Wanderlust 4x5 P&S

[WayneStevenson]

"I don't know, people are pretty good at figuring out the value of things. It only takes ten seconds on the bay to figure out that Angulons have a resale value."

If they haven't needed the money by now.........

Not to derail this conversation but people are motivated by need. Unless they need money, they're not looking for things to sell so they're not going to be looking up the value of their old camera gear that isn't getting used and most people are going to assume it's worthless as it isn't digital.

I have plenty of things with value but selling them on classified ads or eBay isn't a hobby of mine. As long as I don't need the money I'm either keeping them or they're going in the garbage. I think most people are like that.

[Ben Syverson]

Wayne, I'm confused... I see these 90s come up all the time. There are a lot more than 750 of them out there. What makes you think the market will magically dry up now?

[Corran]

Big thumbs up on the first update! Ben, you should start thinking about the "stretch goals" you could come up with. I honestly right now don't see you guys having any trouble meeting your goal.

[Ben Syverson]

Hi guys, we just posted an update: the Travelwide will ship with a pinhole. So even if every 90mm lens in the world disappears, you'll still be able to make images.

Keep in mind that we're at the same price point as Ilford's pinhole box camera, but the Travelwide is substantially better in a number of ways. Travelwide actually makes a great pinhole camera.

[Tin Can]

Great,

I was one of the biggest naysayers yesterday. I just joined your venture. Pin hole is smart move. I shared to my facebook and endorsed you. I am in Chicago also.

Good luck!

Hi guys, we just posted an update: the Travelwide will ship with a pinhole. So even if every 90mm lens in the world disappears, you'll still be able to make images.

Keep in mind that we're at the same price point as Ilford's pinhole box camera, but the Travelwide is substantially better in a number of ways. Travelwide actually makes a great pinhole camera.

[AuditorOne]

I think that is a really good idea to include a pinhole lens. From my perspective the one potential flaw in your business plan is your reliance on used lenses. I love the idea of your camera, and I have already pledged my money (though I missed the early bird special) because I have a nice, Linhof select, 90mm Angulon. But whether these lenses are plentiful or scarce on the used market is really not the point. The point is, they are used. This brings the possibility of not only cosmetic problems but operational issues as well. Scratched or chipped glass, faulty shutters, etc. Not to mention having to understand at least a bit about mounting lenses on a large format camera. I see questions on forums all the time regarding getting a lens onto or off of a modern DSLR.

The ideal of course would be to locate a new lens that will fit and then sell a version of your camera with that lens installed. Of course that will bump up the price but I do believe that you need to continue exploring that option.

[Corran]

He had some available with a 90 or 65, but they went fast!

[BarryS]

Excellent news on the pinholes! I think these will make really terrific pinhole cameras and it should help in reaching the pledge goal. You've sold nearly 200 cameras in about a day and that's amazing. Not sure if this is feasible, but some kickstarters have reseller packs at a discount off the regular price--something like 10 cameras at 20% off might work.

[Ben Syverson]

The ideal of course would be to locate a new lens that will fit and then sell a version of your camera with that lens installed. Of course that will bump up the price but I do believe that you need to continue exploring that option.

Sure, we could do that. The camera would go from $99 to $1800. Sorry, but that's the financial reality of "New" large format lenses (besides, most of those lenses are probably "new old stock.").

And believe it or not, but we've also worked with a lens designer on a couple custom projects, so we know what's involved with creating a new lens from scratch. It's possible, but it's a question of money. If the Travelwide is wildly successful, we'll take a look.

For now, it makes more sense to direct people to the many, many sub-$200 90mm lenses already out there on the used market. Most of us on this forum (myself included) can't afford "new" LF lenses, so all of our lenses are used. When they're taken care of, LF lenses and shutters last decades.

[Ben Syverson]

Excellent news on the pinholes! I think these will make really terrific pinhole cameras and it should help in reaching the pledge goal. You've sold nearly 200 cameras in about a day and that's amazing. Not sure if this is feasible, but some kickstarters have reseller packs at a discount off the regular price--something like 10 cameras at 20% off might work.

Thanks Barry! We're seriously grateful to everyone here for helping to get the word out.

Unfortunately, Kickstarter has banned multiple quantities and reseller packs. We can't even sell you two of the same camera.