Photography

Questions tagged [diy]

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Stands for "Do it yourself", and refers to the creating or improvising equipment out of materials on hand, as opposed to purchasing a pre-made product.

146 questions
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18 views

How can I fix a grinding film advance lever on a Yashica GS Electro 35?

the film advance lever on my Yashica GS Electro 35 is grinding whenever I try to crank it, even when there is no film inside the camera. is there any way I can fix this myself or do I have to send it ...
4
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1answer
279 views

mirror damper material

I am about to change the light seals of my Nikon FE using a self-adhesive light seal foam with 1.5mm of thickness (which is the thickness I've seen recommended for my model). I also need to change the ...
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1answer
100 views

Can I reattatch the parts of my Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens which broke in a fall, without further disassembly?

The upper part of my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens is separated from the lens body due to a fall. One of its 4 lugs has broken off. Can I still attach the upper and the lower parts without ...
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3answers
164 views

What are the odds of breaking a camera by opening it?

Mode selector of my DSC W610 started to change the modes for no reason and I want to "correct" it but I am afraid of breaking the camera. I have heard opening cameras will literally fill the sensor ...
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6answers
826 views

How to produce smoke for studio photography

I'm photographing small objects (3 to 5 cm height glass jars) inside a laboratory and want to add a little bit of smoke for extra context. Because I'm inside a lab it's not suitable to use smelly ...
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3answers
402 views

How can I know if two lenses have interchangeable elements?

This simple question might have a not so simple answer, and I want to ask it about a single lense, but assume that would be off topic, because I'd basically be asking 'should I buy this to repair my ...
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1answer
312 views

How can I fix a Canon lens with sand in the aperture diaphragm?

I have a 17-85mm Canon lens which I was using at the beach the other day. A sudden hard blow of wind caused sand to be thrown on me and my camera. Afterwards, the camera would give the Error 01 code ...
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4answers
906 views

What should I use to re-stick the thumb rest on a Canon 550D?

I have a well loved and well used Canon 550D. This has lost a couple of mostly inconsequential bits of rubber over the years, but recently the thumb rest has come off: Most importantly, this is a bit ...
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1answer
243 views

What is the simplest photosensitive material I could manufacture at home?

I've read about some of the early pioneers of photography, who hauled heavy wooden boxes of equipment up and down mountains to bring back the first landscape images of those remote places. They were -...
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1answer
151 views

How to diagnose old Canon EF 35-105mm lens with autofocus motor too weak to reliably rotate lens barrel?

I bought a couple of old Canon EF lenses and they are very slow at autofocusing on my 350D. The worst offender is the EF 35-105mm f/4.5-5.6 USM. This lens regularly gives up moving the barrel after a ...
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1answer
559 views

Using a camera as Lux-meter

For a project I want to use a USB-camera (https://www.e-consystems.com/ar0330-lowlight-usb-cameraboard.asp) as a Lux-meter. I control the camera using v4l2 on Linux. I have a real lux-meter (https://...
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1answer
186 views

I dropped my pentax 67 (not 6x7) and the shutter won't fire — how can I determine what's wrong?

I dropped it and now it will not fire. How can I diagnose the problem myself? And, once I have figured that out, how can I learn to fix it?
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3answers
1k views

Is there a cheap alternative to Hypo fixer?

Help! I am a photo teacher. It is near the end of the year and we just ran out of Hypo with no budget for buying more. Some black and white projects are still due. Is there a cheap alternative that we ...
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1answer
186 views

What can I do if the “straight keys” in my Nikon lens are bent?

I have a Nikon DX SWM ED 18-55mm Autofocus lens that broke down. It got stuck and I decided to take the lens apart. It turned out that the flare cutter had come out somehow. Now the problem is with ...
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2answers
315 views

Where can I find a mechanical drawing of the Canon EF Mount?

This is my first question-post. First of all my final goal is to build a simple but functional objective. I was inspired by this video: DIY Camera Lens (I don't hope to make something so neat the ...
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1answer
1k views

What's the connector pinout and voltage to make a DIY external power supply for a Godox flash?

I want to make an external power supply for my Godox TT685N, and I have two questions: There are 3 pins on the connector (I found, that this is same conector like Canon) What is the pinout of this ...
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0answers
283 views

Turning a GoPro 6 into a 4K60 Micro four-thirds camera [closed]

I know this probably won't work but it is a fun idea. The GoPro Hero 6 was recently released for $450 with 4k 60 and 1080p up to 240. This is nice but the GoPro is not a flexible platform but is much ...
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2answers
515 views

Repair shop says my dropped Sigma Art lens is a write-off — but can I fix it myself?

I recently dropped my new Sigma Art 1.8 14mm lens (and 5dii). The lens has some pretty bad cosmetic damage and a few small scratches on the front element. But overall it would still be usable if I ...
2
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1answer
201 views

Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 Blueprint For DIY LensSkin

I'm planning to print my own lens skin similar to Lens Skins for Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Zen but in camouflage design on a vinyl sticker sheet. In order to make the cutouts fit perfectly I'd need ...
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1answer
374 views

Can I make a DIY developing tank from an opaque Tetrapak milk container?

I'm starting to home-develop ! I already have the daylight tank and the reels for medium format, but here I'd like to develop 4x5 emulsion films. What do I have at home that is light-tight and has the ...
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0answers
131 views

Is there a Vivitar 273 flash power regulation hack?

I found this post about a hack to regulate the power of an old Vivitar 283 flash. As I own two unmodified Vivitar 273 flashes, I wonder whether there is a similar hack to modify this model as well to ...
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1answer
371 views

Why isn't using exposed, undeveloped film working as a filter for my DIY infrared camera modification?

Question: I need help with troubleshooting a DIY blocking filter for Natural light. Background: I modified a Canon Powershot A490 to shoot only IR. I removed the IR-block filter (right in front of ...
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2answers
512 views

Can I use a beam splitter to record two images using the same lens?

How's the best way to record two images coming through a single lens. One being a infrared and the other being visible. My plan was to use a beam splitter between the lens and the sensor to reflect ...
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4answers
5k views

How can I stiffen a droopy Gorilla Pod?

I have a Gorilla pod (SLR-zoom) which is now a few years old and the legs are now loose enough that it can't support the weight of my camera+lens any more. The legs will often have an 'unexpected ...
2
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1answer
273 views

How do you remove the mirror in one of Sony's SLT cameras?

I own a Sony α35. This camera has a pellicle mirror (semi-transparent fixed mirror) to facilitate autofocus. How do I remove the mirror to maximize the amount of light reaching the sensor when taking ...
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2answers
964 views

Can I DIY a regular backpack to protect my camera gear?

This summer I'm going to a hiking trip in the mountains. I will also take my camera gear with me. I have already ordered a camera backpack, but due to some delivery delays, I will receive it after my ...
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6answers
1k views

How can I make a reflector at home?

How to make light reflector easily at home? Please tell me the easiest way to make light reflector at home without spending much on that.
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2answers
451 views

Developing pinhole camera photos - pictures turn cloudy

I recently made my first pinhole camera and started taking photos with it. It's a Illy coffe can camera with a 0.35 mm pinhole aperture. I am using an old pack of Ilfobrom FB IB2 photo paper. It's 17....
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2answers
2k views

Where can I find a repair diagram for Sony SELP1650 lens?

I dropped my Sony a6000 and the lens took the impact (SELP1650) rendering it useless. Is there a site where I can get an exploded diagram? I intend to fix this myself. Also, if anyone knows where I ...
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2answers
748 views

Where can I find a filter similar to taking a photograph through green Ray-ban sunglasses?

I love shooting with my phone through my sunglasses, specially on sunny days of spring and summer. The green lenses on the Ray-ban glasses make a color adjustment that the camera's automatic white-...
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1answer
3k views

Homemade photographic emulsion DiY formula / recipe

Does anyone have a photosensitive emulsion recipe that effectively works and personal experience working with it? Please consider that i have access to lab conditions and some college level ...
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1answer
168 views

Focus-assist light that arthropods will be least alarmed by?

I've been trying to take pictures of spiders and insects at night, with a working distance of 8-10cm, with the actual photo being lit by flash. In order to (manually) focus, I have a single "warm ...
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3answers
200 views

How to flatten old photograph?

I have tons of old photographs that I will be converting to digital (photographing) and most of them have curves (are not comletely flat). See picture: I also have this piece of glass from picture ...
4
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1answer
239 views

Can I power a Bowens 500R directly from a 12V battery?

I have a Bowens 500R studio lamp. It can be powered from a 12V battery (there is a 15 din input at the back of the unit) through a Travel Pack. The Travel Pack uses a 12V SLA battery. I would like ...
3
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3answers
608 views

How can I make a telescope attachment for my DSLR to capture space images?

I was thinking if there is any way to make my own telescope with help of magnifying glass(convex) and concave lenses arrangement so that I can take photo of space or planet like moon or mars. I know ...
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1answer
125 views

How to adapt small ring flash to bigger lens?

I have a ring flash from sometimes between '70s and '90s, it is a Euro Blitz V60 PK (PC sync, no hot shoe). The diameter of the thread is 52 mm and I could use it with my Nikon 35 mm F1.8 DX, but not ...
2
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2answers
232 views

How do I design a secondary lens for my fixed-lens camera to narrow its field of view?

My goal is to put a lens or an array of lenses in front of my actioncam to use its high resolution for recording of undistorted normal-eyed footage, to avoid having to buy two cameras for the ...
3
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1answer
98 views

Do camera modules from electronics vendors require a lens?

I'm looking an an electronic 'build it' style project using this camera: MT9T112 MI-SOC3132 3.1Mp HD CMOS Camera Module /w Adapter Board I'm a little confused about whether I need a lens and where I ...
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1answer
589 views

Is a DSLR required for making a DIY 3D scanner?

I've been looking into this- making my own 3d scanner for my 3d printer- and all the DIY instructions require a DSLR... but they don't explain why- exactly. Maybe it has something to do with "seeing" ...
3
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1answer
2k views

DIY fix for stuck mirror?

I have a Canon DSLR camera. The mirror is stuck and I'm getting nothing but black frames when taking pictures because the mirror doesn't move. I was quoted a very high price to get it repaired. Can ...
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3answers
545 views

What is the material the rods from a soft box are made of?

I have an old softbox that used some plastic rods and I want to replace them. Also, as I am fan of doing DIY projects I want to make some structures, probably for a larger softbox. So do you by any ...
7
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3answers
6k views

How can I make my own coatings for handmade paper for inkjet printing?

Does anyone here have any experience with coating paper for printing using pigment-based inks? I am looking at making handmade paper, and I would like to prepare it for printing photographs on my ...
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2answers
742 views

How to replace the zoom ring on a Nikon 18-200 lens?

The zoom ring (the rubber-band part) on my Nikon 18-200 is a little stretched out. What is the best way to replace this? I already had to remove the black sticker on the front of the lens when the ...
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1answer
1k views

How to replace the lens on a Nikon Coolpix P7000 with a new lens assembly?

I have a Nikon Coolpix P7000 with the dreaded lens cover problem. (i.e. the cover did not fully open causing shadows in the corners of the pictures.) I have purchased a new lens assembly and stared to ...
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2answers
591 views

What can I do to protect a bulbous lens when no lens cap is available?

About a year ago a purchased a Rokinon 14mm f2.8 lens for Canon. The lens has a built in petal lens hood and a large bulbous lens. Because of the lens design, it required a non-standard lens cap, ...
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4answers
561 views

What lens designs are sharper than a pinhole lens but also allow for multi-month exposures?

I have a homemade pinhole camera (film) that I use for taking super long exposures (multiple months). And while the results are fun, I would like to improve the sharpness of the image. Is diffraction ...
5
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1answer
367 views

Can I get Photographic Paper with lower ISO?

I have been playing around with pinhole cameras using photographic paper (instead of film). Great fun. But when I buy photographic paper, I don't seem to have any options for different ISOs, like I do ...
3
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2answers
444 views

What are the best methods you have found for attaching filters to unthreaded lens tubes?

This one is for the resident mad scientists. I think the MagFilter is a pretty neat concept. Being more interested in other filters, though, I'd like to hear about methods other people have used to ...
2
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2answers
921 views

Add an orientation mark to a polarizing filter's rotating ring

I love the effect a polarizing filter can have when used appropriately; less so the need to rotate the filter around to work out its current orientation. I like the idea of adding a clearly visible ...
6
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1answer
1k views

Calculating DIY lens hood

There are Free printable cardboard lens hoods for various lenses but not for my FUJIFILM X30 camera. How do I calculate its shape/dimensions? (It can be either petal or ring shaped.)

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