PHOTOKINA 2012, a report with images

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Emmanuel Bigler
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PHOTOKINA 2012, a report with images

Post by Emmanuel Bigler » Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:38 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

A report from my visit to the PHOTOKINA in Cologne on Sep. 23-24 2012.

FUJI still makes film cameras (but with a film surface smaller than 100 sqcm, hence forbidden here)

A nice fuji LF lens "museum"; not clear whether this is a museum or a display of available products ...

SCHNEIDER-Kreuznach
Various accessories, incuding centre filters

The linhof Techno fitted with a Schneider lens, again I doubt that the 100 sqcm limit is reached .....

... however, Schneider explains that you can use their lenses on many other camera brands !

For those of you doubting about the existence of the gold-plated XXL LF lens series, here they are.



ARCA SWISS introduces a 11x14 inches camera

black-on-black makes the image un-readable ...

detail of the front function carrier

detail of the rear function carrier

I preferred to ask directly to Arca Swiss regarding rise and fall on this camera, movements that I had not tried myself at the Photokina, for the mere reason that ... the LulF has no rise/fall control by a sliding part either in format frames (like F-line cameras) or in the function carrier (like in M-line cameras). Hence rise and fall can be achieved only indirectly through the front and rear tilt. However, lateral shifts are simple and direct, exactly like in F-line cameras, by un-locking the dovetail connecting the format frame to the function carrier.

One can argue that in a heavy LF monorail camera, taking into account the weigth of either front or rear standards, indirect rises is achieved only by lifting the weight through levers, which sounds easier and may be safier than a direct lift. It can be seen on the pictures that the column connecting the dovetail to the P1 (special - one-axis only) ballhead is shorter at rear than in front. This is simply because the front lens board has the size of a rear 8x10" lens plate of F-line cameras. Consequently we are expecting that with a horizontal rail and zero tilts, the optical axis will be horizontal and centered in the middle of the 11x14" film format.

Users who are familiar with Arca Swiss ballheads in general, and more specifically with the P1, know that the locking force is extremely powerful without need to apply a huge force with your hands. Hence we can assume that when the LulF is locked after defining tilts and indirect rise/fall, nothing can move accidentally.

In order to properly set the parallelism between the front and rear standards, A/S have added built-in clinometers (or tiltmeters) on the side of each standard. This clinometer sensor is based on a very simple "pendulum-like" needle definiting the absolute angular position with respect to the forces of gravity we usually experiment on Planet Earth.

What will probably be commented extensively is the fact that those needles, at least in the version of the LulF I've seen at the 2012 photokina, are not damped at all by anything (e.g. no oil bath like in most compasses used for outdoor activities). When I discussed of this with Philip Vogt at the Kina, eventually, cheeke-in-tongue, I had to agree that future users of the Lulf will not only get a clinometer, but in the same device, a vibrometer, for the same price ;-) When the needle stops to oscillate, you can safely take the picture ;-)

-------------------

JOBO
The CCP-3 & other tanks & accessories are there

What's new in the CCP-3 ?
Well, apart the price (outch), informations gathered from another French visitor are as follows : new motor, stronger than on the ATL series (hence VERY strong); new temperature controller, more precise and new electronic boards with provision for 42 different user-defined programmes in memory.

------------

FOTOMAN
new company, new products but some products made by the previous company are still there.

The nex Dmax, a 5x4"
Nice wooden handles
'Tinker, taylor, soldier' ... SPY
Fotoman collection (continued)
Again black-on-black for an un-redable image except for the hot spot on the camear 'bulb':the model is named "45 SPS"


SHEN-Hao
Very tempting
Very tempting (continued)
Large choice of rollfilm backs for the 120 film, including an amazing 6x24 cm
"Ebony", can be seen from far away, and simply means "Ebony wood" (for those who were thinking about something else)
Various wooden film holders bigger than 5x4
a small-format sensor behind a large format camera ... and a nice German tripod!
Again, totally unreadable black-on-black, various rear plates to mount a "35 mm" reflex camera body behind a large format camera.


--------------------

Juste across DHW-Rolleiflex, LINHOF is alive and well.
THE Technika
... and huge studio "tripods" for your 10x8" KARDAN monorail

-----------------
Silvestri

We are somewhere in between Göteborg and Florence, this is Silvestri.
The Silvestri Flexicam can take Hasselblad-V lenses on a Silvestri mount adapter, allowing to tension the shutter and release it like a view camera lens. Bellissimo ! Too bad that no Hasselblad-V lens will ever cover 100 sqcms ... except may be at the 1:1 ratio
The Silvesttr-Hasselblad device seems to be available as a separate item.
precision view camera for digital sensors, Europe is there, japanse do not semm interesting by this part pf thej market
Komrade Dimitri Petrovitch, look ! Our old "Garrizzonn" Loupes are there, on display by Silvestri !

----
Those ballheads remind me something ?? But What ??

--

Photochemistry at the photokina:

Champion
MACO
AgfaPhoto (or is-it: AgphaFoto) and Fotospeed (or Photospeed ?)
FOMA-BOHEMIA

Direct-positive paper by Harman / IMAGO 1:1

And a gentle reminder that the é Harman / Ilford en 5x4 pinhole camera is available
Too bad, this is not the IMAGO 1:1 camera operated by Susanna Kraus ...
... whose images look like this, portraits at 1:1 ratio on direct positive paper


The Enlargers Corner; hey, they are alive and well !!
(at least for those who did not restrict their visit to the Cakon and Leicsony halls)

Kaiser
Kienzle


The extravagant 6x17 cm panoramic digital camera by Seitz AG (Switzerland), a fast scanning sensor that actually qualifies for the 100 sqcm criterion !


ALPA cameras do not qualify for the 100sqcm criterion, but the people there were so friendly that it was difficult not to start a chat and accept a nice swiss-precision-cap from the honourable Zurich company!

At the photokina, many precision digital view cameras could be seen; on the right, this extra-flat model can take Zeiss cine-lenses and offers an optional tilt movement

Speaking about Carl Zeiss,
the big black pipe was there 2 years ago ...
... and contains a fascinating "technical museum" for the aficionado of German lenses!

Zeiss cine-lenses and 35 mm still-camera lenses ... too bad, no LF lens here...

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From good old Europe, BERLEBACH, an impressive number of products!
Mulda's ash-wood "forest"!

Can be used as a support for a wooden bedside lamp

for those who prefer camouflage colours to natural wood
A large choice ballheads and 3-way heads from Berlebach reminds us that at this 2012 photokina, for some unknown reason, neither Gitzo nor Manfrotto came ...

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Miscellaneaous views

Large-format photography, a game for children ?

Advertising pictures : believe it or not, special effects without any computer post-processing do exist in the real world !!


Giant "insects", but not for taking pictures with LF cameras ...
drone-1
drone-2
drone-3

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For those who spend their time making resolution tests ;)



----------------


(to be continued later)

--
Emmanuel (Besançon, France)


Charles Twist
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Re: PHOTOKINA 2012, a report with images

Post by Charles Twist » Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:20 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Thanks for all this.
What we really need is a double roll-film back that will simultaneously expose two photos each 6x9cm so that when sheet film disappears, we can scan and blend the two in PhotoShop to recreate the sheet film look...
Salutations,
Charles

Sal Santamaura
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Re: PHOTOKINA 2012, a report with images

Post by Sal Santamaura » Wed Oct 10, 2012 6:18 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Charles Twist wrote:...What we really need is a double roll-film back that will simultaneously expose two photos each 6x9cm so that when sheet film disappears, we can scan and blend the two in PhotoShop to recreate the sheet film look...
I suspect you've got that reversed. Sheet film will remain commercially available longer than roll film will. This is added to the forum database so, should either of us still be alive when the first format goes, we'll know who was correct. :D

dave_whatever
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Re: PHOTOKINA 2012, a report with images

Post by dave_whatever » Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:27 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Charles Twist wrote:Thanks for all this.
What we really need is a double roll-film back that will simultaneously expose two photos each 6x9cm so that when sheet film disappears, we can scan and blend the two in PhotoShop to recreate the sheet film look...
Salutations,
Charles
A bit of back rise/fall or shift and a 6x12 back would get you there!

Charles Twist
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Re: PHOTOKINA 2012, a report with images

Post by Charles Twist » Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:17 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

dave_whatever wrote:
Charles Twist wrote:Thanks for all this.
What we really need is a double roll-film back that will simultaneously expose two photos each 6x9cm so that when sheet film disappears, we can scan and blend the two in PhotoShop to recreate the sheet film look...
Salutations,
Charles
A bit of back rise/fall or shift and a 6x12 back would get you there!
And if anything moves in the scene? :D
Charles

Emmanuel Bigler
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Re: PHOTOKINA 2012, a report with images

Post by Emmanuel Bigler » Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:03 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

The only extravagant rollfilm back on display at the photokina was the 6x24 from Shen Hao ... no double-side 6x9 rollfim back so far.

I take the opportunity that true British readers (dubbed with true believers in LF photography) are here to ask if "glass cabinet" and "exhibition stand" sound correct or not. Thanks for helping a non-native English speaker; I found the translation on the on-line québécois dictionary, and sometimes what they say in Québec as an English equivalent to French idioms is not really British ;-)

dave_whatever
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Re: PHOTOKINA 2012, a report with images

Post by dave_whatever » Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:19 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Charles Twist wrote:
dave_whatever wrote:
Charles Twist wrote:Thanks for all this.
What we really need is a double roll-film back that will simultaneously expose two photos each 6x9cm so that when sheet film disappears, we can scan and blend the two in PhotoShop to recreate the sheet film look...
Salutations,
Charles
A bit of back rise/fall or shift and a 6x12 back would get you there!
And if anything moves in the scene? :D
Charles
then you're screwed!

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