Homemade SLR Camera

I often find myself amazed at the projects people undertake in their spare time. In the days before the Internet, many slipped by unnoticed. Mercifully, that happens much less these days. A case in point: an intrepid Frenchman named Denis decided to create an SLR camera more or less from scratch. He documented his progress on a camera forum with lots of stunning pictures.

Denis says that he had this project in mind for 25 years, but didn't have the technical skill or expertise necessary to complete the project until now, at 42. His goal was to avoid reusing parts, except for the cloth shutter and the occasional ball bearing and screw. He even made his own first-surface mirror and ground glass viewing screen. Along the way, he ran into challenges -- especially light-proofing the body and getting the shutter to work properly. 

Boitier appareil photo réflex maison "homemade SLR camera" [via Make]