LarScan Home Built
[ Home ] [ Up ] [ LarScan FAQs ] [ LarScan Help ] [ LarScan Lens? ] [ LarScan Book ] [ What's New Blog ] [ Photo Lab Login ]
World's Largest Panoramic Imaging Organization.

 

LarScan Design Home Built 360 Degree Field of View Panorama Cameras

Larscan1.gif (11940 bytes)

Built from the finest materials that I had on hand

Finest Craftsmanship that I could manage.

These Really Work!

[ LarScan FAQs ] [ LarScan Help ] [ LarScan Lens? ] [ LarScan Book ]

The story I heard was that Lars Larsen had built several revolving cameras of his own design. While driving down a highway late one night, he was thinking about his biggest design problem... how to control the length of film moving through a revolving camera so that it exactly matches the moving image. EUREKA! At once he he had it - a stationary disc inside of the camera body. As the film was pulled by a motor through the camera it would be held stationary by the disc as the camera body would rotate around it. (Think of pulling yourself along on roller skates by pulling on a rope. You would move the rope would not)The length of film for a 360 degrees would be determined by the circumference of the disc. Doing a little math Lars determined that the diameter of the disk should be exactly twice the focal length of the lens. For a 35mm lens the diameter of the disk must be exactly 70mm and so on. To test his theory Lars used the body of an old 120 folding camera and a wide angle lens from a 35mm format camera. It worked perfectly.

Basic Materials

  • 120 film size folding Camera Body. Many brands will work, but in order for the film to be Transported smoothly it is necessary to use a model that has spool holders for both ends of both the supply and take up spools.
  • A disk of a known diameter. For 6x6 bodies 70mm is about the maximum that will fit. For a 6x9 body 100mm is the limit. You can turn your own by chucking plastic, aluminum, or other suitable material in a drill press. I use a 1/4 inch bolt for an axle. One builder found a pulley from a broken VCR that just happened to be the correct diameter. Super glue an "O" ring to the circumference to prevent the film from slipping. Bearings are available at hobby shops.
  • A lens to match the diameter of the disc. If you are using a 35mm lens the diameter of the disk must be 70mm so use a 6x6 format body. For focal lengths longer than 35mm use a 6x9 format body. I prefer to use a zoom lens. After finishing construction you can simply zoom to the desired focal length. I mount a lens cap, with a whole drilled through the center, to the lens board to act as a lens mount.
  • A DC electric gear motor. 6, 12, and 24 volt models work. A friend of mine bought 5 for $20 each (all that they had in stock at the time) from Skycraft Parts and Surplus, Winter Park, Florida USA 407 628-5634. They are available new in the $100 range from Stock Drive Products, New Hyde Park, New York USA 516 328-3300. Some connect the motor to the film take-up shaft directly, others use gears, I cut a grove in the take up knob to convert it into a pulley. I connect the motor and the take up knob/pulley with an  "O" ring.

 

DC Gearhead motors are available from:


  • Herbach & Rademan, 18 Canal Street, Bristol, PA 19007-3939 USA (215) 788-5583
  • Marlin P. Jones & Assoc. http://mpja.com  email: mpja@mpja.com
  • Skycraft Parts & Suplus, Winterpark, FL USA 407 628-5634


Bearings and "0" rings are available from:



Are you thinking of building your own camera? Willing to learn and share information and images? Join the LarScan mailing list. Go to http://www.coollist.com  Enter panoptic as list name and your email address

Have you built your LarScan design camera yet? Do you have some examples of LarScan photos on your web site? Do you have building tips to share?  Email the web site address of LarScan related items. I will include links to them here.

Larscan Links

 
Panoramic Network is hosted by...