Through the Viewfinder

Heres one, if you think its qualifies, I picked up a duaflex and and duaflex 2 at flea market on sunday.. so theres a new contraption on its way, its in the beta stages at the moment. Trying to figure out if sticking a prism into the equation will reverse the image back to normal? Pictures soon.

(btw, way thanks for the request for a thumbnail img, that will come soon too)

magic..cheers

If I get time I may get round to souping up my bit of cardboard.

there you go.............

Ha! That's fantastic, harri b. It looks fresh off an episode of Pimp My Camera.

I can't afford the alloy trim till next month :(

blimey brenda....how bads the recoil?

look at that for a bloody little beauty....that needs a page for itself..well done

Gorgeous, eh?

You can blame [CK]'s camera trade group for that. And I'll bet you all know who made it, eh?

ok. here is my high tech TTV contraption v1.0

Here's mine:



(inspired by Rustman's much neater version)

br3w, that looks great -- is that a sliding tube-within-a-tube? I was thinking of going that route with mine.

Here's what I came up with for a sort of single-unit tripod rig:

www.flickr.com/photos/tremo/191329426/

@tremo - yep, it slides, after a fashion. I need a bigger tube when I use my 20-80mm, and a shorter tube when I use the 50mm with closeup fitted.

Wow - Mr. E. Conspicuous it is not!

Okay, Mr. E. . . now you're just showing off!

I kid; that thing is awesome!
:)

Sorry I have not been able to share more with you guys. I see that you put all that great electricians tape to work Mr. E.
On my rig I'm using some close-up filters at the top end of my tube(blacked out), and a lensbaby on top of that. Does this make me sick? Will my peers turn away? Is there Hope?

Meet my filmflex

And my digiflex...

They both allow for interchanging from my starflex to my duaflex (which I've not used yet). I think I need to work on their 'names' ;))

Damn, Ann! Serious!

.

Well, thanks to inspiration garnered from ALL - particularly Grant and his Frankenflex for ideas how to attach my big honkin' EOS1N. ;)

re: names

Darth

Stealth

Cloak

Toobz

AnnieScope

Looking Glass

Has anyone built a contraption for a large format camera?

No, but I know someone who will be trying to shortly. We'll post the results here, for sure, but you shouldn't wait to get started ;)

I can't believe how intricate and amazing these contraptions are - I use a paper towel tube, 1/2 of a shoe box, gaffers tape and a couple of straws, for some reason.

But I've made it so my small point and shoot can sit inside the shoe box without needing to be held and now I don't have to worry about blurriness. It isn't perfect, but it serves me well.

I guess the *mid range* contraptions will last a bit longer than our cardboard budget specials. anybody peering further down the time tunnel and spying a market? I think we may still be in *is this a fad* mode ;)

I love the DIY ethic of photography and root always for the lo-fi underdogs.....c'mon you underdogs!

I'm hoping to have something built for my 4x5 very soon - I'll share photos once I do. Unfortunately, I can't bear the thought of sticking electrical tape all over that camera - so I'll be going the lo-tech (removeable) cardboard route. Up, up, and away....

I made a contraption out of a bright yellow Cheerios cereal box. It's unbelievably ugly and lo-tech. Kind of embarrassing to be seen with, really. Gets a lot of funny looks. But it gets the job done.

i sort of built a medium format field camera with a digital back:

i'm calling it the Ground Glass Locomotive, and i'm having so much fun with it that it is almost scary!
the third piece of frosted plastic that i have tried for a ground glass turned out to actually have craquelure of its own!

Choo Choo!

I'd like to hear the conversations that that locomotive starts...

ndouvid - i got the same effect using a plastic manila folder...

www.flickr.com/photos/paulpennell/200046561/

My first Contraption was made of pieces of white posterboard (that was all I had in the house) taped together in a rectangular shape, but it didn't really block enough light.

My current, incredibly complex, Contraption consists of a fourth of a 79-cent piece of black posterboard, rolled up and stapled together.

Then I staple an end of a rubber band on each side of the tube and pull the rubber band down, so as to make a jaunty chinstrap for the Duaflex, and save me the trouble of having to hold the tube on while juggling the two cameras.

It works okay, but I need to figure out something that will let me move the Duaflex around more when taking shots.

If only I had any engineering or mechanical talent. :)

... you could try this. It's working well for me... download the instructions/dimensions here!

Yeah, I printed your instructions out a few days ago, rustman. I just haven't had a chance to try making one.

It looks cool!

cool to se all the "bazookas". Here is mine. Its a beta-model so it will be reworked soon :)

My rig for a Yashica Mat 124 and a Canon S230:

Here's my v2-glass-mod. :D

All I use is construction paper. haha you guys rock!

Here's mine.

mine keep falling apart, but I rebuild - heres the latest version, yet to be properly tested
-- from mike warren - (?)

This is driving me nuts. A few weeks ago I saw a contraption that someone had made/sewn from what looked like neoprene and velcro. I need to make that! It was someone who's a member here, but they didn't post the contraption to the pool or mention it in this thread, I don't think, although I could be wrong. I saw it in their photostream. Male, I think. Does anyone know who made the contraption I'm talking about? It was royal blue, and very cool. My cardboard contraptions look like crap, and they only last a couple of hours before they fall apart.

I guess it was just a rectangle of cloth held together with velcro, but I'd like to look at it again before I head out to the fabric store. What I liked best about the idea of a fabric contraption is I can make it adjustable so it'll fit both my duaflex and my anscoflex.

was it ndouvid's snorkel-flex?

www.flickr.com/photos/old_ness/211903097/

Yes! Thanks, harri! I even had him pegged as one of the possibilities but I guess I didn't dig deep enough. Snorkel-flex....hehe.

The best part is you can pull it off and throw it in your kit and it hardly takes up any room. I see now that he didn't actually sew anything - it looks like he cut the sleeve or leg off of a wetsuit. I'm going to improvise. Toodles!

My DuaScope:



www.flickr.com/photos/bobtrancho/sets/72157594251585326/

That's amazing. Seriously crazy and amazing!

First draft:



More to come, particularly light-proofing the digital end (I'm not sure what camera I'll be using yet) and extra sturdiness but of note is the camera-strap holding it all together which allows for quick dismantling and one-handed operation.

I want to cry. I just got a duaflex, but I can"t be bothered to build a contraption (because I know I won't be able). I think I just have to resell it :)

Don't cry, and don't resell it! All the contraption does is block glare and give you something to rest your other camera on if you need it rest it on something. I took my contraption off yesterday, and now I just block the sun with my head ;) Or you could throw a black t-shirt over your head while taking the shot, or something. Because, you know, that wouldn't make you look strange, or suspicious, or anything. Not at all.

But anyway, just grab the duaflex and start taking pictures! Do a few inside at first, where there isn't much glare from that big round yellow thing in the sky.

Thanks. I just tried that, but it doesn't work either. I think the problem is with my compact digital camera. Either it doesn't focus or the focus will be on something else, I can't get the same results as in many other TTV pics on the pool. Oh well. I think I'd better take "real" photos :)

I have the same problem. My digital camera has an autofocus, and 3/4 of the time, it focuses on the actual glass of the viewfinder, and not the image in it. And I can't override the focus. So I get nice big blobs of white light, or totally blurry photos. It's so damn frustrating. But the other 1/4 of the time I get nice photos! Make sure you have the output set to a larger size, and put the camera on macro setting. You might try zoom, too, although I don't use it.

I've used my holga to shoot through the viewfinder - those shots come out realllllly nice.

[kren], does your camera have a spot metering option?

I've found that makes a big difference. I just have a non-dslr too (a Canon Powershot S2 IS), but it does okay using the spot metering.

Also, the contraption doesn't have to be complicated at all. The more involved ones might do a better job, but some of us (procrastinating me included) use a simpler method. For example, I sometimes just use a piece of black posterboard rolled into a tube and stuck on top of the viewfinder to block the light. It may not be the best, but it'll do for now, and I like some of the shots I've gotten with my somewhat rudimentary setup. :)

Your other photos are so good, I'd like to see what you could come with using the ttv method. :)

I am procrastinator number 1, so no way for me to build anything. Yes, my camera does have spot metering (another Canon Powershot), but I don't seem to find the right angle, to begin with. When I see it with a naked eye, everything is ok, but whenever I point the camera, there is a distracting big ring.

I found that a really tall contraption was best for me. Maybe that would work for you. All I used was some cardboard and packaging tape. It only took about an hour to make. Please give it a good try. I'd love to see your shots!

An hour??? Oh my! :)

Ok, I'll do my best...

big sigh

my first contraption was black construction paper wrapped around and held in place with tape. simple. focus, on the other hand is not so simple.

[kren] if you want, I'll build you one. Would work fine with all cameras, I believe.

Mr. E: you're very kind! but I will feel so ashamed that I can't accept this, besides I live far away :)
Thanks.

kren, they started a coffee group in my area for procrastinators, and scheduled the first powow, but nobody showed up,

To make contraptions together?

i think it's a play on words...mr kren

Maybe you should make and sell contraptions as a sideline, Mr. E. :)

"sigh"

[kren], I just read your profile. Do you still have that Powershot G6? If so, you just need to use the supermacro setting. Your cam should then be able to focus on the image in your Duaflex's viewfinder. (I've used a G6 before - but you have to use the supermacro, not the macro, setting).

Good luck!

She's back! Hi, Ann!

yeah Hi Ann from me too....

Hi guys! I'm semi-back! Can you believe I left the power cord to my laptop (which houses all my vacation photos) in New England? Sheesh... I'm lost without my laptop. (It was sent next-day mail - I'll have it tomorrow). Then I can really be back!
I've missed you all - - truly. I see so many amazing images, I've read about some amazingly happy news about Mr. E - - oh so many people to catch up with! Bear with me as I begin to reappear... :) I have lots of visits to make to each of your streams!

Hello!
Here is my sample!
Ghetto Fabulous and needing some tweaking - but I still love it!
BUT there has to be an easier way...
If you have any suggestions my ears and eyes are wide open!!!!!

I just got my duaflex in the mail yesterday. I will try to make a contraption with rustman's handy guide. (Thanks for that by the way Mr. Rustman!)

Can't wait to experiment! :)

kren: I feel the same I am also a procrastinator by tradition... But sometimes when i really want something I just do it. So just do it! :P

Here's myContraption for the Kodak Brownie Starflex...

Oh, that's SO much better than my Starflex set-up. I struggled with that one because the area around the viewfinder isn't that substantial.

*bump*

... added detail shots of Starflex Contraption.

you are getting very good at these russ...u might have an empire on your hands......

o.k here's my first "real"attempt. if you go out in bright sun it will blind you = )

there is a semi detailed description if you click the pic.

In progress...

hey, has anyone else used thier rig as a periscope yet? i took some pics over a tall wall the other day using the ttv rig like a periscope. i felt like a kid spying on someone = )

My new baby!!

Here is my contraption. It is not terribly neat, but I am happy with the final product. It took me about 1 hour and losta tape and trimmming:)
It was a fun project.



I want to thank you all for ideas and inspiration.

traskblueribbon... u read my mind. Thats what I want :) A small, robust (using the tripod-mount) and flexible contraption. Nice work.

Thanks underhund.
I spent many hours and sleepless nights thinking about it and working the kinks out.

TtV is a harsh mistress, but she sure delivers the goods.

Version 2.0:



I've plastered it with notes should you want the hows and whys.

If I had a penny for the amount of times someone mentions what you *could* see using a contraption.....

i'd have about 20p

The digital silencer:

(sorry for the blurry camera phone pics)




yashica with fuji top


and then my other completely lowfi rigs are just toy cameras with the fuji help right up to it...

Since I am a minimalist at heart I wanted to come up with a contraption that was clean and simple and didn’t require covering my camera in tape. I also wanted something that was easily removable (for those moments when people are giving you those funny looks!), packs flat, and fits in my handbag. So I studied what everyone else had done (thanks!) and this is what’s working for me at the moment:


First I tape up the viewfinder cover of my Duaflex II with some handy gaffer tape:



Then I pop the contraption over the top. The triangles slide down the sides of the viewfinder cover so most of the time it stays on without any tape. (Though I do tend to have some pre-cut pieces of tape stuck to the bottom of my camera in case of wind gusts or if the tape on the viewfinder cover loses its stick).

Very clean. Well done.

Very nice, ms j.

I just made a new one out of paper and I painted it all bright and funky.

That is too funny... I made homemade lenses all day yesterday and papier mached the base of them(which is made out of black pvc tubing) so they wouldn't look so black and scary. Great minds think alike... :)

Oi! Ruining perfectly good Duraflexes! :)

Holy &^%$#!*...

No seriously, listen. WTF? You are seriously insane!!! PLEASE keep it up! You are freaking totally blowing my mind! Can anyone POSSIBLY top this guy???

where's the handle for this bazooka?

I've topped it in terms of functionality. Not in shock value though!

Thanks for the utter shock everybody. I'm going to join the circus. And I promise that it is super functional: adjustment for macro with crisp edges, ability to work with different cameras and lenses, easy cleaning, crisp shots. I hold it by its lower post pretty easily under or overhand. Of course, I wish I had a background in metal sculpture to make a Victorian base with short tripod legs and a brass trigger. Anybody out there? :)

Good Lord. You are blowing my mind!

OMG!!!! Holy Crap! That is one lovely and kick ass contraption!

munsonbh....you've shamed my cardboard contraption.

absolutely amazing construction!

... My lord, thats amazing. well done sir, I love the use of the macro bellows!

heh I don't even want to post mine because of what munsonb just posted.



just painted paper.

Keeping it simple eh? Now you're talking ;0)

I like yours! I'll bet you had fun making it - it looks really cool.

I've been working on a variation of myContraption-v2. It's almost finished.