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GFAE CapCam

dick

New member
I have been exchanging emails with them for about a year, but, even tho' they showed a prototype at Photokina 2 years ago, they did not want me to tell you all until they were ready to ship the production model

The most significant event for pro studio photography since the invention of the Sinar:

Two years after introducing a model of the first computerized view camera, GFAE presents the CAPCAM with focusing head camALPHA and an integrated shutter control at the Phototokina 2012.
Thereby the swiss manufacturer GFAE terminates speculations about functionality and handling of this new camera. You are invited to test the CAPCAM at our booth A045 hall 2.1. Working with inclined focus planes is now as easy as focusing with any conventional camera - except that you focus on three independent points.
The user interface combines the control of focus and exposure and promises a direct workflow.

First cameras were shipped to selected photographers/institutes right after this Photokina.

Photokina 2012
Halle 2.1 Stand A045, GFAE Switzerland


See GFAE
 

gerald.d

Well-known member
Bump!

Never say never.

I'm seriously thinking about getting one of these. Anyone here with experience?

Kind regards,

Gerald.
 

malmac

Member
Gerald

Well it looks like quite a beast - and I for one look forward to seeing your results.


Mal
 

jianghai

Member
So, what exactly does this do again? Looks technical!
IIRC it's a completely computerized view camera. You tell the computer what you want in focus, and it will adjust automatically to the tilt/swing/focus that will best suit what you wanted. (among other things I'm sure)

Probably really great for tabletop macro?

Seems really amazing, but the price..... sheesh.
 

bab

Active member
The price is not expensive, the software is amazing, the results are incredible and if you try it you will buy it. The only way you could reproduce the results with any LF or Tech camera is by luck! The camera is a computerized tech body that uses your existing back and lenses you just need their mounting plate, then with a laptop and their software one can achieve the possible limits of the lens.
 

gerald.d

Well-known member
Will be a week or so before I get around to posting my more detailed thoughts, but bab basically nails it.

If you have a need/desire for what the Capcam can do, all it will take is to spend a couple of hours with it and you will buy one.

I have to be honest - I never could get my head around how it worked simply by reading through the website and watching the videos.

I knew what it did. But I couldn't for the life of me understand how I would be able to make it do what it did.

There was a eureka moment fairly early on in the day that I spent in Schaffhausen. A smile just grew on my face and I couldn't help chuckling to myself for the next 30 minutes or so. Thats when I knew I wouldn't be leaving Switzerland without it.

My watch is on the table. Take a rough measurement as to how far the watch is from the sensor. Enter that number in the software. And enter a focal plane angle that you know will cut through the watch. Note that you always work with the focal plane angles in the software - not the lens tilt or swing angles.

Take the picture by pressing the capture button in the Capcam software.

Find one point on the surface of the watch that is in focus. Mark it with one of the three "handles" the software uses (red, green and blue - I chose the green one).

Enter another number - the offset by which you want to move the focal plane perpendicular to itself. Pick a number so that the focal plane will still cut through the plane of focus that you are after.

Press the capture button in the Capcam software.

Place the other two handles (red and blue) on the points on the surface of the watch that are now in focus.

Now here comes the clever bit.

Drag the first image from Capture One onto the green handle in the Capcam software of the second image.

Now hit the capture button again.

Whirr, buzz, whirr, click.

Result?

A perfectly aligned focal plane.

The whole process takes maybe a minute. Quite astonishing.

At the end of the day, I had a demonstration of another way to focus that just blew my mind.

More on that later :)

Kind regards,

Gerald.
 
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