That's not a camera, THIS is a camera!

[mathomas]

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/10/building_giant_cameras.html

Unfortunately, I'm finding it difficult to get to more detail on the guy's camera projects. His photography is interesting, too, of course.

 

[stephengilbert]

Reminds me of Clyde Butcher: his largest regularly used camera is only 12x20, but he lugs it into a swamp.

And check out the enlarger shown here: http://www.clydebutcher.com/technical-info.cfm He prints five by eight foot prints with it.

 

[pfigen]

While Benny Chan's self CAD designed 8x10 aerial camera isn't nearly as large as the two cameras pictured in this thread, it IS hand-holdable, and it's a beautiful piece in it's own right. Here are a couple of shots I took of Benny in action over L.A. - from a Jet Ranger to a Long Ranger. It's just a little weird to look out a hundred feet away and see one of your best friends hanging by a cord.

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

I got vertigo just looking at that..

 

[mathomas]

Yeah. Great way to shoot -- for him, not me! It's hard to believe he hand-holds it!

 

[pfigen]

Benny had a show at the Pasadena Museum for California Art a year ago that was six foot by eight foot Lightjet prints that were stunning. He had to shoot Portra 400 pushed in order to be able to use 1/500 and f/11-2/3, which was really the bare minimum to get acceptable corner sharpness on prints that large. When Benny is shooting, both he and the rig are tethered separately and there's an assistant to help with film holders. The camera was CNC milled out of a solid cubic foot of aircraft grade aluminum to a uniform 1/8" wall thickness and only has infinity fixed focus.

 

[tokengirl]

I would have to bring a change of underwear.

 

[Texsport]

Reminds me of Clyde Butcher: his largest regularly used camera is only 12x20, but he lugs it into a swamp.

And check out the enlarger shown here: http://www.clydebutcher.com/technical-info.cfm He prints five by eight foot prints with it.

Clyde's work is very impressive.

He does use a "snap shot" 4x5 some times for quick captures. It's a home made camera he put together.

Texsport

 

[stephengilbert]

He calls his snap shot camera a "Clyde-O-Wide." Clyde-O-Wide - 4x5This is a camera Clyde designed. It has no bellows, a fixed 38mm Super AngulonXL lens that has helical focus. He calls it his "snap-shot" camera. http://www.clydebutcher.com/technical-info.cfm

For people in the LA area, there are some of Clyde's large prints on display at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City. I think they'll be there for a few more months.

 

[Woody Campbell]

He calls his snap shot camera a "Clyde-O-Wide." Clyde-O-Wide - 4x5This is a camera Clyde designed. It has no bellows, a fixed 38mm Super AngulonXL lens that has helical focus. He calls it his "snap-shot" camera. http://www.clydebutcher.com/technical-info.cfm

For people in the LA area, there are some of Clyde's large prints on display at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City. I think they'll be there for a few more months.

Tempts me to grow a beard.