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This is a new piece of equipment. Every one will be a sort of beta-tester during this first year of use.
I am sure that there will be a learning curve for the Travelwide. there will be a best-sharpness set up. there will be a most cost-effective set up. There will be a lightest-weight and best landscape or Portrait or macro way of working.
Maybe Really Right Stuff will make a special adapter for it!
Sure; someone will.
there will be third party accessories to meet various needs. I'll be looking in the DIY section for mods, adaptors and add-on buts.
Whenever I can get ahold of a TravelWide body, I will try to do some extreme telephoto work with a spotting scope. That will need a Brcket to hold the camera nody and scope in alignement and a tube to exclude light. Cardboard and Gaffers tape will work, but . . .something purpose built would make me feel better.
I think it's time for a new thread; something like Using the Travelwide. Since I don't have mine yet, and have nothing to show, it's presumptuous of me to start it. How about you Randy?
Yes, if Randy or any other early user is so inclined, we're at the point where it would make sense to launch either or both of a Travelwide image thread and a Travelwide tools-and-techniques thread, in the appropriate sections.Quote:
Originally Posted by HMG
I will try to hold off. 2 new threads are a good idea.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oren Grad
Name them properly and Mods will put them in the right place.
I suggest "Wanderlust 4X5 Images" for one and "Wanderlust 4X5 Tips, Setup & Usage" for the other. Maybe a "Show Off Your Travelwide".
We could make them now, but the threads may be lost before the rest of the users get here!
Where are the other early adopters? At least 16 cameras were picked up over 2 weeks ago. Lurkers!
While waiting on the TravelWide, check out this discontinued item:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301618028419...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
The seller said that he once had three bodies; kept a shooter and sold a shooter . . .now is trying to get a GRAND for the first production body, S/N 001.
Does anyone remember the guy who was trying to sell a whole bunch of Globuscope cameras on these forums? This was a few years ago. They were some lot of forgotten bodies found in a warehouse or something.
His name is Grant Kernan and I think I got the last 2 of the bunch. I had 3 at one time and later sold 2 of them but kept S/N # 003.
The Globuscope was a sweet looking camera, and eerily similar to the Travelwide. Amazingly, despite the resemblance, we had never seen one when we designed the Travelwide! Some of the coincidences are pretty crazy— the radius on the walls of the 4x5 back is a very similar detail. Ultimately, I think the design process led us to a similar shape simply because it's the most compact rational shape for what it's trying to achieve.
Unfortunately, a lot of these Globuscope bodies went out without focusing helicals, which is the most challenging and critical component.
And in Stailless Steel no less. Stout for sure, but weight? And at half the asking for a non-collectable "shooter" it would still be too high for me. I'll just wait in line for my turn at a TravelWide.
I expect that seller is Grant (the seller of the ebay globuscope). Nice cameras, but at that price (or even half that), just get a Cambo Wide and have way more functionality, probably similar weight, not much bigger size (if at all), etc.
I guess not.Quote:
Originally Posted by plywood
Don't think so. Grant lives in Canada, and the eBay seller is in Phoenix, AZ.Quote:
Originally Posted by EdSawyer
Kumar
ah, perhaps so then.
Hi everybody,
I'm finishing up the instruction sheet for the Travelwide 90, and I'd love to get your feedback. I'm trying to fit quite a bit on one 8.5x11" sheet. Am I missing anything major?
You can click on the image to get the PDF.
http://wanderlustcameras.com/images/...structions.jpg
Looks clear to me. Its amazing you could even include information on how to load holders.
I have read this entire thread and frankly I see no merit whatsoever in the project.
So it is said, and I ignore.
.
I'd probably go to 2 pages so I could make the font size a bit bigger.
Do you want suggestions on typos/errors/content?
Since I had no instructions and didn't actually need them, it did take me a while to realize how easy step 31 actually is, IF you do precisely what you instruct. Self taught again...
Pretty slick design that is not obvious how well it was done.
Step 31 a milestone in camera design.
Not kidding!
This needed to be said?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jac@stafford.net
Rick "sheesh" Denney
Hi Ben,Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Syverson
The drawings look great and seem very descriptive. The words are another issue. The font desperately needs changing to a more legible style. Even with my computer view clicked up several times it was still not legible. In fact it was worse. That's my critique and I don't want to sound nasty. I was once a graphic designer and learned how valuable it is to select a good font style, out of the several thousand type style that exist, for the need at hand. You can do better, thousand of yet to be taken photographs may depend on it. Ha ha.
Happy trails,
SteveP
You really have to love someone who reads 242 pages of commentary on a project and THEN decides it's not worth his time. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Jac@stafford.net
Did you click on the image to bring up the PDF? The PDF is very legible even on my IPhone and IPad.
Roger
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Pitchford
Steve,Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Pitchford
Oh no! Did you click the image to open the PDF? I tried to make everything as legible as possible, given the 6pt type size. See below. Honestly, I'm going to post how-to videos that will make all the steps much more clear. I hope people go to the website if they can't read the type!
http://wanderlustcameras.com/images/...ide90-type.jpg
Agreed! I can easily read it and I usually have trouble.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger Thoms
And loading film holders into the camera like that works great.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Syverson
I was prying up the springs with my clumsy fingers and wondering...
No trouble reading the PDF on my pad although the use of the removable rubber collar with the focusing bracket was self evident when first presented in update 7 over two years ago. All in all I think it will be sufficient for even the novice using 4X5 for the first time. Wouldn't it be cheaper not to print these up to put in each box? Since they are in PDF already I'm sure most backers can just print them out at any time, right?
Anyway Ben, you know what we are really waiting for.......
That KS update no. 34 'in the next few days' with the low down about when and how shipping will begin.
If you believe that he did that. It's too dark under that bridge to read that much. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Syverson
I love the idea and am really looking forward to mine. :)
I have read all of the commentary and feel that this project has great merit. There, I said it.
I think the instruction sheet is wonderful, and well thought out. I didn't have trouble reading it once I downloaded the PDF. I'll go back through it more carefully to see if I have any specific suggestions.
This is like the old Kodak data sheets that came with each roll of film which were basically a Photo I course on one sheet of paper. Unfortunately, they did away with them.
You could fill up the back side with a zone system tutorial and some ways of developing the film. :-)
The instruction sheet is nicely done. I find it very readable, and the layout and illustrations are excellent. As someone that does a lot of writing for my job--I appreciate it when information is presented clearly and concisely.
Oh, what about explaining how to set the close focusing point for the 65mm and when to use the shims? I just saw that you said the instructions are available on the website.
I printed the instruction sheet and had no problem reading it. Very well done.
I would suggest putting the instructions for the 65 helical on the opposite side.
Quote:
TO: Jack@stafford.net
I have read this entire thread and frankly I see no merit whatsoever in the project.
So it is said, and I ignore.
.
That's OK. We appreciate your opting out of the program. Somebody already bought yours and others were lined up to do so.
There may be a fairly full queue already for the next 250, so we are not missing your participation, in the least.
Ben, it's fine once printed, and the PDF is easy to read on both iPhone and iPad.
I have never followed the edict to never change shutter speeds when cocked. Changing the speed while unwound is actually forbidden on a few classic cameras (not LF). My shutters seem to have survived these decades, so I'm open to learning something really new, or alternatively at least wondering if that edict needs to be emphasized with boldface.
Rick "who nearly broke a vintage Leica once by doing that" Denney
My first rule is, never touch a Leica, I never want to break one!Quote:
Originally Posted by rdenney
Instructions look great! I've seen camera instructions from multi-billion dollar companies that are less clear.
Also, nice snag on that new domain!
The instructions look very good even on my Kindle Fire which is where I would reference them when I snag a camera from the second batch.. I hope, I hope.:rolleyes:
Hi Ben,
You are right the PDF looks great. My adobe reader had upgraded it's self and was waiting for a browser restart and wouldn't take any action commands. I apologize for my unwarranted criticism. On another note; if you needed to make more information (than fits on an 8x10 sheet) of a specific type available users could be referred to your website. And of course we'll be blogging about it here on the LFP, the best resource of all.
Happy trails,
SteveP
I too think the instructions are great. Only caveat is that until we have the camera in hand, it's difficult to know for sure. One comment I'd make is that the section on loading film holders is nice, but not absolutely necessary (since it's not camera specific). So if you need more space on the page for other sections, you might consider leaving that section out.
Thanks! That's probably true about the film holder section, but it seems like the majority of our first backers & customers are first-time 4x5 shooters—so I wanted to give them a quick overview. I might rework the whole instruction sheet when we move past this first shipment. It would be nice to have a little booklet!Quote:
Originally Posted by HMG
That surprises - and pleases - me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Syverson
Ben,Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Syverson
A pocket size booklet of field camera use would be great. The hard part (the way of the TAO) would be in selecting what topics would or would not be included. There's so much out there. The easy part would be that the members of the LFP site could write it for you. There would be many contributors and there is an abundance of historical and reference info on the site. The site members have always been generous with their knowledge, and of course want to support large format photography's unique genre.
Happy trails,
SteveP
I would think that the section on using the camera, aside from the specifics of managing the TravelWide itself, would be the basics of photography: Exposure, focus and DOF, etc. The use of movements won't be an issue of course.
There would be other sections dealing with film management: Loading and handling film holders, developing and so on.
Kodak did the same in the early 20th century and the information they provided in their little booklet "How to Make Good Pictures" is still quite valuable information.
I have the 1953 edition of that book. Although the technology has changed the basic lessons are the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by AuditorOne
It would be nice to have the instructions plus other information (like a DOF chart) in a small pocket guide like the ones Kodak used to put out as "Kodak Master Photoguide", little booklets on heavy card stock about 3 by 4 inches in size.
I'm not talking about something for free and would expect it to be something we could order from Wanderlust Cameras for a reasonable price.
Yeah, I would love to do some Photo 101 in a booklet for the next run or the one after. When the time comes, I will tap this brain trust!
I just shot my first instant photo on the Travelwide… I picked up a Fuji PA-145 holder and some FP-3000B. It's a real shame this material is discontinued, because it's perfect for the Travelwide. You can actually do low light photography at ƒ/6.8! :) I'll post some examples in a day or two.
I've been on a two week tour of the southwest ending with Zion, and have been out of touch. We're <still> waiting for Travelwide shipping detail, SERIOUSLY????
Quote:
Originally Posted by plywood
I don't know if we're ALL waiting "seriously". Some of us are waiting "jokingly".Quote:
Originally Posted by David Aimone