Gigantic DIY Ultra-large Format Film Camera

[ArtRosen]

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/201...lm-camera.html

Searching for a way to enlarge some 8″x10″ prints without going digital, photographer (and close friend) Darren Samuelson decided to forego using an enlarger and instead built a gigantic ultra-large format camera capable of taking pictures on 14″x36″ X-Ray film. Taking over six months to complete, when fully extended the enormous hand-made bellows camera is close to six feet long. In this short by videographer Matthew Sultan, Samuelson talks about his process while on a photo shoot at Lands End in San Francisco.

Next week Samuelson will be embarking on a road trip, taking his camera along a route from New Orleans to New York, stopping off at points between. You can follow his progress on his blog and view images taken with the camera here.

[Brian C. Miller]

Neat! I've been planning on doing that. The camera, not the road trip.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Cool, a banquet format camera that makes 12x20 seem petite.

X-ray film is also plentiful and very affordable in the 14x17 size. Ready made cameras and film holders from multiple manufacturers are also available in 14x17, for those looking for a slightly more practical ULF format for shooting with x-ray film.

Kerry

[Tri Tran]

Way to go ! It's definitely a great Pano format. Looks like you had uneven developed negatives and major light leaks through holder . What lens are you using with the camera and how many hands did you use to load the negative?
BTW to minimize the bellow drawns. I have tried this format with 24 in Red dot Artar and the lens does covered the format. Keep that in mind!
Good luck and enjoy the format.

[EdWorkman]

very COOL
I second Tri's question- What lenses provide an IC of around 1000mm-40 inches?

[Tri Tran]

very COOL
I second Tri's question- What lenses provide an IC of around 1000mm-40 inches?

24 -30-35 in Artar will take care of this format. Why go fancy? You don't really need anything else beside to make ULF dream come true but i would like to know what lens is mounted on his camera.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

A 42" Red Dot Artar, or it's modern equivalent, the 1100mm Super Symmar XXL, would make a good "normal" lens for this format, and the 35" Red Dot Artar would make a great, slightly wide lens. For something a little wider (about half the format diagonal), a 19" Dagor would probably work.

Kerry

[GPS]

Unfortunately, some b-moll is imposing itself... From a constructional point of view the camera is not a job done well. The first mistake, very common, is to think that a bigger camera is just an up-scaling of the smaller model. It is not - the bigger dimension changes many requirements concerning the rigidity of the construction, to mention just one aspect. The second mistake, calling loud, is the use of one only tripod. To make 6 feet bellows expansion rigid and stable on one tripod in windy conditions or not is a unnecessary problem. The camera calls for 2 tripods with much better rigidity. Other details could be mentioned too...

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

From reading his blog, it looks like he's using two lenses. He's using the rear cell of a 300/500mm Convertible Symmar as his wide angle, and seems to be getting a little vignetting in some of the shots. The rear cell of a 360/620mm Convertible Symmar would probably give him full coverage with a little room for movements.

The long lens is a 1210mm. He doesn't mention the make or model, but I'm guessing it's an APO Nikkor. If it was an Artar, the focal length would be engraved in inches (47 1/2") not millimeters.

Kerry

[Heespharm]

Yeah his reasoning of the whole kicking out his roommate is kinda bogus.... I mean he could have put all that money into renting a space and enlarging 8x10... Instead he uses sub optimal film and many of his prints are unevenly developed... So in the end he spends thousands on a toy camera.....

I dunno I mean hats off to him, he pulled it off and it's a fantastic marvel/achievement... I would have gone a more practical route