Yesterday my newest issue of Engineering in Miniature arrived and it
contains an article of probable interest to some readers of this group. It
is the first installment of The Korekta 5x4 Flat Bed Camera. Because
this magazine is not much oriented toward cameras as construction projects,
but rather concerns itself with a wide range of model making and home
machining, I suspect few users of this group subscribe so here I will tip
you off!
The author is Richard Church and the camera is made from wood, Al alloy and
some plastic ( Nylon Rack and pinion, at least.) I would describe the
design as utilitarian rather than elegant in final appearance (Good
plywood is a wonderful material, often lacking in the beauty of fine
hardwoods but blessed with stability, sturdiness and availability.), though
hardwoods are employed where they bring benefits. Bellowsmaking is not
involved; the author suggests buying and you all know where there are
articles in the Internet for DIY bellows.
The camera includes a good range of movements (In front, swings and tilts
plus horizontal and vertical sliding motions; in the rear, only the rise
and fall are absent.)
I will leave it to others with experience to evaluate in more detail, but
to me the camera looks like a relatively easy one to make yet offering
enough flexibility to satisfy most demands. It looks as if the design
enables good performance without too much time spent on non-utilitarian
aspects. It's for making pictures rather than for looking at the camera
itself!
EIM is a British magazine distributed in the USA to subscribers and maybe
you can turn up an issue at specialist magazine stores, but I suggest
writing to the UK publisher if you are in an area lacking a source (there
is an address given in the magazine for the American distributor, but no
phone number, and no suggestion the company handles orders for anything.)
The UK email address
is [EMAIL PROTECTED] . There is also
a site
http://www.fotec.co.uk/mehs/tee
which I will be checking out after finishing this! I recommend that the
first person who determines how to obtain the desired issues (there is at
least one more installment a month in the future, but the first already
contains a good fraction of the details and drawings, However, the back is
not yet described.)
Perhaps this magazine is a good outlet for those who have made cameras and
who wish to share their designs with the rest of the world. The readers
are often first-rate craftsmen and some will be building just to have an
ideal camera for photographing their wonderfully detailed locomotives,
etc.. Your designs might infect them with a new activity, serious photography.
Bob
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