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View Full Version : True large format digital camera



Joseph O'Neil
25-Sep-2006, 09:05
http://www.roundshot.ch/xml_1/internet/de/application/d438/d925/f934.cfm

Look at the price however. :(

Please - this is NOT a digital vs film debate/thread/whatever. Quite frankly, even if they sold this camera for a penny, I would still use film, for the same reasons people use charcol or oil paints. I just thought it was neat to see what some people are doing.

joe

Ted Harris
25-Sep-2006, 09:10
Joe, it isn't a large format camera either ... it is 6x17.

Joseph O'Neil
25-Sep-2006, 09:14
Joe, it isn't a large format camera either ... it is 6x17.

Well, it only uses large format lenses, so i thought that was close enough. :)

paulr
25-Sep-2006, 09:34
wow ... didn't really make an impression til i saw how big it was next to that guy's head.

probably a fabulous camera if if fits what you're doing and you have the $$$.
160 megapixels with schneider and rodenstock lenses at 6x17 should be quite impressive.

i'm curious to know if anyone is using digital backs on LF cameras in the field. if they do, do they bring a laptop for file storage, composing, etc., or is there a diffferent working method? the versatility would be interesting, but i hate the thought of lugging that much gear, dealing with battteries, etc. etc.

Bob Gentile
25-Sep-2006, 09:50
"... wow ... didn't really make an impression til i saw how big it was next to that guy's head..."Ha! Same here. That sucker's huge!

Jim collum
25-Sep-2006, 09:54
wow ... didn't really make an impression til i saw how big it was next to that guy's head.

probably a fabulous camera if if fits what you're doing and you have the $$$.
160 megapixels with schneider and rodenstock lenses at 6x17 should be quite impressive.

i'm curious to know if anyone is using digital backs on LF cameras in the field. if they do, do they bring a laptop for file storage, composing, etc., or is there a diffferent working method? the versatility would be interesting, but i hate the thought of lugging that much gear, dealing with battteries, etc. etc.


I've been using a Betterlight and an Ebony for a number of years. Needs a laptop, so i always bring one. Have one battery that last's a day of shooting. have an extra laptop battery that brings the laptop up to about 6 hours of shooting. Weight wise, probably about the same as an 8x10 setup with holders.

I do all my composing as always with a 4x5. usually before i set up, then fine tune in the ground glass. Exposure, Curves, color balance are all set from the laptop before shooting. I normally take a quick 100% scan with a strip on the left, middle , right of the frame.. even with a 8x loupe, focus can still be off. The Betterlight has an internal drive, so I normally don't copy to the laptop as backup until the end of the day. I keep the image on the Betterlight drive until i have it backed up at home. (it has an internal 80Gb drive, so it'll hold a lot.. although the panorama's have been up to 2Gb in size)

jim

Bruce Watson
25-Sep-2006, 10:19
What we don't have, still, is a parallel capture (like film) full frame digital capture system. I seriously doubt anyone will ever offer a 5x4 sensor. That leaves scanning backs like this new camera and like the Better Light backs, and medium format digital backs like the Phase One P45 and the Leaf Aptus backs.

And of course, it leaves film, which has a much higher information/weight ratio than anything digital, which is important if you are carrying your kit on your back as you hike into the wilderness.

Robert Payne
25-Sep-2006, 12:15
The file from the 6x17 digital equals a 25x70 inch print at 300dpi, straight from the camera, with no enlarging/interpolation. Not too shabby.

Bruce, there is a Dalsa 100MP 4x4 inch sensor, however, it will be a while till regular consumers like us can have access to it, since as of now, we don't even have access to a full-frame 645 one-shot chip. The max is about 37x49mm right now...which is why the improvement in scanning technology is exciting. The speed that this 6x17 scans is very, very impressive.

Michael Daily
25-Sep-2006, 17:48
http://www.gigapxl.org/

Defining the upper limits of large-format photography, digital scanning and image processing, custom-built Gigapxl™ cameras capture images with unprecedented resolution.

Early on, the goal was set at 1,000 megapixels. However, as technology has advanced, the bar has been raised to 4,000 megapixels; a figure that we expect to reach within the next several months.

Bob Gentile
25-Sep-2006, 18:04
http://www.gigapxl.org/
Pretty amazing, eh? And the rig can be transported by one person.

Leonard Evens
26-Sep-2006, 08:09
I am waiting for a full frame 4 x 5 digital back which takes pictures in a single shot without scanning. but I don't expect to live long enough to see one. I think it is not too likely that any commercially produced back of that kind will ever exist, but who knows? Most likely digital view cameras will be medium format or perhaps slightly smaller. Indeed medium format view cameras and backs for such already exist, but the price is pretty high. It seems plausible that with such combinations one can produce results in resolution of fine detail comparable to what is now achievable with a 4 x 5 view camera using film. So there will be little incentive to produce larger backs commercially. As the technology matures, it may become relatively easy to accomodate those of us with 4 x 5 or larger view cameras who would like to record digital images directly with our cameras in the formats we are used to and in much the same way we do it with film, and a small specialty market for such devices may arise. But unless there is some breakthrough, I don't see that happening any time soon. One possible way that might happen is the economical production of 'digital film' meant for one time use.

Sheldon N
26-Sep-2006, 08:24
http://www.gigapxl.org/

Defining the upper limits of large-format photography, digital scanning and image processing, custom-built Gigapxl™ cameras capture images with unprecedented resolution.

Early on, the goal was set at 1,000 megapixels. However, as technology has advanced, the bar has been raised to 4,000 megapixels; a figure that we expect to reach within the next several months.

You know that this camera is a 9x18" format, shoots roll film originally designed for aerial photography, and uses a custom designed lens. There's some pretty cool tech information on their website about the camera design. I do think it's a little sneaky how they've marketed the camera in relationship to digital. I think they want to have people think of it as a digital camera, rather than as a really big film camera.

The website www.reallybigfilmcamera.org just wouldn't have the same marketing appeal.

Marko
26-Sep-2006, 10:10
Joe, it isn't a large format camera either ... it is 6x17.

Why not?

Isn't it a derivative of 5x7? It uses large format lenses and requires a 5x7 enlarger to make prints.