a 4x5 "Pancake" camera

This camera probably the most successfull of the cameras I have built thus far. It is by far the most beguiling camera in a purely tactile sense. I just can't stop holding the camera, it just feels right in my hands. Other cameras that I have built require the use of a tripod, this one is "Get Out and Go"!

I never planned this camera, it just sort of evolved. I found a Toyo Graflock ground glass back on Ebay, which I bought thinking I would use to repair an old Graflex camera I have that has been kicking around the basement for a long while. Before I could do that however, I was fussing with my 65mm Super Angulon that I needed to shoot with on my monorail view camera. I could just barely get the lens to focus to infinity with the bellows racked all the way back. Frustrated I went looking through all of my photographic parts and what not to try and figure out a way to get the lens deeper into the camera than the recessed lens board I was using would allow.

Slowely it dawned on me that a metal lenscap would make a pretty good lensboard for a lens as tiny as the 65mm. Then I thought about it a little more, what if I took the guts out of a lens and used the helicoid to focus the lens, mounted on the lenscap?. What if I attached the lens and helicoid to the Graflock back I just bought on ebay? Well all of those what ifs added up to the little camera presented here.

The sum of the parts are as follows:

Body is made from red oak

The lens is a Schneider 65mm Super Angulon

The Lensboard is a 52mm Metal lens cap

The helicoid is a 50mm Nikkor lens with the guts ripped out and the camera mount removed

The Graflock Ground Glass is made by Horseman, and the Hood is made by Toyo.

The finder is a 55mm finder from a Koni Omega press camera. This finder is a little wider than the 65mm on 6x9, and a little narrower than the 65mm on 4x5.

The strap lugs are picture frame hangers.

The tripod foot is a permanently mounted Bogen Quick Plate.

I load all my 4x5 film in 50 year old Graflex Grafmatic six shot film holders. Over the years, I have collected many of these holders, to use, as well as for parts. They are by far the easiest holders to carry and use in the field.