Got my PN55 4x5 sheet film today

[christopher walrath]

Polaroid film holder 545 on the way. I have decided to build a view camera, adjustments and all. I will need a lens board, a lens and a shutter and a springback with a ground glass and a bellows. The rest I will build and fabricate from scratch, with the help of my brother-in-law who is a hobbyist woodworker on the side. It will take some time but I'm gonna go for it. Why wait? Right?

 

[KevinDks]

I was tempted to buy one of these self-assembly kits for a 4x5 camera, which appears to come with everything apart from the lens panel and film holder:

http://www.camerabellows.com/Bulldog.html

but then I decided the last thing I needed was yet another camera...

Good luck with your project. I posted recently about a website with 4x5 Kodachromes from the 1940s which are absolutely amazing, so I look forward to seeing your work!

Kevin

 

[Mitica100]

Polaroid film holder 545 on the way. I have decided to build a view camera, adjustments and all. I will need a lens board, a lens and a shutter and a springback with a ground glass and a bellows. The rest I will build and fabricate from scratch, with the help of my brother-in-law who is a hobbyist woodworker on the side. It will take some time but I'm gonna go for it. Why wait? Right?

You are a brave man! Let us know about the work in progress, possible pictures.

 

[Steph]

Polaroid film holder 545 on the way. I have decided to build a view camera, adjustments and all. I will need a lens board, a lens and a shutter and a springback with a ground glass and a bellows. The rest I will build and fabricate from scratch, with the help of my brother-in-law who is a hobbyist woodworker on the side. It will take some time but I'm gonna go for it. Why wait? Right?

You don't really need to buy a lens board. It is just a small board with a hole in the middle. It is probably the easiest part of the camera to make yourself!!!! Do you have a design in mind (monorail or field camera)? As Mitica said it is very brave if you have to design everything from scratch, but having a woodworker on your side will surely be helpful.

 

[christopher walrath]

Yeah, a homemade lens board di occur to me as well. I'm thinking view camera with adjustments (as adjustment as I can manage). I have all kinds of ideas bouncing around in my noggin. Not good for the customer today that ordered a spark plug for a chain saw and recevied a motor, but the rest of the guys are picking up the slack. I will have my website updated by the time I begin and will let everyone know there how things are going (blog, step by stpes, images, suicidal thoughts, the works).

 

[Mitica100]

Be careful with the home made lensboard. I learned from experience that a Forstner bit will do fine on most hard woods and some soft metals (like aluminum). If you drill aluminum though, make sure youuse some oil on the bit while drilling. WD-40 works pretty well. Good luck.