User:Mathijs van Oosterhoudt/Why build cameras

Useful references for any camera maker:

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/621749104505605/

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.

• http://www.fotovandergraaf.nl/home

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.

• https://www.fotografica.nl/beurskalender-2018/

Calendar of camera fairs in Europe (All types of cameras, cine, digital, lenses, related equipment)

• http://www.fotograficamuseumdoesburg.nl/18-augustus-2019/

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

• https://www.handprint.com/ASTRO/ae4.html

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 )