Now this is LARGE format

[Jim Jones]

As Brian noted, the setup is essentially for giant macrophotography. The DOF at the subject will be negligable. However, there is a way of overcoming this by using light from the sides restricted to the plane that is in sharp focus. During a long exposure in a dark room, the victim (oops, subject!) is moved through that illuminated plane. The name for this old technique eludes my even older mind.

[Jim Jones]

I know it has been done before, Lenny. I've seen an article with a picture of a similar size camera. According to the article, the camera was designed and made to take a detailed picture of a locomotive. . . .

Steven -- You probably mean this giant: http://robroy.dyndns.info/lawrence/mammoth.html. Unlike the Manarchy boondoggle, this project was competantly done and with commendable results.

[Dan Fromm]

I know it has been done before, Lenny. I've seen an article with a picture of a similar size camera. According to the article, the camera was designed and made to take a detailed picture of a locomotive.

About the lens, Brain. There is a shot in the video where Manarchy is taking of the cap from the lens. Seems to be about 10 to 12cm in diameter. When you put that in relation to the film, it's about the size of a pinhole camera should be.

I just thought of a theory. What if the front of the camera is an ordinairy LF camera. The big bellows might be a darkroom. Film from the LF camera is developed and projected on a huge print. From what has been shown, the short exposure and flash time, the relative small lens, the size of the film, the long time it takes to set the camera, it all adds up to something like my theory.

Unless someone can convince me it's real. Can someone make the calculations to convince me? Someone here already made a start, lets finish it. (it also is a good way for me and others to learn more about the theory of photography)

Well, Manarchy has a working, um, room camera. His monster trailer camera is, AFAIK, a fantasy and the images of it that are floating around are computer generated artist's renderings. Somewhat fanciful.

Room cams have been discussed here and elsewhere at some length. To find results produced with one, ask Google about Richard Learoyd. In discussions here people have said that he uses a 750 Apo Germinar and shoots at well below the magnifications Manarchy seems to be aiming for.

If the renderings of the trailer cam and images to be taken with it are fair representations, Manarchy intends to shoot portraits with it at around 4:1. Doing this will require a 3' - 4' lens. They're around.

As for a 10 - 12 cm lens cap, that's not very big and the lens it goes on probably isn't all that long. To put it in perspective, my 900/10 Apo-Saphir's cap is 14 cm in diameter.

[Two23]

Another thought occurred to me. As someone who shoots outdoors at night using studio flash, I know that for a stationary subject you can actually pop the flash several times to get a LOT of night onto a negative. If he's keeping the room dark, there is no ambient to worry about. He could pop a big pack/head light several times and quickly hit his subject with something like 20,000ws!

I've seen the photo of George Lawrence's big camera before, but does anyone have a link to the photo of the locomotive? I like choo-choos.


Kent in SD

[Brian C. Miller]

Alton Limited, 1905 poster from Zazzle, photograph by George R. Lawrence

[Scott Knowles]

Maybe instead of just talking, all of us should get out our wallet and contribute a little. I would hate to see it get cancelled because photographers didn't want to help a good project about America, Americans and photography. How many members do we have that something upwards of $100 each would help significantly?

[Brian C. Miller]

Maybe instead of just talking, ...

Silly me, I was just mocking up a 645 ratio headshot camera! Really, I bought black duct tape and started measuring and choppping on a 5ft cardboard box. I think the film holders would be a sort of vacuum back made from aluminum and balsa, with a shutter cloth darkslide, and loaded from the side. It would be the largest extension made for a Cambo 8x10 studio camera. Then prototype its functionality with RC roll paper.

Really, I feel fine. Shouldn't every state have a gargantuan film camera?

[E. von Hoegh]

Maybe instead of just talking, all of us should get out our wallet and contribute a little. I would hate to see it get cancelled because photographers didn't want to help a good project about America, Americans and photography. How many members do we have that something upwards of $100 each would help significantly?

Get out my wallet and contribute to a hyperbolic gimmick that purports to "capture the American Spirit"? I think not.

[Jim Jones]

Get out my wallet and contribute to a hyperbolic gimmick that purports to "capture the American Spirit"? I think not.

Yes, indeed. Funding any competent photographer with any camera to photograph Manarchy's subjects with care and understanding feels more practical, economical, sincere, and productive than supporting a megalomanical project by someone who doesn't seem to have the technical grasp of George Lawrence long ago with his camera for the Alton Limited photo.

Incidently, I doubt if the 1905 photo of the Alton Limited is the one George Lawrence took five years earlier. I hope not. So far I haven't found a photo that can be attributed to Lawrence's giant camera.

[Brian C. Miller]

The 1905 photograph is of the train, but that's after a retrofit. I don't think it was the same camera. I did find a photo of the crew setting the camera up, but I can't find a reproduction of the three contact prints made from the plate.