THE WORLD’S FIRST 35MM

DO-IT-YOURSELF SLR CAMERA

EXPERIENCE THE ESSENCE OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Perfect for Do-It-Yourself lovers and those interested in learning, understanding and experiencing how analogue photography works, the Konstruktor is a fully-functional 35mm SLR camera which you can easily build at home.

Through the fantastically fun process of assembling this beautiful machine, you’ll learn the essence of photography and be able to shoot wonderfully sharp and vibrant analogue photos. It’s time to take the next step on your exciting photographic adventure and boost your creativity to the max. With the Konstruktor, you don’t just capture analogue beauty, you Konstruct it!

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ABOUT

LEARN THE MECHANICS

In the digital world in which we take the complexity behind inventions for granted, there is something deceptively simple about an analogue camera. But how exactly does a film camera work? How are you capable of capturing an image on a film roll by simply clicking a button? What are the inner workings which make this possible?

The Konstruktor allows you to demystify the process of analogue photography by building your camera from the ground up. In constructing it, you’ll begin to understand the intricate mechanics behind the analogue photos you shoot and have a ton of fun in the process. Building the Konstruktor is very easy; it can usually be completed in 1-2 hours and, by the end, you’ll have a fully working SLR camera in your hands!

A NEW CREATIVE TOOLBOX

The Konstruktor is a bundle of tricks indeed. Once you have finished building your camera, you’ll be in possession of an awesomely simple yet tremendously clever photographic contraption. Firstly, the Konstruktor is equipped with ‘N’ and ‘B’ mode for regular and long exposures; of course, it has a tripod thread for keeping those long exposures steady. It is also equipped with an uncoupled shutter release and advance, so you can easily produce multiple exposure photos.

packaging

SEE WHAT YOU SHOOT

The Konstruktor is Lomography’s very first SLR camera. SLR stands for ‘Single Lens Reflex’; with this type of camera, it’s possible to focus and view exactly what you shoot. All you have to do is look through the top-down viewfinder and focus using the ring on the lens. The viewfinder also has a handy magnifier so you can get a better view of what you’re shooting.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR CREATION

Once you’ve finished building the Konstruktor, it’s time to decorate! The camera comes packed with a selection of stickers that you can attach. Bored of your current camera look? Just peel off the stickers and try a different set. Of course, in true Lomographic spirit you can also decide to forget the rules and decorate your Konstrucktor in a totally unique style.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

35mm (135) Film

Detachable 50mm f/10 Lens

Shutter Speed: 1/80s with multiple exposures

Focus Distance: 0.5m – Infinity

Dimensions: 121 × 33 × 65mm

HOW TO BUILD

Are you the proud new owner of a Konstruktor camera? We bet you are looking forward to shooting some amazing photos with this 35mm SLR camera. In this guide we take you through all the steps in building the camera to make the process easy-peasy!

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS – PARTS OF THE CAMERA
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- These diagrams show the parts of the camera
- When you first get your Konstruktor, some parts of the camera will be attached to a grid, some are already assembled to make the building process easier for you and others are in smaller boxes contained in your Konstruktor package. The best thing to do when you start is to check all the camera parts you have and match them up with the diagram. This will make it a lot easier to do each step in the building process!

BUILDING THE LENS

BUILDING THE HOOD VIEWFINDER

BUILDING THE CAMERA BODY

ASSEMBLING OTHER PARTS

PUTTING TOGETHER THE PIECES

FINISHING ASSMBLEY

FINAL TOUCHES

HOW TO SHOOT

CHOOSING YOUR FILM

With your Konstruktor camera built, you’ll need to select the appropriate film for the job. Use this handy guide to use the correct ISO of film depending on your shooting conditions!

konstruktor

LOADING THE FILM

Open the Film Door Lock to unlock the film door

Pull out the Rewind Wheel as far as the second stop

Place the Film Roll in the Film Chamber

Push the Rewind Wheel down

Pull the film roll across into the Take-Up Spool slot so that the teeth catch the film perforations

Rotate the Film Advance Wheel for one rotation and check the Sprocket Gear Teeth are catching the film perforations

Rotate the Rewind Wheel in the direction of the arrow to adjust the tension of the film

Before closing the camera Back Door, reset the Frame Counter to ‘36’ (This is the film countdown mechanism. When the counter reaches ‘1’, your film is finished!)

Close the Film Door and close the latch of the Film Door Lock

Advance the film for two frames to wind on to an unexposed part of the film. If the film is winding properly, the Film Transport Signal will turn to let you know

PREPARING TO SHOOT & FRAMING YOUR SUBJECT

When it’s time to take a photo, firstly open the Hood Viewfinder Cover then lift the inside covers. (We recommend closing the Hood Viewfinder when the camera is not in use.)

Now take a look into the Hood Viewfinder and you’ll see your subject. Usually it’s best to hold the Konstruktor at chest or shoulder level when shooting using the Hood Viewfinder. When photographing vertical images with the Hood Viewfinder, it’s possible to shoot at right angles; this is particularly useful when you want to remain hidden from the object of your photographic desire! The image in the Hood Viewfinder can also be viewed from below when the Konstruktor is held above your head.

This is very handy when you want to take photos over the heads of crowds, for example. In order to get more precise focusing, you can flip up the magnifier inside the Lens Hood.

OPERATING THE LENS

The Konstruktor has a fixed aperture lens. You can rotate the lens ring to change your focus. If the lens ring is close to the camera body, you’ll be focusing on subjects that are far away. If you rotate the lens ring to the right so that the lens is further from the camera body, you’ll focus on subjects closer to you. The lens will correctly focus as close as 0.5m to your subject.

OPERATING THE SHUTTER

To operate the Konstruktor shutter, turn the Mirror Reset Knob until it is in the reset position

Then select your shutter mode. You can select N (1/80s) for normal exposures or B (Bulb) for long exposures

Then simply press the Shutter Release button to take a photo!

REWINDING THE FILM

Do not open the Film Door until the full length of the exposed film has been rewound into the cartridge.

Turn the Rewind Wheel in the direction of the arrow. Avoid blocking the Frame Counter and ensure the Film Advance Wheel rotates with the Rewind Wheel. The resistance will go away as the film disengages from the Take Up Spool.