What camera/lens might fit the bill?

2F/2F · Apr 17, 2009

Hello,

I am considering a project in which I will need a camera that can shoot vertical (or square format) shots from stomach height while walking, has a lens with an approx. 90 degree AOV on the long dimension (about like an 17 - 20mm lens on 35mm), and has a flash synch that will allow fill flash in daylight. I am willing to use small format, but medium would be preferred. I could also use large format, I suppose.

This is what I am thinking of so far:

- Speed Graphic w/ 65mm or 75mm lens, hung sideways from the flash brackets with preset focus. Would need to purchase 65mm lens and board. I already have a 75mm Mamiya press lens that I could try to mount. ( I don't mind some vignetting.) The 75 would give me about the horizontal AOV of a 21mm on small format. Not too shabby.
- Rent Hassy SWC. Still not very wide at about 75 degrees AOV
- 35mm lens on Mamiya M645 held sideways. Kind of a hassle to have to hold sideways instead of letting it hang, and 35mm is not quite wide enough for what I think I want.
- Blackbird, Fly (33mm lens) with accessory wide lens. Which accessory wide lenses might work?
- Rollei Wide 55mm with accessory wide lens. Which accessory lenses might work?
- 17mm lens on 35mm SLR held vertically. '60 flash synch is a likely problem.
- Borrow a friend's EOS 1 and 17-40 zoom. Flash synch speed is better on this one, and at least it has a vertical grip and can be hung vertically. The problem is zone focusing with this lens, which, like any AF lens I've ever used, has a near-useless focusing/DOF scale.

I also have Mamiya C and RZ systems. Is there a rectilinear lens for the RZ that is wider than 50mm? Their 30-something would be perfect, but it is a fisheye.

Super sharpness is not necessary, but I also don't just want a totally fuzzy image.

flatulent1 · Apr 17, 2009

Rent a RB/RZ? One of those (or both) has a rotating back that will let you shoot vertical without turning the camera. Either that, or shoot horizontal and crop, though I'm not sure about getting 90 deg AOV that way.

Christopher Walrath · Apr 17, 2009

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

Yes, the RB's back can be rotated from landscape to portait, you can easily view TTL without flipping up the viewing diopter and the 65 would be the first lens a little wider than 90 degrees.

'Course it would be a weighty tag-a-long on second thought. I know in that long list you swing around you have a TLR somewhere.

Q.G. · Apr 17, 2009

Christopher Walrath said:
Yes, the RB's [...] 65 would be the first lens a little wider than 90 degrees.

68 degrees over the diagonal, even less so over the long side?
The 50 mm lens (shortest rectilinear wide for the RB/RZ) won't reach 90 degrees either.

You could however use the fisheye, and de-fish the image afterwards.

Fotoguy20d · Apr 17, 2009

How do you plan on composing your shot with something like a Speed or an SLR that doesn't have a waist level finder? How about using something like an Exakta with a waist level finder and a wide lens - you could mask the finder to a square format.

Dan

2F/2F · Apr 17, 2009

Hi,

Thanks for the ideas.

I have an RZ, but there is no lens that is wide enough. on 6x7, I would need something like a 35mm lens. The RZ would be ideal for this.

Perhaps an RB with a 6x8 back and the 50mm would do. Hard to hunt down all that stuff quickly enough, and it might be a bit out of my budget for the project.

I don't need to compose the shots, other than generally pointing the camera toward someone. I wouldn't mind a quick composition on a WLF, but it is not necessary.

A Sinar Handy with a 65 or 75 would be great, but they are not that common, are a bit pricey, and I already have the Speed.

A TLR would also be the great, but I don't know how to get one with a wide enough lens, other than accessory lenses on my Rollei Wide or Blackbird, Fly.

The 50mm on my Mamiya Press would work too, but that is a rare and expensive lens.

Greg_E · Apr 17, 2009

Can you rent a Mamiya 7 with the correct wide angle lens? I was going to suggest a Mamiya 645 (and crop) but the lack of leaf shutter lenses would kind of prohibit the sunlight fill flash sync. A wide TLR is probably what you want. What's the widest lens for the Mamiya C330?

BradS · Apr 17, 2009

How about an ordinary box with a 75mm or 65mm lens on the front and a film 4x5 film holder on the back. If you could get by with fixed focus, and it sounds like you can, this could be a quick and relatively inexpensive solution.

You could start with this foamcore 4x5 pinhole design.

I have an orphaned 75mm Super Angulon and have actually been meaning to do this.

I think your original 4x5 crown graphic with a 65mm or 75mm lens is probably the most expedient. The 75mm Super Angulon wants to sit right on the hinge point though...so, maybe a 65mm would be better?

If you have more cash, go for a Fotoman 45PS set up with a 65mm lens

Paul Jenkin · Apr 17, 2009

I've just had a play with my Bronica SQ-B / 40mm PS Zenzanon and that seems to do the trick and it's not too heavy, either. The beauty of the 40mm lens is that you can pre-focus it and most of everything will be in focus.

Q.G. · Apr 17, 2009

But a 40 mm lens on 6x6 does not cover 90 degrees on a side.

keithwms · Apr 17, 2009

The 37mm rb fisheye is excellent and will work on the rz. Way more than 90 degrees!!! But if you crop down to 90 you'll not be disappointed! An especially good solution if you are open to electronic corrections later.

Let's see, the rb 50mm on the rb with 6x8 back might get you close to 90 on the vertical, probably just short.

The mamiya 645 28/4.5 will get you past 90 and I suppose that you could mount it on a pro or similar with waist level. Very pricey lens, that.

I guess you could scale focus a crown graphic with a 90mm lens, using either 4x5 film or a 6x12 rollfilm back.

BradS · Apr 17, 2009

keithwms said:
The 37mm rb fisheye is excellent and will work on the rz. Way more than 90 degrees!!! But if you crop down to 90 you'll not be disappointed! An especially good solution if you are open to electronic corrections later.

Let's see, the rb 50mm on the rb with 6x8 back might get you close to 90 on the vertical, probably just short.

The mamiya 645 28/4.5 will get you past 90 and I suppose that you could mount it on a pro or similar with waist level. Very pricey lens, that.

I guess you could scale focus a crown graphic with a 90mm lens, using either 4x5 film or a 6x12 rollfilm back.

Actually, 37mm lens on 60 mm of film only gives a 78 degree angle of view. The 28mm lens on 60mm of film does get you to 94 degrees though.

Q.G. · Apr 17, 2009

BradS said:
Actually, 37mm lens on 60 mm of film only gives a 78 degree angle of view.

Not when it is a fish eye lens.
Will be more like 112 degrees over each side, won't it?

A rectilinear 37 mm lens on 6x7 will just be short of 90 degrees over the long side. It will only take 1 mm less: a 36 mm would be there exactly.

2F/2F · Apr 17, 2009

Another thing I could do: rig up my own Sinar Handy- type thing using a back, carrier frame, lensboard, and shims with the 75. The only thing I would have to procure would be a Sinar lensboard with an extension. Too bad I don't have a 65, but I will see what the 75 looks like.

I am looking at obtaining approx. 90 degrees on the long dimension of the frame, not diagonally. That means on a vertical shot, 90 degrees top to bottom. Any more would be too much, and I don't want a fisheye. The pictures will be printed analog with frame edges, and there will be a lot of them.

It would be really great if there was a way to rig a wide accessory lens to my Rollei Wide or to a Mamiya C-series 55mm lens. A 0.5x on the Wide (or the Blackbird, Fly) would work perfectly.

BradS · Apr 17, 2009

Q.G. said:
Not when it is a fish eye lens.
Will be more like 112 degrees over each side, won't it?

A rectilinear 37 mm lens on 6x7 will just be short of 90 degrees over the long side. It will only take 1 mm less: a 36 mm would be there exactly.

Hmmm, interesting. I guess I don't really understand the geometry involved with a fish-eye lens. How does that work?

keithwms · Apr 17, 2009

Brad, the fisheye gives roughly 180 degrees on 6x7.

http://www.mamiya.com/rb67-pro-sd-lenses-37mm-f4.5-fisheye.html

I use the lens a fair amount and like it a lot. It's shockingly good.

Samuel Hotton · Apr 19, 2009

Good morning 2F,
My choice would be the Graflex XLSW with the 47mm lens. My second choice is the Hasse SWC with the 38mm. It hangs well on your midsection and is very compact in size.
Sam H.

panastasia · Apr 19, 2009

The only lens I own that gives a true 90 deg. AOV is my Schneider 47mm SA with a 6x8mm Graflex RH-8 film holder (not exactly a true 6x8 format, it's 5.75 x 7.8 mm).

2F/2F · Apr 19, 2009

Thanks for all the thoughts.

I temporarily rigged up my Mamiya Press 75mm lens to the Speed today. At six feet from a 6'2" friend, with the camera just above waist level, he was in the frame head to toe, and plenty sharp even at f/5.6. The lens covers 4x5 quite well. Couldn't get a great view of the corners just holding the lens in place. I have a gross or more of Press 25B and G.E. # 5Bs I may use.

L Gebhardt · Apr 19, 2009

I used a 5x7 Hobo camera with a 90mm lens and it worked quite well the way you describe. Fixed focus and walking around shooting from the hip. I have a 65mm Super Angulon that covers 4x5 that I am trying to sell, but if it doesn't sell I was thinking of making my own version of the Hobo to use it on. Or I could put it on a Speed Graphic, but then I'd be tempted to focus.

What camera/lens might fit the bill?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency