It's Alive
May 23, 2019 17:05:13 #
Frankencamera!!!
A project I've been working on for just under a year. I still have a few more components to design and have machined. But, the proof of concept worked.
Mount a digital to the back of an Arca Swiss 4x5 using a shift/stitch plate.
After several bench tests, it was time for the first field test shot. I do have some tweaking to do with exposure, but the 3x2 shift back seems to work pretty well. It's not suitable for all manner of photography, but for some applications, it seems it will do the job, along with allowing for all the swings, tilts, and shifts of a view camera. It produces a considerably large image and consequent file.
--Bob
A project I've been working on for just under a year. I still have a few more components to design and have machined. But, the proof of concept worked.
Mount a digital to the back of an Arca Swiss 4x5 using a shift/stitch plate.
After several bench tests, it was time for the first field test shot. I do have some tweaking to do with exposure, but the 3x2 shift back seems to work pretty well. It's not suitable for all manner of photography, but for some applications, it seems it will do the job, along with allowing for all the swings, tilts, and shifts of a view camera. It produces a considerably large image and consequent file.
--Bob
May 23, 2019 17:14:42 #
May 23, 2019 17:19:25 #
Thanks, Longshadow. You're very correct. Moving targets are off the table as well. However, for certain scenes, it's going to be interesting. Thanks for taking a look and commenting.
--Bob
--Bob
Longshadow wrote:
Wow. That's cool!
Not something for quick shots though.
Not something for quick shots though.
May 23, 2019 17:21:09 #
May 23, 2019 17:22:15 #
Thanks, krl48. It's been a long time project and coming to the last engineering steps. I cobbled together the lens mount for a test. Now it's back to the drawing board for some final lens mount design work.
--Bob
--Bob
krl48 wrote:
Nice work, Bob. Very nice.
May 23, 2019 17:32:53 #
May 23, 2019 17:38:15 #
rmalarz wrote:
Frankencamera!!! ...
Frankenstein was the inventor, not the monster (who didn't have a name that I recall). So you are the one we should call Frankenstein.
PS: the image of the monster is generally thought of as the one depicted by Boris Karloff in the old movie. The book says that the monster was quite good looking, strong, and intelligent.
Also, the phrase "It's Alive!!" comes from the movie "Bride of Frankenstein".
May 23, 2019 17:38:54 #
Thanks, moonhawk. For the proof of concept photo, I used a Nikon D800e. I'll probably be using that along with a D850.
--Bob
--Bob
moonhawk wrote:
Cool! What camera is the back?
May 23, 2019 17:43:02 #
Thanks for looking in, DirtFarmer.
I'm quite aware of the literary version of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I agree with your comment, but was taking some liberties with the concept of the novel and applying them to photography.
--Bob
I'm quite aware of the literary version of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I agree with your comment, but was taking some liberties with the concept of the novel and applying them to photography.
--Bob
DirtFarmer wrote:
Frankenstein was the inventor, not the monster (who didn't have a name that I recall). So you are the one we should call Frankenstein.
PS: the image of the monster is generally thought of as the one depicted by Boris Karloff in the old movie. The book says that the monster was quite good looking, strong, and intelligent.
PS: the image of the monster is generally thought of as the one depicted by Boris Karloff in the old movie. The book says that the monster was quite good looking, strong, and intelligent.
May 23, 2019 17:44:50 #
By the way, the book was written about 200 years ago, before the advent of photography.
May 23, 2019 21:52:31 #
Wow!
You’ve got a great prototype there, Bob!
What is the shortest lens with which you’ll be able to attain infinity focus? That bag bellows looks incredible. Is it custom or the standard Arca-Swiss?
My hat 🎩 is doffed to you, my friend!
Andy
You’ve got a great prototype there, Bob!
What is the shortest lens with which you’ll be able to attain infinity focus? That bag bellows looks incredible. Is it custom or the standard Arca-Swiss?
My hat 🎩 is doffed to you, my friend!
Andy
May 23, 2019 22:02:51 #
Hi, Andy. Thanks for looking in and commenting. The only thing left to do is have a front plate made. The idea is to have the front of this camera accept the same lens boards as my Graphic View II. Then I can use lenses on both with out having to change boards. This was a situation where I have to cobble together a working model to test it. For the time being the 8" Graphlex Optar lens will be attached to the Arca Swiss. I have a 210mm Schneider-Kreuznach still with the Graphic 4x5. Those lenses are very close in focal length.
The shortest I've been able to literally squeeze for focus at infinity is a Nikkor 120mm. The back camera adapter moves the camera a considerable amount of distance behind where the ground glass would be. Thus, the front to back distance has to be reduced to accommodate the camera's sensor being moved so far behind that ground glass plane.
I hope that made sense.
--Bob
The shortest I've been able to literally squeeze for focus at infinity is a Nikkor 120mm. The back camera adapter moves the camera a considerable amount of distance behind where the ground glass would be. Thus, the front to back distance has to be reduced to accommodate the camera's sensor being moved so far behind that ground glass plane.
I hope that made sense.
--Bob
AndyH wrote:
Wow!
You’ve got a great prototype there, Bob!
What is the shortest lens with which you’ll be able to attain infinity focus? That bag bellows looks incredible. Is it custom or the standard Arca-Swiss?
My hat 🎩 is doffed to you, my friend!
Andy
You’ve got a great prototype there, Bob!
What is the shortest lens with which you’ll be able to attain infinity focus? That bag bellows looks incredible. Is it custom or the standard Arca-Swiss?
My hat 🎩 is doffed to you, my friend!
Andy
May 24, 2019 06:51:36 #
rmalarz wrote:
Frankencamera!!! br br A project I've been worki... (show quote)
Wow the extremes your going through to stay out of the darkroom.
Fantastic idea
How do you get to the lens release button?
May 24, 2019 08:05:21 #
May 24, 2019 08:44:03 #
Great job Bob! I've thinking about doing the same thing but using a Nikon Z6 as its very short flange distance could be an advantage for the task. I would like to be able to shift the camera to cover the entire 4x5 image area so that there is no need for shorter bellow. (Well the bellow drawn at any focus point would be 16mm less which is not much of a problem I think). Also for this application I think using the camera in electronic shutter mode wouldn't be a problem because the subject must be static so rolling shutter isn't a problem.
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