NL2377
*scratches head*
- Local time
- 11:33 PM
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2006
- Messages
- 257
As a Student in Engineering, and a Passionist of photography, It only seems natural for me to do this...
As a summer project, I plan on Developing my own rangefinder camera... From the ground up... well, not really.
After having owned cameras of all sorts, SLRs, PNS, Medium Format, Large Format, and rangefinders galore (Kiev, Fed, Zorki, Bessa, Leica, Moskva, Canon, etc... ) I have found different things that I like and appreciate about the individual systems, but I have YET to find one that holds all of the qualities that I wish for...
The Basic Conceptual Ideas behind the Project:
-long baselength rangefinder (as I have recently grown to love with my Kiev)
-UNIVERSAL mounting system... (adapters that will allow M , LTM, and C mount lenses)
-Rangefinder focusing controlled by the camera body rather than lens helicoils (also based off of contax/nikon/kiev concept)
-Focusing Ring on the camera itself. (this will be oversized, allowing for adapter mounts and more precise focusing)
-Manual film drive, with optional low profile motordrive. (I'm thinking some sort of rechargable lithium pack to keep size down...)
-Mechanical Cloth Curtain shutter (Leica, fed, zorki, etc...)
-Speeds of 1/15-1/1000 + B (look into a way to achieve 1/125th sync speed...) I never use anything lower than 1/15, so I wouldnt have it on there unless it's all ready incorporated into the shutter system of anther camera.)
-Framelines: What for??? 50mm is all I need.
-Multiple Rangefinder patches.(or just one really big one!) Having used many SLRs with autofocus selection points, I feel that having multiple patches, or just one much larger rangefinder will help in the aid of taking photographs much more efficiently time wise rather then having to point at the subject, and then compose.
Other Thoughs:
-A vertical plane shutter (possibly from a manual nikon body) allows for easier installation, higher sync speeds, less prone loss in shutterspeed times, etc... I would likely install a manual cloth "darkslide" in order to keep from light leaks.
-possibly an electronic shutter / in camera motordrive for the use of AE (this would take some R&D, but Im sure I could figure out how to make it work.) I've got several nikon 8008s that I could butcher for this)
I am still in the R&D stage of this, (figuring out exactly what I want implemented in the camera) but after that I will hit the ground running... CNC machining a body that allows for the components to be installed and removed easily for maintainence. as in: Camera chassis will have installation slots for shutter apparatus and film base plate, as well as for the focusing mechanism.
Top plate will be completely removable (rangefinder and all) as the rangefinder will be connected to the focusing mechanism by rack and pinion, or other means of EASILY removable transport... etc, etc...
Size and weight aren't a terrible concern for me because I plan on sometime in the future, also making a compact rangefinder with a leaf shutter, probably using the internals of an olympus Stylus Epic, having the outer portions made of an alloy of some sort that allows the camera to look of older decent, but perform like a modern day.
So What do you think???
As a summer project, I plan on Developing my own rangefinder camera... From the ground up... well, not really.
After having owned cameras of all sorts, SLRs, PNS, Medium Format, Large Format, and rangefinders galore (Kiev, Fed, Zorki, Bessa, Leica, Moskva, Canon, etc... ) I have found different things that I like and appreciate about the individual systems, but I have YET to find one that holds all of the qualities that I wish for...
The Basic Conceptual Ideas behind the Project:
-long baselength rangefinder (as I have recently grown to love with my Kiev)
-UNIVERSAL mounting system... (adapters that will allow M , LTM, and C mount lenses)
-Rangefinder focusing controlled by the camera body rather than lens helicoils (also based off of contax/nikon/kiev concept)
-Focusing Ring on the camera itself. (this will be oversized, allowing for adapter mounts and more precise focusing)
-Manual film drive, with optional low profile motordrive. (I'm thinking some sort of rechargable lithium pack to keep size down...)
-Mechanical Cloth Curtain shutter (Leica, fed, zorki, etc...)
-Speeds of 1/15-1/1000 + B (look into a way to achieve 1/125th sync speed...) I never use anything lower than 1/15, so I wouldnt have it on there unless it's all ready incorporated into the shutter system of anther camera.)
-Framelines: What for??? 50mm is all I need.
-Multiple Rangefinder patches.(or just one really big one!) Having used many SLRs with autofocus selection points, I feel that having multiple patches, or just one much larger rangefinder will help in the aid of taking photographs much more efficiently time wise rather then having to point at the subject, and then compose.
Other Thoughs:
-A vertical plane shutter (possibly from a manual nikon body) allows for easier installation, higher sync speeds, less prone loss in shutterspeed times, etc... I would likely install a manual cloth "darkslide" in order to keep from light leaks.
-possibly an electronic shutter / in camera motordrive for the use of AE (this would take some R&D, but Im sure I could figure out how to make it work.) I've got several nikon 8008s that I could butcher for this)
I am still in the R&D stage of this, (figuring out exactly what I want implemented in the camera) but after that I will hit the ground running... CNC machining a body that allows for the components to be installed and removed easily for maintainence. as in: Camera chassis will have installation slots for shutter apparatus and film base plate, as well as for the focusing mechanism.
Top plate will be completely removable (rangefinder and all) as the rangefinder will be connected to the focusing mechanism by rack and pinion, or other means of EASILY removable transport... etc, etc...
Size and weight aren't a terrible concern for me because I plan on sometime in the future, also making a compact rangefinder with a leaf shutter, probably using the internals of an olympus Stylus Epic, having the outer portions made of an alloy of some sort that allows the camera to look of older decent, but perform like a modern day.
So What do you think???