Article: Mitchell Feinbergs 8x10 Digital Capture Back

[Chris Dodkin]

Mitchell Feinberg’s 8×10 Digital Capture Back

http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2011/08/23/mitchell-feinbergs-8x10-digital-capture-back/

Yes, that's an iPhone for scale!

This guy has had 2 custom 10 MP digital backs made, not to take final images with, but to replace his polaroid backs when setting up studio shoots.

Crazy?

Well, what if you used to spend $50,000 a year on Polaroids...?

Now does it make sense?

When I talked to Mitchell Feinberg recently he mentioned that he owned the world’s largest non-scanning color sensor array, something he created so that he could continue to shoot 8×10 film without Polaroid.

The development and production of two backs (I wanted to have a spare) was equal to the cost of a good size house – before the housing crash.

You have to give the guy credit, it will (eventually) pay for itself

http://www.mitch.fr/

 

[Pete Askew]

Interesting. And if you are so inclined there's a few ideas here too...

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/report/1940459/self-building-cameras

 

[Hamish Gill]

Blimey!
Thats really quite impressive!
I'd call that commitment to a cause. He must really like shooting large format...
I wonder what his definition of "a good size house" is?

 

[Hamish Gill]

That last one the slit scan is like the thing I tried to make with a scanner!

Talk about inspirational... That got my brain going again! I'd love to make a camera of some sort ... Its a shame I'm so bloody cack handed really... Most things I make tend to be a little wobbly ...

I know someone who made a camera out of a van...
He driller a hole in the side, blacked out the inside and used it as a giant pin hole camera ... The results were actually pretty good!

 

[Pete Askew]

There's also a Ukrainian guy who rents hotel rooms with a view and then blacks the windows out and creates a giant camera obscura then photographs the results (will try to find a link) often with either himself or his girlfriend included in the room. A similar idea to this:

http://www.rednotebook.org/pics/pinhole/index.html