French machinist builds SLR from scratch in his garage.

[shalom_septimus]

<p>(Not sure if this belongs here or in Alternative; mods feel free to move it if it's inappropriate. I did a quick search of the archives, and nobody seems to have mentioned it yet.)</p>

<p>Here's a guy who created an M42-mount SLR body, completely from scratch, to his own design, using machine tools in his garage. The only salvaged parts he used were the shutter curtain fabric, the screws and the ball bearings; everything else was made from sheet metal and bar stock.</p>

<p>Original thread: <a href="http://www.collection-appareils.fr/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=6946">http://www.collection-appareils.fr/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=6946</a></p>

<p>English translation: <a href="http://www.collection-appareils.fr/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=8822">http://www.collection-appareils.fr/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=8822</a></p>

<p>The thing looks really professional; it's a lot prettier than some commercially produced cameras (Kodak 35RF anyone?) and it takes nice photos, too. What really makes me giggle is, what's going to happen fifty years from now, when some collector comes across this "DM-Flex", tries to look it up in the books and finds no reference to it anywhere (other than in the archives of a French camera board, of course...)</p>

[longname]

<p>Awesome! Thanks for sharing!</p>

[subbarayan_prasanna]

<p>Thank you: it is fascinating. I have dreamt of similar efforts but have no equipment or machine skills to do things like that. i hope this is a new start for the film cameras. sp</p>

[JTG1]

<p>That was very interesting indeed!</p>

<p>~Jack</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Well, to take it beyond analog into the digital age, here's one a of a number of instructions for how to make a flat-bed scanner into a large format digital camera ;) (<a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/11/turn-a-flatbed/">link</a> for a Wired Video).</p>

<p>There are actually lots of different videos on YouTube and instructions of various forms elsewhere. Google™ "flatbed scanner into camera". This seems to be a pretty popular project that produces results that would put your broken Holga or Diana to shame.</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>When I was 10, I built a birdhouse out of Elmer's glue and Popsicle sticks. But I don't think I could tackle a camera.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Looks like good craftsmanship. Thanks for posting.<br>

I'm envious. I have nowhere near the skills needed to undertake such a project. If I did, just for fun, of course, I think I'd try to develop a new camera to take 127 roll film. Camera would pre-wind the film to a larger spool so there would be less tendancy to curl at the film plane.</p>

[User_4525289]

<p>I do not get it. Bunch of unfed underage poor skilled minor-convicts managed to copy Leica in 1934 in Kharkov's juvi. Now we know that camera like FED Trukommuna-Zink highly collectible item.</p>

[longname]

<p>Kozma, but they had more motivation than a free weekend and a fifth of scotch. ;)</p>

[User_4525289]

<p>Al,<br>

That guy did not make even Leica M3 like camera with that motivation, and taking into consideration the time/skill/mashinery?material adjustment he must at least make something like Nikon F6 in the garage to get WOW from the community.</p>

[longname]

<p>Are you planning something BIG Kozma?!?!?! I'll be your first buyer. If you sign it I'll get a better price on eBay.</p>

<p>But all joking aside, you have to admit it's impressive what he's done. It is just one guy, a member of the decadent bourgeoisie none-the-less. One could argue the infinite monkey theorem. And I'm sure if I had an army of starving kids and a bag full of doughnuts I could get something pretty close to a working copy of whatever the 1972 equivalent of a Leica M3 would be.</p>

<p>In the world of children it is the remorseless man with a belt who is king(joke)!</p>

[mark_tate]

<p>I have been able to reproduce almost every part in my Bronica SQ-A body and with some work I think I could make a complete new body . <br>

The lenses would be imposable for me as I am not an optician nor do I have the equipment .</p>

<p>I am a student studying mechatronic engineering and have been using cameras for projects and problem solving etc.</p>

<p>In the future I hope to be able to make parts for a lot of cameras that parts are not made for</p>

[ridinhome]

<p>Somebody needs to introduce this guy to the guy who made the AE1PDigital<br>

<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/29/canon-ae-1-program-slr-gets-a-digital-retrofit/">http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/29/canon-ae-1-program-slr-gets-a-digital-retrofit/</a></p>

[ken_jeanette1]

<p>That is outrageous!! This man has my vote for king of the fiddlers. I once tried stripping out a SLR with a mechanical Seiko or Copal vertical shutter, trying to make a Leica M lens compatible rangefinder with the newer shutter. Then Cosina came along and stole my thunder.</p>

[mfophotos]

<p>This guy should also get high marks for being a very competent machinist. A dying art, with all the work that gets done by computers. It's pretty amazing, actually.</p>