Have a lens. Make a camera. The N12072016

Tags

diy 6x9, mamiya sekor 65 6.3, N12072016, suydam 6x9 roll film back, turret finder

At some point, every one with the bug of using old photographic equipment, considers the possibility of building a camera. It may be a simple can pinhole or a big 8×10, the feeling is the same. Taking photos with your self made camera is a joy.

The Mamiya Sekor 65 6.3 lens was stated as “non working” and on sale for 25$. The shutter was stuck. My plot was to fix the shutter and adapt the lens to a Graflex 6×9 Speed Graphic. The 65mm lens on a 6×9 is like a 28mm lens on 135.
The first plan was a success. Got the shutter working and the lens was ready to “see”. But to mount a 65mm lens to a 6×9 Speed Graphic means you need to go way into the body to have the focus right and you end up off the rails. I didn’t like it. That was the excuse I needed. The lens got back to its beautiful helicoid and I revised the plot. I was going to make a 6×9 camera starting with that lens.

The two most important aspects of the making were:
1. Get the lens to the correct distance from the light sensitive material (film) in order to be focused on infinity. That way you use its helicoid and shot using hyperfocal focusing or zone focusing.

2. Turn a part of the house to a construction site and eventually build something (or else…)

I had the wood for the body given from Antonis Sarantos, and the “new” camera would share a 6×9 Suydam roll film back with my Graflex slr and a Russian turret finder with my Kiev4a for its 28mm viewer. Filippos Pikopoulos gave me a shoe for the finder, my father was there providing a pleasant company and opinion and the rest was about 20 hours of work.

I wanted to do all the work myself. I almost did. The wood was cut to a store cause my jigsaw wasn’t up to it.

The Mamiya Sekor 65 6.3 is a lens for the Mamiya Press system which has a unique breach lock mount. I needed to first cut the hole in the metal and then cut certain shapes for the lens to mount. This leaves some space were light can pass and had to be sealed from inside. I used white metal (alpaca) and spray paint it black leaving a sloppy spot where i punched the camera’s name.