homemadecamera.com

E19 Show Notes

Nick and Graham tackle aesthetics in this episode, including a discussion at the start about the reactions of the subjects when using non-standard camera designs for portraiture.

They discuss Steampunk design styles, retro, futuristic, craftsman and others along the way.

Graham mentions 3hands_studio (https://www.instagram.com/3hands_studio/), the Instagram feed of a Korean watchmaker, camera maker and tool maker (28:00).

Nick hurts Graham’s brain stem by introducing the concept of “haptics” whereby an electronic device creates a vibration or motion based on user interaction (https://www.google.com/search?q=haptics&oq=haptics&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.1485j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8). A bit like Sensurround for your pocket (42:45).

We get a lesson on the meaning of Mary Shelly’s classic book Frankenstein (53:45) and how it is a metaphor for the great potential for good and evil of technology. What that means for Graham’s Frankencameras and whether they will eat his young is not concluded, sadly.

The discussion shifts to methods of creating different aesthetics with homemade cameras and modified cameras (1:01:45).

Graham quizzes Nick about leather, vegan leather and hotboxing (1:06:45). Nick talks about wood and wood veneer.

There’s a bit of a lesson about Darwin and evolution in the middle of the discussion of cameras (1:23:45). Seriously, it makes total sense if you listen to it. It shouldn’t, but it does.

How does a pink BB gun work into our conversation? It’s at the core (1:29:30).

Color Photography a Working Manual by Henry Horenstein is the Book of the Ep (https://www.amazon.com/Color-Photography-Working-Henry-Horenstein/dp/0316373168).

After about a dozen episodes of forgetting, Graham finally remembered that the person who was wrapping pinhole cameras in Fabric was Martin Scarland (@mscarland on Instagram). Of course, he didn’t remember while recording the show.

Matt Loves Cameras, a podcast from Sunny Brisbane, Australia, is mentioned a couple of times. To find a link to that and other podcasts, go to http://www.filmpodcastnetwork.com and click on the listings.

Notes E18 3D Printing

The show starts off by explaining why downloading the Homemade Camera Podcast will help your love life (9:15) but then move almost directly into 3D Printing and the technologies available to the camera builder.

The Korean watchmaker 3 Hands Studio (https://www.instagram.com/3hands_studio/) is mentioned (42:00) and while it is not mentioned on the podcast, his exposed clockwork cameras are very worthy of appreciation (https://www.instagram.com/p/BqeKNXdBvMT/).

Ethan talks about his new camera design that is a follow up to the Cameradactyl that was so hugely popular on Kickstarter (45:45).

They next discuss metal cutting methods in the goal of developing a 6X12 roll film back for a 4X5 camera (1:04:40) and why laser or water jet cutting might be too expensive for a small batch camera. In the process Nick tells us about a Flatter or Top Tool and why you need a big hammer in the tool bag if you want to make a camera.

Nick asks Ethan about where the Butter camera that goes with the Buttergrips is (1:19:00) and Ethan tells us about how the Cameradactyl got its colors. Then they talk about why three cars are better than one, or maybe not.

Nick’s friend Philip Greene (https://www.flickr.com/photos/philipgreene) has been getting some good results from Harmon Direct Positive (1:34:05).

Graham starts rambling on about Lumenography and the Lumenboxes he’s been making (1:42:00). He gives credit to Joterman (https://www.instagram.com/joterman/) and to Nicole Small (https://www.instagram.com/joterman/) for providing inspiration and technical information.

The mystery of how Graham and Nick met and how the two of them met Ethan is solved (1:51:00)!

The books for this time around: A Lesser Photographer (https://www.amazon.com/Lesser-Photographer-Escape-Focus-Matters-ebook/dp/B07HXNFB1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547430667&sr=8-1&keywords=a+lesser+photographer). And Camera Technology: the Dark Side of the Lens (https://www.amazon.com/Camera-Technology-Dark-Side-Lens/dp/0122875702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547430742&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dark+side+of+the+lens).

Nick shouts out to Brian Cuyler (https://www.flickr.com/photos/bbcuyler) on Flickr.

Episode 17 show notes:

Nick and Graham talk about stuff.

Graham opens the episode up with a question about a specific picture on

Marina Amaral’s website: https://marinamaral.com/. The picture discussed in the opening question is at https://marinamaral.com/portfolio/lewis-powell/

The source of this week’s episode is a book called 500 cameras (https://www.amazon.com/500-Cameras-Years-Photographic-Innovation/dp/1402780869)

Globuscope 4X5 (https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1539547/0)

Linhof Technorama 617 (https://kenrockwell.com/tech/617.htm)

Kodak Instamatic (http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kodak_Instamatic_104)

Fujifilm GS645 (http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Fuji_GS645_Professional_series)

Graham buys something off eBay (45:30) though it is unclear as to what he bought.

The Mamiya Universal Press camera (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamiya_Press) is discussed (50:15) though it is not one of the ones chosen from the book. It is one of the truly hideous designs (at least Graham thinks so and since he is writing the notes for this episode, it is declared to be Homemade Camera Podcast canon).

Panon 120 (http://historiccamera.com/cgi-bin/librarium2/pm.cgi?action=app_display&app=datasheet&app_id=3187)

Lomography Spinner 360 (https://microsites.lomography.com/spinner-360/)

Nikon 28Ti/35Ti (https://www.35mmc.com/21/09/2015/nikon-35ti-guest-review-marc-olivier-gilbert/)

The Sunshine Camera from Societa Anonima Ottico Meccanica Italina (http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Ottico_Meccanica_Italiana)

Tri-Color Camera JosPe Farben-Photo GmbH (http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Jos-Pe)

Kodak Panoram (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cdi1On_XkM)

Graflex 70mm Combat Graphic (http://www.novacon.com.br/odditycameras/combgra.htm)

Royal Mail Stamp Camera (http://www.antiquewoodcameras.com/roy-mail.html)

Kodak Medalist II (https://filmphotographyproject.com/content/reviews/2017/06/mighty-medalist-620-camera/)

Challenge Dayspool No. 1 Tropical (http://ignomini.com/photographica/2dcameras/Lizars_Dayspool/Lizars_Challenge_Dayspool.html)

David Avison’s Handmade Panoramic Camera example of results though not the camera itself (http://www.mocp.org/detail.php?type=related&kv=6853&t=people)

Globuscope 360 spinning camera (http://www.360atlas.com/globe.html)

Mick-A-Matic (http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Mick-A-Matic)

Graham talks about a lumenography camera that shoots directly to paper with long exposures and can produce an image on the paper without any development (1:59:00). Some of the pictures from this camera can be seen on his Instagram page @grahamhomemadecamera.

Nick shouts out to @Surgeon24hrs on Instagram for a camera he posted on the Flickr group’s page.

E15 Pinholes and Hammers

Graham talks about sliding down the fidelity curve (11:30) and why he likes film that has been boiling in a Bulgarian warehouse for 20 years than good fresh film for taking pictures with pinhole cameras. He also talks about the commonalities between early computer-generated animation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN1A2mVnrOM) and the pinhole camera (27:30).

They start talking about the physical principles and qualities that go into a pinhole for a pinhole camera (31:15). Pinhole size is very important and they talk about that pinhole size and how to calculate the right size for the focal length and film size using the calculator on MrPinhole.com website (33:30).

Sources of laser-drilled pinholes:

Fireseller66 on eBay: https://www.ebay.com.sg/sch/fireseller66/m.html

James Guerin (Reality So Subtle): https://aupremierplan.fr/

Now that the pinhole has been taken care of, they begin a discussion of the body that will transport the film and keep the dark in (53:50) including oatmeal containers, matchboxes, Harry’s Razors boxes, and paperboard. Plus, they discuss what paperboard is!

Graham moves his Scamera project off of the back burner and into the sink (1:25:30) and Nick talks about his Big Build. He also talked about selling a camera design through an Etsy shop (1:32:50) with details to be released via Instagram (@grahamhomemadecamera) and Flickr (FreezerOfPhotons).

Shoutouts this week to Lucus Landers (@cropped_camera on Instagram and http://lucuslanders.com/) who is using cast and machined metals to build homemade rangefinder cameras. Also noted is a new podcast called WTF What the Film !? (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/wtf-what-the-film) hosted by a mysterious unnamed voice.

The makers of the Pin-Blad are Light Leaks Lab (look them up on Facebook).

 

Nick and Graham start off the show talking about what general types of photography they each are attracted to.

They then launch into a discussion of shutters and what kinds of shutter speeds are really needed and do we need very fast and very slow shutter speeds (19:08).

They talk a bit about what techniques could be used for very fast shutter speeds (34:00) and then why Graham doesn’t necessarily want a perfectly round aperture for a pinhole camera (38:05).

They talk a bit about Amos Dudley’s blog about shutters and other things related to building a camera from scratch: http://amosdudley.com/weblog/SLO-Camera (48:45).

Nick talks about why he wants to get a bunch of broken and worthless SLR cadavers and other cameras in his pursuit of learning their anatomy, just like a medical student does with feet (1:04:45).

There were a few audio issues with this episode. Please bear with us through the pops, scratches and bangs.

The boys start off with a discussion of the ins and outs of leaving cameras in your car during hot weather (00:00) and Nick explains why he wants a camera like a bar of soap (13:00).

They continue the discussion of the travel camera they started in the last episode (14:40).

Graham can’t remember the name of the Olympus Trip 35 and felt like a fool for forgetting (23:50). He then redeems himself with a reconfiguring of the body of a travel 35mm camera on the model of the film cartridge backs of medium format cameras (28:20).

Graham talks about Graham (another one, better known as Chickenthumbs on Instagram) 41:45.

Graham blathers on and on about his Flex-O-Pan at 58:00 so you’ll probably want to skip head to the good stuff, like the next episode of Photography Matters with Ted Viera.

The talk turns to a Kickstarter campaign to create a digital sensor that drops into a standard 35mm camera and how that could be the source of sensors for digital camera builds (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1374923168/film-35-innovative-photography-experience) (1:29:00).

Nick sends a shout out to Ralph Lundval (1:53:20) and the images he posted using an enlarger lens and a Speed Graphic.

After covering the subject of whether a person should dress in layers while hiking in the Pacific Northwest, Nick and Graham talk about what kind of features they want in a camera for travel (8:00). Nick describes his Duffer Suit and how it allows him to be ignored when he takes pictures (21:20). Graham describes the psychological reason why Leicas kept the bottom-loading system for as long as they did (24:00).

We get a bit of a non-update on the Scamera project and what the guys worked on the past two weeks (30:45).

E11, Features and the Brainstorm

Graham starts us off with a discussion of the role features play in the design of cameras. Features here are defined as non-essential elements that make the process of making a photograph easier (6:15). As an example, he and Nick run through the features associated with focusing.

In the spirit of the thing, Nick talks about features that he would like to see developed that either has not already been implemented or have not been widely implemented (26:05).

The hosts discuss the concept of a 35mm camera that could accommodate image sizes from 24mm by 24mm to 24mm by 65mm with several sizes in between (33:50). This camera would have a drop-in mask or a mask that is adjustable from the outside and would advance the proper distance no matter what format it is shooting at the time.

Nick does his best to make the system much more complicated than the original vision but while providing a good argument on the merits of the additional complexity (46.30). Graham counters with the engineering and design process that takes many iterations to find the proper solution.

They then start to talk about what features are desirable for this type of project (55:30).

Nick tells the tale of taking apart his Nikanon scamera, shooting pinhole cameras and playing with putty (1:07:00).

Zeb Andrews’ recent appearance on The Lensless Podcast sparked a discussion about slow shooting experiences and value of a photograph of an experience vs. the experience itself (1:31:00). They also discuss the IM Back digital back for film cameras as a core component of a camera build.

Nick starts off the episode by talking about what a universal camera design is and why it might be nice to have (5:15). From there they talk about existing cameras that can be considered universal and how different qualities are more flexible than others. Nick describes the Mercury Camera System, a system that was designed from the start to be a universal design (22:40). Graham puts forward the concept that the APS film format should be considered a universal film format while name-dropping Mike Gutterman (28:30).

They move on to talking about the features of a universal camera (35:15) and what is most important about it. After that, they talk about how to approach a design of a universal camera (47:39).