Pete Askew
Admin
While flipping through the manual for the DIY camera, I discovered it had a macro mode so I thought I'd better try it out! 
This is just about the limit of the extension possible with the camera before the lens unit falls out! It also means that there is not enough overlap to stop light sneaking through the gap and so for the actual shot I draped the focusing cloth over the camera to block any light.
This is the Mk III screen in place and for normal shooting inside it doesn't need shading to achieve focus. With the lights closer though I needed to use a focusing cloth.
The resulting image is pretty good I think but reveals a problem that I think I have now resolved. When opening the dark slide one handed it is possible for the paper to slip down and that is the reason for the stripe at the top of the image (even just a fraction of a second was enough). I have now added two small tabs to stop the paper slipping while not impeding the loading process. I will also add a thin strip of light proofing textile to the bottom of the carrier I think.
Another thing that I want to improve is the stability of the tripod mount by inserting a wooden plate under the camera body. This will make framing much easier and stop any wobbles when exposing - it's not bad but not ideal when a cloth is used. I also want to add a fine focus mechanism.
This weekend it will be used to make some real shots I hope.
This is just about the limit of the extension possible with the camera before the lens unit falls out! It also means that there is not enough overlap to stop light sneaking through the gap and so for the actual shot I draped the focusing cloth over the camera to block any light.
This is the Mk III screen in place and for normal shooting inside it doesn't need shading to achieve focus. With the lights closer though I needed to use a focusing cloth.
The resulting image is pretty good I think but reveals a problem that I think I have now resolved. When opening the dark slide one handed it is possible for the paper to slip down and that is the reason for the stripe at the top of the image (even just a fraction of a second was enough). I have now added two small tabs to stop the paper slipping while not impeding the loading process. I will also add a thin strip of light proofing textile to the bottom of the carrier I think.
Another thing that I want to improve is the stability of the tripod mount by inserting a wooden plate under the camera body. This will make framing much easier and stop any wobbles when exposing - it's not bad but not ideal when a cloth is used. I also want to add a fine focus mechanism.
This weekend it will be used to make some real shots I hope.
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