- The Dream Begins: For 40 years, I harbored the dream of owning a 4x5 inch camera, but their hefty price tags always held me back.
- Blueprints from the Past: Roughly 35 years ago, I sketched the first technical drawing. It was ambitious, a bit naive, but it was the seed of what was to come.
- The Journey Commences: Fast forward to early 2019, I finally took the plunge into making my dream a reality. The adventure of building my own camera began.
- Research Galore: Diving headfirst into the world of camera types was like opening Pandora’s box. The options were endless, but educational.
- Material Musings: Wood or metal? That was the question. After much deliberation, I opted for a monorail camera design for its relative simplicity and adaptability.
- The Hunt for Parts: My quest led me to a quaint shop in Dortmund, Camera09, where I unearthed a lens, an international back, and an old bellows for a 5x7 camera. These treasures were the cornerstone of my project.
- Craftsmanship Unleashed: The frames for the front and back were meticulously crafted from wood, the standards from aluminum, and the monorail from a sturdy aluminum profile.
- A Light-Tight Masterpiece: From the outset, my creation was light-tight, a testament to the meticulous planning and execution of the project.
This journey from a decades-long dream to the creation of a bespoke 4x5 inch camera is a testament to the power of persistence, creativity, and a touch of engineering prowess. It’s a story of how a passion for photography can lead to the birth of a one-of-a-kind instrument, capable of capturing the world in unparalleled detail.
Stay tuned for more tales from the darkroom and beyond, as I explore the limits of my DIY large format camera.