You May Say that I'm a Dreamer HOLY GRAIL found VANCAM continues NIKORR APO 1800MM

[StoneNYC]

What I don't understand is he says "camera obscura" which I always thought of as pinhole style photography, and when using a lens I just think of it as photography... so what am I missing in my understanding of camera language here?

Are all camera's camera obscura and so he's just using it as a gimmick word to make his work sound more original/old fashioned/classic sounding?

Well, here's an interesting bit of info about Learoyd's recent work:

"In the tent-like structure he built in anticipation of this body of work, he opens the shutter and exposes a master sheet of contact paper that he then sends to be printed in New York. There is incredible restraint and anticipation in this process of creation, shipping and waiting. After much searching, he found the lens for his camera obscura through the internet. It was being used as an ashtray somewhere in Eastern Europe. Each contract print measures up to 80 inches on its longest side (...)"
(From: http://www.sfaqonline.com/2013/09/re...san-francisco/)

It seems that the lens might be close to 1800mm, perhaps the 1800/16 Apo-Ronar from a Romanian seller that appeared on e*ay a few years ago for a very, very high price . But which type of contact paper might he be using? Just a regular variable-contrast paper or maybe something akin to Endura Clear, but b&w?

[Amedeus]

Just guessing based on what I designed ... use an adjustable easel/board to attach the film. It's clear the lens board is attached to its own rigit structure.

This discussion has prompted me to wonder about how the tent cam users keep the lens' axis perpendicular to the film plane. Does anyone know?

[Amedeus]

The early camera obscura was indeed based on a pinhole but in the late 16th century the camera obscura with a convex lens became in vogue.

Both are apparentlly good ...

What I don't understand is he says "camera obscura" which I always thought of as pinhole style photography, and when using a lens I just think of it as photography... so what am I missing in my understanding of camera language here?

Are all camera's camera obscura and so he's just using it as a gimmick word to make his work sound more original/old fashioned/classic sounding?

[StoneNYC]

The early camera obscura was indeed based on a pinhole but in the late 16th century the camera obscura with a convex lens became in vogue.

Both are apparentlly good ...

Oh gotcha... thanks, perhaps I'll start shooting with a meniscus lens and call my camera a "camerameniscus" and tell everyone I shoot with a very unique 100 year old lens that no one uses anymore.... hehe

[W K Longcor]

What I don't understand is he says "camera obscura" which I always thought of as pinhole style photography, and when using a lens I just think of it as photography... so what am I missing in my understanding of camera language here?

Are all camera's camera obscura and so he's just using it as a gimmick word to make his work sound more original/old fashioned/classic sounding?

Seems to me I remember a beautiful Camera Obscura ( wooden with brass mounted lens) on the desk at Thomas Jefferson's home in Va. He was a great one for "tinkering" with "technology" as it was at that time. So, yes, lenses are found on camera obscuras.

[Dan Fromm]

Just guessing based on what I designed ... use an adjustable easel/board to attach the film. It's clear the lens board is attached to its own rigit structure.

Rudi, thanks for the reply. Perhaps I misunderstood your answer. I can imagine a lens on a support and an easel on another support but I have trouble imagining getting them into good alignment.

[hoffner]

This discussion has prompted me to wonder about how the tent cam users keep the lens' axis perpendicular to the film plane. Does anyone know?

It's not difficult. In a principle, 4 wire ropes of a small diameter and the same length with hooks on each end to hook to the corresponding corners on both standards will do.

[Amedeus]

In my case the easel swings, tilts, shifts and rises ... the basic movements of the rear of a viewcamera to achieve "aligment" or any desired "mis-aligment" with respect to the lens axis. I can see the front of the tent solution having some rise and possibly modest other movements. The only challenge really is to ensure there's stability during the exposure between lens and film plane. Nothing a little engineering can't resolve ...

YMMV

Rudi, thanks for the reply. Perhaps I misunderstood your answer. I can imagine a lens on a support and an easel on another support but I have trouble imagining getting them into good alignment.

[LF_rookie_to_be]

On a second look, this does very much look like a long, long Apo-Ronar, either a 1200mm or even THE 1800mm one.

[LF_rookie_to_be]

Another video on Martinelli's cube (0:07 - 0:59):