Episode 01, The FrankenBessa

the Frankenbessa finished
The finished FrankenBessa with Schneider 65mm f8 and the 65mm viewfinder.

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Episode 01, The FrankenBessa

The second episode (after Episode 00, The Manifesto), Nick and Graham discuss Graham’s creation the FrankenBessa, a camera made from the body of a Voigtlander Bessa 6X9 120 camera and a lens designed for 4X5 cameras.

Graham refers to the K-Pan 6X14cm camera designed by Paul Kohlhaussen as an inspiration for the project. As the FrankenBessa project moved forward, it returned closely to that original inspiration (though in a smaller format) as the final project uses the same hyperfocal setup as the K-Pan.

Later on, Nick introduces the Garbage Cam Challenge wherein each participant creates a camera (pinhole or lensed) from junk laying about the house and uses it for various upcoming photographic assignments. No part of the camera can use a part that was designed for use in a camera with the exception of 35mm film canisters for film transport.

template for a lens cone glude to aluminum stock
The lens cone (pyramid?) template glued to the aluminum stock.
aluminum lens cone placed on a Voigtlander Bessa body.
The aluminum lens cone attached to the Bessa body with gaffer’s tape. This lens cone was for the 103mm Trioptar mounted to a helicoid (see next picture).
Camera with lens
The 103mm Trioptar mounted to the body via a M42-M42 helicoid focusing mechanism.
a color picture of a brick abandoned building
An example of the FrankenBessa in use: 65mm f8 Schneider-Kreuznach Super-Angulon, Lomography 100 Color Print Film, home processed using a Unicolor C-41 kit. Scanned with an Epson V-600 and adjusted in Photoshop.

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