Seidler ME with Ricoh GR 28/2.8

My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

By Alexander Seidler

It is a long story. Longer than I expected. Yes – I didn’t expect anything but learning to frame and playing with a different aspect ratio. It is also story of Gear – DIY almost everything – and a real 35mm story as I knew I wanted to shoot on 135 film. I had a short affair with a 120 roll film TLR but I hated the flatbed scanning of dusty big negatives so I decided that I didn’t like square. It was, of course, wrong to blame the format.

They say there is a lot of harmony in a square frame. They also say when looking at a square frame your eyes go in circles round the image, while on landscape or portrait images you look left & right or up & down.

For me the best square property is that no portrait alignment is possible. The second best is that it makes your lenses life easier by having an ideal fit within the image-circle. So for example lots of APSC lenses can cover 24 x 24mm. And the extra 18 frames per roll, although they can force some more patience, are surely a plus point.

I always liked the idea that photography is linked to a certain aspect ratio. Some years ago I mostly shot 2:1 (48 x 24) with a diy camera (this one) then, suddenly, i began thinking “square thoughts” at the end of 2021. If you think my sudden interest was caused by some kind of inspirational boredom or a GAS effect – you might be right with both. It could also have been triggered by great stories of Laura Cogan and Volker Muth.

So how did that story start ?

First I needed a camera!

I assumed that this square 24 x 24 mm camera I was thinking of had to have a 28mm-ish focal length, as on 2:1 format I used a 50mm lens. Something near the half of it. The research for original historic 24 x 24 cameras was very interesting – thanks Stuart Jenkins for his beautiful story – but all the biloras, eho-altissas, taxonas and even the kuhnert futura have been built between 1940 to 1955 and I knew, as a color shooter, I wanted a “modern” lens, like at least from the 70ies.

For my first try I decided for a Robot because of its interchangeable lenses on M26 – what the hell – screw mount. I adapted some lenses on this camera an had an exciting time exploring the square frame. My favorite lens on this camera was a Minox 35mm that I had extracted from a dead Minox.

My humble self with Robot and Minox 35mm lens
My humble self with Robot and Minox 35mm lens

But there was a major problem with the Robot. It is a tiny, sheet metal built machine with a very short film plane, no serious film routing. So in my understanding there was not enough precision of the film surface for a sharp rendering, no matter what lens, sharpness was inconsistent. This frustrating realization opened, as a positive result, the doors for a new set of thoughts.

First I checked if a Contaflex 126 SLR or a Kodak Instamatic reflex could be converted to take 135 film, but though being square frame cameras, this would have bee a long way to a rather heavy result. Modifying a light and compact 35mm SLR was the easier way, I was sure, after trying to imagine the needed steps to a 24 x 24 SLR camera. The Pentax ME was not only a cheap choice, it is also one of the lightest ever built SLR Cameras.

Modifying Steps

For reducing the film advance from 36mm to 24mm I CNC milled new transport gears with 4 instead of 6 teeth
(yes 4 teeth also work, even if they look kind of square…) Then the film frame and the finder frame had to be masked to a square shape. Not really complicated, but surely demanding precise work.

After having also repaired the ME electronics I started shooting SLR-square with a 35mm lens that I don’t remember, then quickly switched to a Pentax 28mm f2.8 which I didn’t like very much, because is was not sharp.

Mini ski lift in my neighborhood
Mini ski lift in my neighborhood

Lens

You can call me crazy but in these days I thought, what I really need is something between 28mm and 35mm, so I bought a Sony SAL 30mm/f2,8 macro lens and mounted the optics in an old manual focus housing. (forgot what it was) This setup made me really happy, and I shot the next 46 rolls of film with it.

Favorite Things
Favorite Things
Blitz !
Blitz !
Gas
Gas
Untersberg mountain
Untersberg mountain
Walk in my hometown
Walk in my hometown
Sport in mystic light
Sport in mystic light
Mirror River Mur
Mirror River Mur
Mirror River Mur
Mirror River Mur
Winter light with hope
Winter light with hope
Rome
Rome
Tom in Rome
Tom in Rome

During that period of shooting 30mm, the GAS thing again made me search for a f2 or even faster lens. I went for a sigma 30mm f/1.4 that is a great lens, but it fails to cover 24x24mm because it is designed for APS-C.

Taken with the sigma 30/1,4 including vignette
Taken with the sigma 30/1,4 including vignette

There has also been a Canon EF 28mm f1,8 that I did not really like for no exact reason except maybe the lack of sharpness. The keeper of this search was a Nikon AIS 28mm f2,0 which is great, and it can also do some macro work.

The Nikon is not a huge lens but it kind of doubles the weight of the camera. More than 800g for that combi Pentax ME and Nikon AIS 28mm f/2.

tram repair
tram repair

And this weight takes me to a next step. Again a wish for a new improved camera had taken place in my head: A square shooting camera that is really lightweight.

This camera, I decided, should also be also a Pentax ME because I already knew a lot about it. But I had to get rid of the mirror box for seriously loosing weight – and getting a very short flange focal distance. My goal was to use some of the new designed and small “mirrorless” lenses like Canon RF or Nikon Z. So I started creating a simple viewfinder camera with a “short” M42 mount.

The next weeks were filled with engineering of major questions and lots of details. Can the shutter work without the mirror? Yes it can. What is the minimum flange focal distance? 24.8 mm (LTM minus 4mm) Which viewfinder? Ricoh GR1 finder (I had a broken GR1 waiting for something…) What kind of electronic metering can feed the electronic shutter?

Really, I am wonderingly about the amount of motivation that got me working through all these steps. Here are some docu shots taken with the Nikon 28:

Metering "of the film"
Metering “of the film”
custom ASA switch necesssary
custom ASA switch necesssary
"Seidler ME" soldering te top cover
“Seidler ME” soldering te top cover
functional !
functional !

The result was good so far. After fixing some light leaks and fine adjusting the film plane, the camera was ready for shooting. At this point I had no lens, but I had the broken GR1. I fitted the optical elements into an Industar 69 housing with M39 thread, so that the flange distance is 28,8mm like LTM – and with a 4mm M39 to M42 adapter I was able to shoot the first frames with the camera I share my family name with.

Seidler ME with Ricoh GR 28/2.8
Seidler ME with Ricoh GR 28/2.8
First shot of the new camera
First shot of the new camera

Still one step is missing to the current setting. Earlier I wrote about my interest for the new designed lenses for mirrorless systems. The Canon RF 28/2.8 was my favorite. What a rear lens! (acryl) As I could prove later, this lens is SHARP wide open. Here are some docu pics again:

Canon RF 28/2.8 the rear acryl lens fills the frame
Canon RF 28/2.8 the rear acryl lens fills the frame
Canon RF 28/2.8 custom
Canon RF 28/2.8 custom
Yess !
Yess !

So after all the building and thinking – her are some shots with the canon RF 28 lens:

sharp weather report
sharp weather report
St. Steven Vienna
St. Steven Vienna
Jail
Jail
wonderland
wonderland
Grimming mountain
Grimming mountain
In my hometown
In my hometown
In my home
In my home
Sports in winter
Sports in winter
No sports in summer
No sports in summer
heavy wheather
heavy wheather
Hamburg summer scene
Hamburg summer scene
Berlin futuristic 1957
Berlin futuristic 1957
blue
blue

So this is my square photography that brightend up my daily life for the last two years.
The story still goes on. Thanks a lot for reading ! I hope one or another inspiring moment could get through to you.
Alex.

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About The Author

By Alexander Seidler
Photography only for hobby. As a pupil i built a camera with a lens of an overhead projector. Do not remember where i got the lens from...
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Comments

Tommaso avati on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

these are incredible shots! the mirror river and the winter sky are amazing. super colours. love them all.
btw, where are they shot? it looks like Italy but something like 40 years ago...
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Thanks Tommaso, shot in Graz the "mediterranean" city in austria.

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thorsten wulff on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Fantastic work, dear Alexander! And lovely bike ;))
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Thank you Thorsten !

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Geoff Chaplin on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Very many beautiful shots! And you're right, often a lightweight camera wins over larger format simply because you can carry it with you. Well done on the construction work - rather you than me!
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Thanks Geoff

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Cem Eren on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

I enjoyed reading the post. The outcome is amazing as much as the journey.
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Thanks Cem Eren !

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Bill Brown on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

I am fascinated by individuals with the ability to not only think through the process of doing a camera mod but also have the ability to complete it. You not only made it work but pushed beyond good enough. The best part is you know what direction to point the lens and you have beautiful results. Mirror River Mur (sunset), Fiat, In My Home, In My Hometown(cast shadows) and Blue are a few of my favorites.
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Thanks a lot Bill !

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Juna on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Do you take orders? Seriously, I love the square format, I own two Robots (the star and a Royal) both btw with newer lenses, but then the RF with the Royal doesn’t work anymore. BUT they are also heavy! I used to have the Taxona, but didn’t like it much - although the weight was ok. So I shoot 24x36 for light weight, although I don’t like it much.

Long story short: Great and impressive work!
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Thanks for your nice words. Your experience is al lot like mine. The cameras from the 50ies are simple but not really lightweight. And the lenses are not made for color shooting.

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Andrew L on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

What an accomplishment! This guy mods!

Love the look of the camera that you created, and the results are excellent.
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Thanks Andrew !

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Jens Kotlenga on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Fantastic use of colour in your photographs. You seem to be a brilliant engineer, but it is your photography that ticks all my boxes.
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Thanks Jens !

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John F. on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Extremely well done! I'm amazed at the ingenuity and quality of both the work and photos. As a mechanic, I find usually people have either artistic capabilities or technical, but not usually both. Clearly you've got both in spades!

Out of curiosity, what is the final weight of the camera, and does it still have a functional meter?
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Thanks John. It weighs 439g including lens and film. Yes it is aperture priority automatic.

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John F. replied:

Comment posted: 05/11/2024

Incredible, nicely done!

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Huss on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 06/11/2024

Fantastic! You built this, and yet all Pentax could give us is the half frame 17?
Excellent pictures.
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 06/11/2024

Thank you Huss. The Pentax 17 is a cool camera but big for what it is.

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Bob Janes on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 06/11/2024

A facinating project. Going for a full auto camera seems ambitious, but from the looks of it you have sucseeded. I think I would have been tempted to start with something far more mechanical like a FED.
From your 'metering of the film' shot -- I assume the photodiodes are installed each side of the mask which would sit on the lens side of the shutter?
q1. How did you calibrate the photodiodes? I assume theyy were originally pointed at the focus screen, but are now looking at incident light - do you have an idea of the sort of pattern you are getting for metering?
q2. does having the mask on the far side of the shutter to the film lead to some 'feathering' of the sides of each shot, or are the edges of the frame reasonably well defined?
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 06/11/2024

Thanks Bob. Yes the cds-cells (photoresistor) sit between lens and shutter. They are facing the film surface, measuring the reflected light. They are very slow especially in low light situations. These cells and the electronics are not the pentax original. The circuit is custom made and a lot simplified. The timing is done by one capacitor for each ASA. The pattern of metering is something i don´t know but the bottom side (where the sky is probably the lightest area) is less weighted by the use of a different cell. q2: The main mask 24x24mm is on the film plain. The metering mask is in no way visible it only protects the cells form direct light.

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jim on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 06/11/2024

Very interesting. Square gives a unique way of looking at the world. How do you get such precise focus?
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 06/11/2024

To be honest. With the 28mm lens almost everything is infinite.

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Michael Zwicky-Ross on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 06/11/2024

Very impressive engineering. And lovely pictures. I'd forgotten how much I used to like the square format. Next job: dig out my Kodak Instamatic Reflex and refill a cartridge.
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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 06/11/2024

Thanks Michael. Sounds like a good idea !

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Tony Warren on My Square Story – Making my own 24×24 35mm Cameras

Comment posted: 07/11/2024

Your design and engineering skills are more than matched by your photography Alexander. I am in awe of both and thoroughly enjoyed reading about your journey. You have a terrific eye for a shot.
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Tony Warren replied:

Comment posted: 07/11/2024

Also meant to say, this is what the new Pentax half frame should have been.

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Alexander Seidler replied:

Comment posted: 07/11/2024

Thanks a lot tony.

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