Well, count this as possibly the dumbest of my last year of dumb photography purchases. I bought it because I'm a big pano fan and I thought it'd make a cool project. I'm sure it would make a cool project...just not for me.
This is a roll film back originally from one of these WWII aerial torpedo cameras. Do you have some DYI skill? Do you like panoramic photography but think that 6x17 is a pathetically small format for weaklings? This might be the back for you!
Pros
- Built like a tank, almost literally.
- Keeps film quite flat based on my limited visual inspection (see the second photo).
- The gearbox was totally gunked up when I got it, and I spent a couple of hours cleaning it out. It now winds perfectly, and is very "clicky" thanks to the ratchet mechanism. This could be helpful in figuring out exactly how many turns you need.
- Says "US Navy Aircraft Torpedo Camera Magazine" on the back, which is certain to both make you look and feel extremely cool. (In all seriousness I do find a huge appeal in shooting with a piece of equipment that might have flown on a plane in WWII).
Cons
- Heavy. The whole thing is nearly a kilogram. You could probably ameliorate this by 3d-printing your own outer case, since that part alone weighs around 440g.
- Could probably use a general cleaning and some straightening of the outer frame.
- The winder was meant to fit into another mechanism, so you'll need to devise a little piece to make it easier to turn. I can't imagine that'll be hard.
- This is what makes me not want to dive in: since this wasn't designed for any sort of standard mount, you'll have to find your own way to attach it to whatever camera you're going to use. That means figuring out the right flange distance, etc, which is beyond my skill. Probably another benefit of printing your own outer body, though.
By the way, from my initial test, once you've loaded the roll and see the "film is coming" arrows, it's 19 half-turns to get to the first frame and 7.5 half-turns for each frame after that. You'll get 4 to a roll.
I imagine this'll be immensely satisfying to whoever actually builds something with it. If nobody wants it now, perhaps someday that'll be me...but please buy it instead!
Price - $125 shipped
This is a roll film back originally from one of these WWII aerial torpedo cameras. Do you have some DYI skill? Do you like panoramic photography but think that 6x17 is a pathetically small format for weaklings? This might be the back for you!
Pros
- Built like a tank, almost literally.
- Keeps film quite flat based on my limited visual inspection (see the second photo).
- The gearbox was totally gunked up when I got it, and I spent a couple of hours cleaning it out. It now winds perfectly, and is very "clicky" thanks to the ratchet mechanism. This could be helpful in figuring out exactly how many turns you need.
- Says "US Navy Aircraft Torpedo Camera Magazine" on the back, which is certain to both make you look and feel extremely cool. (In all seriousness I do find a huge appeal in shooting with a piece of equipment that might have flown on a plane in WWII).
Cons
- Heavy. The whole thing is nearly a kilogram. You could probably ameliorate this by 3d-printing your own outer case, since that part alone weighs around 440g.
- Could probably use a general cleaning and some straightening of the outer frame.
- The winder was meant to fit into another mechanism, so you'll need to devise a little piece to make it easier to turn. I can't imagine that'll be hard.
- This is what makes me not want to dive in: since this wasn't designed for any sort of standard mount, you'll have to find your own way to attach it to whatever camera you're going to use. That means figuring out the right flange distance, etc, which is beyond my skill. Probably another benefit of printing your own outer body, though.
By the way, from my initial test, once you've loaded the roll and see the "film is coming" arrows, it's 19 half-turns to get to the first frame and 7.5 half-turns for each frame after that. You'll get 4 to a roll.
I imagine this'll be immensely satisfying to whoever actually builds something with it. If nobody wants it now, perhaps someday that'll be me...but please buy it instead!
Price - $125 shipped