Top question, but also, can they be made with achromatic lenses from surplus
shed? What would be needed to do the job? I have an 8x10 studio camera that
I would like to use as a multiplying camera. I would assume I would also need a
special back. Thanks for the advice!!!!

They are petzval tubes. I never owned a set of 4 but I have 2 tubes I got cheap mounted up for stereo views.

You could do it with a normal back you just need a septum. With 4 lenses you will get 4 images per plate.

CDV size tubes used to be pretty cheap but I havent priced any for a while.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2012 10:47PM by RobertSzabo.

Hello lancathcart,

I am also toying with building a multiplying camera for wet plate.

Do you have any blueprints for the camera you are thinking of building? The "wing cameras" look pretty great for a single lensed camera (cheaper too less lenses to find). I also wonder how the multiple tube cameras have a shutter fitted in them. Is there anyone on the forum that knows?

mr.nelson
chili, wisconsin

From what I gather, and I do not claim to know anything about it, it would be
Easier to have the several tube set up then to attempt to a make a wing camera.
The.wing camera's ability to work depended on sets of gears that allowed movement of
The back rather than a lens. I don't know how the traversing system would work.
I think the main challenge would be finding appropriate hardware. If you read
The Ferrotype And How to Make it, some info on wing cameras appear. Good luck
Though if you try to make one!!!

I

What modern lenses would work well with making a multiplying camera? What focal
Length and diameter would one be looking at?

I

Any lens will work if it has the correct back focus for your camera. For what you want to do Id guess about 6 inch BF and be able to cover a quarter plate or maybe even a half plate.

I was lucky enough to buy 2 CDV tubes from different places and they match up pretty nice. I do stereo with them on a 5x8 plate.

There arent any strict rules. You could use anything if the camera will handle it. What Im telling you is in about what you would have had in the mid 19th century as far as I know. No reason why you could make a 20x24 multiplying camera but Im not sure why you would want to.

They made them then so they could take one plate and make 4 or more images on that plate. The got 1. multiple poses 2. multiples of the same image. They were selling these. They wanted more for less money and less work. They could cut the tintypes up or print multiple cdvs from one negative.