A Brand New Film Camera -- What would you build?

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Kino

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If you had the start-up funds to build a new, World-Class Film Camera, what would you aspire to do?
  • 35mm, Medium Format, modular (format changeable) or ?
  • Totally mechanical? Hybrid?
  • Lens Mount or mounts?
  • Use existing lenses?
What electronic features could be incorporated that would make your life easier as a film photographer, but retain the spirit of an analog workflow?

A way to capture exposure information?
Digital "proof sheet" with exposure information you can download?
Voice notes per exposure?
GPS?

What?
 

Theo Sulphate

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I would (re) introduce these:

* basically the Nikon F2 with a plain prism
* basically the Leica M4
* basically the RB67

So: 100% mechanical, no meter. Modularity for the F2-equivalent and RB67-equivalent.
 
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Kino

Kino

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A big problem would be lenses. Yes, you could possibly design a body to take older lenses, but what about new lenses?

CNC and machine tool technology have advanced leaps and bounds in the commercial and even hobby/private sector, but there hasn't been a corresponding "home lens grinding" movement...
 

Luckless

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I've been toying with designs for a few things. Main one I want to eventually build is probably a TLR-Folder to try and aim for range finder compactness, but giant TLR viewfinder and focusing.

CNC and machine tool technology have advanced leaps and bounds in the commercial and even hobby/private sector, but there hasn't been a corresponding "home lens grinding" movement...

Check in with the astronomers... While the majority of the work is focused on mirror based optical systems, there is still decent movement in the realm of lens grinding there. I've been collecting notes and working on a few side projects for tool design. [But as a current apartment dweller, it can be slow going...]
 

Vincent Peri

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I would design a new Nikon F3HP, but instead of the LCD display in the upper left of the viewfinder, I would use the exposure scale (shutter speeds from 8 sec to 1/4000 sec, with a movin needle to indicate the shutter speed chosen) from the Nikon FE2 along the left side of the finder. My dream camera! LOL
 

MattKing

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An OM-3.
 

DF

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A Minolta X-900. Like the SRT's, it's FULLY mechanical. Like the Frankenstein'sh XK, it has interchangeable viewfinders, UN-like the X-700, it's without junk modes "aperature-priority" "program-mode". Only one cell needed for it's meter - which works separately.
Yes, a camera for the truly experienced skilled shooter. 'Course it's rather pricey, so like Leica's, Mamiya 7's and so forth, it might morph into one of those expensive toys for rich guys - but hey, if this is what quality takes, than so be it!
 

Paul Manuell

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A brand new Pentax 645NII to replace my old one that's in for repair, but with no new parts available will only be fixed if its existing innards can be repaired. For me it's the perfect camera and does everything I want, so if a brand new version was ever made I'd be overjoyed. Oh, go on then a 67 version, so a Pentax 67NII.
 

awty

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A feather weight 16x20 camera.
That isnt affected by wind.....maybe they could couple one to an all terrain vehicle like the mars rover, with a scissor lift and laser guided focusing, could also self loading sheet film/paper cartridge.......and a cooler to keep your drinks...and an umbrella.....maybe all radio controlled so you can just sit back and operate it from a lap top......that would be cool, very expensive, but cool. Or you could just get a pack mule.
 

Andrew O'Neill

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That isnt affected by wind.....maybe they could couple one to an all terrain vehicle like the mars rover, with a scissor lift and laser guided focusing, could also self loading sheet film/paper cartridge.......and a cooler to keep your drinks...and an umbrella.....maybe all radio controlled so you can just sit back and operate it from a lap top......that would be cool, very expensive, but cool. Or you could just get a pack mule.

I like it... except for the pack mule.
 

hartacus

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I would design a consumer or prosumer-grade SLR (or a range of SLRs) with a relatively short flange distance and a range of adapters to suit all the major lens mounts. Like the Adaptall system but with the adapter on the camera side.

EDIT: with a removable film door or a cartridge-like film back taking 35mm, that could be switched out with backs for Instax or other kinds of film, etc.
 
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mshchem

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A "coming soon" $3500 Super 8 camera. ....Ha Ha!

Seriously a Fuji made, high quality mass produced rangefinder Instax Wide camera . EBC highest quality lens
 

4season

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Sony "A7F" because I already have native lenses and a bunch of adapters.
 
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Kino

Kino

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Check in with the astronomers... While the majority of the work is focused on mirror based optical systems, there is still decent movement in the realm of lens grinding there. I've been collecting notes and working on a few side projects for tool design. [But as a current apartment dweller, it can be slow going...]

I have been aware of mirror grinding for reflecting telescopes since the 1970's, but haven't heard too much about actual lens grinding. Might make better sense to work with the upcoming Korean Lens Manufacturers and sub it out...
 

Luckless

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I have been aware of mirror grinding for reflecting telescopes since the 1970's, but haven't heard too much about actual lens grinding. Might make better sense to work with the upcoming Korean Lens Manufacturers and sub it out...

Yes, but where is the fun in subcontracting something like that out, and what do you really learn?
 
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I understand what you mean, but at some point you have to actually produce something to sell if you are serious. Creating a line of prime lenses for a camera would be a bit much in my estimation; the body alone would be an epic task...
 

Lee Rust

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Assuming a hand-held design ... I would suggest that the mechanics of any newly manufactured camera would have to be quite simple. Structure must be uncomplicated..something that can be easily machined, molded or 3D printed in metal or composite plastic. Closer to a Brownie than a Nikon. Probably 35mm film, since there have already been manufacturing and supply problems with 120.

No batteries, electronics or in-camera metering. Scale focus, simple rangefinder or twin-lens reflex. If interchangeable lenses, then perhaps Leica M, adaptable to mechanically focussed Nikon etc. A fixed lens design could be proprietary. A modular construction might be nice, like the Graflex XL etc.

A simple leaf shutter would be easy, but a multi-speed leaf shutter would be hard to fabricate because of necessary special skills and tiny, hard-to-source gears and springs. Fabric focal plane perhaps, or something entirely different like the ingenious rotary shutter in the Universal Mercury cameras.

Individual units built to order or in very small batches. Retail price range? A week or two of wages for the average person... currently around $900-1800 in the USA.

With the possible exception of instant print technologies, we must accept that chemical photography in the not-so-distant future will be the pursuit of a increasingly tiny minority of photographic adventurers. The sophisticated and intricate camera designs of the 20th century film era will not be practical because consumer support is absent. As for roll film, I expect that most conventional color emulsions will soon be extinct because the complex, multi-layered coating process has so many quality-control difficulties and material inefficiencies at low production levels.

Black and white emulsions are easy to make and will be around as long as anybody is willing and able to assemble the ingredients and spread them onto something. Even in the absence of suitable plastic film, there's always glass plates or even paper.

Think of future analog photography as something akin to hunting wild game with a bow & arrow or a muzzle-loading black-powder musket ... just as much a sport as an art.
 

Wallendo

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I would build a SLT-based 35mm camera which would create a film exposure as well as a digital image. You would get a normal 35mm exposure (although the film would be 1/3 stop lower due to the SLT, but also get a digital image for social media/e-mail with GPS and EXIF data.

Unfortunately, I doubt this would be a big seller since the digital image would come from a small sensor.
 

Chan Tran

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A handheld 4x5 camera. View cameras are great but I don't want to drag the tripod all the time. Need the large film as 35mm film is not as good as digital. I am thinking of how to do a good focusing and framing system. Camera like the Graflex or Linhof Technica have problem in this department.
 
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