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Amateur camera builder from Vancouver says hello.

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Stolk

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Aug 3, 2025
Messages
36
Location
Vancouver, BC
Format
ULarge Format
Hello,

I am a photography enthusiast (and amateur camera builder) from Vancouver, BC in Canada.

I have built a 16x16" ultra large format camera, in the style of Zev Hoover: a projected image that gets photographed with a secondary camera using a shifted lens.

Here is a photo of me and my camera. (digital imaging part not mounted, but that is a GFX50R with shifted P645 35mm lens.)

In the photo, the camera has mounted my rehoused Bell & Howell 36 inch monster lens. I designed and 3D-printed the new housing for the Bell & Howell myself.

My favorite hobby is buying vintage lenses and adapt them to see what they can do on my camera.
 

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Welcome aboard @Stolk, we're happy to have you!

The projected-image approach is interesting; is it possible to satisfactorily suppress flare and light falloff?

I think flare and fall off are more properties of the lens: if the lens covers more than 16x16 inch, I have no problem w fall off.

Flare is not made worse by extra bounce: the projection area is fully diffuse. So if the lens is coated or has hood, it can be controlled.

note: the more popular method of doing ulf digital is photographing a glass screen from behind, and that does have severe fall off unless corrected w fresnel elements.
 
Welcome to the site Stolk. :smile:

For anyone interested in the original reference to the guy who made the ULF camera, search for for LOTS of links by using:

'ultra large format camera Zev Hoover'

OR you can watch a short video by him here:


Terry S
 





 
Should have had focus on bark of trunk, but I still like it a lot:

IMG_0851.jpeg
 
Ah yes, I was under the impression you were doing it that way. So you're photographing an aerial image instead?

I am photographing the image from the front, through an off-axis hole in the front w a shifted lens.

Illustration below: ULF lens in blue. Digital camera in green.

Paper.Journal.43.png
 
Welcome aboard. Interesting hobby. Is there a place to see ULF photos you've taken?

 
Welcome to Photrio!
 
I'll extend my welcome as well - from the south side of the Fraser river.
Looking at your collection of lenses, I'm wondering whether you and Phil Chin might have crossed paths!
 
I'll extend my welcome as well - from the south side of the Fraser river.
Looking at your collection of lenses, I'm wondering whether you and Phil Chin might have crossed paths!

Thanks, Matt. I don’t know Phil Chin, so looked him up. Quite a prolific photographer. Seems like an interesting person.

So you are in Richmond? I had a great day cycling in Richmond yesterday, to Steveston. The kids loved the bike park.

I took my GFX50R with the MMZ 35КП 1,8 / 120 on the ride, and shot this in Richmond.

IMG_0890.jpeg
 
Not Richmond - further south, in Delta, near the US border.
At one time recently, Phil might have more traditional 11x14 and larger camera equipment than anyone nearby, so I'm surprised you haven't encountered him!
 
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