n and the shutter fully open you can see how the piece of wood on the shutter curtain limits the upward travel to only what is necessary to expose the film.
Image 6: With the front installed you can see how the lens opening is aligned with the 35mm frame opening on the film plane.
Step 5: Final Touches
Image 1: Black masking tape seals up any possible light leaks at the seams and here you get a good look at the neoprene seal that prevents light leaks at the shutter curtain, which doubles as a simple view finder. The shutter is actuated by quickly pulling it up till it stops and then pushing it back down till it stops.
Image 2: Here you can see how I used an empty roll film from a disposible camera (courtesy of the local film lab) as the take up reel. I simply taped the film coming from the new roll of film on the other side to the little tail of film sticking out of the empty roll with clear tape. Then sealed all the way around with black masking tape to prevent light leaks. The camera is now loaded with film and I probably wasted around 2 or 3 more frames than you might with a store bought camera. The little spring metal tab you see serves two purposes, it prevents the spool from spinning backwards while you're trying to advance the film for the next shot, and it also allows you to count clicks so you can accurately advance the film with no waste. I figured out after the first roll, that less clicks are needed as you make your way through a roll of film, I didn't think it would be that significant but it is, in the beginnng it's about 12 clicks and buy the end of the roll it's closer to 9 or 10. It will make the difference of at least two extra shots. Waste not, want not!
Image 3: Nothing but the finest optics, lenses by Takumar a.k.a. Pentax. I'll be shooting with a 35mm f/2, a 50mm f/1.4, and a 75-260 f4.5 zoom. I don't think the zoom will be very realistic at much above 70mm due to the lack of a through the lens viewfinder, but I might just try it ;)
So, do you want to see some pictures I took with it?
Step 6: Sample Photos
These were all from the first roll of film. Fourteen of eighteen shots came out. The night (time lapse) shot was 15 seconds, all the rest were between 1/3 of a second and 2 seconds.
On the last step I will explain in detail the importance of getting the distance from the lens to the film place accurate and how to do it, and how you can figure out what your shutter speed capabilities are.
Step 7: Important Notes
If you're a Pro Photographer or have a really deep understanding of how a camera works, you can probably skip these notes. I am a novice (at best) so I learned a lot. I truly think I'm a better photographer as a result of making this camera.
Notes on the distance of the lens to the film plane:
I mentioned earlier that the distance from the lens to the film plane has to be accurate, stating that the lens has to be an exact distance from the film plan in order for three things to happen...
1) The camera to be able to focus close up.
2) The camera to be able to focus to infinity.
3) And the most important of all, the distance meter on the lens to be accurate.
If you want your camera to be able to use the entire range of focus the attached lens is capable of, especially the camera's ability to focus infinity, then this step is critical. I measured this distance two ways, one with a hand held test by holding the lens an inch or two away from a white piece of paper and then moved it back and forth until the upside down image was in focus on the paper, then I measured the distance from the lens plate to the paper, the distance was a little over 1 3/4". Then I took my already broken film body (not knowing if the distance is exactly the same for all types (brands) of 35mm cameras and lenses) and measured the distance from the front of the lens mounting plate to the film plane, and again, it was just a little over 1 3/4 inches. I was pretty sure at this point that using a distance of 1 3/4 inches for my camera would was a safe bet.
I ended up having to make a few adjustments to get it just right, I h