Wanderlust 4x5 P&S

[alexn]

I wonder this too actually.. I have a Fuji Quickload holder and quite a bit of quickload film that would be even better again for this sort of "Run and Gun" sort of camera.... I suppose the same as the 6x12 back applies... a few elastic bands should hold her in place well enough... failing that a couple of velcro straps running across the camera to hold them in place. The only thing would be that the steel springs would likely be in the way...

If they were removeable it would be easier to adopt either a roll film back or quick/readyload holders. I very rarely shoot sheet film in double darks because its too much of a hassle to load and unload especially in the field... Quickloads make it faster and easier. Not to mention, having 20 shots worth of double darks loaded in your backpack defeats the purpose of this camera, where as 1 quickload holder and 20 sheets of film weighs next to nothing....

I simply can not wait to have this in my hands.

[dave_whatever]

Put me down for one of these, assuming you can post to the uk. Will it take a grafmatic?

[anglophone1]

I wonder this too actually.. I have a Fuji Quickload holder and quite a bit of quickload film that would be even better again for this sort of "Run and Gun" sort of camera.... I suppose the same as the 6x12 back applies... a few elastic bands should hold her in place well enough... failing that a couple of velcro straps running across the camera to hold them in place. The only thing would be that the steel springs would likely be in the way...

If they were removeable it would be easier to adopt either a roll film back or quick/readyload holders. I very rarely shoot sheet film in double darks because its too much of a hassle to load and unload especially in the field... Quickloads make it faster and easier. Not to mention, having 20 shots worth of double darks loaded in your backpack defeats the purpose of this camera, where as 1 quickload holder and 20 sheets of film weighs next to nothing....

I simply can not wait to have this in my hands.

I still have a stash of pola 55 that I'm shooting with my Razzle, assuming this can take a 545 back, it'll be the ideal compliment to it for my environmental portaiture work.

[Michael_qrt]

Hi Ben, this looks awesome and I'll definitely buy one as I have a 90mm angulon to use on it. I just wonder if you've thought of having both horizontal and vertical tripod mount screws? Now I know most people will just think that's no problem because you can just tilt your tripod head 90 degrees with a camera this light, but I thought an ideal system would be to use this camera with a gorillapod SLR type tripod which has no head. Let's face it, with an anuglon you're looking at stopping down to f/22 for sharpness/coverage/DOF so I couldn't see myself using it much handheld. Think about it, this small light camera on a tiny lightweight gorillapod would be a super fun system.

[John NYC]

Hi Ben, this looks awesome and I'll definitely buy one as I have a 90mm angulon to use on it. I just wonder if you've thought of having both horizontal and vertical tripod mount screws? Now I know most people will just think that's no problem because you can just tilt your tripod head 90 degrees with a camera this light, but I thought an ideal system would be to use this camera with a gorillapod SLR type tripod which has no head. Let's face it, with an anuglon you're looking at stopping down to f/22 for sharpness/coverage/DOF so I couldn't see myself using it much handheld. Think about it, this small light camera on a tiny lightweight gorillapod would be a super fun system.

Would be nice to have both tripod mounts!

You would be able to hand hold this pretty easily though on a sunny day. In low light? Definitely not.

[dave_whatever]

Actually if you could make the tripod socket on a raised incut square of 40mm side then it could attach straight into an arca clamp, which would be brilliant.

[Ben Syverson]

Thanks, guys! We're sticking with one tripod thread, because adding a second on a different axis would really increase the cost... Gorillapod now sells models with little ball heads, so I can't see any reason to put two on.

My QuickLoad holder may just barely fit under the springs, but basically anything that's thicker than a double dark will need to be rubber banded to the back. Luckily the shape of the front makes rubber banding easy and secure! And the spring back will be simple to remove—just two screws.

The camera fits the Calumet C2 rollfilm holder perfectly, but because the holder is so much heavier than the camera, you need to hold the whole thing by the holder, not the camera. Sort of like when you attach a giant telephoto to an SLR, you carry it by the lens. Luckily the chunky side of the C2 provides a nice grip!

I want to head out and take some test shots, but of course it's overcast today, when yesterday was 60°F and sunny. Oh well, the first test shots will be very truthful renderings of Chicago.

[Kuzano]

My QuickLoad holder may just barely fit under the springs, but basically anything that's thicker than a double dark will need to be rubber banded to the back. Luckily the shape of the front makes rubber banding easy and secure! And the spring back will be simple to remove—just two screws.

The camera fits the Calumet C2 rollfilm holder perfectly, but because the holder is so much heavier than the camera, you need to hold the whole thing by the holder, not the camera. Sort of like when you attach a giant telephoto to an SLR, you carry it by the lens. Luckily the chunky side of the C2 provides a nice grip!

I think I can get another trash Readyload holder and come up with a new thickness on the sides that is very near the thickness of a Double Dark. I should be able to work with whatever your final decision is, because I don't want to ask for any design change that will slow down your process or increase your price beyond how you see it now.

It occurs to me that you are creating one hell of a product, and people ought to be open-minded to your cost increases and work with their own accessory equipment to get their own end result. (I do also fully understand that many people simply want a fully capable product without being creative. That's all well and good, but they still want your camera for $100. )

I am sure I can afford to modify one inexpensive EasyLoad or Quickload holder. Fuji Quickload holders are still quite expensive in spite of the poor inventory of Quickload packet. However, the last Kodak Easyload resolved all of the issues with earlier models, and yet are dirtcheap, compared to the Fuji's. The Kodak holder handles the Fuji Quickload Packets quite well. This gives me a relatively dust free sheet of film, individually packaged all the way to the processing tank. Also light and compact.

I would not very likely use a Grafmatic as long as Quickloads seem to be readily available on eBay, even current dated. I dislike loading the Grafmatic Plenums and still being limited to 6 sheets (is that right?) plus the weight.

I can't really see the purpose of a light camera, with a heavy back attached, such as the Calumets, Horsemen, and Grafmatics. The Dayi for roll film and the Easyload for 4X5 or the double darks would be my choices. The Double Darks would be my lesser choice except one modified to be a ground glass. Most times, however, is see the camera being used as a P&S.

As far as holding the larger back. It actually appeals to me to use the side of the Easy/Quickload holders that stick out as a handle. I may even modify and attach a short cable release on the holder itself to actuate the shutter without modding your camera body.

I am a bit puzzled however. You mention holding the back on with rubber bands, bungee, or velcro. I am not opposed to that, but I sort of envision your back as securing the holders by sliding the holder into a top and bottom slots situation. I must be wrong if it can be rubber banded into place.

Will you please show me relatively close shots of the back showing from the end the holders slide into, and at an angle from the side showing the slots, or if the back surface just has side holder positioning to drop the holder in and bind in place with the elastic material of my choice.

The nice thing about the Easy/Quickload system is that I can afix the holder to the camera for the duration of an outing and leave it attached, simply inserting and removing film envelopes. The roll film process is another matter, but if I know more clearly what the back looks like without a holder in place, I can make any of my choices of film holders work without any mods to your design.

Again... Good, Good, Job.

[Ben Syverson]

Thanks Kuzano! The back is pretty simple:



The ledge on the left will have two screws that will secure two flexible metal prongs. Removing those spring metal prongs is as simple as unscrewing two screws, after which you can rubber band anything to the back.

Looking at it again, I'm pretty confident that the QL holder would fit without any modification:



The C2 definitely needs to be banded, but it's actually quite natural-feeling once it's attached. It would certainly be lighter and less bulky to pack the 45 and a C2 vs the 45 and a Mamiya 7. And 90mm is a nice 50-ish lens on 6x7.



I was out shooting with the camera today, and had a blast. You could really shoot all day with this thing in your hand, which is not something I could say about many 4x5s. If you're bold, you can even shoot one-handed quite comfortably:



BTW, all these photos are from my blog "Ben Syverson holding things"

[rdenney]

Ben, your iPhone needs tilts!

Rick "yeah, not helpful" Denney