35mm in a can, Has anyone built their own LF?

[americanswan]

Considering some people make pinhole camera's in a box of wood or a can, is it

possible to build your own LF camera? Has anyone done this? Is it out of the

realm of reality?

 

Just wondering.

[norman_valentine]

Anything is possible. It is very easy, start with the attitude "I CAN DO IT" Do some research, if you make a mess of it, try again. you will learn, you may succeed in a way that you did not expect. But at the end of the day you will have moved forward.

[richterjw]

I use coffee cans and oatmeal cans for pinhole cameras. 4x5/5x7 paper/film fits wonderfully into those containers. JR

[clay2]

As stated above, you can (pun intended) use a can with

large format film to make a pin-hole camera. I had

thought you were asking about a full size view camera.

Kits are available for 4x5 and 8 x10 such as from

Bender: http://www.benderphoto.com/

You could do it from scratch if you are good at

woodworking. Have fun and let us know how you

make out.

/Clay

[erie_patsellis]

I've built several, most notably my 8x10 field camera and 20x24 field (sorta) camera. Won't win any design awards, but work perfectly fine.

 

 

 

erie

[americanswan]

Sorry for my newbie ignorance. I guess you can put 4X5 film into anything which would make it a Large Format camera without it actually being a view camera.

 

Thanks for the link. I am actually interested in getting that 4X5 kit, but no time soon because I have a MF Diana I need to wear out first. Though the idea of a view camera really excites me, I am nervous because I don't know how to operate the thing and developing the over sized film scares me. Another question would be where would you buy a lens for the kit? And how much would that lens cost?

 

Enough about me. It's great that kits are available that are reasonably priced. I kind of expected someone to have built their own. That's cool.

[indrek_r_nkla]

No can, and no design awards to be expected. Not a thing to be especially proud

of, but as an artefact will once remain in my inventory facing my deathbed.

 

http://www.hot.ee/suurkaamera/

 

The text is in estonian but the pictures are not.

 

If You have some handicrafting experience, You can do far better than me.

 

You can acquire most readymade parts like film holders and lenses from ebay and

spend as much money as You please. Some investigation on standard solutions

is useful as it allows You to introduce standard accessories.

 

If You google for 'homemade large format camera', You will find plenty of material

online.

[Kent Shafer]

Indrek,

 

Your camera is extremely cool! The extensive use of plywood and the hardware store hardware were not at all what I was expecting.

 

You should be very proud of it.

 

Kent

[johan_de_groote]

Indeed a nicely build camera, not at all fitting your description of "artefact". Very tempting to try it but I must resist, already enough projects going on.

[big toys are better]

If you are just building a 4x5 and aren't too concerned about technical

capability or field worthiness, the Bender View is a good camera giving a great

learning process. Building a good sliding bed field camera is more complex and

technically demanding.

 

I haven't yet built a view camera for myself, but I have long pondered building

a modular ULF camera, probably starting with a used 8x10 or 11x14 field camera

and creating new standards & bellows that would allow quick format changes for

shooting 8x20, 12x20 and 16x20 film, and perhaps some other options as well.

 

One issue to consider is whether the rail/bed is long enough to focus the longer

lenses (such as 600mm, 800mm, 1100mm, etc. in ULF), plus able to compress for

the shortest. The shortest lens I have for those big sheets is under 300mm, and

the Fujinon 600mm Compact looks like a great second lens, with 200mm to 1200mm

(8"-->48") the maximum range I'd be looking for, so in my case I might consider

creating a two part bellows system for the longer lenses (using an extension

rail and bellows attachment) .

 

On the other hand, a 4x5 view camera would be quite competent if it can compress

down to 75mm or even just a bit less than 90mm (and then use a recessed lens

board to get even shorter, so be sure to use a common lens board size like the

Wista/Linhof or Calumet), and then be able to expand out to 400mm or so so you

can use a 300mm without too many issues. This would also let you do life size

with short

macro/process lens like a 150mm or 210mm G-Claron. Plus of course, you need to

have adequate camera movements in all of these situations, but that need also

tends to define what kind of camera you will need-- rail or sliding bed.

[ashton_lee3]

If you want to build a LF camera for fun, sense of accomplishment, or as part of an aesthetic "homemade camera" concept... go for it... they are pretty simple devices.

 

But if you are looking just for economy, or to be able to capture a "primative" look such as a Diana does... you can probably buy a camera for under $100. For instance you can buy a 1890's era "bicycle camera" (the victorian term for a portable, non tripod dependent camera) on E-bay in the Film Camera/Vintage section. just scan for 4x5 or 5x7. If you want a more modern camera the old Graphlexes and Calumet Monorails can be dirt cheap, and often come with nice old lenses (127mm Ektars, 135mm Optars etc.) and a few film holders.

 

If you want a really old look, use lenses from the period you want to emulate... before about 1930 many lenses were not mounted in shutters. Sometimes you can find cameras with a Packard shutter, which mounts behind classic lenses (they actually still make these)... or consider the Speed Graphic which has a cloth focal plane shutter in addition to the shutters on most of the lenses. If you are handy enough you can usually get just about any LF bit to fit with any other LF kit. Old leather bellows can be softened up and/or taped much of the time. Bellows after about 1950 have held up pretty well since most are rubberized.

 

Even the absolute cheapest LF camera, with taped together bellows, and a $25 lens will outperform a $10,000 digital if you want a "Big Camera" look. Edward Weston's equipment would probably bring $250 on E-Bay today.

 

Some of the cameras I find particularly cheap relative to their potential are 1) Most LF cameras in the Vintage section of E-Bay, 2) Agfa/Ansco and Burke and James 5x7's, 3) Older Speed and Crown Graphics, 4) The Graphic and early Calumet monorails, 5) Cameras sold with a complete kit... lenses, holders, case etc.6) Anything which needs a bit of repair, most of which is pretty easy if you have some tape, glue or access to a wood shop and 7) Pretty much anything listed on Craig's list, particualarly when they view a LF camera as a curiosity or funky antique. Lot's of Deardorff's have been bought from sellers who have no idea what are selling.

 

Know that 4x5 film holders are a heck of a lot more available and inexpensive than 8x10. 4x5 is usually challenge enough for most LF newbies. 5x7 gear is in the middle, of course, and many 5x7 cameras can be easily adapted to use 4x5 film.

[americanswan]

Lee, absolutely great advice.

[frankz]

It would be amusing to have a contest - "building a rat camera" - just to see how comical we could get.

 

The funny thing is that these things would no doubt work just fine.