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Jac, if you have specific concerns about the design, please state them so that Drew will have a chance to respond and the rest of us the chance to evaluate and discuss them. Content-free dissing is rude and unhelpful.
Missing rear tilt, per the specs, is a major shortcoming on a monorail view camera. Rear tilts and swings control object shape when using indirect movements.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oren Grad
Also, is this a center tilt camera?
It does look like a nice way to get into 4x5 for $350, and it looks like a very functional camera. I've been very happy with my Chamonix 045n though, and prefer a collapsible field camera. I do hope you succeed though! I might be interested if you come out with an 8x10 or larger some time in the future. And another thought. Maybe you could begin making a simple manual focus 35mm camera that takes standard mm screw mount lenses? You could call it the "Nikonowicz F1." Might have to shorten the name just a little to get all that on a plate on the front of the camera.
Kent in SD
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottPhotoCo
+1
Keep moving forward! but learn from this too...the field of Large Format Photography has a lot of grumpy old men. If you start a business that tries to supply this market, you will invariably encounter more of this kind of...crap.
Thanks, Oren. While I didn't share this here, I am more than happy to hear constructive criticism from you all. The beauty of 3d printing the camera is that I can rapidly make changes to the design and test them. This is one of the most exciting parts of the project for me, especially once I upload the design and bill of materials - then everyone can improve it, and (ideally) everyone contributes to making a better camera. Anyways...
Missing rear tilt was actually a deliberate choice to improve the stability of the rear standard. Not everyone is going to agree, but I prioritized stability over an increase in available movements. As the design grows and changes, perhaps I will come back on that decision. Also, (unless I misunderstand) yes - it is a center tilt camera.
I think it's worth noting that I designed the camera with students, educators and recent graduates heavily in mind. The kind of people who can't afford much more than the bare minimum needed to get out the door and shooting. There are tons of universities that are underfunded, but their photo students should still have the chance to learn LF. And plenty of graduates are leaving behind access to equipment and walking into quite a bit of debt. So the design is lightweight, durable, and affordable. The things I would have wanted when I graduated. More than that, I've designed it so that parts will be readily available and easy to replace. I will offer replacement parts for super reasonable prices, and if you prefer (since it will be open source) you can simply replace the parts yourself. And if people are willing, they can save even more money by simply purchasing a kit and assembling the camera themselves.
It is also (in my opinion) somewhere between a field and monorail. By appearance, yes, it's a rail. But the camera comes apart by sliding the standards off the rail. In that state, you simply have to find space in your bag for a camera that is less than 4" thick by about 7.5" wide and 11" tall - something that I find pretty easy to do.
Of course, I'm also quite happy that the camera sits right at about 2 pounds, but I recognize that's nothing special nowadays.
Like I said at the top - I'm happy to hear what you all think! I felt those were a few things worth noting moving forward. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
I think it is fantastic that a new 4x5 camera is (going to be) available at this price!
Good luck with the campaign Drew, it looks like another excellent introduction to large format. I collected 8 boxes of Chroma camera parts yesterday so will be continuing with the assembly line here!
Cheers
Steve
(Chroma.Camera)
Good on you Drew, if it draws more people to LF its well worth it, strength in numbers and all that. If I wasn't saving for my Kodak 14in Ektar I would support you.
Thanks everyone! Fingers crossed it goes well.
And I can't wait to see what people make with their Chromas! I'll be watching on social media :)