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Poor Man's View Camera DIY (d) SLR to View Camera Conversion
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:23 pm    Post subject: Poor Man's View Camera DIY (d) SLR to View Camera Conversion Reply with quote
I cannot find the topic where I started to write about it , so I started a new one with some fotos with the ( almost ) final shape of my beloved " Geometry " . A selfmade (d)SLR to View Camera Conversion . I would appreciate any coments as I intend to produce it in small series .



Last edited by pniaouris on Mon Sep 10, 2012 9:04 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sorry but I missed the purpose of the contraption. Tilf-shifting?


PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very nice looking DIY (way over my simple abilities) project. Congratulations on what appears to be a well thought out and finished project.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you for the comments fellows .
Yes , chromatic aberration , it is a tilt / shift device , but as a view camera it can be fine-tuned , one step at a time without missing the previus adjustments . For example if you use a tube-type device you probably have to reframe and refocus after each tilt or swing movement . With "Geometry" you just don't have to . Of course if you tilt for roughly put out of focus the " non interesting areas " , you dont need such precise adjustment , but if you tilt to have EVERYTHING in focus , it is necessary . Furthermore " Geometry " is a macro bellows WITH micro focusing rail incorporated and gives the possibility to focus either moving the front standard ( lens ) or the back ( camera body ) . Also it mounts any type of lens , and any type of camera ( and may be in the future digi back ), it can copy slides , with a frame holder mounted on , and easily accept any DIY conversion by the owner .

This is a macro foto shot with the previous version of the "Geometry" , a Pentax K10d and a Volna 3 MC 2,8/80 P6 mount lens . And this is the setting used

By the way greg , I havent used a mirrorless yet , but if manual focusing is easy on the screen , mirrorlesses have the advantage ( shorter register distance ) to be able to work on 35 mm film lenses . SLR's cannot work tilt-shift but with Medium Format lenses and wides are a pain espessially with APS-C in which case a 45 mm is rather a short tele .


PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The device does look nice, especially the machining work with holes for weight savings I suppose.

Some comments:

- The cloth does take some sophistication out of it I must confess;
- The color of the metal finishing may be too reflective and get in the way of the subject if the light hits it right? I guess a flat-black paint finish like hood manufacturers use on the inside would totally prevent that but also more prone to scratches and getting uglier with usage.

There is one "drawback" I guess, it doesn't solve the problem of the lens that is used, I mean, you still need a lens that covers more than your sensor was made for or you'll get unusable vignetting.

Go for it, I like it, and would enjoy using it but I suppose I won't be able to afford it, specially with shipping costs involved!


PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That looks awesome.

You're obviously a handy guy, here's a link on folding your own bellows that might be of interest:

http://www.diyphotography.net/freelens-by-building-your-own-bellows


PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The result seems promising. An interesting project you have going there.

A question on the black cloth - its purpose is to hold the lens or just to block lights from getting in the sensor?


PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 12:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looks interesting.

Here is your original thread.


http://forum.mflenses.com/home-made-slr-to-view-camera-conversion-t36788.html


PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you for the replies . I'll try to answer some of the questions .
Chromatic Aberration , you are right , the cloth is awful , but the effort until now was on the brackets . The final version will be made of Black Asetal , a plastic material that is stiff , light , and absorbs microvibrations for better sharpness , and scratches don't show on it . There is the drawback of the one-size 'bigger' lens as on all tilt/shift devices , except for the mirrorless cameras that can use 35mm film lenses . I'll try to keep the cost under 500 euro for the full version with two brackets and three movements on the rail .
fuzzy wuzzy A real bellows is useless in such small extension because the cloth layers occupy space between the camera and the lens , and obstacle the movements . A bag bellows is used instead even on 6000$ view cameras when it comes to small focals . Anyway thanks for the interest .
My_photography You quessed right . It just keeps light and dust away from the sensor .

Last edited by pniaouris on Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:37 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Frankenstein's monster of a camera!! I'll stick to my own ready-made cameras. Laughing Laughing Laughing


PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Almost two and a half years of intensive effort brought me to a good point . It's lightweight ( 1,7 kg ) , effective ( 15mm shift all directions for each standard and tilt is limited only by the lens covering capacity) , relatively easy to handle , and not ugly for my taste .
This is the final shape of 'Geometry the poor man's View Camera' .


PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Impressive devices. I can see that some users still do by themselves, what they wish, and don't fall in the easy way of buying. Congrats !


PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 5:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Manualy Yours


PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's impressive !
Very nice result, clean and beautiful.
Can't wait to see some sample shots taken with this great combo !

Congratulations. Very Happy


PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 11:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Marvellous!


PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you for your comments fellows .


PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looks very good!
Would like to see results!
Thank you very much for showing your DIY project!


PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote





Theese are the first fotos shot with the last prototype of 'Geometry' . Lens used is the Mir 1B 2,8/37 at f/8 (without the M42 mount and focusing helicoid , so there is left some free space for the tilt movements ) and a Pentax K10d is used as a back .


PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 2:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here's a fresh one . I shot it yesterday with the use of "Geometry" . The lens is a Vega 12 2,8/90 stopped down to f/16 . If you look carefully you'll observe that focus is not on points of the same distance from the lens but on points belonging to a plane that is obligue to the lens axis (roughly the plane of the table) .


PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I like that result - a much better use of tilt-shift than all the fake "miniaturisation effect" pics it produces.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you Farside , my opinion is also , that this the best use for these devices .


PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here are some fotos I shot the last few days . They are all shot with "Geometry" , a Pentax K10d and the Mir 28B 3,5/45 at f/16 . The back standard is tilted 10 degrees back as a starting point ,then the front is tilted forth by controlling the focusing .




PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very impressive results, and the engineering is impressive as well. I hope you find a market for this, it deserves success.


PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 3:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
Very impressive results, and the engineering is impressive as well. I hope you find a market for this, it deserves success.


+1
The trick will be to keep the production cost low, and sell it for a price which will attract many sales. Too often, such items are priced out of reach of many people who might want to give it a go, often being at the top-end and 'speciality' end of the market, such that only pros or the wealthy can afford them.


PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Farside wrote:
Lloydy wrote:
Very impressive results, and the engineering is impressive as well. I hope you find a market for this, it deserves success.


+1
The trick will be to keep the production cost low, and sell it for a price which will attract many sales. Too often, such items are priced out of reach of many people who might want to give it a go, often being at the top-end and 'speciality' end of the market, such that only pros or the wealthy can afford them.


I am afraid , it's not the production cost that affects the final price . Having a contact , with dealers acting in the field here, in Greece , I was told that if they get the promotion and sales job , the final price will reach 3X the production cost .
For the moment I make some copies for friends , and fellows living in my homecity, Athens . You see it's much easier to sell it to people that can see and handle it . I gave the turning work to a workshop to do , while I do the milling work and assembly . I give it for 400
euros complete with two brackets (standards ) , lens and camera plates , bellows , and rail .
Starting a large scale production , even in China , won't lower the production cost under 100 euros , but if the dealing costs me X2 , it has to be sold at the same price (400) to let me earn 30 euros per piece . Isn't it a mess ?
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