Cameras
Legolomoinstantwidepinhole
Jens proudly presents:
The worlds´ very first "legolomoinstantwidepinhole" camera. Prototype finished today (instant wide back hacked by Andy)
lens unit from Lego - locical !
Andys' 2-lens unit (120 mm) with an interchangeable f/22 aperture (original Lego) and hinged shutter. Photography like 100 years ago: Adjust image section and focusing on matt screen, estimate / measure exposure time, close flap (shutter), replace focusing screen with photo paper cassette, take out slider, open shutter, count "twenty-one - twenty-two...), close shutter, dont forget slider, take out paper cassette go the lab, develop, fix, water, contact copy, develop, fix, water......
Lomo Instant Wide back
Instant wide back for Jens and his Lego cameras. Andys´"hack" of a defective Lomo Instant Wide. The camera had been a total loss (eject gear broken, shutter did not work). Complete front with lens assy has been removed, defective eject gear has been fix by replacing the broken shaft with a screw. Therefore the whole camera had to be completely disassembled, including the partial removement of some eletronic parts that turned out to be obsolete and too dangerous (e.g. flash unit). The photo on the right side of the back has already been taken wit he instant wide back, fitted to one on Jens´ existing lego cameras.There we are - it works ! :-)
Andys´ lego instant wide
Original Polaroid lens with high quality Rodenstock Ysaron optics and Prontor shutter, bellows of an old folding camera, Lomo Istant wide back ("remains" of an old defective Lomo Instant wide), here on portrait base plate. For taking photos in landscape format, at the beginning the base plate had to be exchanged. Now the base plate and the camer have been improved - only one base plate is neccessary now for both portrait and landscape photography. Focusing is done by moving the front plate, checking the image section via ground glass (replacing the Lomo back). The part with the green stripe is the slider which has to be removed before taking the picture. "Polaroiders" surely know this ;-)
Lego Lomo Instant Wide with liquid-filled (!) lomo lense
Jens has tinquered a little bit. The result is an adaption of the brand new lomo lense that has to be filled with liquid. For example either (coloured) water, vinegar, beer, redwine...
focal distance: 80 mm. shutter speeds: 1/100, t, b.
The shutter is equipped with flash contact. The lomo wide instant back is the same as at Jens´ "legolomowideinstantpinhole".
This is the exiting thing of our lego cameras: thes are multifunctional, all units are compatible between each other camera. "International" camera backs can be adapted via "press-fit". Lego: no "lomits" ;-)
Impressions
On the right some impressions of our "camera factories" in Bindlach and Schwäbisch Gmünd. There are many hours of work in the cameras and lenses. Success & failure, joy & disappointment, demotivating insight and ingenious ideas are often only a tenth of a millimetre apart, constantly taking turns. The biggest challenges are light density, focal length, focus range, correct distance between lens and image/matrix plane, the ease of movement, adaptability of different backs, portability, stability, weight, availability of parts, budget, path and destination - just like in real life. Try it out - join us !
Our cameras on bausteinkamera.de
On this page we will gradually introduce our cameras, self-built Lego lenses, shutters, back conversions or other novelties / ideas from our "camera factories" in Bindlach and Schwäbisch Gmünd. We always try to use "as much Lego as possible". However, certain parts - like the instant backs for Fuji Instax / Wide Instant but also for Lomo / Polaroid / Supersense One Instant, as well as the sometime assembled studio lenses, lenses for our self-built Lego lens units or even a bellows of an old folding camera or a ground glass screen are (at least at the present state) unfortunately are not yet made of Lego bricks. But of course we are working on it :-)
