stormpetrel_geek_mode
#My DIY project for 2012: Comète, a 5x78 large format camera
This is my main DIY project for 2012:
A large format camera which supports both format 5x7 and 5x8! This is my first attempt in camera making. The way to the result will be long and tortuous! However, the camera must be finished before next September as I plan to take it with me during my next Antarctica trip (end 2012). This is quite challenging as I will be VERY busy this year
As you may know, 5x8 is not really a standardized format however cut sheet films are quite easy to get from 8x10 film sheets (just cut it in two pieces) I also find 5x8 being a nicer format for landscape photography.
It took me few months to design the Comète with a CAD software and I'm ready now to start the hard job!!!
As you can see, the overall design is quite inspired from the Chamonix cameras (which are designed more in a mechanical engineer way than a wood working way) however thinks are quite different when looked in details.
The back of the camera is designed to support both 5x7 standard film holder and 5x8 film holder (same dimension as the 5x7 fidelity film holder but with an extra inch). The only way I found to support both is to do a minor modification on the 5x7 film holder. The back can be easily rotated for portrait photography if necessary.
I have also made my own ground glass system. The ground glass can be smoothly lifted with the handle (thanks to miniature ball bearings), then the film holder can be inserted without any effort. When the handle is back to its original position, a spring push the ground glass frame against the film holder. This should minimize disturbance when changing of film holder.
The next home brewed feature is the two knobs system on the front board which allows tilting and shifting the lens board independently.
I don't plan to use long focal lenses (the three lens I have for this camera are a 110mm, a 200mm and a 300mm) however it is possible to screw the lens board a bit further on the sliding board (there are 3 position available). It would be quite easy to make an extension board which will fit on the sliding board but this will require longer bellows. Again, compromise...
The camera will weight around ~4kg.
Weight increases very quickly with the dimension of the camera. Including the 5x8 features is an extra 500g... The thickness of the different parts have not been really optimized due to my lack of experience in large format camera making. Sure it would have been possible to gain weight here and there by reducing the thickness and the dimensions of the parts, however as I plan to use this camera in harsh environment I 'm quite happy with a robust design.
Another option would have been to use composite material to reduce the overall weight but I don't know where to get such material here in New Zealand and I don't have any experience in such field to do the right choices.... The camera will be made of aluminum and wood.
I plan to make the camera during the next 6 months. It looks like I will spend a lot of time on my milling machine....
Please note that I use this flickr account (stormpetrel_geek_mode) only to show technical stuff which may bore my flickr contacts. My main flickr account can be found here StormPetrel1
Your comment and suggestion are most welcome!
#My DIY project for 2012: Comète, a 5x78 large format camera
This is my main DIY project for 2012:
A large format camera which supports both format 5x7 and 5x8! This is my first attempt in camera making. The way to the result will be long and tortuous! However, the camera must be finished before next September as I plan to take it with me during my next Antarctica trip (end 2012). This is quite challenging as I will be VERY busy this year
As you may know, 5x8 is not really a standardized format however cut sheet films are quite easy to get from 8x10 film sheets (just cut it in two pieces) I also find 5x8 being a nicer format for landscape photography.
It took me few months to design the Comète with a CAD software and I'm ready now to start the hard job!!!
As you can see, the overall design is quite inspired from the Chamonix cameras (which are designed more in a mechanical engineer way than a wood working way) however thinks are quite different when looked in details.
The back of the camera is designed to support both 5x7 standard film holder and 5x8 film holder (same dimension as the 5x7 fidelity film holder but with an extra inch). The only way I found to support both is to do a minor modification on the 5x7 film holder. The back can be easily rotated for portrait photography if necessary.
I have also made my own ground glass system. The ground glass can be smoothly lifted with the handle (thanks to miniature ball bearings), then the film holder can be inserted without any effort. When the handle is back to its original position, a spring push the ground glass frame against the film holder. This should minimize disturbance when changing of film holder.
The next home brewed feature is the two knobs system on the front board which allows tilting and shifting the lens board independently.
I don't plan to use long focal lenses (the three lens I have for this camera are a 110mm, a 200mm and a 300mm) however it is possible to screw the lens board a bit further on the sliding board (there are 3 position available). It would be quite easy to make an extension board which will fit on the sliding board but this will require longer bellows. Again, compromise...
The camera will weight around ~4kg.
Weight increases very quickly with the dimension of the camera. Including the 5x8 features is an extra 500g... The thickness of the different parts have not been really optimized due to my lack of experience in large format camera making. Sure it would have been possible to gain weight here and there by reducing the thickness and the dimensions of the parts, however as I plan to use this camera in harsh environment I 'm quite happy with a robust design.
Another option would have been to use composite material to reduce the overall weight but I don't know where to get such material here in New Zealand and I don't have any experience in such field to do the right choices.... The camera will be made of aluminum and wood.
I plan to make the camera during the next 6 months. It looks like I will spend a lot of time on my milling machine....
Please note that I use this flickr account (stormpetrel_geek_mode) only to show technical stuff which may bore my flickr contacts. My main flickr account can be found here StormPetrel1
Your comment and suggestion are most welcome!