Fixed focus camera?

[Steve Smith]

Sounds wonderful-
can I send you some walnut and a drawing?

You can certainly send me some walnut.

Don't worry, only joking...

I wasn't!


Steve.

[richard littlewood]

Steve
Like the way your camera is shaping up, and also like the way you are taking your time making it. It looks like it will do the job. I've found that 65 lens is really good on 6x12 (centre filter issues not withstanding!).
I dont see much point in a fixed focus camera. It's much better to be able to move it away from the film now and again, and it seems a helical is the best bet, even though it can be a diy headache.
All the best
Richard

[Steve Smith]

Like the way your camera is shaping up, and also like the way you are taking your time making it.

I now have a working back for it. It's a temporary one made from grey pvc in the absence of any suitable oak. For it's first go with a film it will probably be held on with rubber bands. I need to do a bit of filing so the pressure plate clears the rollers but I think if the rain stops by the weekend, I could be trying it out then.

Steve.

[richard littlewood]

Steve
Good stuff. Cant see why it wont work a treat. The only thing I would look out for are internal reflections, maybe from the whole inner 'box', but mainly from the film gate opening. When I cobbled together my 6x9 cameras I found the wider the lens, the more this was prone to happening. Maybe you may have to make a fine rectangular, always in place, lens shade, or even one of those dslr petal jobs. I dont think the Ensign bodies I used were given much thought in this department, and given a bit of time, there are still one or two bits of filing/grinding I would like to do around the film openings to stop reflections.
I think given that all your bits work (!) and focus is OK, this is the only possible nasty left, and I hope you dont notice any from the off!
Richard

[Steve Smith]

I'm planning on spraying all of the internal surfaces with a matt black paint. Hopefully this and the fact that I hve stepped the opening out with each layer should cut down the reflections.

My main worry was about keeping the back light tight but I think that should be o.k. now that I have the stepped lip on the back of the front (does that make sense?) which locates into a slot on the back.

That's the beauty of making things up as you go along. I didn't start with a full design. I initially found a way to hold the film against a film gate and then designed a box around it. Once I had that I could work out the distance the lens mount had to be away from the film and then I designed the back based on measured dimensions of the film gate assembly in the body.

That's more or less the way I make everything!


Steve.

[richard littlewood]

There is a guy on e-bay that sells small sheets of light sealing foam. I got some and it works a treat. Thin strips held in with pva.

[Steve Smith]

There is a guy on e-bay that sells small sheets of light sealing foam. I got some and it works a treat. Thin strips held in with pva.

I have some at work. Acres of it. It's about three feet wide on a roll, 1mm thick black foam with a self adhesive backing. If you want some, let me know.

I don't think I will need to use it though as the light will need to go round four corners if it wants to get into my camera!



Steve.