Not content with existing vintage and modern cameras, these ten photographers decided to try something new. They set about making new variations of some cameras or completely new ones altogether. Some use traditional methods, while others incorporate technologies like 3D printing. Hats off to all of them for attempting to break the mold and being different. Here are their custom-made cameras.
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Han Chen: An Instax Back for the Mamiya RB67
Realizing that no existing product catered to this requirement, Han Chen went about 3D printing an Instax back for his Mamiya RZ67. It took him countless iterations to come up with the final working design.
It’s pretty simple, but there are people who still don’t get it. Zinstax = RZ+Instax.
Han Chen on how he came up with the name for his creation
Sergey Lebedev: custom-made cameras from Driftwood
He firmly believes that a camera can be made from just about anything. But Sergey loves making cameras out of driftwood. He doesn’t intend to stop with just this and has plans to make more cameras from various other materials.
Casey Cavanaugh: An Anamorphic Lens on a Hasselblad 500CM
Doing DIY camera projects is much easier when you’re an expert machinist. Casey Cavanaugh created his custom adapter to attach an anamorphic lens to a Hasselblad 500 C/M. He did this to basically build his own Hasselblad X-Pan.
Markus Hofstaetter: 3D Large Format
Doing crazy and surprising custom camera projects isn’t new to Markus. But his 3D large format wet plate camera setup has to be the best one we’ve seen from him to date. It started with him modifying his existing camera by building two movable lens boards. Read more about this fascinating project in our interview with him. If you’re really into modding and custom-made cameras, this is one really worth looking at.
Bill Hao: More Than Just a Camera
It wasn’t enough for Bill Hao to shoot wet plate photography in his hometown. Wanting to photograph the beauty of Canadian landscapes, Bill now tours Canada with his custom-made cameras and darkroom on wheels. He does this to develop and fix his wet plates while he’s on location itself.
Aleksi Koski
The RF Module by Aleksi is a digital rangefinder compatible with just about any camera. He’s making it easier for large-format photographers to practice their craft by digitalizing the link between the camera and the rangefinder.
Zenji Uehara
While most of the world buys Lensballs and sticks them in front of their lenses, Zenji fixed the biggest problem with this technique – your hand is almost always in the picture. The Soratama set of lens filters arguably produces better photos, in my opinion.
Terry Godlove
What happens when a vintage lens you love isn’t compatible with your modern camera? Terry Godlove didn’t go down the camera mount adapter route. Instead, he tinkered with the mounts themselves to make them compatible with his mirrorless cameras.
Ian Bakke
A lawsuit some decades ago meant that Kodamatic cameras haven’t had usable film for some time now. Ian Bakke feels that photographers need to innovate more to keep older camera tech alive longer. His Instax Adapter breathes new life into these Kodak cameras of yesteryear.
David O’Regan
He’s still in his teens, but photographer David O’Regan has built three cameras for himself already. Putting aside the challenges, David has made a handful of custom-made cameras and lenses to satisfy his large-format cravings.
Bonus: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
I certainly can’t miss adding this one to the list. SLAC in California has made the world’s largest camera for astronomy research purposes. Check out the fantastic sensor they made for this too, in this detailed interview I had with Professor Aaron Roodman of the Dept. of Particle Physics & Astrophysics there.
All images are used with permission and are copyrighted by the respective photographers. The lead image is by Marco Grassi.