I like my Horizon 202 camera, I use it more than I do any of my other "collectible" cameras. Mostly I use it with black and white film. Here in Hong Kong I often use the chromogenic black and white films of Kodak or Ilford. I can then send the exposed roll to a one hour lab, get basic prints of each side of the frame. When I then scan the resulting prints I can stitch them back together and put them on the Internet. Here's an example of Kelly on the deck of the USS Independence while it was on a visit in Victoria Harbor.

I was using my Horizon 202 the other day, and wanted a deep red filter. I looked into the filter storage handle, and was disappointed to find only ND, light green, and UV filters. So disappointed in fact, that I decided to make my own deep red filter.

After a bit of head scratching I decided that the best way would be to modify the existing filters. To do this I would have to take a knife to the filter and take it apart.

The filter as it comes with the camera actually has four parts. For lack of a better method, let me name them as: the Bottom(1), the Top(4), the Metal part(2) and the Filter Insert(3). You can take a look at the picture of the disassembled filter to see what I'm talking about. The number order refers to the position of the parts from the bottom up on the modified filter.

The Bottom has four stems which penetrate the Metal Part and trap the filter Insert before ending in the Top where they are peened/melted over to secure the entire assembly.

Before starting, is it wise gather all the supplies and tools necessary to make the modification. Here are some suggestions:

1. a sharp bladed knife (Exacto or other, I used my Swiss Army Knife)

2. File (fingernail file will do)

3. a 2mm drill bit or other method of making a clean hole in the new filter material, (I used a combination of a heated pin held in a pin vice, and a 2mm tap.

4. four x 5mm screws (depending on the thickness of the filter material you are using, you might need shorter or longer screws.)

5. Cokin filter of the appropriate type (I used an old Deep Red which had a scratch in it)

6. A Plastics cutting knife (This has a deep "V" shaped blade and is the only method short of actual sawing that I have found works on the hard acrylic of the Cokin filters.)

7. Needle or Pin which you can heat and hold for making holes.

Here are the steps I followed to arrive at my finished filter.

I cut the Green filter apart by slipping the knife blade gently between the Bottom and Metal part and severing the stems. The filter fell apart. I then pushed the resulting plugs (5) out of the Top and threw them away. I also threw the filter away because I couldn't think of a use for it. (If you find a use, please tell me, and I'll add your suggestion here.)

 I measured the width and length of the Top and Bottom (17mm) and used the Plastic cutting knife to score the Cokin filter. Be sure to bend the filter AWAY from the cut you've made. It will snap smoothly. (I didn't the first time, and I ended up with a very ragged edge.) After the first cut I had a piece of Deep Red filter material 17mm wide and more than 50mm long. I had to make another score to end up with a square of 17mm on a side. I ran the edges of the cut piece a couple of times over the flat side of the file, just to get rid of the sharp ridges.

Using the holes in the corners of the Metal Part as a template, I made small pricks with a very hot needle in the center of each hole. I used the 2mm tap to enlarge these pricks, but a 1.5/2mm drill would do just as well. Avoid pressing too hard on the drill, or you may shatter the filter material, and have to cut another piece to begin again.

I trimmed the excess "stem" material from the Bottom with my knife and used the Metal part and heated needle again as a pattern to make starter holes for the screws at each corner. A word of caution here. The black plastic of the Top and Bottom are very soft. Too much heat on the pin and you will send it right through, and possibly make a hole that is too big, thereby messing up any chance of the screw holding. It's better to make you first attempt too small, than to end up with a hole too big.

 This is the extent of the hard work. The assembly was very fast, and the resulting filter looked so good that I went right out and bought an Orange Cokin filter to cut up to replace the ND filter which I never use.

Because the only screws I could find were chrome, I darkened the heads with a black Magic Marker, just for cosmetic purposes. I thought about darkening the threads too, but I don't think there is any chance of any flare coming in that direction.

My friend Tony Lo reported this morning that he found a .5+ diopter which he thinks can be adapted to allow closer focussing than the Horizon 202 is set up for. I'll put the results here when I get the diopter mounted.

By the way, one advantage of making the filter modification in this manner is that I can have different filter elements available, and only have to undo four screws to replace the insert. Theoretically there you are only limited by your imagination and the availability of appropriate Cokin (or other plastic) filters. I might make a graduated filter next, once I get the diopter to work.
   click on the picture for an enlarged look at the disassembled filter. See the text for number references.
   click on the picture for an enlarged look at the finished filter
   click on the picture for an enlarged look at the screws I used.
   click on picture for an enlarged view of my Horizon 202 Panoramic camera. Note that the screw heads were not yet blackened when I took this picture
  Click on the picture to see an enlarged view of my Daughter Kelly on the deck of the USS Independence during the ship's visit to Hong kong. Made with my Horizon 202 camera.

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