Meet the Forbes 70 - an IMAX 70mm motion picture camera prototype

[Jason Mackey]

Would a MF to Full Frame focal reducer be a viable alternative (if Metabones or some other company produced it)?  Would a 2x reduction from 70mm to 35mm be too steep for the optics?

[wondo]

great job rich!

been thinking about this since the first dof adaptors came out...

 

next stop is 4X5" !! :-)

[Ivor Koons]

Great job, Richard. One thing we should keep in mind about ground glass. 

Photographers focus with ground glass, but they expose onto the negative. In Richards prototype, both focusing and the actual exposure /* /  is achieved through ground glass, which might cause some image deterioration - it is probably visible here in the zoomed-in parts as these worm-like structures, when digital noise adds up with it. 

 

these are only details, though..

Keep up the great work, Richard, thanks a lot!

[Ivor Koons]

BTW:

How come I haven't got any warning points yet?

[jgharding]

great job rich!

been thinking about this since the first dof adaptors came out...

 

next stop is 4X5" !! :-)

 

Well here's even bigger ones ;)

 

 

 

not so practical though

[wondo]

great! need to blow the dust off my 8X10 and start building....

 

first stop... ground glass without markings.. ?? and better fresnel... 

[HurtinMinorKey]

Why don't you read the article?

I did. It wasn't clear. I guess i needed to know what ground glass is.  But no worries. Maxotics sorted it out. This isn't really a true 70mm prototype.  That's why i was confused. 

[Caleb Genheimer]

Aw man, he's been working on this?!   ;)  I'm still waiting for an expansion to the FF58/TRUMP lens line. 2X anamorphics have been teased, and a set of primes, and "flaresex modules" (I don't even know what flaresex is, but I want it). 

 

I'm starting to look at $4K Iscoramas and $6K LOMO sets . . . It's fun to look at, but it makes my wallet itchy.

[richg101]

[richg101]

Aw man, he's been working on this?!   ;)  I'm still waiting for an expansion to the FF58/TRUMP lens line. 2X anamorphics have been teased, and a set of primes, and "flaresex modules" (I don't even know what flaresex is, but I want it). 

 

 

 

 

HAHAHAHA:)  Don't get too concerned.  I'm still building lenses daily and the 38mm and 25mm add ons for ff58 and trump58 are on their way I promise.  It's just taken so much time, money and patience to develop them and then find a suitable manufacturer who can deliver the levels of quality needed for such items. This camera is not something that will take the place of DSO, it was just a sideline I've been doing in my days off and when not balls deep in lens builds - I love medium format still photography and wanted to make something that allows motion capture.  There are serious limitations to the system, but its either this, or hire rates on panavision's new camera - but i don't undertake work that warrants such budgetry luxuries!     A passion project, nothing more really:)

[Lucian]

Wonderful, can't wait to see some juicy test footage. Well done!

[danwinckler]

Very cool! Richard, where did you get that hand grip? Is it a 3D print or a mold...? Looks very ergonomic, which is my hobby horse.

[maxotics]

Money will not be a huge object for a professional who needs the kind of look the camera can get.  They'd probably fly you onto the set as a "consultant" too.  

 

For everyone else, you might have a small market if you sold the camera as a kit, or sold it for EOS-Ms, which can be had for $200/body.

 

As someone who has built robotic panorama makers, most of the "investment" is in time figuring our the right materials, assembly, tech, software, etc.  There is not much, if any, money in this.  But you'll get more people into the world of that kind of photography if you can take your manufacturing out of it.  Now that there are so many 3D type printers, etc., you should be able to partner with someone who can cut/package the pieces as needed.  

 

Just my 2-cents.  

 

Also, by using other camera bodies you could sell into the photographic market.

[richg101]

Very cool! Richard, where did you get that hand grip? Is it a 3D print or a mold...? Looks very ergonomic, which is my hobby horse.

 

Thanks Dan:)  The grip is hand sculpted to my own hand - the old fashioned way!.  Been thinking about maybe casting some in ABS but lack the time to do this.  The actual camera bodywork was SLS'd in glass filled nylon - I didnt fancy trying to hand build the bodywork since internals needed to be very precise to accommodate the optical assembly to a very tight tolerance

[PANDETTA]

genuinely exciting design! Could this be mass produce for the masses? What do you think the price should be?

[Gábor Ember]

That photo... Like handholding a rhino baby :D

I absolutely love these kind of projects, please make some photos of the insides if possible. I was looking at ground glasses on ebay for the purpose of testing lens' projected image circle sizes. I have used wax paper for this purpose, it is not that clear but the image can be easily seen and measured. Sensor sizes can be drawn on.

[Chris Santucci]

Still waiting for my dog shit lens  <_<

[richg101]

Still waiting for my dog shit lens  <_<

 

I'm not seeing any order from you?  Please email me with info on when you placed your order so I can check your order hasn't gone under the radar.  

[HurtinMinorKey]

wow. The B&W video is really impressive. 

[Nikkor]

wow. The B&W video is really impressive. 

Yep.

I wonder which lenses I have to buy to get this on the GH4, oh wait...