CAMERADACTYL OG 4X5 Hand Camera
CAMERADACTYL OG 4X5 Hand Camera
The CAMERADACTYL OG is a 4x5 Handheld camera with a ground glass or acrylic focusing screen as well as scale focusing.
The camera can be focused by scale (marked by user on the focusing ring) or through the ground glass. The focusing ring has a locking screw tab that can be used to aide focusing, and lock the focusing ring in place - for example at a hyperfocal distance, infinity, or a predetermined distance for flash or portrait photography.
The OG takes standard 4x5 film holders, and will hold a film holder on the outside of the focusing screen to protect it in your bag.
CUSTOM OPTIONS:
As always, You may choose an accent color for your camera. The body, nosecone, inner helix/lensboard, and viewfinder will be printed in black for practical considerations. The grip, focusing screen frame, and focusing ring can be printed in just about any color, from discreet black or grey, to hot pink, yellow, purple, safety orange, or even some color changing options.
The OG can be ordered with a variety of ground glass options:
Plain Ground Glass - please note that this is much more fragile, recommended for studio use, but not for throwing in a bag and climbing up a mountain. it is only marginally brighter than a ground acrylic focusing screen.
Plain Ground Acrylic focusing screen
Gridded Ground Acrylic focusing screen - 1cm square gridlines
The OG is available in many different nosecone sizes. Currently already available are nosecones for:
Schneider 90mm f6.8 Angulon / Wollensak 90mm f6.8 Raptar (85 mm from lensboard to film plane when focused at infinity)
Schneider 90mm f8 Super Angulon (94 mm from lensboard to film plane when focused at minimum extension)
Kodak Ektar 127mm f4.7 or Optar 135mm f4.7 (116mm from lensboard to film plane when focused at infinity)
Kodak Super Anastigmat 127mm f4.7 (XXX mm from lensboard to film plane when focused at infinity)
Schneider G Claron 150mm f9 ( XXXX mm from lensboard to film plane when focused at inifinty)
Schneider Symmar-S 150mm f5.6 ( 142 mm from lensboard to film plane when focused at inifinty)
Nikon Nikkor W 105mm f5.6 (108mm from lensboard to film plane at minimum distance)
Nikkor W 135mm f5.6 (133mm from lensboard to film plane when focused at infinity)
Schneider Super Angulon 65mm f8 (62mm from lensboard to film plane when focused at minimum extension)
Schneider Super Angulon XL 47mm (59mm from lensboard to film plane when focused at infinity)
Custom length nosecones are available, by selecting a custom option, and filling out the form for your lens of choice. PLEASE CONTACT US BEFORE ORDERING A CUSTOM SETUP, so we can make sure that a compatible setup is possible to make. You will need to know:
The infinity flange distance of your lens (distance from the front of your lensboard to the film plane, when your lens is focused at infinity
The copal size of your shutter - so we can make you a helical /lensboard with the proper sized hole
The maximum diameter of the rear element of your lens, so we can make sure that everything will fit together nicely.
The distance from the very rear of your lens to the front of the lensboard it is mounted in (or alternately the distance from the rear of the lens, to the rear of the shutter)
RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES:
You will need (or want) some accessories to be able to use your CAMERADACTYL OG 4x5 Hand Camera. Accessories NOT INCLUDED ARE:
a large format lens
a mechanical cable release (7mm diameter under the button of the release, and threads to fit your lens) . - not 100% necessary but recommended
a loupe for focusing on the ground glass - not necessary, but recommended. Very useful for calibrating your focus scale.
an accessory uncoupled rangefinder - Very unnecessary, but useful for precise scale focusing, particularly with longer lenses at close range.
TO CALIBRATE YOUR CAMERADACTYL OG 4X5:
Set your camera up on a tripod, a measured distance from a clearly lit high contrast object. I like to use the tip of my lighting umbrella, but anything you can see clearly will work. I like to measure to the hot shoe on top of the camera, rather than to the lens, so that my focusing marks will match the reading of an accessory uncoupled rangefinder.
Open your lens to its maximum aperture and focus on that object in the focusing screen. A dark cloth or blanket or coat over your head helps with this.
When the object is in focus, mark your measured distance with a thin sharpie marker on the rear face of your focusing ring.
Repeat this process for all the distances you will commonly focus at. I like to make markings for 3feet, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 25, and infinity. When calibrating for infinity, its best to take your camera outside and focus on something very far away, like a tree, a clocktower, a telephone pole, etc..
*You can rub off sharpie from the plastic with an alcohol soaked cotton swab with just a bit of patience, if you need to re-calibrate your distance scale.