Cairo Camera: 1st metal cut

By Christopher Osborne

The objective is straightforward. To make a field camera which has all of the advantages of a monorail.

A front standard column on the computer and in the flesh.

Abdallah Kroosh is a man with a dream. This softly spoken, mindful, engineer from Egypt has, like many of us, progressed from 35mm through medium format to large format photography. He enjoys taking his time, and is methodical in his approach. If ever there was a perfect match for a man, then 4×5 and Abdallah belong together.

Abdallah currently uses a Shen Hao TZ45-IIA field camera, and it is this camera which has set his mind wandering. He has constantly thought about how it could be improved to the point where he barely uses it and instead concentrates on a new future.

He is a busy man. A devout father and family man, and his work in the Oil & Gas industry takes much of his energy and his time. He describes himself as “the trapped engineer”.

The objective is straightforward. To make a field camera which has all of the advantages of a monorail. The front standard is designed to retract inside the rear standard removing the need for recessed lens boards when shooting wide angle. Every detail has been carefully plotted out on Autodesk Fusion 360 and the movements animated. Lens angles have been calculated throughout the entire movement range.

The Front Base Tilt will be able to be locked in 30 degree steps. The rise, fall and lateral movement on the front will be full geared and the tilt will rotate through the lens plane (instead of pivoting on the base also through gears) making for easier focussing. The rear standard will friction lock in tilt, but all other movements will be fully geared.

The engineer in Abdallah’s brain constantly seeks optimisation. This isn’t another camera made of varnished wood and brass, and it is certainly not planned to be manufactured with plywood. This is a camera for the 21st Century and it will be manufactured from materials to match. The frame is aluminium which has been chosen for strength and weight. The lens board holder, part of the base and the film holder frame will be manufactured from carbon fibre.

Twice a week, Abdallah travels to “Makers Space”, a community workshop. He has programmed milling machines to cut the first parts for the “Cairo Camera”. Trial parts are being made and the design honed. The knobs to move the camera mechanism didn’t meet his ergonomic vision. The friction between some parts was insufficient and required redesign. Other parts weren’t strong enough or needed to be stiffer. But these are minor problems. Each problem part has been redesigned on the computer and replacement parts manufactured.

A man with a dream. Self portrait by Abdallah Kroosh.

Camera base. The red is 3d printed plastic, but this will be changed to Carbon fibre later in the prototyping stage.

Cameras may well be one of the most personal consumer items ever made. Is it not the case that we feel more attached to a camera than almost anything else we own? Abdallah plans to manufacture cameras where the owner can opt to have his or her personal design engraved and etched into the surface. one option is for the knobs to be machined from and exhautic material such as Damascus steel which will highlight a beautiful textured pattern where layers of steel have been fused together at high temperature.

The aluminium parts will be anodised in the final version, but will be plain in the prototype.  There is an open pocket in the base with will be customized to different cultures, Abdallah plans to start with Japanese KumiKo patterns but in time he plans to offer customized designs from other cultures including Roman, Egyptian drawings, and Arabic and  Chinese calligraphy, the possibilities are endless.

Cameras may well be one of the most personal consumer items ever made. Is it not the case that we feel more attached to a camera than almost anything else we own? Abdallah plans to manufacture cameras where the owner can opt to have his or her personal design engraved and etched into the surface. one option is for the knobs to be machined from and exhautic material such as Damascus steel which will highlight a beautiful textured pattern where layers of steel have been fused together at high temperature.

The aluminium parts will be anodised in the final version, but will be plain in the prototype.  There is an open pocket in the base with will be customized to different cultures, Abdallah plans to start with Japanese KumiKo patterns but in time he plans to offer customized designs from other cultures including Roman, Egyptian drawings, and Arabic and  Chinese calligraphy, the possibilities are endless.

Front standard column