# DIY 35mm TLR



## Josh66 (Oct 13, 2013)

Amazon.com: Genuine Fotodiox DIY Lomo Camera, Twin Lens Reflex, TLR Camera Kit (68 Pieces, with Detailed Instructions, Uses 35mm 24 Exposure B&W or Color Film): Camera & Photo

Just ordered that, haha.  I can't wait till it gets here.

Obviously, I'm not expecting pro-grade quality, lol - but it definitely looks like a fun camera.


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## limr (Oct 13, 2013)

That exact kit is on my wish list!

Do you know about the Lomography Konstruktor? Don't know if you've seen my posts about the one I bought and put together:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...to-gallery/336656-lomography-konstruktor.html
Not 'pro-grade' for sure, but better than I thought it would be. There are some shots in that thread. I still have to run a roll of b&w through it to see how it handles monochrome.

I definitely want to hear what you think about the TLR once it's put together and you've shot a roll through it.


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## Josh66 (Oct 13, 2013)

I might have to get one of the Konstructor cameras too, lol!

Once it gets here and I put it together, I'll update this thread with some pictures.


One thing I'm not really sure about are the shutter speeds - if it can even be changed.  All of the sample pictures I've seen with it were with 400 ISO film, there may be a reason for that.  
Hopefully it at least has a bulb mode.

edit
And it says that it uses 24 exposure rolls.  I don't really see any reason it wouldn't be able to use a 36 exposure roll though...  I guess we'll see, lol!

Hmm...  This will be my first "batteries not required" camera too - something else I've been wanting for a long time.


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## Josh66 (Oct 13, 2013)

Fotodiox DIY Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) Camera Kit

Found more information on it.  It says that the focal length is 47cm.  I'm assuming that's a typo, lol - 47mm looks about right.

It's f/11, and 1/125 - both fixed.  I sort of expected a fixed aperture and shutter speed for a plastic camera you have to assemble yourself for less than $20 - lol!  No big deal - just glad I found out what the shutter speed is, I should be able to get decent exposures knowing that.

I might see if I can hack a bulb mode into it, so I can use slower film.


I probably shouldn't be so excited over a toy camera, lol!


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## limr (Oct 13, 2013)

I felt the same way about the Konstruktor. The suspense of a) not knowing if I could get it to work and b) waiting to see how the pictures come out can be really exciting!

Oh, and if you have it ready for the 19th, you can take it out for World Toy Camera Day!
Flickr: Discussing WTC day 2013 in ~WORLD TOY CAMERA DAY~


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## Josh66 (Oct 13, 2013)

"Estimated arrival" date is the 18th - but those estimates are always on the long side.  Should be here some time in the middle of the week.  Hopefully it's not too hard to put together, lol.  I am an aircraft mechanic though - I should be able to handle a plastic camera.


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## MK3Brent (Oct 13, 2013)

looks awesome!


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## gsgary (Oct 14, 2013)

Not my cup of tea i prefer having the real thing


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## PhotoWrangler (Oct 14, 2013)

Have you seen this wooden DIY TLR kit? This guy was funded $19K....

Duo: A DIY twin lens reflex camera for instant film by Kevin Kadooka ? Kickstarter


Here is his blog...

http://duo-tlr.blogspot.com/


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## limr (Oct 14, 2013)

PhotoWrangler said:


> Have you seen this wooden DIY TLR kit? This guy was funded $19K....
> 
> Duo: A DIY twin lens reflex camera for instant film by Kevin Kadooka ? Kickstarter
> 
> ...



A TLR+Land Camera love child? That I could put together myself? I would be *all over* this thing, but it's too pricey for me. You have to supply your own lens and Polaroid back, which adds to the cost beyond what you pay for the kit. Minimum investment for kit+film back is $229, and there's still no lens. And none of them come with a Polaroid back, so I'd have to supply that as well.


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## PhotoWrangler (Oct 14, 2013)

Yeah. Thats what "DIY" is.


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## limr (Oct 14, 2013)

PhotoWrangler said:


> Yeah. Thats what "DIY" is.



Well, if "DIY" means "supply everything yourself," then I'll just supply my own wood and hardware! Who needs a kit? 

(I'm not faulting them for not supplying the lens and backs, but just saying that the requirement to do so puts it even further from my price range.)


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## PhotoWrangler (Oct 14, 2013)

Yeah. Thats why I never bought one. Thought about it for a while though.


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## vintagesnaps (Oct 14, 2013)

So far I've just put together a kit for a pinhole camera - in black cardboard. LOL There's something fun about building your own camera, I still need to get a Konstructor. And now maybe a twin lens?!!


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## minicoop1985 (Oct 14, 2013)

As a kid, I loved building model planes and cars, and I still love building/tinkering with things. This is absolutely awesome, and I think I'm gonna get one myself and give it a try.


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## Josh66 (Oct 16, 2013)

limr said:


> I felt the same way about the Konstruktor. The suspense of a) not knowing if I could get it to work and b) waiting to see how the pictures come out can be really exciting!
> 
> Oh, and if you have it ready for the 19th, you can take it out for World Toy Camera Day!
> Flickr: Discussing WTC day 2013 in ~WORLD TOY CAMERA DAY~


HA!  Damn thing hasn't even shipped yet, lol!

I got the free shipping - which for me is almost always the same speed as the standard shipping, but this one order has just been sitting there for almost a week now.  Hopefully it ships from Dallas (they must have a warehouse there - I seem to get about half of my amazon orders from there).  If it does it should still be here by Friday.



> STATUS:*Shipping Now*LATEST EVENT:Order Received - Oct 11, 2013 5:12:44 AMDESCRIPTION:We are processing your shipment now. We'll send you an e-mail when it has shipped. You can still request cancellation if youve changed your mind.


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## limr (Oct 16, 2013)

Hope so! I think putting together a toy camera on Toy Camera Day will count


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## Josh66 (Oct 18, 2013)

I'm putting it together right now.  This thing is cool, lol.  A little smaller than I expected, but then it is 35mm.


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## Josh66 (Oct 18, 2013)

Disaster averted, lol.  One step is just flat out wrong (the directions are obviously translated from Chinese, so I expected them to be a little weird, lol).

I broke a tab off a part, lol.  Luckily, it's plastic and I also build plastic models.  The glue is drying, and now I intend to glue all seams that don't have to move.

If anyone bought this or is planning to - when it says to assemble the sides onto the front, you only want to put one side on.  Put the other side on once the mirror is in place.  I'll take some pictures of what I'm talking about...


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## Josh66 (Oct 18, 2013)

Fun camera, lol - I already shot one roll.


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## limr (Oct 18, 2013)

Nice! Looking forward to seeing the results. This reminds me that I need to load some film into the Konstruktor for tomorrow.


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## Josh66 (Oct 18, 2013)

The aperture is removable.  With it installed, it's f/11.  Without it, it looks to be about f/5.6.

I'm shooting Fuji Superia 800 in it for now.  You have to keep a little pressure on the back while you're advancing the film from the gears on the frame counter to catch.

It took about an hour to assemble, but I was drinking and took a smoke break, lol.  You'll need a #0 screwdriver, and I would recommend model glue as well.  Small pliers help a lot with the springs.


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## Josh66 (Oct 18, 2013)

On the first roll, I think I'll have a lot of blank frames - I didn't notice till half way through that the gear on the counter wasn't catching without a little thumb pressure on the back.

Knowing that, I don't really expect the film to be held down perfectly flat, lol.  But hey, that's a lot to ask for in a toy camera.  

Shutter speed is fixed, but I don't think it would be too hard to rig a bulb mode into it.  I think I'll keep this one "factory", and maybe buy another one later to modify.


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## Josh66 (Oct 18, 2013)

I shot 2 rolls with it today, but due to the learning experience on the first roll I'll call it 1 1/3 roll.  I'll develop it tomorrow.

It's hard to nail the focus on such a small focusing screen (it's the size of a 35mm frame)...  I think I did OK though...  I'm just glad that the smallish aperture will be working in my favor on that, lol!  Hell - I should be happy that the lens even CAN be focused, lol!!

I can't wait to see what I did.


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## Josh66 (Oct 19, 2013)

Well, I developed the film.  Not surprisingly, most of the first roll was blank, lol.  The second roll was more-or-less properly exposed.  I'll post pictures once I scan them.

It's definitely a fun camera.  And multiple exposure is as easy as not advancing the film, haha.  It's currently empty (I want to wait to see the scans before I decide what film to load it with next).


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## Josh66 (Oct 19, 2013)

More to come, this is from my cell phone.  Just wanted to post something to show that I built it and it works, lol.


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## trythis (Oct 19, 2013)

Hard to tell, but it looks like you are missing the magnifying glass for focusing.


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## Josh66 (Oct 19, 2013)

trythis said:


> Hard to tell, but it looks like you are missing the magnifying glass for focusing.


Now that would certainly help!  LOL.

It didn't come with one, and I've never used a TLR before, so I didn't think to use one.

Now that you've mentioned it, I'll certainly use one in the future.  Not sure how critical the focus really needs to be for a toy camera though.  But I will try it.


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## limr (Oct 20, 2013)

The Konstruktor came with a magnifying glass and it does help. Mind you, I didn't say the magnifying glass made it _easy_!  It's still a bit of a guessing game. When I was using it yesterday around town, I decided it was just easier to practice zone focus.


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## Josh66 (Oct 20, 2013)

Here are a few shots with it:




2013102002 by J E, on Flickr




2013102003 by J E, on Flickr




2013102001 by J E, on Flickr

I'll get more interesting stuff later, lol.  I think I'll remove the aperture - even with 800 ISO film in it, many frames were underexposed.


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## limr (Oct 20, 2013)

Funky! That first one almost has the look of pictures I've seen taken with a Brownie with a reversed lens.


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## Josh66 (Oct 20, 2013)

There is severe vignetting at close focus distances, but it seems to go away after about 10-15 feet.  And the edges are nicely blurred - similar to the Lensbaby Muse (plastic lens) that I have.


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## Josh66 (Dec 16, 2013)

A couple more with this camera:


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## Derrel (Dec 16, 2013)

Dude--the double-exposure of the door and door knocker is awesome!!!! I also liked the jack o'lantern. I am pretty impressed at the rich, vibrant color that lens can deliver...it's got that sort of Canon L-glass rich,saturated color look to it! ;-)


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## Josh66 (Dec 16, 2013)

Derrel said:


> Dude--the double-exposure of the door and door knocker is awesome!!!! I also liked the jack o'lantern. I am pretty impressed at the rich, vibrant color that lens can deliver...it's got that sort of Canon L-glass rich,saturated color look to it! ;-)


Yeah, I think I'm going to have to borrow some of my wife's red nail polish and put a ring on the lens.  

(I probably will do that, because why not.  Actually, I have a bottle of touch-up paint that came with one of my toolboxes - I'll give it a Snap-On red ring, lol.)


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## Josh66 (Dec 16, 2013)

Now I need to run another roll through it to check the image quality of the new lens...


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## minicoop1985 (Dec 16, 2013)

BAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

I love the double exposure of the beer bottles. Now I want a beer. Effective advertising. Very sneaky.


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