NanoPano DIY Build Instructions

Category: Makerstuff

Walkthrough of parts & steps:

Lens calibration (more detailed instructions here):

Files: https://www.patreon.com/posts/nano-pano-files-82317221

Printed Parts List

Base (NanoPano+) or body (standard NanoPano, formerly NanoPano Lite), lens cone (Mamiya Press, Polaroid 600SE, 65-80mm, 90-110mm, 114-135mm), base/body block, base/body riser, wind knob, knob, 2x plungers, 2x pull tabs (TPU), film gate (DIY customers received metal one), door, door insert, window, pressure plate, darkslide holder, memo holder, lock switch, lock button, lock cover, dark slide handle top, dark slide handle bottom.

Optional: VF body (native 50mm Mamiya Press or equivalent), VF face, eyepiece (TPU), masks 7ea (65, 75, 90, 100, 127, 150, 250mm Mamiya Press equivalent).

Optional: Grip.

Hardware List

Body: 1ea M2x6 or M2x8 knurled thumb screw, 5ea M2x8, 1ea M2x12, 1ea M2x16, 4ea M2x8 countersunk screws, 1ea M2x6 button-head screw, 10ea M2 nuts, 30ea 5x3mm magnets, 2ea cold shoes, 2ea 8x10mm springs, 3ea tripod bushings, film gate, 2ea 6″ bungee cord, 3-5ea shrink wrap caps, 2ea dark slides (aluminum business card), 4ea M3x16 screw + 8ea M3 nuts (for NanoPano+ lens cone, 4ea chrome, 4ea black), 2mm light seal foam for pressure plate, 1.5mm light seal foam for dark slide light trap, 1mm light seal foam for liner, felt tape for door parts, M2 hex key, M3 hex key, extra screws & nuts.

Grip: 1ea cold shoe, 2ea M2x12 screw, 2ea M2 nuts, 2ea M3x25 screw, 2ea M3 nuts.

Tools Needed

Hex keys or wrenches for M2 and M3 nuts (hex keys included in DIY kit), cross-head screwdriver, scissors/cutters, CA glue (super glue).

Expert tools: Rubber mallet, spudger, tweezers, #18 chisel hobby blade, #17 chisel hobby blade, #11 hobby/exacto blade, #10 hobby blade, 5/64 drill bit for enlarging M2 holes, 1/8 drill bit for enlarging M3 holes, micro tips for glue, helicoid grease or other lubricant (vaseline is ok).

Build Instructions

Please do not overtighten any screws, it’s not necessary. You can use an electric screwdriver to get them started but finish tightening by hand. Should be just snug enough so that the items aren’t loose. Test fit all mating parts and screws to make sure there are no issues before you glue/tighten anything. For any areas where you will be adding glue, add vaseline where glue may accidentally bond unintended pieces.

Body / Base

  1. Start off by inspecting the printed parts. Clean them up as desired. If you printed on your own, remove supports. The goal here is to make sure you don’t have to re-print the larger pieces of the build. Once you’re happy you can light seal or flock the interior (recommended with paint).
  2. Test the lens mount for tightness/looseness. This is another area where you may have to re-print before continuing. Add the M2x6 or M2x8 knurled thumb screw + M2 nut.
  3. Install magnets onto both body and door. Use a rubber mallet to set them if the holes are too tight. Add a small dab/touch (a drop is too big and it will overflow) of CA glue to help hold the magnets in place if they are too loose and you don’t want to re-print. Don’t forget to reverse the direction for the door or the magnets will repel each other from body to door.
  4. Install the top cold shoe with 2ea M2x8 screws + 2ea M2 nuts.
  5. Install base riser. First add M2 nut to the bottom side of the riser, then add M2x12 screw through the center hole. Add 2ea M2 nuts to the camera body on the knob side. Screw the riser onto the body using the hole closest to the front of the camera.
  6. Install side cold shoe on top of base riser. Use M2x8 for the front and M2x16 for the back of the cold shoe.
  7. Install winding knob at the top opening. Insert spring into plunger, place it through the opening. Push it in with your thumb so the plunger post appears on the outside of the camera body. Add a drop of glue and press the knob into the plunger post. Hold tightly and secure with a M2x8 screw.
  8. Repeat the step above for knob at the bottom.
  9. Install all tripod bushings. Recommended to use glue to hold them in better.
  10. Install lens cone on NanoPano+ models.

Interior / Film Bay

  1. Install pull tabs by pressing them into the available slots.
  2. Add foam light trap, be careful and do not stretch or tear it.
  3. Install film gate with 4ea countersunk M2x8 screws + 4ea M2 nuts. Optional: add felt strips to recessed areas (pre-installed on purchased kits).

Door Assembly

  1. Flip the door so the rear (camera exterior) is facing upward. Add long felt strip to the underside of dark slide holder. Add glue to the channels where the dark slide holder and memo window will go. Install dark slide holder and memo holder. Let cure/dry.
  2. Once dry, flip the door around to expose the interior of the door. Add window with the handle facing down, make sure the side with the small dot is facing the hinge side of the door.
  3. Add door insert on top of the window (see video for glue points), there is an arrow on the underside so make sure it points upward. You should see the textured side of the print, and the arrows should be on the left hand side pointing in the right direction.
  4. Add pressure plate foam.
  5. Add glue to the pressure plate and place on top of the foam. Make sure it is centered left/right with the raised part of the door.
  6. Add felt liner to the underside of the lock button. Install lock into the door slot, with the hook side facing the center of the camera. Add a drop of glue and then install the lock button. Use a M2x6 button head screw to secure in place.
  7. On the inside of the door, install the lock cover using glue. See video for glue points.
  8. Use 2.5mm bungee cord to create a hinge, see video for method. Alternatively use a strip of filament.
  9. NOTE: If the door is not flush, then check for any plastic bulges or debris and trim/scrape/sand as needed.

Finishing

  1. Build the dark slide handles, add glue to hold everything together.
  2. Touch-up paint as needed.
  3. Apply 1mm foam liner to cover up all the magnets.

Adapting Lenses

There are 4 main parts to the lens cone assembly: the cone, the helicoid, the spacers, and then lens board roughly installed in that order, as the spacers can go where you best prefer. Either before or after the helicoid, I usually choose by which side uninstalls the easiest. This part of the guide is covering the non Mamiya Press or Polaroid 600SE lens cones as those are self explanatory with no calibration needed if your pinter is accurate.

Keep track of the measurements needed along the way in bold italic.

First Steps

  • Determine the correct flange focal distance (FFD) of your lens. Often it’s very close to the focal length number-wise, but there are enough cases where it’s not. All you need is an approximation if you can’t find the exact number. Note this FFDmm for later.
  • Have what you need ready to perform the calibration in the video above, it will probably be the easiest way to be accurate vs measuring each time to match the exact FFD.

Lens Cones

There are 4 lens cones total, as described below. All except one cover a wide range of focal lengths.

  • Nano_cone_A65 – Approx 43.25mm from the film plane, this one you will use only with the tiny 65mm Schneider Angulon, and a smaller M42 helicoid.
  • Nano_cone_65 – Approx 47.5mm from the film plane, pairs with a M65 helicoid, covers FFD of most lenses 65-80mm.
  • Nano_cone_90 – Approx 68.5mm from the film plane, pair with M65 helicoid, covers FFD of most lenses 90-110mm.
  • Nano_cone_114 – Approx 100.6mm from the film plane, pair with M65 helicoid, covers FFD of most lenses 114-135mm.

Helicoid

Doesn’t matter whether M42 or M65, get the 17-31mm one. They will vary in actual distance between 16-17.25mm when fully collapsed, depending where you source it. Measure for the actual. We will call this measurement Helicoid.

Spacers/Shims

These are designed for printing in 0.16mm layer height multiples, so you have essentially a one layer (016), 2-layer (032), and 3-layer (048) shims. The one for the 65mm Angulon are smaller to match the M48 helicoid and there are only a 016 and 032. If you measure correctly for the calibration part, you might just be off by about 1-1.5mm so print a variety of them.

Lens board

These follow a naming convention that helps determine how thick they are so you can plan your “formula” for the build. For example:

  • Copal000_M42_200 – This is for the smaller 65mm Angulon’s Copal 000 size, on a M42 threaded lens board, measuring 2mm thick.
  • Copal0_M65_400 – This is for the Copal 0 shutters, on a M65 threaded lens board, measuring 4mm thick. They go all the way up to 1110 for 11.1mm thick.

Assembly

  • Make sure you have the lens cone installed first, and that you have a piece of ground glass or frosted acrylic in place at the film plane.
  • Measure the distance from the face of your lens cone without a helicoid installed to the ground glass. Note this as Actual Depth.
  • Now for mathematics! The first formula to figure out is: FFDmm – (Actual Depth + Helicoid) = X
  • Now take X and determine what combination of lens board and shims covers that discance. For example if your FFD is 74.5mm, Actual depth on Nano_cone_65 came out to 48.2mm, Helicoid was 16.75mm. So then 74.5-(48.2+16.75) = 9.55.
  • In this example above, you have 2 paths. One you can just take the Copal0_M65_964 board and shorten the model or shave it slightly. Or you can print the Copal0_M65_800 board and add about 1.55 worth of shims, so 2x 048, and 1x each of 032 and 016, with a spare 016 handy if you are still too short.
  • Once you have assembled your first attempt, calibrate it per the video to see if you are too high or too low. If you go past infinity, you need to add more shims. Remove one or two if you are not quite reaching infinity. You don’t really need to measure like I did in the video if you feel confident about your measurements based on these written instructions. That is what you will need to do when you don’t really have the FFD and are pretty much starting with the same number as the focal length. Otherwise with knowledge of the FFD you can probably guess correctly whether you need to add one or 2 more shims.

That should be about it. Enjoy the build!!