Some things I'd like to see made.

[EdSawyer]

The Arca Swiss reflex I am overhauling now is as close to this as I have seen. It has a plastic/composite frame with aluminum/steel panels bolted on, some die-cast parts, and lightweight fabric shutter curtains.

No need for exposure/readout, that's easy to do without. Prism finder would be ideal but add a lot of weight to get full coverage. the L-R reversal is annoying but at least it's rightside up, indeed.

Price-wise it would have to be something like $5k given the low quantity/high complexity. Even a nicely overhauled working Graflex RB SuperD with a Graflok back conversion will easily bring $1500-2k.

The Arca has a really compact set of rollerblind shutter curtains and a nice, all-mechanical shutter geartrain system that does up to 1/500th and down to something like 1/2 second. I'll post pics sometime when I make a rebuild thread for it in the DIY area.

And yes, a 2-piece or folding mirror of some type would be necessary to get shorter than about 150mm lenses. I was thinking some sort of 2-piece mirror with a hinge in the middle that folds backwards somehow could make it work (short lenses clearing the mirror)

-Ed

kevlar shutter fabric, graflock back and body made of composites (body could be super strong with a few invisible ribs built in). Graflex SLRs had the image right side up, it was just horizontally flipped like with a TLR. Polarfleece fuzz around the eyepiece in your choice of bright colors. LCD readout showing the actual measured exposure. Doubt you'd get shorter than 150mm lens on it.

I'd pay $1k, probably cost $5k like the last rollei's and people would wonder why nobody was buying when old ones are still working. The gowland aerial was a pretty light camera that would be acceptable at twice the weight if you had to add focus track, shutter, mirror, etc..

[Michael Graves]

...What about a 4x5 RF based on the Mamya-7?...

THAT would be amazing. I love my Mamiya 7! I'd sell my wife's car to get a 4x5 similar to it.

[EdSawyer]

There's plenty of good rangefinder (and non-rangefinder) hand-holdable 4x5s that can take great wide-to-normal lenses like the M7 system. They will never be as small/light/integrated/elegant of course...

THAT would be amazing. I love my Mamiya 7! I'd sell my wife's car to get a 4x5 similar to it.

[Sal Santamaura]

...What about a 4x5 RF based on the Mamya-7?

Only if:

• Its framing accuracy is as good as the Bronica RF645's is, i.e. vastly superior to the Mamiya 7's
• The matching lenses perform as well as those for the Mamiya 7 do
• HARMAN releases compatible 4-inch rolls of Delta 100

[David A. Goldfarb]

Gowland made the Pocket View in 8x10" and 5x7" in various incarnations in addition to the 4x5", some more minimalist and lighter in weight, some slightly heavier with more features. I've been using the 8x10" for years. The weight of the camera alone is about 6-1/2 lbs with rear tilt and swing, front tilt, swing, shift, and rise, max extension 24".

[Oren Grad]

A modern 4x5 SLR would be great, with a focal plane shutter and the ability (somehow?) to take 90mm lenses or even shorter. I'd use the Arca Reflex SLR as a starting point, and go from there, design-wise. Add a prism finder too for right-side-up-left-right-correct viewing. I bet it could be done and kept under 10lbs if done right.

Wisner showed an SLR, the Freedom 45R, that was sort of Graflex-like with comparable FL limitations, but appears to have dispensed with the focal plane shutter:

https://web.archive.org/web/20031008...om/freedom.htm

I don't know if he ever sold any.

[LabRat]

I always wondered why there has been no ultra compact LF camera with a "folded" light path inside... Where there would be one or more FS mirrors inside so that the flat "folded" camera would pop up (maybe like a SX-70) to shoot... (maybe limitations, but compact size would MATTER...)

Always wanted a camera with an LCD or other electronic shutter, that would have no vibration/sound... (And a "Packard" or FP version of this would be helpful...) A LF camera with an FP like this, and a revised auto stack loading film holder would be great in the field and the film chamber would be clean from dust...

LF reflex cameras with one of those Canon "Pellix" type mirrors would have no "mirror bounce"... Retrofocus WA lenses for these could be designed...

One thing that could (or might) be in development (or developed), (I'm not saying I like the idea) is a "hybrid" film/digital camera, where the image is picked-up through a digital system, and transfered to a film based material... So let's say, a LF camera (say 8X10) could be the size of a large laptop or tablet, transfer an image to a sheet of film, and ALSO store it in memory... (But I can just see the epic battle online (or here) about "HELL NO!!!!", "Why???", or "Why Not"???...) Seems like something that some firm like Polaroid or Fuji would consider to "marry" different product lines to sell as a system... Like 8X10 instant access film (and/or prints) + digital storage all in one... Future Shock!!!!

Steve K

[dsphotog]

1. Lightweight, compact, fast, sharp, inexpensive, large format, zoom lenses....
With variable soft focus too.

2. Something like a "Lensbaby" for LF.


3. New, inexpensive sheet film holders, Grafmatics.


4. LF Kodachrome... With a home processing kit.

[John Kasaian]

Power line filter. I could really use one of those!

[Wayne]

I'm happy with what I have, including my old Midos, and content with what I can get. I don't feel a need for new things, but it would be nice to have someone carry what I already have. I've always wanted a burro. Are those still being made?