I found a DIY TLR camera kit that lets you build the camera from parts, then use it to take photos. What I don't understand, is that the specs list:
1/150s shutter speed; f/11 aperture
From that description, it makes it sound like it has a fixed shutter speed and aperture. Assuming I use 24 or 36 exposure 35mm film, am I limited to one set of exposure values for the entire 24 or 36 frames? I am thinking I might be misunderstanding how TLR cameras work.
Answer
This is very similar to a Holga medium-format toy camera, where the shutter speed is approximately ¹/₁₀₀th of a second (give or take the particular camera you have and how it is feeling today) and the aperture is about f/13 (regardless of whether you have the alleged aperture lever set to one of its two non-functional options).
So how do you get the exposure right? You shoot in lighting that's right for the film speed you've chosen. You depend on the greater exposure latitude of film when it's off by a bit, and don't worry so much about getting it perfect. Or close to perfect. If you wanted it perfect, you wouldn't have a plastic DIY camera, right? Rather than control and execution of vision, it's about happenstance and creation through serendipity.
PS: this isn't normal for TLR cameras in general. It's normal for toy cameras, though.
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