Large Format Photography
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Camera builders
Quite a few people have built their own large format camera, monorail or flatbed, simple or elaborate. Below you will find links to a number of camera builders. If you are considering building a camera, some of these links may help you planning your project.- Jon Grepstad (monorail camera made of wood)
- Rudolf Mittelmann (monorail camera made of wood and aluminum)
- Rayment Kirby (flatbed camera)
- Tony (flatbed camera)
- James Vail (8 x 10 flatbed camera, the Internet Archive)
- Edward A. Hoover (simple large format camera)
- Gavino Tavera (flatbed camera, in Italian)
FAQ
- View Camera Construction FAQ
- Cody Goddard (camera based on my design)
- Mikko Oksalahti's Mikoneka (camera based on my design)
- David Benson's monorail camera (based on my design)
- Donald Booth (camera based on my design)
- Victor E. Doak (camera based on my design)
- Greg Orlando (camera based on my design)
- Richard Söderberg (camera based on my design)
- Achim Fechtner (camera based on my design)
- Robert Fallis (camera based on my design)
- Lluis Romero (camera based on my design)
- Henri Melaanvuo (camera based on my design)
- Lucky Dragon (rail camera based on my design)
- Ricardo Vitali (camera based on my design)
- Jonathan Woods (4 x 5 monorail camera based on my design)
- Runar Matsui-Li (4 x 5 monorail camera based on my design and 5 x 7 flatbed camera)
- Laureth Barthelemy (camera based on my design)
- Cees de Groot (camera based on my design)
- Marcus Carlsson (8 x 10 monorail camera based on my design)
- Giorgio Lanz (8 x 10 monorail camera based on my design)
- Larry Floyd (8 x 10 monorail camera based on my design)
- Miguel Alho (4 x 5 monorail camera) (Text and video in Portuguese)
- Elmo Alves (4 x 5 monorail camera)
- Leo Sirkiä (monorail camera) (in Swedish, click on "Storformatskamera")
- George Anderson (metal camera)
- Svein Øye (4 x 5 monorail camera of birch)
- Enzo Ciminelli (4 x 5 monoral camera and other cameras)
- "Greyhoundman" ("Econo" large format camera)
- "2plus2isfive" (5 x 7 foamcore monorail camera)
- Former Bender Photographic site
Flatbed cameras
- Fabio Quadarella (flatbed cameras and 4 x 5 enlarger system)
- Göran Ellqvist (4 x 5 flatbed camera)
- Sandeha Lynch (flatbed camera)
- Doug Bardell (flatbed cameras made of cherry and oak)[The Internat Archive]
- Jean d'Avignon (4 x 5 flatbed camera)
- Gavino Tavera (4 x 5 flatbed camera)
- Mike Hadley (flatbed cameras)
- Patrik Jandak (4 x 5 flatbed camera) [pdf]
- Tony Smith's Lisjohn camera
- "puggsley" (4 x 5 flatbed camera)
- James Vail (8 x 10 flatbed camera, the Internet Archive)
- Matthias Schürfeld (8 x 10 flatbed camera)
- rafael a garcia (8 x 10 camera)
- I build a camera: biyeun (flatbed camera)
- Gino Mazzanobile (5 x 7, 4 x 5 and 8 x 10 cameras, in Italian)
- Luigi Giancristofaro (8 x 10 flatbed camera)
- J.B. and Susan Harlin (4 x 10 and 8 x 20 cameras)
- W. Underwood (4 x 5, 8 x 10 and 12 x 20 cameras)
- John Gerndt (ultra-large format camera)
- Daniel Luu Van Lang (ultra-large format camera)
- Andreas Emmel's 11 x 14 camera (in German)
- Camera Builder's Log (ultra-large format project)
-
Dennis Manarchy (prototype 4.5 foot x 6 foot camera)
Other cameras
- Monsieur Be (medium format view camera and other cameras)
- Roland Givan (4 x 5 camera)
- Jason Selinger (6 x 17 cm panoramic camera)
- Jamie Young (20 x 24 "hobo style" camera)
- Greg Roberts (large format wide angle and point and shoot cameras)
- Nana Sousa Dias (4 x 5 point and shoot camera)
- Kurt Mottweiler (various cameras)
- Tom Hart (rebuilt Burke & James 5 x 7)
- Andrew Bieber (5 x 7 camera)
- 5 x 7 camera
- Evan (8 x 10, 4 x 5 and 3 x 2 cameras)
- Timo's Camera Builder's Log
- toniox' ultra large camera (20 x 40 cm)
- David Vickers (sliding box camera)
- Cary Norton (Legotron, camera made of LEGO bricks)
- jb7 (ultra-large format camera)
- The medium format camera project (Peter Johansson)
- Hand made precision cameras (Arturo Rebora)
- The world's smallest wet plate camera (Kevin Klein)
Instructions and plans for monorail and flatbed cameras
Monorail cameras
- Rayment Kirby: Build your own large format camera
- Daniel R. Mitchell: Folding roll film cameras – hints and tips for making ultra-cheap replacement bellows
- Razzledog's cameras
- Laurent Barthélémy: Construire sa chambre est-ce facile, est-ce une bonne idée ?
- Bernard Ardaud: Construire une chambre légère pour la montagne
- Vincent Cabanes: Construire soi-même une petite chambre monorail 6x6.
- Gilles Barbier: Hybris 90
- Photo Studio: Chambre Photographique à soufflet. Format 18x24 cm
- Bruce Wehman: What happens when you decide to improve a Super Graphic?
- Tom Fuller: Do It Yourself – Panoramic View Cameras
- Britt K. Leckman: Camera manufacturing and modification
- Kevin Bourque: Some notes on restoring an 8 x 10 Burke and James View Camera
- David Hoyt: View Camera Restoration
- Jo Lommen: Repairing classic Press Cameras
- Frank Marshman: Camera Restoration
- Restoring an Eastman Kodak 2-D
- Bob Hutchinson: Making a Graphic View II Ultra Wide
- Jean-Claude Bertin: Construire soi-même un appareil 6x9 léger à partir d'éléments Mamiya-Press
- déclencheur: Fabriquer son appareil photo
- How to build a camera obscura (Åke Hultman)
- Giorgio Carboni: Una macchina fotografica panoramica
- denis MO: Boitier appareil photo réflex maison "homemade SLR camera"
- Plans for a sliding-box camera (Leigh Lundin) [pdf]
- John Siskin: Camera building (pdf)
- Magnorama (various cameras)
- Glass plate carrier (for homemade 8x10 view camera)
- Scott Perry: Classic and Large Format Camera Repairs, Customizations, Rehabilitations, and Use
- J.B. Harlin
- MakingBellows
- Doug Bardell [The Internet Archive]
- Franz-Manfred Schüngel (German)
- Joe Smiegel
- Instructables
- Stockhomviews.com
- dbaecht (www.f295.org)
- Salihonba
- Photo Studio (French)
- "Arca Irish" 8 x 10 bellows construction
- A Speed Graphic Enlarger (Jerry Sparrow)
- 4 x 5 Enlarger (Claudio Bottari)
- 4 x 5 Enlarger (Franz-Manfred Schüngel, in German)
- 4 x 5 Enlarger ("Greyhoundman")
- 4 x 5 Enlarger (Victor E. Doak)
- Doug Wilcox: How Can I Use 120 Film in my 620 camera?
- DIY large format accessories (Franz-Manfred Schüngel, in German)
- Home Made Wooden Tripod (Dick Streff)
- Handmade Wooden Tripod (Dave Hoyt)
- Wooden Camera Tripod (Matthias Wandel)
- Making a Sturdy Tripod (Chauveau Mathieu)
- Make Your Own Tripod Head (Tom Massey)
- Home Made Wooden Tripod (Leo Sirkiä, in Swedish)
- Home Made Wooden Tripod (Marcus Carlsson)
- The Camera
Makers' List
- Camera
Building & Modification
- Grossformatfotografie: Bastelecke (in German)
- Flickr: Camera makers
Last updated 25 March 2013
Jon Grepstad gjon@online.no
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