Building a Large Format Camera

I build a traditional 4x5 largeformat camera from scratch in my home workshop. Commercial versions of this type of camera typically cost several thousand dollars, and even old, used cameras fetch high prices. Building one at home not only saves a lot of money, but is a very satisfying project for a hobbyist. It can be built without any specialized tools, and in fact, could be made with hand tools alone. This particular design is, however, not an appropriate project for a beginning woodworker. For photographers with very limited woodworking skills and budget, there are designs which are simpler and more forgiving. This project requires several small, aluminum parts which can be made in the home shop without any specialized metalworking tools. I recently released a video showing more about cutting and shaping aluminum with woodworking tools. Here is the link to that video: I often post plans for my projects on my website. However, the early sketches and draw