Pix of your home-built cams, mods and creations here please (part 2)

[dirkfletcher]

Boxy but good….was that from Crazy People?
Cool camera, the more I’m shooting with my new 6x9 the more I’m liking it and wanting to shoot less and less 4x5. I love seeing the last three 6x9 cameras!
Dirk

 

[awty]

Yes like the Volvo.
First test roll found a nasty light leak I missed and had quite a few user errors. It does the job, the little lens does well, quick and easy to set, maybe a little too easy to fire, the built in timer comes in handy for long exposures.

 

[dirkfletcher]

Your shots look fantastic!!
Dirk

 

[awty]

Your shots look fantastic!!
Dirk

Thanks Dirk
The little Angulon 65mm does a great job for such a little lens. The whole camera cost around $200 including all the bits.
I'm planning on converting a Kodak 616 to take my 90mm super angulon for 612 format. How do you manage to determine how much film to wind on when the red window only shows 645 numbers? If I do every 3rd number I will get it for the loss of 1 frame.
Also which helicoid would best suite a 90mm super angulon with the large rear element...M65?

 

[Main_Cogg]

Finally got around to making a lensboard so that I could use my Gunlach Manhattan Convertible on my Keith's Portrait camera. After some experimenting I decided on a 2 inch extension. I had a piece of walnut that I was saving for a special occasion, so after a few hours on the table saw, router and lathe this is what came out.

Since I shoot paper negatives I wanted to be able to mount a yellow filter to tame the contrast. Off to the aluminum stockpile. A few more hours on the lathe and this came out.

Now I just have to wait for the filter and lens hood that I've ordered.

 

[mshchem]

Finally got around to making a lensboard so that I could use my Gunlach Manhattan Convertible on my Keith's Portrait camera. After some experimenting I decided on a 2 inch extension. I had a piece of walnut that I was saving for a special occasion, so after a few hours on the table saw, router and lathe this is what came out.
View attachment 287103 View attachment 287102
Since I shoot paper negatives I wanted to be able to mount a yellow filter to tame the contrast. Off to the aluminum stockpile. A few more hours on the lathe and this came out.
View attachment 287104 View attachment 287105 View attachment 287106
Now I just have to wait for the filter and lens hood that I've ordered.

OUTSTANDING!!!

 

[Main_Cogg]

Thank you

 

[Main_Cogg]

Here's the first one that I made about a year ago for a different lens. Same idea, an extended lens board and a filter holder, slightly different execution. This one is all PVC, 1/2 thick sheet for the board and filter holder and pipe for the extension.

 

[dirkfletcher]

Thanks Dirk
The little Angulon 65mm does a great job for such a little lens. The whole camera cost around $200 including all the bits.
I'm planning on converting a Kodak 616 to take my 90mm super angulon for 612 format. How do you manage to determine how much film to wind on when the red window only shows 645 numbers? If I do every 3rd number I will get it for the loss of 1 frame.
Also which helicoid would best suite a 90mm super angulon with the large rear element...M65?

It may take a bit of testing with some dead film but the Zeiss body that I convert into 6x12 (I guess technically they are 6x11) has a red window towards the bottom left of the back and 120 film frames lines up at perfectly at 3, 5 1/2, 8, 10 1/2, 13 and 15 1/2.

You need to pay attention because not all the film makers use the name number of ‘marks’ or ‘nicks’ in between the frames. Lately I’ve been mostly shooting HP5+ which has 4 little round bubbles in between the full numbers but if I’m not mistaken Provia only has three between each frame.

As far as helicals, the M65 helical is such a beast! It’s heavy and I’m not a fan of how it mounts vs. the M58. The M58 you can just drill some mounting holes in a 58mm Cokin P adapter and be done with it. I sold my 90mm Super Angulon a while back so I can’t check if it will fit in the M58, but I can tell you the Nikkor 65mm f/4 just barely fits and that’s a pretty good size rear element. I can measure it tomorrow or Friday and let you know how big of a rear element you can squeeze in there.

Dirk

 

[Nokton48]

Norma Sinar Handy by Nokton48, on Flickr

That's a Norma original Helical for the 65mm f8 chrome Super Angulon. Turning part of an old scrap Auxiliary Standard 45 degrees, gave me an idea for the Norma Handy! The camera they never made....... Until later

 

[Nokton48]

Std Makiflex w 180mm f5.5 barrel Schneider Tele Xenar in Durst recess by Nokton48, on Flickr

Standard Makiflex gets a new lens today. Schneider Tele-Xenar 180mm F5.5 very hard to find this one is partial lens converted to barrel. F Stops not marked but can be taped to the front of the Peco Jr board. These old Durst recessed cones fit perfectly in the Maki Std interior, and are pretty deep as well. This one will focus out flat at fifteen feet. So it's another for closeups. Today Makina 6x9cm back loaded with expired Panatomic-X which is usually good. Incident Autometer reads f5.6 at 1/60, so onr at 1/60, also 1/30 and 1/15 which finished this roll. This lens sat around a while until I just figured out how to finally make it usuable. Looks great through the Maki. Star D tripod no cable release a bit windy

Also hacked here is the Fuji GX680 Porro Finder which fits the Makiflex like it was made for it

 

[nosmok]

Someone here described my builds as looking 'like nightmares', and this one probably won't do anything to dispel that, but it's fun. I have a few barrel lenses for 4x5 (-ish) negative size, biased to the wide-angle, so I took a battered Speed Graphic and sawed it a couple ways to Sunday and nailed and glued it back together and got this beast. It'll focus a 6" lens to infinity but nothing longer. It fits in a big, heavy bag with 5 holders and these 3 lenses:

RED is the front element of a 38mm f/4.5 Aerogor. With both halves, this lens misses covering 6x9, but the front alone throws light all over a 4x5 frame, with a sharp center and increasing aberrations further away. Focus is about 90mm at infinity, but coverage is about equal to a 75mm-- I use the VF from a 20mm Russar 35mm lens to get ballpark composition (there's always the GG if I want to lock it down on a tripod.)

BLUE is an old Meyer Gorlitz Weitwinkel 8cm f/6.3 lens, probably from a quarter-plate folder back in the day, as it's dark at the edges but giving it the old college try. The Russar VF more or less works with this too, and I have scale focusing down to 2' 8" (and further with GG).

YELLOW (I wasn't sure this would go on this camera, but it does, and I had already used red, so...) is my Buhl 5.5" f/3.14 projection lens. Focuses down to 3' on the scale; I use my Linhof LF finder for framing but looking for a smaller option. If anybody has modified one of these for Waterhouse stops, please let me know!

 

[Dan Fromm]

Well, you said it was ugly.

FYI, the 38/4.5 Aerogor is a 38/4.5 Biogon. A treasure. Treat it like one. I have a 38/4.5 Zeiss Biogon in Copal #0, have used it on a humble Century Graphic. It covers 84 mm.

I appreciate the joy of tinkering, but f/3.14 isn't that much slower than f/4.7 and there are many 127/4.7 Ektars looking for homes ...

 

[nosmok]

Well, you said it was ugly.

FYI, the 38/4.5 Aerogor is a 38/4.5 Biogon. A treasure. Treat it like one. I have a 38/4.5 Zeiss Biogon in Copal #0, have used it on a humble Century Graphic. It covers 84 mm.

I appreciate the joy of tinkering, but f/3.14 isn't that much slower than f/4.7 and there are many 127/4.7 Ektars looking for homes ...

This is only the front element set, purchased cheap-ish off eBay years ago in a moment of exuberance. It has spent most of its time with me in a drawer while I figured out what I could do with it. Finally settled on this, as opposed to spending a ton of time hunting down a rear element set and shutter.


I have one or two of those 127 Ektars. Great lenses. The Buhl is more an Aero Ektar replacement, for very shallow DOF. It's a hell of a lot brighter on the GG than any 127 Ektar I've tried, plus it's a bunch lighter than a 178mm AeroEk, and the rig is smaller and shorter (of course) to boot. I just quickly measured across its lens opening and divided by the measured focal length (rear element to GG, since the big red lens is completely unmarked) to get my "specs". Do that with an AeroEk's 7 inch FL and you get f/2.9 instead of f/2.5; so the Buhl is probably more like a 5.5 -6" f/2.8 lens. That's nearly 2 full stops brighter than the 127 Ektar, and it sure as heck shows on the screen.

 

[Kshaub103]

Here is a new 4x5 wide camera I finished built from a Cambo standard, lens board and GG back. The camera uses a zone focusing 65mm f/8 Super Angulon in a focusing helical and has a rotating 4x5 Cambo Graflock/Universal back. The camera has two permanently mounted Arca Swiss plates, one on the bottom and a larger 150mm plate on the side that doubles as a hand grip and a vertical tripod mounting location. A removable Russian (Russar) 20mm finder is used and mounted with enough room to allow the back to rotate.

The camera is quite similar to a Sinar Handy, Linhof Technar or Burke & James Orbitar only more affordable than the Sinar or Linhof and much more attractive than the B&J!
View attachment 264570
View attachment 264572 View attachment 264571

What size coil did you use.m42or m65? Really enjoy all your builds

 

[dirkfletcher]

What size coil did you use.m42or m65? Really enjoy all your builds

Neither, I split it in the middle. Most of the builds I do use an M58 helical. The m65 is big and heavy, the 8x10 p/s and the 6x9 with 65mm needed the larger m65 (and a 6x17 I’m working on now) but my preference is to use the small and lightweight m58.

Dirk

 

[Kshaub103]

Neither, I split it in the middle. Most of the builds I do use an M58 helical. The m65 is big and heavy, the 8x10 p/s and the 6x9 with 65mm needed the larger m65 (and a 6x17 I’m working on now) but my preference is to use the small and lightweight m58.

Dirk

Awesome thanks for the information. And I’m sure I can speak for most we will be excited too see your 6x17.

 

[Nokton48]

Homemade Sinar Norma Bellows Supports by Nokton48, on Flickr

The extra long 5x7 Norma Custom Bellows tends to sag a bit sometimes, so I built up a permanent solution. I cut down three Norma Auxiliary Standards, using my Little Machine Shop Electric Band Saw. I was left with an 6" long adjustable rectangular long piece, to which I drilled a hole on each end. Then I inserted large steel lag bolts with circular round tops, with lag nuts which can be adjusted quite a bit up and down. So this slides laterally/swings and has rise and fall as well, pretty adjustable.

I made three of these units, cleaning out my Norma parts box. Never throw anything like this away.

500mm Tele Xenar 13x18 Norma Homemade Norma Bellows Support by Nokton48, on Flickr

You can see the new unit just to the right of the Norma tripod block. Somebody removed all the green paint on this one it's black but still Norma Two of these units support my extra long 5x7 bellows perfectly. And very adjustable if movements are involved

 

[LAG]

Here is a new 4x5 wide camera I finished built from a Cambo standard, lens board and GG back. The camera uses a zone focusing 65mm f/8 Super Angulon in a focusing helical and has a rotating 4x5 Cambo Graflock/Universal back. The camera has two permanently mounted Arca Swiss plates, one on the bottom and a larger 150mm plate on the side that doubles as a hand grip and a vertical tripod mounting location. A removable Russian (Russar) 20mm finder is used and mounted with enough room to allow the back to rotate.

The camera is quite similar to a Sinar Handy, Linhof Technar or Burke & James Orbitar only more affordable than the Sinar or Linhof and much more attractive than the B&J!
View attachment 264570
View attachment 264572 View attachment 264571

This wide camera ... speechless! Is superextrawidebeautiful, look how nice it is that I've not posted in a long time and it's made me to log in!
Congrats Dirk!

 

[dirkfletcher]

This wide camera ... speechless! Is superextrawidebeautiful, look how nice it is that I've not posted in a long time and it's made me to log in!
Congrats Dirk!

Awwww, thanks so much for taking the time to say that. I’ve been working on a couple more that I hope to be sharing soon!
Dirk

 

[dirkfletcher]

My Nimslo/Bronica/GhettoXpan shot craps and up from the ashes I give you the Zenzawide!

The lens is a Bronica ETRS 40mm that was removed from its focus mount, lens mount and (faulty) electronic shutter and put in a working Copal 0 Shutter.
The lens and helical, were built years ago for the Nimslowide so when it recently croaked, all I had to do was make a quick spacer for the Superwide body and I was shooting test film. Quickest custom camera build ever!
It is pretty surprising to see how well the 645 lens covers the larger 6x6 format. MUCH better than I would have ever expected, it isn’t great but it’s not 645! Totally fun little camera but I feel like using it is going to be like driving a Lamborghini kit car on a Fireo chassy, lol!
Sorry Victor

 

[Nokton48]

4x5 Custom Made Sinar Norma Handy 283 Wedding Bacharach by Nokton48, on Flickr

This is my old bulletproof Wedding 283 Flash with Mini Soft Box. Great for Press Photography. The Viewfinder is a Mamiya 7 43mm Optical Finder. Also would work good with the Minolta SRT Era Deluxe III Flashgun. The Minolta SRT Era Flash Meter is deadly accurate with my Broncolor stuff and matches it in terms of readings. Also it reads focal plane flashbulbs!

 

[dirkfletcher]

Even before I made my knock off XPan/Nimslo-Wide, I’ve been curious about converting a Wirgin 3D into a pano camera. When the film advance on my Nimslo conversion started slipping, it was time to give the Wirgin a whirl.

This is the first camera I’ve made that uses laser cut parts. Wood and acrylic for the nose piece in this case. It looks SO much better than my first couple attempts at the front plate, I’m so happy with how the entire camera turned out.

You get 14 shots per roll of 35mm with a film gate of 24mm x 85mm. A bit wider than the traditional 3:1 aspect of a 6x17 camera and a full 20mm WIDER than an XPan. With a considerably smaller price tag.

 

[fdonadio]

Even before I made my knock off XPan/Nimslo-Wide, I’ve been curious about converting a Wirgin 3D into a pano camera.

Nice job again, Dirk! This is a camera I would love to have. One curiosity: I’ve searched the big auction site for these Wirgins and found some very similar cameras, like the Sawyer Mark II. What made you choose the Wirgin?

 

[dirkfletcher]

Hey there, I just checked out the Sawyer mkII, my only concern with that particular camera is how the film is advanced. I couldn’t see a know or lever. One thing that really drew me to the Wirgin was the lever advance which makes advancing film easier when you are out shooting. I’ve seen a bunch of cool conversions made out of Stereo Realist cameras but they use a knob to advance the film and the back also is removed when changing film. Little things make it more convenient and enjoyable to shoot with. The Wirgin seems quite robust and the first couple rolls look pretty good!