Future Medium Format Camera

[Thierry]

Too early, at a time when nobody was even dreaming to shoot professionally with digital.

Nevertheless, a few hundreds have been sold worldwide.

Thierry

Dick

the Sinar-e (1988) was like this, but even Sinar did probably not find more than a few customers worldwide - no wonder if you take a look at the cabling

 

[danlindberg]

I'd love to see a 40x54 sensor (50-60MP) with true live view. Why not a Cmos? or a completely new sensor tech? But excellent live view for precision composition and 100% accurate focus right on the sensor. That would be amazing for us tech shooters.

And a second wish....imagine if it was possible to change the back to a achromatic without the Bayer filter array with a flip of a switch? That would be so sweet!

 

[Stefan Steib]

Dan

Maybe there are here some people on the forum who remember Dicomed.
Dicomed made an option for the BW - Bigshot still the largest CCD ever commercially sold with 60x60mm size - see here:

http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9604cs.html
http://dougplate.com/dicomed/dicomed.html

They offered an LCD RGB Filter in 1996 that processed 3 images in a fast row, actually it was planned to do it so fast that the user would not even mention it. This was quite ingenious but never worked (we had the first "prototype" filters for on site testing). I could imagine LCD technology has advanced a lot since 1996, so why not look into that direction ? The UV+IR Cut Bluegreen Filter could be dropped somewhere into the optical system where it does the least damage (close to the lense´s main points ?)
This would actually triple physical resolution, make the chips cheaper and easier to make larger.

back to the Future !

Greetings from Munich
Stefan

 

[FredBGG]

A 6x8 sensor back for the Fuji gx680 would be the way to go.
That camera is simply amazing with film. A full frame digital back on it would be amazing. Add live view focus confirmation at it would be quite fantastic.

MP count of 25 would be fine.

 

[danlindberg]

Aaah, me too, I love my GX 680 III! I would not mind using it again

Stefan, great links! interesting...as you say...back to the future

 

[PeterA]

The best tech I have seen for 'street' photography is the panning technology built into some of the little cameras like the Nex. I might buy one and see if I can get a digital version of the XPan happening for snaps. the inbuilt stitching is fantastic - for the type f photography that turns me on anyway.

The Xpan in panoramic mode ( I like to think of it as a mini Widelux) is still my favourite all time camera system. In order to use it optimally you need an expensive Scanner and the hassle of film. If you add up these cost it is over 20K minimum - if you have an Xpan system.

If Hasselblad put ANY type of sensor into an XPan to give me a digi Xpan _ I would be all over it. I am not as fussed over CCD versus CMOS - I would prefer to have a choice of either in large size - starting XPan then please 6x6 ...and matching high def LCD viewers with live view.

T@ -

 

[dick]

I want 25 ISO.

If you use eShutters, and your fastest shutter speed is 1/125, and your lens works best at f8, and you want to use bright sunlight as fill on white?

 

[jlm]

i would be quite happy if I could work same way as the olde 4x5, except digital output. it could be as simple (!) as live view on an attached screen (larger than 2" x 3"), maybe I-pad quality and size

 

[Kai Birkigt]

1. Faster frame rate (3 per second would be cool already)
2. Faster AF with multiple AF spots (to avoid unsharpness when panning)
3. ETTL on camera flash (to have no need of a big studio flash)
4. A bigger sensor 6 x 6 or 6 x 7 (80 MP is enough now, the sensor size is it!)
5. Faster transfer time to computer, yes via WiFi please!
6. A modern battery concept

I don't need:

1. Higher ISO
2. More dynamic range
3. Longer exposures
4. More Megapixels

I really don't need:

1. Video stuff
2. Life view stuff

Thank you
-Kai

 

[dick]

Broadcast quality video on a digiback for use shifting on a tech camera would be useful.

 

[Stefan Steib]

Dick

I also think this is a very useful idea. May we like it or not, but in 5-10 years from now there will not be a single working" photographer" left. I predict that ALL of us will be "MediaPro´s" instead, taking either stills, time lapses and videos on choice plus using our skills in postshoot software as a full integral part of our daily business .

actually - 90 % of colleagues I know are already there, so........

Greetings from Munich
Stefan

 

[dick]

Yes, Stefan - but how do you utilize your assets?

To be efficient and effective you need to use your post-production assets and your camera kit all the time.

...but most photographers (who do not use MF kit) spend five or ten times as much on their car as they do on their camera kit?

Dick

I also think this is a very useful idea. May we like it or not, but in 5-10 years from now there will not be a single working" photographer" left. I predict that ALL of us will be "MediaPro´s" instead, taking either stills, time lapses and videos on choice plus using our skills in postshoot software as a full integral part of our daily business .

actually - 90 % of colleagues I know are already there, so........

Greetings from Munich
Stefan

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I'll quit before I do video but would not mind better live view. After that I'm pretty happy with the IQ series. As always firmware tweaks would be helpfully with any system. I spent my money now time to use it and not wish for more gadgets on these things. At least for now.

 

[jlm]

Amen, Guy!

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Honestly when it comes to sensors CCD are at the end of the tech chain as far as development sure they maybe to tweak more out of it but not much the problem is we keep asking for more than CMOS is the only answer and no way in hell am I buying a CMOS back. So I'm not so sure wanting video and such is a really good thing without some real technology advancement at a very high level which not sure any of us have seen yet. IMHO now is the time to buy your backs as later on we may not have CCD sensors as a real choice. I'm a little nervous about all the Red talk and companies wanting to down that path when a lot of us refuse or will not go down that path which is all going to be CMOS. Frankly my 160 maybe my last back I buy. Obviously I have a thing for CCD sensors since I never shot a CMOS sensor that turned my jets on. But that's me.

 

[2jbourret]

i would be quite happy if I could work same way as the olde 4x5, except digital output. it could be as simple (!) as live view on an attached screen (larger than 2" x 3"), maybe I-pad quality and size

+1
I'd like to be able to tether my iPad to the current generation backs for live view, have a greater range of usable ISO (lower and higher), and be able to use tech cam movements without the need for LCC's. Tech cam lens and movement communication with the back wouldn't hurt, either.

 

[jcoffin]

Why do I get this strange feeling that the winning answer will include something about Zeiss Superrotator tilt/shift lenses?

 

[Stefan Steib]

I keep my mouth shut about our stuff in this thread. I really want to hear your open opinions, no restrictions and only what really moves you guys, because I know it´s moving me and I have sometimes the weirdest ideas of how this is all going to evolve. I am also one of those "old guns" who have beaten a lot of battles and seen a lot of mileage. But I don´t really know what this job will be in 10, maybe 20 years from now. I suspect it to be in some directions as written before, but then there is this iPad thing. What will be left of magazines in 10 years after the tablets have wiped the print industry away ? Who will need high resolution prints if there are 100 inch 8 or 16k displays which cost only 500 $ hanging on every living room wall ?
Did you ever think of this ?
Microsoft has today released surface 2.0 see here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbCORzYW6lQ&feature=player_embedded

there is plenty more stuff coming from this direction- take a look:
http://vimeo.com/31558207

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2PMbvVGS-o&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2PMbvVGS-o&feature=related

[URL]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_fIAE78tt0&feature=related[/URL][/URL]

this is NOT science fiction, these are running projects at Microsofts development departments. Now fill in your place in these business modells and try to take a deep breath.


Do you understand what I mean ?


Greetings from Munich
Stefan

 

[dick]

The camera is on sale as much as I know - the control is done with an iPad which stores all the settings and controls the movements. Write them an email at:

[email protected]

and send them greetings from me.

Regards
Stefan

If you speak German or use Google translate... there is some promising info here:

http://www.fotointern.ch/archiv/201...e-ferngesteuerte-vollautomatische-fachkamera/

One and a half time the cost of a P2, with click-on-any-three-points auto tech cam focusing!?

 

[Stefan Steib]

Dick

as always - the devil lives in the details. Such a camera is technically the future, production is also not a problem once you are through getting supplies and quality stabilized.
But there need to be dealers who sell this. As you can easily see this camera can do things which are WAY BEYOND any other camera (including our HCam) can do. Charlie Gfeller is one of the most inspiring people I know and the concept is clearly what would be the future of large format.
But now there is no more (in reality) Sinar, the other makers are somewhat in a state of shock trying to survive all this digital wave of revolution.
The market is difficult, there are customers who buy this, but mostly bypassing the dealers (who are mostly not covered with a profound experience of View camera science terms anyway and would need to first stock a sample, learn how to use it and then convince potential customers in a time consuming expert way -for most dealers this is asked too much - exceptions exist !) because they are from the scientific or niche special market.
I know this all too well as the HCam is in the same range of crazy new revolutionary device market.
It is NOT EASY ! mainstream is sold about pricing and availability. whereas this can be a real PITA, it is a known procedure for the dealers.
To learn something revolutionary new - is another question without (mostly) answers.

Regards
Stefan