Making a 20x24 from harvested Russian FKD hardware

[keith_wright]

Being both a woodworker and an LF photographer, I've got the bug to

make a 20x24 view camera. I've got two lenses that should work (APO

Nikkor 610mm and 890mm) a big, functional shutter (Ilexpo with a

Packard shutter that I just cleaned and lubed), and most importantly

a scale model of what should work as a design. The "model" is a

Russian FKD 18x24cm view camera. The design is delightfully simple

but extremely stable judging from how tight the old camera was that

came to me from somewhere in Ukraine. My plan is to havest whatever

hardware I can from the FKD, order the rest from Small Parts Catalog

or wherever, and simply enlarge the design of the FKD with the

exception of the back and film holder. The back will be pure Eastman

2D hardware, and the film holders I plan to purchase (can't find an

adequate design or the guts to try to build one).

 

So, that's my story. Please feel free to shoot holes in it/offer

suggestions/tell me you've already tried and it won't work. Better

now than 100 hours into the project.

 

Thanks.

 

Keith

[stephen hazelton]

"It's not the camera that makes great photographs, it's the photographer!"

[jay_de_fehr]

Keith, I think you're right on track. The most important feature of a ULF camera, in my opinion is stability. Most cameras' lensboards won't accomodate the shutters necessary for the lenses you'll be using, and the combined weight of lens and shutter can be formidable. How many sheets of 20x24 film are you willing to lose to camera shake? Not many, I'm guessing. I'm not familiar with the FKD cameras, but simple and stable go a long way in my book. I'm curious to learn more about the FKD filmholders, are they seviceable? Do you plan to make your own bellows? I hope you'll keep us posted and post some pics of the camera when you're done.

[shotz]

Go ahead, it sounds great.

 

I say try to make a film holder. Maybe modify some holder used for X-Ray film or some such thing. Make sure this is fun and ejoy yourself. How about starting out with a camera that uses a paper negative? The whole testing and fine tuning gets faster, easier and cheaper.

 

Peter

[donald_miller1]

I have thought at times of building a 10X16 format. I was going to take an extra 8X10 Deardorff that I have and build a new rear standard and fabricating all of the new rear hardware. I gave up on it since the problem as I soon learned was not the camera but to have a film holder that the camera would mate to. Building a camera is a simple matter to building an accurate film holder. I am a woodworker as well but I don't hold the tolerances that a film holder requires.

 

I ended up buying a 12X20 Korona and refinishing it. From my experience with the 12X20 I don't know that I would want to tackle a 20X24. However we are not all the same in our view of things.

[User_503771]

I'm intrigued! I tried my hand at making a superwide 5x7 recently, and it came out pretty well, but it drove me nuts. It's a one-piece fixed focus, and the tolerances were just too tight for a first attempt at building.

 

I found the back surprisingly easy to make, but it didn't take much hardware because the back is not detachable.

 

I screwed up with the ground glass panel by not cutting out the wood slightly oversized and then letting it sit to settle in, finish any warping, etc. But other than that, all the cutting etc. was pretty straightforward, especially considering that I had cameras to use as models.

 

I think your project sounds terrific! Please let us know the results -- in fact I'd welcome any news of the progress you're making as you're making it!

 

Have you checked out or posted to the Cameramakers List? The link is:

 

http://rmp.opusis.com/mailman/listinfo/cameramakers

 

The whole shebang is available in archive form if you want it.

 

Anyway, keep up the great work! Let us know! Also please let us know if you figure out the filmholder dilemma! I want to build a 7x17 conversion but don't know what I'll do about filmholders yet. I just can't afford to buy them at current prices.

 

Thanks for the post!

 

--Michael Hendrickson

 

mhh@pacbell.net

[mark soares]

I don't understand people who say theyre woodworkers but dont have the tolerances for a filmholder. I'm a photo student and i built my 16x20 camera from scratch, with the exception of the bellows and it works perfectly. Was it easy? no, but it's not what most people make it out to be. I built the filmholder using just a handsaw and a razor blade, along with some glue, it works just as a regular filmholder. Don't be scared by the hype, it is not that hard! Make it, you'll love it!

[jeff_chadwick]

Hey Mark- I'd love to see a few pics of the camera you built along with some examples of the images you produced! I've been thinking about doing this myself!

 

-Jeff