Home-made 4x5 box camera

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

I've been toying with the idea of making a box camera based on the old Brownie #2 design, but with a different back to hold a 4X5 back. I have a few meniscus lenses in the 75mm-105mm f1.9 range. I know they won't give full coverage, but that's okay for this (I also have a 6X7 film back I'd use more often.)

Anyway, I have two options for a shutter -- built from scratch or reclaimed.

For the built from scratch, it would literally be a rip off of the Brownie shutter cut out of light sheet brass. For the reclaimed, it would be an old leaf shutter from a 4X5 lens (probably a 135 4.5.). for ease of mounting, my plan is to mount the shutter on the front of the camera and, a few inches behind, mount the lens in a separate board. So, how would aperture be affected by the shutter assembly being 50mm in front of the lens? Does that make an f4.5 opening effectively, say, and f2.8 opening or an f5.6 opening? (numbers are only for representation, not real maths.)

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I think I would use a reclaimed shutter, just to get reasonably accurate speeds. The aperture can be as simple as Waterhouse stops made from cardboard discs, getting the right speed for the aperture at least gives you some chance of consistency.

RSalles · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:02 am Post subject:

David,

A Packard shutter would be my first choice for this kind of project.

[]s,

Renato

TijmenDal · Joined: 22 Sep 2011 Posts: 206

Have you bought about making a pinhole? Maybe not what you're looking for, but I think it would be a nice starting point to get the construction down around the holder part. I reckon that might be harder than the lensplate itself, no?
Also, you could use photo paper. Really cheap and fun because no negative means it's unique!

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

I've made tons of pinholes, up to 5X7, and different formats -- wide-angle, ultra-wide, circular, and others. Actually, my 5X7 is almost 180-degrees but has substantial distortion.

So I'm just looking for a different challenge.