The Sleeper of the Show

Here it is, folks—the highest resolution mirrorless camera shown at Photokina this year, bar none.

As I am always sayin', I am just sayin'.

-

UPDATE: We apparently either crashed the linked site, or it expired during the night. Here is the picture I originally linked to the words "the highest resolution mirrorless camera":

It's an Arca-Swiss LulF (I don't know what the first "L" stands for, but "ULF" is a common acronym in the view camera fraternity—it stands for ultra large format). It's an 11x14" view camera that has an accessory 8x10 reducing back. (I love that.)

I'd refer you to the website, but Arca-Swiss, famously, feels no need to conform to newfangled fashions—it's never had a website.

Mike
(Carpal tunnel symptoms acting up today, hence paucity of verbiage)

(...Oh, and thanks to Oren)

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Featured Comment by Johannes: "Mike, you forgot to mention that this camera is full frame too!"

Featured Comment by Don: "Yeah yeah, but if you went digital and did a multiple image stitch you'd easily exceed that resolution for a fraction of the cost. Just sayin'...."

Question from Roger: "Does it use CF cards, SD cards, or both?"

Mike replies: It uses SF cards. (For "sheet film.") And fully mechanical IS.

Will Whitaker replies: "It uses credit cards."

Featured Comment by Karl: "In the never-ending drone about digital convenience, speed, flexibility, portability, stitching and so on, what's lost in the conversation is the unique beauty of a good large format image."

Featured Comment by Alan Winston: "Is that thing as lightweight (for its size) as it looks? That could be what the L stands for."

Comments

[Chuck Albertson]

Mike, one word: Dragon.

[Chuck Albertson]

I see they dropped the USB port on the new model.

[toto]

Here's a nice and low-cost 4x5 "digital back"... it can be used with mirrorless digital cameras (with adapter)

http://vimeo.com/49793947

[Ranjit Grover, India]

Oh, that was the joke of the year!!

[Softie]

So A-S named a camera the lulf despite the widespread use of the term lulz. I guess when I shoot 8x10 now, I can say I did it for the lulf.

I hope this camera solves the inadequate direct movements of the older A-S 8x10 I looked at. And I wonder if it costs more than my car.

[Mark Olwick]

Definitely needs image stabilization

[Pascal Jappy]

Plus it has interchangeable lenses :) Let's hope Hassie makes a fancy version !

[bill]

Sitting here with 3 mirrorless cameras.

2 8x10 views and 1 4x5 view. I'm just sayin... but at 60 with a spinal cord injury the large format mirrorless cameras will just be sitting ...but I can still use the NEX-7

[D. Hufford.]

I am sure I won't be the first to say, "Now that's full frame."

[Mark]

My wife and friend just had carpal tunnel surgery. Each had different technique, each on both wrists few months apart. Both excellent results. I'm just sayin'.

You da best, mike.

Mark

[Tom Duffy]

Yeah, baby! (I know, not the most articulate comment that you'll receive.)

[Earl Dunbar]

THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!

[Matthew Langley]

well said.

[Paul McEvoy]

Hard to make an ugly LF camera but that comes close. Like a modernistic guppie monster.

[Ed]

Can I get a hellyeah? That would be a sweet rig.

[Frank]

It just sings of harmonic vibration with that tiny monorail and oversized standards ;-p Seriously that thing is going to be a sail outdoors and mounting on a ballhead is insane.

[Phil Maus]

Imagine the file size of a hi-rez drum scan from that puppy. Or better yet, an 11x14 contact print. Take a digital camera and stitch some pics together indeed. Yep, that would cost a whole lot less alright.

[Tom]

We know how you got your carpal tunnel.

[Mike Plews]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. It is however not the largest mirrorless box you can buy and you don't need to go to Switzerland (except perhaps to empty out your secret account)to get one. These are now made in Tennessee.

http://www.deardorffcameras.com/products-page/deardorff-cameras/

[William Barnett-Lewis]

I have a friend who shoots 10x12 with old Petzvals. He'd really be able to make this thing sing.

I'll stick to my Crown Graphic based 4x5 field cam & my 1912 Tessar, personally, but then I always preferred the medium formats ;)

[William Schneider]

To Don,

You don't have to go to a digital camera to be able to stitch together multiple exposures. A scan of film would suffice...

http://www.ohio.edu/people/schneidw/images/perspective_assy.pdf

Now imagine tiled scans of 11x14 sheet film!

But your real point is completely understood. That thing utterly lacks portability and convenience.

[Bob Rosinsky]

Cool.

[hugh crawford]

"Ultra Large Format" only by the miniaturized standards of today.
That's only a fifth the size of one of George
Lawrence's 24x58" kite cameras and only 1/33 the size of his
big glass plate camera.
I highly recommend reading the linked article, it's amazing

3300mm lens and 20 feet of bellows draw! 120 x 72 inch dry plates!

Never mind building and using the camera, just think about polishing
and coating a 120 x 72 inch glass plate. I highly recommend reading
the linked article, it's amazing

I wonder what the resolution of a 120 x 72 inch glass plate is?

[Pascal Sauve]

"L" stands for Luggable.

[Ed Kuipers (not directly related no)]

There is www.arca-shop.de.....but that is not strictly arca I have to admit....but why invest in website if you make stuff that sells without.....

Greets, Ed.

[Crabby Umbo]

I think the "L" stands for "lunatic". Anyone who's shot 8X10 as long as I have is taking one look at that thing and thinking: "...that's the most spindly, vibration prone, design I've ever seen....".

I used to use early 70's Cambo's to do 8X10 product shots, and there was so much back deflection from weight doing a moderate "down-shot", it would cause one end of the film to go out of focus. I'd have to prop it up with a light-stand with a ball of tape on top. Went back to a Deardorf pronto, with a light weight back and a triangular strut system.

Kudos for new sheet film camera designs, but it looks like it was designed by someone who never took a large format picture!

[Neal Thorley]

man thats one ugly camera, Shenhao on the other hand assemble absolutely gorgeous large format cameras.

not to mention other names that are no longer in production.

[Steve Smith]

Arca-Swiss, famously, feels no need to conform to newfangled fashions—it's never had a website.

I applaud their decision!

[Mike Johnston]

"I applaud their decision!"

...on a website, you forgot to add.

Mike

[Eolake Stobblehouse]

It has no web site? For realsies? Ten years ago I would have found that hard to believe. Today, my mind locks up.
Good for them.
That's like a company not having a telephone. "Letters and telegrams were good enough for my great-great-great-grandfather, they are good enough for me!"

[Frank]

So you applaud companies that isolate and exclude themselves from their customers? What happens when you have a question, need a spare part, or have a suggestion? Or does arrogance equate to quality?

As opposed to say, Keith Canham, who also makes high quality view cameras in Arizona? (See http://www.canhamcameras.com, which is very much still a pleasant "homemade" low-tech website.) Not only can you email him and get a prompt, expert response, but he does things like coordinating special orders of custom film sizes and promoting large format in general. That's much more admirable and deserving of our support.