[sf]

more help. . . thanks much

more help. . . thanks much

I was thinking about that hyperfocal distance thing. I will do some reading on it. I remember seeing something about it being 1/3 of the way to the horizon or something. I read about it being on the leading edge of the focal plane, which I don't understand unless they mean, what is first in focus when set at infinity.

I did some reading just now, and it looks like it should be easy enough to set it up, though I will not be able to bring veyr close objects into focus - just fine. Set at f22 or 32 or 45, that should not be a problem.

And yes, I am interested in the viewfinders, assuming I can make them work for a 75mm 4x5 lens.

thanks

 

[2maneekameras]

I have a home made 8X10 box camera similar to the Hobo. It was made many years ago, out of less elegant than the birch plywood of the Hobo, particle board. I have only used this as a pinhole camera. i would probably use it more often if it was my largest large format camera. If you built this thing and installed a temporary ground glass back, you could make and calibrate a wire frame sport finder to use as a viewfinder. Remove the ground glass back after sizing the sportfinder to match the image on the glass. I have an old 1899 kodak No4 bullet special which sounds similar to the one you want to build. Attached image comes from this website: http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/

 

[kbg32]

Seems like a lot of trouble to build when you can purchase something a bit more versatile for little money. But good luck and have fun!

 

[Heath]

And yes, I am interested in the viewfinders, assuming I can make them work for a 75mm 4x5 lens.

thanks

PM me and well discuss things. I have 3 that are identical and one that is slightly different. The 3 identical ones seem to be off old Kodaks (c.1930's-40's) and I don't know about the other one. I also have 2 reflex finders from the same era.

Let's talk.

Heath

 

[Pherdinand]

themirana - the april edition of Black & White Photography (UK magazine) has an article about making panoramics on 120-film out of old folders of larger film size and large format lenses. Although the guy generally uses 90mm super-angulon-type lenses, lotsa interesting ideas in that article.