This FAQ has been written by and is maintained by Jon Grepstad gjon@online.no. Its primary site is http://home.online.no/~gjon. The FAQ aims at amateur photographers and woodworkers who are considering building a large format camera. The first version was published in August 1996.

Announcements about updates of the FAQ are posted in rec.photo.equipment.large-format, rec.photo.misc and rec.woodworking.

1. What skills are needed for building a view camera?

   The basic principles of a view camera are simple. The skills needed depend on your design. The design in turn may be adapted to your skills. Example: Advanced woodworkers may dovetail the corners of the front and rear frames; less advanced woodworkers may miter the corners. Average woodworking skills will go a long way.

   Patience and accuracy are vitues that will be reflected in the final object.

2. What tools are needed for building a view camera?

   Mainly ordinary woodworking tools: an electric drill (a drill press is useful, but not necessary), bits for wood and metal, a bench vise, various saws (e.g. backsaw or tenon saw, fret saw, coping saw and hacksaw), probably a miter box, a carpenter’s square (engineer’s try-square), straight tip and cross-head screwdrivers, metal files, wood files, clamps (miter or corner clamps are useful but not required), a smoothing plane, a knife, chisels, callipers, a metal ruler, sandpaper of assorted grades. For some designs a soldering iron may be needed.

3. Should I build a monorail camera or a flatbed camera?

   Monorail cameras and flatbed cameras differ with regard to features.

   Flatbed cameras have more limited camera movements than monorail cameras, typically about 18-20 degrees back tilt and swing. Flatbed cameras usually have base tilt of the back (the back tilt axis is at the bottom) and base and on-axis tilt of the front. Monorail cameras often have on-axis tilt (the rear frame tilts on the optical axis). Most flatbed cameras fold up into a box; monorail camera do not.

   Monorail cameras are easier to build, partly because the camera is not designed to fold up into a box. Monorail cameras may have friction focusing or geared focusing. Collapsable flatbed cameras need rack and pinion focusing. They usually require more metal work than a monorail camera. Flatbed cameras are often referred to as field cameras, though many monorail cameras may be used in the field as well.

4. How much do the materials cost?

   The answer depends on your design and your choice of materials. Hardwoods suitable for cameras are cherry, mahogany, teak, walnut, oak, and ash. All wood has to be well seasoned so that it does not warp. Many commercial cameras are made of cherry. Expenses also depend on whether you make a bellows yourself or buy the bellows. In general the materials of a view camera are not very expensive.

5. How long does it take to build a camera?

   Your first camera takes more time than your second. The first time you build a camera you will spend considerable time pondering over details and looking for suitable hardwoods or metal parts. This is part of the pleasure of building your own camera. Building a camera may take 50 - 100 hours.

6. What are the most critical measurements in a view camera design?

   The positioning of the ground glass is the most critical detail in the design. The focusing surface of the ground glass has to be in the same position as the emulsion of the film when a film holder is inserted. The critical measurement (the distance from film emulsion to the surface of the film holder) is 4.8 mm or 0.190".

   The ANSI standard for the depth of a standard 4 x 5 inch film holder is 0.197" plus minus 0.007". Most film has a base of 0.007" . When film is loaded in the film holder, the depth is 0.190". This is the measurement used by Sinar cameras. Wisner cameras use a compromise of 0.192" to allow for wear on the wood and because Tech Pan film, used by some photographers to achieve ultra-sharp images, has a base of 0.004".

   The ANSI standard for 5 x 7 and 8 x 10 inch film holders are as follows (film thickness has not been deducted):

   5 x 7"
   0.228" + - 0.010

   8 x 10"
   0.260" + - 0.016

   These measurements may be checked with a Vernier calliper gauge or a micrometer (available in some hardware stores). Vernier callipers take measurements to 0.1 mm or less.

7. What points should I pay special attention to when deciding on a design?

   Camera movements: When choosing a design you should think of how much camera movements you want (tilt, swing, shift, rise and fall). Camera movements distinguish large format cameras from rigid-bodied cameras and make possible control of perspective and depth of field. You may have to choose between on-axis tilt (the frames tilt on the optical axis) and base tilt (the frames tilt on an axis near the bottom). Read about camera movements before you decide on a design.

   Accurate and comfortable focusing: Focusing must be accurate and easy to operate. Friction focusing, i.e. gently pushing or pulling the sliders which carry the front and rear frames, works well with monorail cameras. Flatbed cameras normally need rack and pinion focusing (gears).

   Easy changing from the horizontal to the vertical format: The back should have a lock wich makes changing from the horizontal to the vertical format easy.

   Sturdiness: The optical bench of the monorail camera or the struts of the flatbed camera should be sturdy. Inserting a film holder should not change your focusing.

   During the construction you should pay particular attention to:

   Accurate positioning of the focusing surface of the ground glass: See 6 above.

   Accurate positioning of the tilt axis of the front and rear frames: The tilt axis of the front and rear frames should be level to ensure accurate camera movements.

8. Should I make the bellows myself or buy a bellows?

   Some amateur camera builders make the bellows themselves, others buy a standard bellows or have a bellows custom made.

   Standard bellows tend to be expensive. The most reasonable standard square bellows suitable for a 4 x 5 inch monorail camera, is probably a Cambo bellows. A custom made bellows for 4 x 5 may be about US $ 150. Bender Photographic sell tapered bellows (made for their 4 x 5 and 8 x 10 kits) separately for a reasonable price. Making a bag bellows for wide wide-angle lenses is easier than making a pleated bellows.

   Useful instructions for making bellows are found here:

   • Doug Bardell's DIY bellows page
   • Kurt Mottweiler's zip file (Jack Deardorff)

9. Can I make my own ground glass?

   Commercial ground glass for 4 x 5 cameras is fairly inexpensive. For larger formats it is pretty expensive. However, for any format you can make excellent ground glass yourself at hardly any cost. Get some # 600 carborundum or # 500 corundum. Put a piece of glass on a flat surface. Mix about a teaspoonful of carborundum/corundum with water to make a paste. Put the 2 mm piece of glass which is going to be your ground glass on top and move it in small circles as you exert some pressure. Grinding a 4 x 5 ground glass may take 5-10 minutes. An 8 x 10 ground glass may take 20-30 minutes depending on your experience.

10. Where do I find plans or instructions?

    Grepstad, Jon. Building a Large Format Camera. Second, revised edition. Oslo 2000. 85 pages. ISBN 82-993938-1-7. (Instructions and plans for a 4 x 5 inch monorail camera of hardwood, brass and aluminum.)

    Hoover, Edward A. Simple Large Format Camera Construction. An Illustrated Fabrication Manual. Sanford, Florida 2002. 111 pages.

    Gutierrez, Al. "Build a View Camera". Popular science do-it-yourself yearbook. 1992. N.Y. : Popular Science Books : distribution by Van Nostrand Reinhold 1992. pp. 111-118. ISBN 0-696-11111-X (Instructions for building a Bender or Bender-like camera.)

    Helm, Peter. Selbstbau einer Grossformat-Fachkamera. Titz-Gevelsdorf: Verlag Peter Helm, 1989. 6th edition. 84 pages. ISBN 3-88673 -000-X. (Basic instructions for making a simple monorail camera of metal.)

    Håkansson, Patrik and Lundell, Kurt. "Bygg din egen storformatskamera". Aktuell fotografi 7-8, 1988, pp. 64-68. Stockholm 1988. Also see correction in Aktuell fotografi 9, 1988. (Article with sketches for building a 4 x 5 inch monorail camera of wood and metal.)

    Jahr, Wolfgang. "9 x 12-Kamera aus der Hobbywerkstatt". Foto Hobbylabor 2, 3, 4, 1986. Hamburg 1986. (Series of articles with sketches for building a 4 x 5 inch monorail camera of wood and metal. Also instructions for converting the camera into an enlarger.)

    Layton, John. "Designing and building your own camera", View Camera, March-April 1995, pp. 38-44. Sacramento, CA. (Article with photographs for building a 4 x 5 inch flatbed camera of hardwood.)

    Layton, John. "Build you own 4 x 5 field-view camera". View Camera, November-December 1996, pp. 48-56. Sacramento, CA. (Instructions for building a 4 x 5 inch flatbed camera of hardwood.)

    Mönks, Thomas. Grossformatkamera selbst gebaut. Stuttgart: Lindemanns Verlag 1991. 3rd edition. 38 pages. ISBN 3-928126-17-2. (Instructions for making a very simple wooden monorail camera.)

    Partridge, Graham. 5 x 4 Camera. Henly-on-Thames, 1992. 35 pages. (Plans for a simple non-collapsable flatbed camera. Also plans for a tapered bellows.)

    Robinson, Mike. "How to build a camera bellows". View Camera, July-August 1996, pp. 52-55. Sacramento, CA.

    Romney, Edward H. Bellows making text. 14 pages. Drayton, SC. 1990.

    Romney, Ed and James Tannehill. Build a view camera. 23 pages. ISBN 1-886996-63-6. (Plans for a 2 x 3 metal view camera, expandable to 4 x 5.) Drayton, SC. 1979.

    Spreadbury, S. "Into View. A Home-Made 4 x 5 in Camera". Amateur Photographer, 13 March 1982, pp. 127-128. (Article and photographs for building a monorail camera made of metal and wood.)

    West, Bert. Build your own view camera. Highland Park, IL: Dogstar Publishing, 1995. 112 pages. ISBN 1-886757-07-0. (Instructions for building a simple 4 x 5 inch monorail camera. Also instructions for making a bellows.)

11. What sites are there on the net?

    Doug Bardell http://www.cyberbeach.net/~dbardell
    Jon Grepstad http://home.online.no/~gjon/jgcam.htm
    Rayment Kirby http://www.raymentkirbycameras.co.uk/workshop/index.htm
    Rudolf Mittelmann http://www.artm-friends.at/rm/foto/
    Mikko Oksalahti http://gamma.nic.fi/~mikoneka/
    James Vail (the Internet Archive) http://web.archive.org/web/20040914084523/www.srv.net/~vail/camera.htm
    

12. Is there a mailing list for cameramakers?

    The Camera Makers' List
    Camera Building & Modification

13. Where do I find thumb nuts/screws, gears or other metal parts for my camera?

    The US:

    • W. M. Berg Inc., 499 Ocean Avenue, East Rockaway, NY 11 518. Phone 1-800-232-Berg. Fax 1-800-455-Berg.
    • Smalls Parts Inc., P. O. Box 4650, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-0650. Phone 800-220-4242. Fax 800-423-9009.
    • Reid Tool Supply Company, 2265 Black Creek Rd., Muskegon, MI 49444. Phone (616) 777-3951 or 1-800-253-0421. Fax (616) 773-4485 or 1-800-438-1145.
    • McMaster-Carr

14. Where do I find a reasonable lens for my camera?

    Pointers to information on large format lenses - their design, covering power etc.

    Second hand lenses are advertised in some photo magazines and sold by some shops. A few sources:

    The US:

    • eBAY (online auctions)
    • Ads in Shutterbug, Patch Publishing, 5211 S. Washington Ave., Titusville, FL 32780.
      
    • Photo-Graphic Systems, 412 Central S.E. Alburquerque, NM 87102. Phone (505) 247-9780. Fax (505) 243-4407.

    Scandinavia:
    • LP Foto, Rådmansgatan 43, 113 58 Stockholm, Sweden. Phone (08) 673 26 27.
      
    • Prokom ab, P.O. Box 430, 35106 Växjö, Sweden. Phone (070) 730 55 00.
      
    • L-foto, Folketshusvägen 23, 780 50 VANSBRO, Phone 0281 - 71 351, 070 - 55 71 351
    • Foto.no – bruktmarked (Norway)

    Great Britain:
    • MrCad (Beginlaunch Limited)
    • J. R. Hagerty, 21 Princes Street, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1EG, Phone/Fax 1704 - 538738.
      
    • Robert White, Unit 4 Alder Hills Ind Est, 16 Alder Hills, Poole, Dorset, BH12 4AR, Phone +44 1202 723046, Fax +44 1202 737428
    • Teamwork Photographic, 41/42 Foley Street, London, W1P 7LD, Phone +44 0171 323 6455, Fax +44 0171436 5212

15. Where can I have a barrel lens mounted in a shutter?
    • S.K. Grimes, Phone 508-384-7107. Fax 508-384-6122
    
    
16. Where can I get a Packard shutter?
    • Hub Photo Services, 117 Vine Street, Hammonton, NJ 08037, Phone 609-561-696, Fax 609-561-3298
    • Equinox Photographic, P.O. Box 40968, Eugene, Oregon 97404, Phone 541-461-6910 (9:00 AM to 12:00 noon Pacific time)
    
    
17. Where do I find information on shutter features (diameters etc.)?
    • S.K. Grimes

18. Where can I have bellows made for my camera?

    The US:

    • Universal Bellows Co., Inc., 25 Hanse Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520. Phone (516) 378-1264. Fax (516) 767-7387.
    • Turner Bellows, 526 Child Street, Rochester, NY 14606. Phone (716) 235-4456. Fax (716) 235-4593.
    • Western Bellows Company, 9340 7th St., Suite G, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-5664. Phone (909) 980-0606.

    The UK:

    • Custom Bellows

    The Netherlands:

    • Kozik Cameratechniek, Oude Sluis 6, 3111 Pk Schiedam, The Netherlands. Phone (010) 4703661. Fax (010) 4703661.

19. What good sources are there for the history of view camera design?

    Two useful sources:

    Coe, Brian. Cameras. From Daguerrotypes to Instant Pictures. Gothenburg: Nordbok, 1978. 240 pages. ISBN 91-7442-0313

    Stroebel, Leslie D. View Camera Technique. 5th edition. New York-Boston-London: Focal Press, 1986. 310 pages. ISBN 0-240-51711-3. (The classic reference work on large format photography.)

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