With the breakneck speed at which new DSLRs are released, photography seems to have traded a bit of its soul for the pursuit of ever more megapixels. So, Carl-Frederic Salicath of Norway has taken a step back from the digital revolution and has built his own working retro 120mm-film camera. Here’s how.
Dubbed the LEGOflex B1, the camera mimics the style of classic style of the Rolleiflex designs. The exterior is fabricated exclusively from the brightly-colored building blocks. Its interior employs a few Technic pieces to secure the roll of film and prevent it from unwinding. He affixed a pair of binocular lenses and employs a separate Technic piece to act as the aperture. It even includes a viewfinder.
Focusing the camera can be a bit of a challenge, as he must shift the lens in and out of the housing to do so. Achieving the correct exposure is also a bit difficult as it’s done by moving a slotted plate across the case to intercept the path of the light.
The design is made to minimize moving parts; the focus is adjusted by moving the lens back and forth, and in this case the exposure is achieved by . Obviously getting a correct exposure is something of a challenge. But it works, as his sample shots show. If you’re up for building your own, Salicath has posted very detailed instructions on his blog, The Darkroom. [The Darkroom via PetaPixel]