Adapted Lenses for Box Cameras

[@raisedbywolves2385]

Exactly the video I needed!! I’m learning so much from you Joe! The time you take to create these videos and the passion you have for this craft, I’m beyond grateful! Those images are absolutely beautiful and you have given me more confidence to try building a box camera of my own. Thank you so very much!

[@Happy35More]

yuou have no idea how greatful i am to have found this video. not specifically the lenses, but more so the eggs to making this cake. thank you

[@eimablank]

I have been trying all lenses over my house to try to get large exposure after watching your video, and the drawing "Tracer projector" is giving the best results to print on very large paper. Thank you for sharing your experience, this is really motivating for trying photography alternative methods of printing.

[@jogrev]

Thank you, Joe!!!! Good job!!! This camera system is a good option to take pictures in a real cheap way. The negative film is too expensive now a day so, this is a good way to keep taking pictures!!! Greetings from Venezuela!!!

[@voyagersquaremuzika]

I learned a lot from you and so thank you very much for all your hard work you put into this on KZbin!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Thank you!

[@jameskyle4807]

WOW! Thank you Joe, for the making of this VID. This is exactly what I too have been working on for about two years. You explain better than I about the use of different "glass" for the building of DIY designs.

[@miranda7458]

Hi Joe, every time I think of a camera - making question that I don’t understand, you always have a video that’s just right! Have you ever made a camera with a credit card plastic fresnel lens? I would love to see!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Back in the 1990s I made a fresnel lens board for my Speed Graphic, stopped down to a 1/4 inch hole it was F/13, kind of had a Holga-like aesthetic to it.

[@slemtones]

WOW! Those shots at the end are awesome! Thanks for all your great photography videos. You have really changed and widened the options I should consider to capture an image. I'm very grateful for the time and effort you spend to produce these videos.

[@njmjpena]

This is the video I've needed for motivation to build a box camera!

[@luiscarlos1048]

Fantastic Sir! 🙌🏽👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@danko6582]

I find Rustoleum frosted glass spray on 2mm acrylic makes a very good ground glass and it's quick and easy to cut acrylic with a scoring knife and the whole process takes about 10 mins of labour.

[@henrypoole]

Thank you. This is so encouraging. I'm definitely going to try making my own box camera now.

[@justindavisphotography]

Great video. Thank you for the new knowledge and inspiration! I will be looking through what else you have I can learn from. ❤

[@Joe_VanCleave]

You are so welcome!

[@tristanlope93]

Wow that is so sharp! I'm now inspired to make one.

[@edwardm.r4178]

Thak you Joe you are the only one who share really good info about lenses for big format thank you so much i learn a lot from you

[@eggy68]

Great video, Joe! This is the stuff that gets me excited.

[@nigelcarren]

Great video Joe. I am playing around with this low-tech stuff in film-making and this was great to see thank you. Your Cherub image at the end is exactly the look I am going for. Best wishes from me (and all the mice in the workshop) 🔨🐭🐭🐭

[@ScottLaceyMN]

Wonderful video Joe! I can't wait to try out the box camera with binocular objective lens. Thanks!

[@AtlantaTerry]

Cool stuff, Joe. I have been working on a similar project but never thought about building a foam core box camera, I have been making lens boards out of black foam core sheets to use on my 4x5" Chamonix and 4x5" Cambo. This is because my goal is to make a soft-focus portrait lens or pictorial landscape lens then create images on 4x5" B&W and color sheet film. As an experiment, try testing those enlarging lenses backward. Yes, have the rear element facing the world. Just curious. BTW, you can find sheets of Fresnel material (page magnifiers) and large magnifying glasses at Dollar Tree stores. My newest lens is based on one of those magnifying glasses. My newest idea for my Chamonix is to take a metal Technika-style Copal #3 lens board made by LuLand ($15 on eBay) then epoxy glue a step ring to it that has an 82mm thread facing forward. Then I use 82mm to [whatever]mm step down or step up rings to hold lenses. The advantage of this is the step rings have a bit of metal where I can glue the lens I am experimenting with. I can buy step rings from eBay sellers for as little as US $1.50. I use clone Cokin adapter rings as apertures. They are nicely machined metal, black, inexpensive and are available in a myriad of sizes. A clone Cokin filter holder can be glued to the back of the LuLand lens board or screwed onto the front one of my soft focus lenses if I add an adapter ring to the front of the lens. I may buy a new Packard shutter then attach it to the back of a LuLand lens board. Or I may think about building a Guillotine shutter whose timing is controlled by an Arduino timer. Or I will just get a 4x5" Speed Graphic then use its focal plane shutter and modify a Speed Graphic lens board with a step ring. But, one way or another, I know I want shutter speeds I can trust. All fun and something to do on the upcoming cold winter days. Sources: Technika-style lens boards (and other kinds) by LuLand: www.ebay.com/itm/Luland-Linhof-Wista-4-5in-compur-copal-3-lens-board-99-96mm-NEW/182873537550?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Step Rings: www.ebaystores.com/fotocity/_i.html?_nkw=step+ring&submit=Search&LH_TitleDesc=1&_sid=1204361519 Terry Thomas... the photographer Atlanta, Georgia USA

[@douggottlieb]

That camer is FREAKI AWESOME!!!! Would a slower emulsion work better with th wide aperture? A salted paper? I’m actually looking for a non gelatin paper negative plate camera option. Thanks!

[@jamesorme3048]

Thank you for your informative video ! I love the clarity of your final photo. Was the distance between the binocular lens and where the stop was placed an important factor? Also, what do you think a 0.3mm pinhole would do in this place (apart from a very long exposure time)...

[@brigittegourdain8542]

I really enjoy watching your videos

[@shotgunsean24]

Sir, Im greatly impressed. You've inspired me! Thank you.

[@PaleoPhotographie]

Thanks, so surprised by the credit card plastic lens.. About the long focal lens for 24x36 / digital, you can use them by reversing them (same tricks than for macro). A reversed 135mm will give you a focal length of about 120mm and will cover 4x5, for a 200mm -> about 320mm.

[@johnperryn9172]

Very real and affordable. Thank you

[@GONZOFAM7]

Joe when adapting a lens for Afghan film camera do you consider minimum focus distance to allow for taking the positive shot of the paper negative? It looks like they are not usually longer than 2-3 feet from the box.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I’m using lenses for large format, meaning they don’t have internal focusing; rather, to close-focus you need to move the lens sufficiently past infinity focal distance, which in this case is governed by the length of the easel and how far back the film back slides inside the box.

[@GONZOFAM7]

@@Joe_VanCleave thanks. I plan to use a wollensak 135mm . The shutter is shot so I'll have to use a lens cap and fast hands.

[@LScott97]

Fantastic!👍👍👍

[@eugenuku]

I have in plan of making a camera but I intend to take closer pictures of photographs that are about 7x9". what type of lenses do I need? is there a way of calculating that?

[@Frisenette]

That copier lens must have an insane amount of light gathering power. I wonder if all large copiers has such sophisticated optics? Maybe you can stop them down with an ND filter?

[@jaumetormo9107]

Inspiring and eye opening video. Thank you.

[@SotamiesTrolli]

WOW! I love this.

[@vreaurelaxare3070]

It is called retrofocus. Take out the lens element built in for shortening the focus.

[@johnhoward2352]

Thanks for share Mr. Joe, I like your channel.

[@NoSomosAmigos]

Amazing video

[@tapiopitkaranta7667]

Thanks for the video. Do you use paper negatives instead of sheet film mainly because of it's slower speed?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Great question. I use paper because it's easier to process, is less expensive and you can handle it under safe lights. And it scans easier with a flatbed.

[@bcelasun]

Thank you for this eye-opening, inspiring, motivating video. I wonder if you can comment on the potential use of Prussian blue coated paper along with a wide aperture adapted lens if sharpness and DOF are of no concern. (AFAIK, the ISO of the cyanotype paper is below 1. Am I wrong?) EDIT: I have just found a message you posted years ago in f295 and, you seem to have already answered my first question! So I want to add more detail: I am thinking of using a projector lens with an f/1.9 aperture on a 4x5 camera... The size of the image circle is fine according to your description here...

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Cyanotype paper can form an in-camera image but you need a long exposure in bright sun.

[@bcelasun]

@@Joe_VanCleave Thank you. We will continue to access (!) harsh sunlight for at least 6 hours a day in coming weeks. I will either try cyanotype (if I can manage to prepare the solutions) or Harman DPP. The latter seems more likely but I missed cyanotypes... Anyway, thank you again for sharing your unique experience here with us.

[@standvm]

Hi, how is Kodak brownie 2 box camera work? Does it have a lens? It seem to project an image without ability to need to focus...so no focusing screen. More like point and shoot.

[@jamesorme3048]

The Brownie2 and 2A is ready-built for being in focus and are pretty sharp.They have a simple meniscus lens, the best thing is that the shutter is on the outside of the lens so these older lenses have been more protected and often in better condition than some of the 50s Box camera lenses.

[@Daow9915]

Hey Joe. Great video, quick question. I made a wooden box pinhole camera. (About 300mm focal length 4x5) I was thinking of making some DIY Lens for it, but there is no movement for focus. Any idea how I should approach making a lens that will be in focus? Is it a matter of making small apertures or getting a lens with exact focal length? Thanks Joe!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Ideally the lens focal length should match the camera's. Since it's a fixed-focus camera, you'll want to use it stopped down, to get adequate depth of focus. If you stop down enough, a non-300mm lens might be sharp enough. If the lens is less than 300mm, then it will be optimized for closer focus distances mounted on that camera; think of a 200mm lens extended out to 300mm for close-up focus. This might be good for still life subjects or even portraits. If the lens is greater than 300mm it won't be sharply focused at all, unless you stop it down sufficiently to allow DOF to work.

[@Daow9915]

Thanks Joe! Your always such a help. Always love the content

[@dubeluco]

6y later i’m in this video. First of all, I’m Brazillian so don’t mind my broken english. Second THANK YOU, I already subscribed your channel, this is the very first time I watched one of your videos, I liked YOU and all the information you have shared in this video, I’ll start to dive little deeper on your channel chasing more info about Camera Box. I have a project using recycled material and I’m excited about it. Also I’m a Designer and a Photographer hobbyist. I have an old Agfa Isollette that my 5y old son just dropped and broke. I was wondering If I could adapt it lenses and front elements (such the shutter mechanism) to the front of my camera box, what your guess? I’m more focused on the BOX design (with recycled material) than going crazy with “cheap” lenses etc… any suggestions? THANKS AGAIN!!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Yes, you should be able to adapt the lens and shutter into a box. The box needs to be the same focal length as the original camera. You could use photo paper sheets as a simple solution, or adapt a roll film like the original Agfa camera. Good luck with your project!

[@johnkelly8013]

Great video! Fun.

[@chrismcternan779]

Great!

[@JamesHarr_TGD]

Very good video Joe. I'd be interested in where you get your lenses. Do you salvage them or buy them?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

A variety of sources. The copier lens I purchased from a local camera store, while the binocular lens came from a thrift store binocular. I've acquired industrial lenses from auction.

[@algenovex]

ever tried with a simple magnifying lens? I have tried with a few and they work great

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Yes, they are fun!

[@ARSAnalog]

try those enlarger lenses the other way around, that should work

[@AtlantaTerry]

I just said the same thing.

[@monmioamio]

👌🏻How cool is that ! 😎😎😎

[@royprasun1673]

You r a genius , 👌👍

[@wullieg7269]

I Love it!...

[@KnutNukem]

Now, let's put some numbers on this