Making a camera from scratch

rbiemer

rbiemer

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This guy has made a seies of videos about " what it takes to make everything from scratch. His mission is to understand complex manufacturing and production processes that are often taken for granted, doing it all himself."

He is starting a run of videos about making a camera. Ought to be an interesting take on this from some one who isn't a "camera guy".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpbEL23rYec


Enjoy!
Rob
 
Darn. I was hoping for something besides a highly annoying video. The mustache was ridiculous!

I'm not criticizing the op at all for posting this because we need more creative, outside-the-box posts for sure, but the individual's camera was really lame and poorly made. There have been some beautiful, beautiful LF cameras made by people. No, maybe they didn't make their own lens and shutter, but to make a simple shutter and lens is not difficult. Yes, they used pre made film holders, but that is not impossible to make either. Some of the totally homemade pinhole cameras out there are works of art.

The guy who made this camera needs to research what has already been made (even if it's just spending 5 minutes on google) before making any more videos.
 
I make stuff, so I often have people asking "Teach me to make stuff, I want to dedicate my life to making stuff".
I ask them "What have you made up till now?" Majority of the time the answer is "nothing".

I don't teach many people.
 
Steve M,
Yea, "mustache guy" was a little annoying but his info, while superficial wasn't wrong, I think.
And, the guy making the camera is taking the path of making his camera out of materiel he has made him self--as I watched this video, I did think that to make a basic pinhole camera can be much simpler and certainly look a bit more elegant. But, I'm not making my own foam board or paper either.
Also, this guy (Andy) is not a "camera" person, so I can and do forgive the crudity of his construction.
Steve, I'm not taking your post as criticizing me but I am taking my reply to your post as a way to further explain why I thought it worth posting. 🙂

I watch these videos not as a way to learn camera building but more as a prompt to remind me that I don't have to bemoan my lack of some specific skill or to not attempt something but that , instead, I ought to realize that, a seriously basic level of skill with some interest and research, I probably can actually make something useful to me. Certainly not any kind of commercial product, just something to further my own interests.

(Though, watching the man use his planer was a bit painful, I think a basic shop class somewhere along the way would have helped him out quite a bit!)

Rob


Steve M. said:
Darn. I was hoping for something besides a highly annoying video. The mustache was ridiculous!

I'm not criticizing the op at all for posting this because we need more creative, outside-the-box posts for sure, but the individual's camera was really lame and poorly made. There have been some beautiful, beautiful LF cameras made by people. No, maybe they didn't make their own lens and shutter, but to make a simple shutter and lens is not difficult. Yes, they used pre made film holders, but that is not impossible to make either. Some of the totally homemade pinhole cameras out there are works of art.

The guy who made this camera needs to research what has already been made (even if it's just spending 5 minutes on google) before making any more videos.
Click to expand...
 
He certainly makes a mess while he works. It would be nice if he did a little more research into methods before attempting some of it. But he's having fun, and so far hasn't killed himself, or anybody else.


I think if his design would have used a sliding box instead of a bellows, it would have gone better.


PF
 
You should see and handle the ones Fox Talbot made (from memory one from an old cigar box) and he was the inventor of photography as we film users know it...


Regards, David
 
not as easy as it may appear

not as easy as it may appear

I have a full CNC machine shop at my disposal, the most current CAD and CAM software and advanced computers. I could easily make something orders of magnitude more advanced (and have, since we did the original camera development work for Foveon before they were acquired by Sigma).Despite that, I can fully appreciate the effort and results this person achieves and his sense of integrity with using the materials that were available at the time. I think his efforts are quite noble and informative.

To state he should spend a few minutes looking at other YouTube videos or research information on the internet completely misses the point. Tools, equipment and materials were not the only thing that were difficult to come by, basic scientific information was also very difficult to access.

His tools are much more contemporary and allow him to get more precise results much more quickly and with less effort than anything available at the time, but I don't think this detracts much from his efforts.
It would be a very long video if he had to perform the process with the tools that were available at the time.

Perhaps he should take it several steps further, a workshop without electric or gas lighting, an uninsulated space heated by a wood fired stove, wearing clothing made only from wool, cotton or linen. He wouldn't be able to call up a supplier (let alone order from Amazon) to get the chemicals or components he needs.

His tools and instruments should be 180 years old if not homemade. Everything should be locally sourced, within a day or two ride (by horse) from his shop. No fair looking the supplier up on line either. If that fails, he should figure it out for himself and make something.

I think it is difficult to comprehend how truly difficult and expensive it had to have been to develop the early photographic instruments (or in fact any of the things he makes).

I have often pondered how the most basic of scientific and engineering principles were developed and am in complete awe of the work of the pioneers in these fields. Read about the work of Fahrenheit, Whitworth, or John Harrison to name a few somewhat contemporary scientist/engineers and you begin to get an appreciation for not only the brilliance and elegance of their work, but also the formidable challenges they faced.

I think this gentleman is doing interesting and laudable work. I would not judge his work by the crudeness of his instruments. Thank you for the link.
 
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