The Best-Selling LF Camera of the Millennium?

By Oren Grad

Shen Hao and Chamonix aren't sharing their numbers, so we'll never know. But it sure is the fastest-selling large format camera of the millennium—maybe ever.

As I write these words, just after midnight on Saturday, April 13, Ben Syverson and Justin Lundquist are on the verge of blasting past the ambitious $75,000 Kickstarter fundraising target for their new Wanderlust Travelwide 4x5-inch camera. Over the past eleven days, they've sold 655 large format cameras. Six hundred and fifty-five. Before I go any further, a disclosure: I'm a backer, and I've been rooting for the campaign to succeed. But I have no financial stake in it other than—I hope—getting a camera.

Ben Syverson shooting with the Wanderlust, handheld. (Screen grabs.)

The Travelwide is an ultra-light-weight, plastic-bodied wide-angle camera that accepts 4x5" film holders and is designed to be practical for hand-held use. At the launch of the campaign, the expected objections could be heard. It's not so precise as…it doesn't have movements…it can't do this…it can't do that…it's not really ultralight because you have to carry all those holders…film and processing is too expensive…the 90mm Angulon can't match modern lenses…there aren't enough 90mm Angulons to go around….

Well, it appears that the community has blown a collective raspberry at the skeptics. There are three very good reasons why:

1. It costs $99.
2. There are lots of fun and useful things it can do.
3. It costs $99.

Messrs. Syverson and Lundquist have put a lot of thought into the camera, refining concepts and testing prototypes over many months to arrive at a design that should hold manufacturing cost to a bare minimum while maximizing versatility and saleability. The camera body has been designed first and foremost as a platform for a helical-mounted 90mm ƒ/6.8 Schneider Angulon, a very compact and lightweight lens that was in common use on press cameras up to the early 1960s. But many other 90's can be mounted as well. The body is scaled so that without the helical it can serve as a fixed-focus box camera for a 65mm lens. It will ship with a pinhole, so users who prefer that or whose budget is especially tight can get started making pictures right away. And from the discussion board buzz, you can look forward to seeing the Travelwide serve as a base for a wide range of DIY hacks.

You could say that it's in the spirit of Lomography, except that instead of being grossly inflated for the camera's hipster appeal, the price is a steal. It will open the door for many who couldn't afford or justify earlier scale-focus LF box cameras at five or ten times the price or who have been put off by the klunky studio monorails or heavily-battered Graphics that have been the usual alternatives for trying large format at such a low cost. It's cheap enough to be a nice accessory for experienced LF photographers who'd like to try something a little different. And it's cheap enough that if, in the end, you lose interest and write off the camera entirely, the experience will still have been well worth the price.

Also very much unlike the Lomo way: put it on a tripod, and with careful technique you can make negatives that are technically a match for Ansel's and cover the wall with enlargements of your masterpieces. But you don't have to. I'm looking forward to using mine as a walkaround snapshot camera and making little silver contact prints. Ben has been shooting color neg with a prototype, hand-held. There will be a veritable army of these out in the field from day one with pinholes mounted. There will be Travelwides with multi-sheet Grafmatics or instant film holders or rollholders for 120 film rubber-banded to the back, users exposing enlarging paper to make paper negatives or loading up with the Harman Direct Positive paper or coating their own plates….

Here's their link again. Have a look; what do you think you could do with one?

Oren

Original contents copyright 2013 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

Links

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

jlsalvignol: "Oren, what a great little project! I'm the 629th backer. A real spring sunbeam. Good luck all."

pbg: "I sent MJ a link to these guys a couple days ago, hoping it would make it to TOP. Really excited to get my hands on this; it will be my first large format camera."

Mike replies: Thanks to you, and to everyone else who sent me a link to this. I'm sure Ben and Justin thank you too!

Richard: "Make sure you read the 'risks and challenges.' I've backed a few Kickstarters (Pebble, an iPhone case with polarizer lens...) and they've have been hugely late with their delivery times and way over-optimistic on the quality of the end product they ended up with. Frankly, I'm done with Kickstarter for now as far as gadgets and gear items go. I'll buy it once it becomes a viable product, if it ever does. But I do hope it does...."

Bill Tyler: "I'm grinning from ear to ear. Just pulled my old 90mm ƒ/8 Super Angulon out of the closet. The glass is clean and the shutter is running smoothly. Can't wait to get the camera."

Ken Ford: "I'm getting a chance to see one of Ben's prototypes tomorrow (at a Rangefinder Forum get-together in Chicago.) I've held off subscribing only because I can't decide which version I want; tomorrow I'll pull the trigger when I get home. I'm glad this is proving to be so successful, because I hope it will lead to a budget 8x10 camera body—I lust for contact prints!"

Comments

[Softie]

I know exactly what I would do with one: buy a hacksaw and a 47mm SAXL.

I read the original thread on LF forum and thought it would never get off the ground, but wow: they're doing it.

[John W]

WHAT??? No video? No menues? No image stabilizing? No butons? No variable ISO? No chimping? No ...... ?

OOOOOWWWWEEEE!!! Somebody just put a whole lot of the old fashioned "FUN FACTOR" back in photography!!!

Where do I get one of these???

[John Krumm]

Obviously without movements you aren't going to do much of what Adams did, but this could still be a lot of fun. If you don't want to process the film, places like The Darkroom still do. I'll be curious if the lenses will become suddenly less available once these bodies ship. Myself, I'm just getting back into film slr photography with all the bargain bodies you can find. It's fun to keep one body for each type of film, from slow slide to 3200 black and white. But I'll definitely keep an eye on this project, and perhaps eventually get one.

[Ed]

A lot, just ad Adox CMS20 or Velvia 50 and a tripod. In fact this was the machine I was waiting for. The ideal camera for slow photography. Not for shooting 360.000 frames of a single model in 2 years time as Ellen ten Damme and Danny Ellinger did (the former being a Dutch actres and singer and the latter being a Dutch wildlife photographer with a small obsession to hedge :-)), but hey who wants to do that anyway:

http://www.dejongehond.nl/NL/shop/0/0/1/42823

Greets, Ed.

[James Bullard]

What immediately came to mind was the offerings of Gaoersi which include a no bellows, no movements 4x5 albeit with a lot more class and (of course) costs a lot more than $99. Since I already own a 4x5 (with a bellows and movements)and I suspect that hand holding a camera that large, even a plastic one, that you either zone focus or is fixed focus ("focus free" in contemporary marketing speak) will not result in better images than a smaller camera with better focusing, I'll pass. It strikes me as a novelty, a hundred dollar novelty.

[Mike Plews]

This is brilliant. I hope these guys pull it off.

As for the 90mm 6.8 Angulon let me share a story. About twenty years ago the TV station where I work needed a skyline shot to put in the back of our news set.

I dusted off an old Pacemaker Graphic and a 90mm 6.8 and headed downtown with some holders of vericolor L for a night shot.
They managed to pull a panorama out of the middle of the negative that was printed at 4x16 feet.
At ten feet back it looked pretty good. We also made some prints at 20x24 and they were stunning at any distance. This lens is no slouch.

More modern LF lenses may give a bigger image circle or better coatings but in this application who cares?

My math may be a little off but I'm pretty sure that a proper drum scan of a 4x5 negative works out to the equivalent of about 13.8 gazillion megapixels.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/679020-USA/Kodak_1587484_4_x_5_Ektar.html

I love this.

[Dave Karp]

Thanks Oren and Mike. I am sure this article pushed the project past the $75,000 goal. I can't wait for mine! I am in for a 90. All of the sudden, I am thinking about a 65 . . . .

[Chad Thompson]

Well, I guess I'll be listing my Schneider Angulon 90mm ƒ/6.8 on ebay in the next couple of months.

Although, I've always liked the idea of owning a Fotoman 45ps or a Razzle.

Fotoman: http://www.fotoman.cc/showPro.asp?id=26
Razzle: http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~razzle/Gallery/gallery.html

[Randy Moe]

I invested. This thing will be great. I feel many are missing a boat that leaves in 18 days.

Get on the bus people, these will be everywhere and we will be using up plenty of film.

Love it!

[Rick Wilcox]

i like it! But the lowest level available as I write this is $399. Still (non pun intended) well thought out. Takes me back to my Crown Graphic days.

[Rick, the $99 pledge level for a camera is unrestricted. They can accommodate anybody who wants one—the more, the better. —Oren]

[Taran Morgan]

I would merely point out that this is the same wanderlust cameras that made the 'pinwide' lens for m43, and that there was a design defect in that lens which created nasty hot spotting when shot in bright conditions (aka anywhere you can shoot a pinhole). This was not an advertised feature and upset quite a few people, despite the "cheap price".

[William Barnett-Lewis]

Ow. My wallet is in trouble & now I have to find a way to explain it to the Boss. I know I won't be able to afford a 90 for it (been wanting one for my 4x5 field cam long enough, alas) but I wonder if my Ektar 127/4.7 from my old Navy Speed Graphic would work?

[No, because you won't be able to focus it. --Mike]

I started LF with a Speed & doing handheld while walkabout with a 4x5 is an utter hoot. I'm going to have to find a way to afford one of these things.

[Kostas]

@Rick Wilcox: The $99 levels to buy the 2 different cameras without lenses, along with the $189 level to buy both (again without lenses) are available - and not limited.

[Oren Grad]

But the lowest level available as I write this is $399.

Rick, the $99 pledge level for a camera is unrestricted. They can accommodate anybody who wants one - the more, the better.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

Looks like a very simple, but clever, idea! I wonder why such a camera isn't already out there. It's so fashionably...Holga-esque!

Good luck with this, guys.

[Raffwal]

The guys just made it - they're at $77,312 at the moment!

Congrats guys, I think this is a very interesting project. I'm actually getting both cameras with the idea of deciding later which to use and maybe selling the other at cost. I'm only a bit worried about the lens availability and price. Now that it's getting off and I have neither of the suitable lenses - must rush to Ebay or somewhere! ;)

[Will Frostmill]

As much as I love film, the sample pictures make me want to get a Panasonic 14mm for my E-PL1. I've been resisting, but I love the 28mm-e width, particularly in 4:3 and 4:5 ratios, where you get a little more sky than on 2:3.

[cb]

Great!

[Mark]

Dang. I have a Kodak Wide Field Ektar (100mm F6.3) sitting doing nothing. A camera like the 65 would be perfect for it. Wonder how far off it is...

[Matt Penning]

Bought the 65mm version. Jumping in the pool. Now I've got to get a lens and some film holders. Oh the fun we'll have. It comes with a pinhole, so even without the lens, you can use it.

[James W.]

If I still had my Epson scanner, I'd buy one. As it is, I don't know what I'd do with the negatives. Actually, even if I had a friend with a scanner... hmm...

[Jimmy Reina]

Great post, great comments!
When is the last time we discussed having fun?

[AlanH]

Thank you Oren & Mike for alerting me to this project. I immediately followed the link and became a backer. What a great idea!

Since I've wanted a 90mm lens for my 4x5 for awhile now, I surfed around the 'net and ordered one. According to Ben, use of most other 90's (other than the f/8 Schneider Angulon that the camera was originally designed for) merely requires an easy adjustment to the focus marker.

I can't wait to play with my new 4x5!!

[Janne]

Great idea, and I'm happy they're pulling it off.

But I'm not actually 100% convinced it's the best-selling MF camera of this millennium. It may well be, but I'd like to see the total sales of the Ilford MF pinhole camera before anybody is anointed winner: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/product.asp?n=75

Now I'm itching to build something of my own...

[David]

I think that this is really cool! But, I don't believe that it could be the "fastest -selling large format camera . . . ever". That title must go to the Speed Graphic. I tried to find information about how many Speeds were made, but couldn't find the answer with a quick Google search. It must have been a lot, though!

David

[Andrew Kaiser]

I absolutely love the fact that websites like Kickstarter are allowing designers to fill a void that the big names in camera manufacturing refuse to dive into.

I just wonder what projects like this are going to do to lens prices on the used market.

[John Robison]

I was in as soon as I learned about it April 3rd. I figured if Ilford could sell well over 1000 Harman Titan 4X5 pinhole cameras at $220 a pop then this was going to be a runaway at $99 each. Now I have to keep up the search for a 90 f6.8 Angulon.

[Robert L.]

I kept debating about this, and the it shows up here...since i HAVE a 90 6.8, that never get's used on my soon to be 'big' 4x5, (because who cares how much your lens weighs when the camera is such a hog?) there's no excuse. Now i just want it to get here now, as I'll need to figure out how to get a grafmatic back to work on it....

[Joe]

I opened my closet and discovered that the old Calumet 4x5 I never finished fixing up has a 90mm SW f/8 Fujinon lens, plus I've got a couple of film holders and even some (expired) 4x5 film. So the $99 investment was a no-brainer. Can't wait to play with it!

[Richard]

Make sure you read the "risks and challenges". I've backed a few Kickstarters (Pebble, an iPhone case with polarizer lens....) and they've have been HUGELY late with their delivery times and way overly-optimistic on the quality of their end product they ended up with. Frankly, I'm done with Kickstarter for now as far as gadgets and gear items go. I'll buy it once it becomes a viable product, if it ever does. But I do hope it does...

[Paul]

Damn. $100 out the door before I knew what hit me. And I just had a major camera purge in the last couple weeks. Created a vacuum I suppose.

[Richard Man]

After spending a year with a 617 view camera (the Shenhao PTB617), I bought a Chamonix 4x5 F1 and have great fun with it. Scheimpflug? How about one focus and one tilt?

I am now looking for a "quick snap" 4x5 kit. This may be good 3rd kit.

One thing: unfortunately I bet that most Wanderlust will SIT ON THE SHELF. Most people will need to send their sheets somewhere else for processing. At $2 - $4 per sheet purchase price (depending on whether it's B&W, color negs or slides) and $4-$7 to process, the cost will dwarf the $400-$500 initial investment rapidly.

I do my own processing, but I have been doing that since 2003.

[cgw]

Hmmm. Saw this awhile back and still wonder about possible copycat issues with the Ilford Titan pinhole platform. Agree that other than DIY processing costs are a deal breaker and might consign these to the tchotchke bin of history.

[g carvajal]

I want one. I process my 4x5 sheet film with the nova monochrome 8x10 vertical tank.
I use dektol.
Here is my homebuild "4x5 point and shot".

[Ahem]

I took a critical look at this a while ago, and the only reason why I didn't go for it was that it's not a folder. I'll stick with my MF and LF TLRs for now.

I'm glad they've found a niche, though. We need more Large Format shooters out there to keep film a viable business - especially slide film manufacturing. LF is a lot of fun, you'll get to really know what it takes to make a technically competent photograph, and when you're successful the results are amazing.

[Dave Karp]

"Make sure you read the 'risks and challenges."

One important thing to consider when thinking about risks and challenges is past performance. Ben and Justin have already created a photo product funded by Kickstarter and brought to market. It is called the Pinwide, and it is a pinhole cap for M4/3 cameras. See it here: http://wanderlustcameras.com/products/pinwide.html

You can also buy it at Amazon: www.amazon.com/Wanderlust-Cameras-Pinwide-Digital-Pinhole/dp/B0053Y9VG2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365961021&sr=8-1&keywords=pinwide

[Crabby Umbo]

Fair Warning, there are 90mm f/6.8 Schneiders, and then there are 90mm f/6.8 Schneiders. I've owned a few copies over the years, some very soft on the edges (at any f stop), some amazingly sharp! This is supposed to be a "no swings, no tilts" lens for press cameras, but that didn't mean they were all OK even centered on the camera. Make sure you get "return" possibilities on anything you buy on the "bay". Mark, on here, said he has a 100mm wide field Ektar, and I'd say I'd rather take my chances with a clean copy of that, than the Schneider 6.8, every one I've seen of those has been sharp!

[Robert Hudyma]

I wish these folks all the best, and I hope that it will rekindle an interest in large format photography especially for young folks who have grown up on digital image making.

This product would be an ideal fit for the re-birth of Polaroid 55 film. I made many fine images with this unique 4x5 material, since it gave you both a print and a negative at the same time. Check out the following folks:

http://new55project.blogspot.ca/

The NEW55 film would be a perfect fit for this camera. In the meantime, I'll be exposing and processing T-Max which a great product once you understand how to expose and process it properly.

[Gavin McLelland]

I haven't used this product but if I did get a 5 x 4 I would think about getting one

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=1082

It might make processing the sheet film a lot easier

Gavin

[Davidabl Blankenhorn]

The new 55 would be killer... In the mean time I just
discovered this thanks to the posts above about the Ilford pinhole cameras www.harmanexpress.net Direct positive paper B&W

[Frank]

Ah now large format shooters not lucky enough to own the cheap Toyo can finally enjoy what all you mini-format shooters love so much....

The joy of a plastic camera.

[David Dyer-Bennet]

Oh, I hadn't connected these people to the Pinwide, but I've got that, too. As I had suspected, it's far too vague to be any actual use to me, but I admire the idea and don't regret buying one.

I really should make a pinhole for my 4x5, that will give enough resolution to be of some use. And it zooms!

[Dean Johnston]

Hiya!

Though not really related so much, I just found this Kickstarter for a documentary about Jacques Bolsey, the man behind the Bolex - a cheap motion picture camera that many budding film students used. Sadly, it looks like this one won't make it. Interesting read nonetheless.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cappuccino/beyond-the-bolex-a-documentary-film

Dean

[Ed]

At the very least it should help sell more 4x5 film. From my selfish perspective, that is always a good thing. ;-)

[Leslie Ashe]

Mike

I would prefer registration

Leslie

[Armand]

Awesome! I couldn't find an excuse not to get one so I kicked in too. I hope somebody comes out with some 4x5 instant films. Thanks Mile and Oren.

[Mike Rosiak]

While we're at it, 4x5, direct positive B&W, etc, here's one I just got from Digital Silver Imaging, up in MA -

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2019904644/big-silver-gelatin-prints

to be able to produce 48" wide prints.