The lightest 6x6 camera in the world with a lens

[kuzano]

happy for you...

happy for you...

😉 Glad to hear somebody lucked out with the Perkeo II model. Like many developments, it was a nice idea poorly executed.

Yes, I had one of the Perkeo I with Color Skopar. I believe this was an upgrade that could be ordered. Voigtlander was flexible about upgrading lenses. Others were the Color Skopar upgrade on the Bessa I, which with the dual format made that camera very nice image wise and very flexible, shooting 6X4.5 and 6X9. I had two of the Color Skopar Bessa I's. The Bessa II had a variety of lens choices, including Heliar and the very hard to find lens with lanthanum ingredients in the class... can't think of the name.

 

[bensyverson]

Just got the 85mm Apotars and a Diana in the mail. 85mm is a little less ideal than 75mm to shoehorn into the EF mount, but it still works.

Attached is a shot of the Diana with the main body aperture widened up to a full circle to fit the EF mount.

If my weight calculations are correct, the Diana body will come in at about 120g, making the system weight (with 75) about 232g. So only a bit lighter than the Holga, but much more compact, and it accepts 35mm and Instant backs.

 

[bensyverson]

Argh... it takes 24 hours for epoxy to cure, and I've had to use multiple coats to "shim" up a part of the EF mount...

The good news is that the body is actually 118g, making the weight with lens 230g. I just weighed my Olympus XA, and it came in at 239g.

So in other words, for a little less weight than XA (!), you can carry an interchangeable lens medium format camera! And you can use the lenses on a 35mm SLR!

More soon...

 

[bensyverson]

Well, the mount is finally on the camera. Here it is, the Dianaflex Mark I. I'm taking the first test roll to the lab tomorrow.

 

[Windscale]

Yeah, maybe I should post the pic of the body sans lens and lens sans body (the lens has changed a little cosmetically since this shot)

Some of my mods have been shown in this thread: (from message no.5 onwards)

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63244

It seems we have the same kind of ideas. My Agfa Click/Apotar is quite light.
Good fun. I won't consider putting any good lens on a Holga. That body is just not worth it!

 

[Spoks]

Ben,

Ha, ha!

This is about the ugliest camera I have ever seen! Are you really so hard hit by this credit crunch over there in America that you have to go to such lengths - or depths, to - take a few MF shots? Or, is your legendary American ingenuity just boiling over?

These 10 US$ flee market cameras glued & taped together, they should have their own forum here. Like: "Home made cameras of the 3. world", or something.

Ben,

Is your cell phone kept together with a rubber band or brown PVC tape??

 

[bensyverson]

It seems we have the same kind of ideas. My Agfa Click/Apotar is quite light.
Good fun. I won't consider putting any good lens on a Holga. That body is just not worth it!

Too cool! I love your mods. I much prefer the Diana to the Holga now that I've done both -- the Holga back doesn't feel like it attaches very securely to the body, especially now that I added light seal foam, which makes it a bit too tight.

 

[bensyverson]

This is about the ugliest camera I have ever seen! Are you really so hard hit by this credit crunch over there in America that you have to go to such lengths - or depths, to - take a few MF shots? Or, is your legendary American ingenuity just boiling over?

Actually, I've made a little bit of money in this crisis. When other people are freaking out, buy buy buy!

Honestly, ever since I started shooting 8x10, the difference between my Mamiya 7 and a cheap folder seems smaller and smaller.

If you really want quality, don't torture yourself over lens tests, just shoot a larger format! I made these cameras because I wanted something small, fun, and lightweight to toss in a bag as I'm stepping out the door.

Of course, they still look like toy cameras, which is part of the appeal. If you want to do street photography or photojournalism, imagine how much people will let their guard down in front of a Diana as opposed to a Canon 1Ds Mark XVQ with 14-400mm lens! 😀

Is your cell phone kept together with a rubber band or brown PVC tape??

Well, I do iPhone development. My phone is littered with half-finished apps and homebrew diagnostic tools, so I guess the answer is "yes." 😱

 

[Windscale]

Too cool! I love your mods. I much prefer the Diana to the Holga now that I've done both -- the Holga back doesn't feel like it attaches very securely to the body, especially now that I added light seal foam, which makes it a bit too tight.

Well, since you are doing your mods you may as well do them with more proper parts. The bodies I used are all good bodies with proper film transport and base pressure plates. Only with these that you can accurately measure the film to lens distance and set your infinitely and other focusing distances. There are plenty of cheap cheap but usable bodies around. The Holga's back is just not secure enough as you mentioned. To fit a good lens to it would be an insult to the lens. The lenses I have used, Solinar, Apotar, Color-Skopar, Planar, Super Angulon, Tessar etc. are all great lenses. They deserved to be matched to better bodies.

I still use my mods constantly and they turn in wonderful performances. I have taken them all over Europe and they gave me many 30x30 and 24x36 enlargements. I think you are very capable of doing a good job. And I am sure you will turn out a winner very soon. Good luck.

 

[bensyverson]

Well, I'm sure I'll learn my lesson soon. 🙂 But I must say, I'm not sure the professionalism of my mods will ever match yours!

I'm getting the second wave of test rolls back from the lab tomorrow morning, I'll be very curious...

 

[Spoks]

Well, I do iPhone development. My phone is littered with half-finished apps and homebrew diagnostic tools, so I guess the answer is "yes." 😱

My friend drove over his iPod with a fork lift truck. It still works. The iPod, that is - and the forklift. Mostly punk music from the 80', but still...

 

[Windscale]

Well, I'm sure I'll learn my lesson soon. 🙂 But I must say, I'm not sure the professionalism of my mods will ever match yours!

I'm getting the second wave of test rolls back from the lab tomorrow morning, I'll be very curious...

You start off with something simple and get on to something more complicated. You will get it right if you paid special attention to the corners and planes and reflections, you will have a winner.

 

[bensyverson]

Picture time

Picture time

More images from the Holga mod (the lab's B&W processor broke down, so I haven't seen Diana film yet). These were all taken with a very old 75mm f/3.5 Tessar. It has zero contrast, but it's surprisingly sharp.

I've given the Holga an exceptionally large film aperture. It measures 60 x 58mm, compared with the 52 x 56mm of the Diana.

 

[ishpop]

Cool stuff Ben! Keep experimenting! I am still confused about focusing, but I guess you just do mostly infinity type shots eh. Ever tried to do any small DoF shots yet? That would be interesting.

 

[bensyverson]

Thanks Scott! I didn't get to do very many shallow DOF shots on this roll, but it's definitely possible. I use an external "Blik" rangefinder and then dial in the focus on the lens. They're very accurate!

 

[Windscale]

Thanks Scott! I didn't get to do very many shallow DOF shots on this roll, but it's definitely possible. I use an external "Blik" rangefinder and then dial in the focus on the lens. They're very accurate!

It seems that you may have a light leak somewhere. Most notable in the first pic (right side of the lady's head, down to her shoulder). Also most of the daylight shots seem dull which probably meant that you need a lens hood and that some of the surfaces inside the body are not dark enough and gave rise to internal reflections. If the latter be the case, you can paint over any reflective surfaces with matt black paint and line the whole body with velvet paper. I can assure you Tessar lenses (even the very old uncoated ones) produce much better contrast. Also if the 4th pic's focus was infinity, then you may need to recalibrate again. It looks like that the infinity was a little bit too far in front. If you paid more attention to these little things, your mods will perform much better.

 

[bensyverson]

The light leak in the first image is from when I changed lenses -- I didn't use a changing bag, just a dark room at night, so some light creeped in...

Looking at the Tessar now, it seems that in my haste to mount the lens, I didn't clean it! I do have some black flocking paper I can use if it seems like the body is the culprit... But I'm guessing it's the dirty uncoated lens with no lens hood that really brought down the contrast.

Finally, I think the fourth photo is a little blurry due to the 1/100th speed. I say that because the third pic is a little clearer, but they were both set to infinity... My scanner isn't good enough to render it, but on the negative, you can read the smaller numbers on the mile marker.

Thanks for the notes Windscale -- I appreciate the input of the mod master! Keep em coming!

 

[Windscale]

The light leak in the first image is from when I changed lenses -- I didn't use a changing bag, just a dark room at night, so some light creeped in...

Looking at the Tessar now, it seems that in my haste to mount the lens, I didn't clean it! I do have some black flocking paper I can use if it seems like the body is the culprit... But I'm guessing it's the dirty uncoated lens with no lens hood that really brought down the contrast.

Finally, I think the fourth photo is a little blurry due to the 1/100th speed. I say that because the third pic is a little clearer, but they were both set to infinity... My scanner isn't good enough to render it, but on the negative, you can read the smaller numbers on the mile marker.

Thanks for the notes Windscale -- I appreciate the input of the mod master! Keep em coming!

My advice is that. if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well. So once you have started a mod, do it as best you can. Always clean your lens and shutter. Once these are done, they will probably not need to be done again for a long long time. I can assure you the older uncoated Tessars are very good. I have done a few mods with them for friends. Don't rush anything. Do everything slowing and gently. Always use a lens hood. Filters are not a necessity. In fact, I rarely use filters except on the Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon mods. Good luck and keep working hard. I am sure you will produce a winner soon.

 

[bensyverson]

I think I'm going to modify the Diana's film aperture. Right now it's only 52 x 54mm, meaning the Holga has 23% more film area.

Based on my measurements, the Diana could actually shoot 6x7 -- but of course 120 film isn't numbered for 6x7, so you'd have to guess how much to advance!

Realistically I'd be happy to enlarge the aperture to 56 x 58mm for a more full-feeling frame of 6x6.