Topic: Malefic cameras anyone

[irv_b]

I came across this camera maker on twitter and wondered if anyone had seen or experienced them. I had a quick search but didn't find anything to negative. I saw it had a failed kickstarter back in 2017 but he has got the money somehow to start production.
 The cameras look fairly nice and not that expensive just wonder how durable 3-D printed cameras are. I imagine that they would be fairly light so could pack it as a travel camera or for used street photography without to much hassle.

https://www.maleficwares.com/shop

[Francois]

Depending on the type of filament that's used, 3D printer can be quite robust, especially if he uses carbon impregnated filament.

[Jeff Warden]

I guess the tradeoff here is durability, precision and longevity (negatives) over price (positive). The camera bodies are inexpensive compared to traditionally manufactured cameras of these formats, but aren't likely to be as robust or high quality. Then again, just about any camera that you drop will break, especially the larger formats.

The info on that web site would be insufficient for me to make a purchase decision and I'd need to ask the maker about how the film advance works, whether it has friction on the printed parts that would wear, how the fastener inserts are inserted, etc. (I didn't dig that deep on the site.)

My experience with rapid prototyping and 3d printing is that parts that are designed to mainly take up space (a coaster for your drink, a hockey puck) are perfect for it. It's also an almost perfect way to see how a finished product will look and work, if only briefly. But if you have moving components, friction, the need to flex, fasteners, etc you have to be realistic about what the printer can provide.

[John Robison]

There is a startling lack of information on their site. For the 4X5 there is one model that might have a helical but the description does not mention this. If it has helical focusing I would want to know the total extension and the rate (the degrees of rotation per mm of extension). Also not near enough photos of the cameras including close up photos of the surface finish.

[Francois]

I know one of the guys from the Homemade Camera Podcast has one by Cameradactyl (https://www.cameradactyl.com/).
His has a focusing helix and can be customized by the designer.

[John Robison]

I know one of the guys from the Homemade Camera Podcast has one by Cameradactyl (https://www.cameradactyl.com/).
His has a focusing helix and can be customized by the designer.

Ever since the Travelwide KS project there have been several 4X5 cameras along the same concept. Handheld 4X5 plastic cameras. I backed the Travelwide but the helical never worked acceptably on mine and finally, not at all. Very few of these one man outfits are in a position to stand behind their products. Too bad, it sounds like a good idea. I think funding would have to be 10X what it is now to work out the kinks.

[Francois]

Or just get a used Fotoman....
I could suggest an Alpa but I don't think that would be a good idea 

[John Robison]

Or just get a used Fotoman....
I could suggest an Alpa but I don't think that would be a good idea 

I finally realized that if I wanted a handheld 4X5 on the cheap I'd have to build it myself. I'm a scrounger so the final design consisted of;
Lens, 130mm f7.7 from a 1930ish Kodak folder (free)
Chinese made helical. $25
Hobby plywood. $10
Craft cardboard, black. $4
and...some time in the shop.
The cardboard was a uncessary expense, I could have used cardboard salvaged from a carton. But then I'd have to use a black marker on the inside anyway. 
So, total material cost about $40, can't complain about that.

[Francois]

And for me, it was:
1x Polaroid Colorpack IV gathering dust on a shelf (probably 3$)
1x old orange crate made from masonite (free)
1x old piece of pine found in the garage (free)
1x sheet of black felt (1$)
1x battery compartment taken from an LED Xmas decoration that I got after the holidays (1$)
1x tripod mount (0.10$)
hot glue (free already had it)
hockey tape (free already had some)
wide popsicle sticks (free as I have a whole box of them for mixing epoxy)
wing nuts and bolts (free)
double sided foamy tape (free)
swearing profusely while building it (priceless)

So, I'm in it for a whopping 5.10$ or about there...

But I need to make a custom box for it as it won't fit any of my bags... I've been taping plenty of cardboard over the last few days trying to figure out how to best do things...

[John Robison]

Holy cow Francois, you ARE the KING of cheap. (And there is nothing wrong in that.)
 A few months ago I picked up a Polaroid Square Shooter at a local second hand store. I only shop that store on senior day and so get my 30% off any item. Even so the Polaroid was overpriced and I wound up paying just under $6 for it. The lens and part of the front panel have wound up mounted to one of my several homemade 4X5 backs and I built in a slot right behind the lens that will take a stop made out of black construction paper. Since I've only used photo paper in my holders at about ISO 6 I don't need a shutter and just cover and uncover the lens for how many seconds I need at f32 (a 1/8 inch aperture).
The f32 stop produces the best compromise as to sharpness and coverage. This makes my contraption a tripod only type of camera.

[Francois]

Holy cow Francois, you ARE the KING of cheap. (And there is nothing wrong in that.)

Lately, I've been going that route for a lot of things.
Like yesterday I finished a custom box to store it. It took three corrugated boxes (Kraft creamy salad dressing), plenty of hockey tape (almost a full roll) a bit of mod podge to better glue the tape down (makes it rock hard) and some black paint. I also add a line of hot glue for the separators.
I also had to sharpen my X-acto blade every few cuts to make sure it did a good job. For that I use a fishing knife sharpener I got for 25¢ at a garage sale...

Now I need to find a place for that box.

[Miltonian]

I realise this thread is very old but as I have a Malefic 5x4 camera which I bought new from the maker I thought I would give a few details.
Compared to most 5x4 cameras this is inexpensive and much lighter to haul about. It can be used handheld without any difficulty. I used to own a Shen Hao but I sold that to fund a Hasselblad purchase and as I had a little bit left over and lots of 5x4 dark slides and a developing tank etc. (incidentally also hard “plastic” from Stearman Press and excellent) I bought this.
On the durability front - well, you have to be careful with cameras anyway, don’t you? - my Canon 50D is quite durable and 5 times the weight of the Malefic as a result (10 times the price too) but I try hard not to drop it. If I had the money to buy a Gandalfi 5x4 I wouldn’t go dropping it anyway just to see how durable it was. But my guess is that Malefic might not be as durable as a metal 5x4 like a Wista for example, but they bend and they sometimes break and they have mechanical parts that stop working. The heaviest part of the Malefic and the most expensive, is the lens. If you dropped it I think the weight of the lens might crack the helical. If you dropped it without a lens attached I think it would bounce because it is very light. The Ground glass would break but then that’s true of all dropped cameras with ground glass in them. If it cracked along an edge black tape would fix it.
My considered advice? Don’t drop your camera.
Other than the helical there are no moving parts so wear and tear is not an issue unless you intend to rub it (the camera) vigorously for a long time. It will take a lot of focusing to wear out the helical but you can get replacements from the manufacturer.
You have to specify the lens that you will use. The camera is made specifically for the lens. Unless you have purchased different lens boards for it you are restricted to that lens. Mine is a Super Angulon 90mm so it’s a wide angle lens for landscapes but I’ve used it indoors for still life too. It focused down to about 7 feet. I just cropped the stuff I didn’t need from the edges of the scan.
There is no scale on the helical. There was no scale on my Shen Hao or my Wista. Focusing is done on the Ground Glass. Is it an ideal way to focus? It never has been throughout the last 150 years! With a hood and a loupe it gets a bit easier but that’s a fault associated with big cameras, not just Malefic.
Pressure “bands” keep the film holder in place. Quite ingenious I think. They’re attached and part of the build and they work.
I had hoped that my ShenHao multi format up to 6x12 roll film back would work with the Malefic so that I could use 120 film but they were not compatible sadly. I sold the film back. That’s maybe a watch out - other backs (roll film) apart from the usual double dark slides may not be compatible. If you want panoramas Malefic make models that go up to 6x17 on 120 film. I may even sell my 5x4 stuff and buy one of his 120 roll film models.
It’s a little bit unwieldy to hand hold. The shape is difficult for hands and there’s not enough “grip” on the surface. It needs a strap. Or a tripod but that fights against the light weight advantage.
In the end, it’s a camera and camera is the Latin word for a room. So it’s a box that light passes through. The lens is important if you want good quality results but that’s always true. The film you choose  to waste in it is also important for the same reason. Your ability to see what’s on the ground glass is another factor. These are beyond the control of the maker.
Does it work? Yes. Should you play football with it? No. Do you know you’re carrying it? No. If you are habitually clumsy and a dropper of things, should you be a photographer or a watchmaker? Probably neither! 🤔

[David A-W]

This is very useful, thank you Miltonian. I'd not come across Malefic until recently as I'm developing an interest in 6x17 format and want to dip my toe into the format before committing. Their prices make this reasonable and I already have a 90mm SA I can use.

[Miltonian]

No problem. There are Malefic pages on Flickr where you can see results from most formats incidentally. Having a lens already will keep the cost down considerably.
If you go there - enjoy!

[jojonas~]

I just found out about these recently. Been eyeing the 120 options since. with the Doublet 6x12 looking the most interesting to me.

[David A-W]

I've just ordered the Triplet - basically the 6x17 with frames for 6x12 and 6x9 included. I'll use it with my old Super Angulon 90mm f8.  I have a specific project in mind: photographing some old streets near the Thames by Woolwich which will are slated for new housing developments in coming years. There's an interesting miscellany of vehicle repair shops, African supermarkets, old warehouses and general small industrial units. My plan is to go early on a Sunday morning when it is quiet and the morning sun is illuminating them. I'm thinking of using Ektachrome 120 for this, putting into practice my newly learned exposure skills following completing Nick Carver's online course.