New Mod

[Ash]

Here's a peak at the Kodak mod.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/camera.jpg

But now the big problem... where to attach the rangefinder?! :D

[MikeL]

Nicely done Ash, although my biceps hurt just looking at it!

[kmack]

Pretty....

As for the rangefinder just top mount a kalart on that thing long enough to take a photo to prove it had one.

Is that a 5x7?

[Ash]

It could be a 5x7 with the correct back. It's a half plate. I have a 4x5 back on it's way from the USA ready to modify for the camera :)

[Gabriel M.A.]

I thought you were announcing you had become a new moderator, Ash.

What does "mod." in Kodak mod. stand for?

BTW, beautiful carving job with that table! ;)

[Ash]

The table is metal casting. Cheap garden centre jobby... As seen here with an apple :D

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/Untitled-1copy-1.jpg

(the photo above was from my other 4x5, a Calumet monorail)

No wood in that thing! lol


Kodak Mod - Kodak Modification... 'Kodak SI MkII Ground Camera, London SC1' or something - half plate field camera, RAF. I've modified the fit and finish.

[Gabriel M.A.]

I knew they were different tables, just pulling your leg.

Looks like a nice job (on the "mod."). What lenses do you have for your LF cameras?

[Ash]

I'm not ashamed to say I wasn't sure if you were joking or not :D

On that note, lenses.

Well that image I linked to, thats from a 'Petzimex'. A Hanimex 300mm MD Minolta slr lens, but only the front element. I took a hacksaw to the barrel. It acts like a Petzal, so I coined Petzimex :D

Other than that, I have a Goerz Dagor 160mm 6,3 that was given to me by my grandfather - haven't had much use as I'm waiting to mount it properly on a lensboard.

I also spent £40 before xmas on a bunch of cheap lenses. Cooke Aviar Anastigmat 10inch, Cooke Process 13inch, Aldis Uno 6inch (i think), un-named brass lens (6 or 8 inch I think), and I'm sure there's a couple old enlarger lenses at about 4,5inch hanging about too :)

All budget/free lenses :D

[sjw617]

Ash, I am impressed. Very nice job of restoration.

Steve

[TimSmith-Laing]

Nice job Ash, keep us updated!

[Ash]

For anyone who's interested, I've got a bit of a journal on the whole process here:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=23340


Starts with my initial (unanswered) questions and ideas, and stretches to the revamping process.

I may make this into a blog at some point :)

[rbiemer]

Ash,
I seem to recall that you asked about changing the bellows--or at least, the color of the bellows?
Personally, I think the blue/grey goes pretty well with the reddish wood(mahogany?)!
Nicely done.
Rob

[mjflory]

Ash, it's lovely!

Spring is here, maybe I'll yet build that field camera I've been thinking about.

By the way, the very nice picture of the apple on the table could serve as a textbook example of the focal plane.

-- Michael

[Ash]

Rob, yes I agree. I want to stain the bellows dark brown or black, but currently I quite like their dull grey appearance. The wood is all sorts - most has been stained to appear 'dark rosewood', but looks more like mahogany as you say. Only the front U-shaped piece is actually mahogany I think!

Michael, thanks. Do it!
I've just commited to restoring a second 4x5 camera. I couldn't resist its charm!

The apple picture was a total whim. I love it though. Especially because it is so ambiguous, but somewhat normal all the same. :)

[rbiemer]

I knew they were different tables, just pulling your leg.

Great. Now the table will rock...
Rob









:p

[Ash]

Talking of pulling legs... ok I'll stop there before it becomes an innuendo..

I was out shooting for SADOE, and upon my arrival back into the village of Avebury, I couldn't help but purchase a huge old surveyors tripod!!

I'm about 6ft, and it's as tall as me (almost) with the original surveying head on it. I'm gonna attach a typical tripod mounting screw, and use it for the truly vintage feel :D

[BronicaLee]

she's a beaut!

[Ash]

A quick update to this thread, I have pretty much completed the modding.

At least, it's close enough to completion to be happy. It will never be complete at my rate of laziness.


If I hadn't already done so, this is the link to the progression from beast to beaut - http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=23340


Shot taken with the lens (this was the other day):
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/contax1fulled.jpg


I then temporarily affixed the shutter behind the lens, and the prototype was successful enough that I'm not too fussed at improving on its nasty facade - it's hidden inside the camera anyway. - see the bottom of the thread.

Thanks to Scott -- on LFPF, I received some custom lens panels to replace the taped up fibreboard I had before

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/DSC00984.jpg

I then managed to snap two boards making the lens cavity and cable release hole

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/DSC00985.jpg


Here's the camera 'final'

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/DSC00988.jpg


And here's the inside, the nasty shutter:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/DSC00989.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/DSC00990.jpg

The shutter has a top speed of 1/press-an-let-go. I think I can get to around 1/20 or maybe 1/50 I'm not sure. The lens is a Ross Xpres f/4,5 so it's plenty fast enough for the ISO-5 film I'm going through.

:)

[Ash]

oh here's the back of the camera too - It's balancing on a piece of wood, that's been replaced with a bolt to mount the camera on the tripod.

This is the tripod I bought in Avebury by the by

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/DSC00908.jpg