I have been hankering for a large format camera for quite some time (though admittedly, the precise reason for this desire is obscure, even to me). Something about the simple, low-tech hands-on nature of the beast appeals to me I guess.
Enter the Bulldog DIY camera kit from Camera Bellows in the UK. £151.57 (about $220 US), an assemble-it-yourself view camera kit made mostly of MDF. Add about five hours of applying glue and tightening screws, and voila, a usable large-format camera. Just add lens (likely to cost more than the camera) and some film holders.
Though the kit is not a lot less expensive than buying a used field camera on eBay, and MDF won’t look as nice as a cherrywood Tachihara, there is something appealing about building one’s camera. I just may order one of these kits.
