User:Mathijs van Oosterhoudt/Why build cameras
Useful references for any camera maker:
The Hand made film camera facebook group is currently the busiest english online camera-makers community. Helpful & friendly people.
- http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/
- http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/shuttern.html
- http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_L129.html
Looking at early mechanisms, cameras and lenses can often be simpler to understand than modern ones, yet often sharing a similar core principle.
- https://jongrepstad.com/building-a-large-format-camera/camera-builders/
- https://jongrepstad.com/pinhole-camera-shutters/
Can be good as inspiration, seeing how other people may have solved problems you're trying to solve.
Cheap place to develop C41 colour negative films (Both 35mm and medium format). Black and white is best developed in the darkrooms downstairs, since the chemicals are free for use.
Calendar of camera fairs in Europe (All types of cameras, cine, digital, lenses, related equipment)
Once a year open-air camera fair, best one.
- https://www.meukisleuk.nl
- https://www.meukisleuk.nl/agenda/tweedehandskledingbeurs,rommelmarkt,antiek-+en+curiosamarkt,kofferbakverkoop/zoek/rotterdam
Online flea-market agenda
List of optical abberations
Name = Mathijs van Oosterhoudt
www.focalcamera.com, open-source modular camera system
Each module has one simple feature that can be used / abused in different ways
Almost all designs use 300x600mm sheets (or smaller) of 3mm thick plywood
3mm acrylic can also be used, but is expensive. Very useful for mirrors, though.
3mm black acrylic
For lenses you have the following options
Re-using lenses that already exist
Constructing new lenses from found / reused glass elements
Turn / grind / polish your own out of plastic or glass
Why would you want to build your own camera?
To learn how cameras work
To achieve certain esthetics
Just to explore the possibilities,
because camera's haven't changed much over the years
( http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Le_Daguerreotype )
To keep it cheap
Focal camera workshops can be messy
Results of a small fish-eye camera in past workshop
( This camera: focalcamera.com/images/full/example-5.jpg )
