Anyone seen a camera like this?

DMillier said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?



--
2024: Awarded Royal Photographic Society LRPS Distinction
Photo of the day: https://whisperingcat.co.uk/wp/photo-of-the-day/
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DMillier said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?

Click to expand...

dbateman said:

DMillier said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?

Click to expand...

Maybe a modified version of this:

https://petapixel.com/2015/05/28/th...ot-smartphone-camera-obscura-shots-on-the-go/

Could have also been a custom scan camera, like this:

https://m.dpreview.com/news/9324612...rtable-scanner-into-a-4x5-digital-camera-back

Click to expand...

DMillier said:

dbateman said:

DMillier said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?

Click to expand...

Maybe a modified version of this:

https://petapixel.com/2015/05/28/th...ot-smartphone-camera-obscura-shots-on-the-go/

Could have also been a custom scan camera, like this:

https://m.dpreview.com/news/9324612...rtable-scanner-into-a-4x5-digital-camera-back

Click to expand...

It didn't appear to be a scanner camera or a smartphone camera from what I saw. It looked like a 5x4 with a smallish LCD screen on the back. She appeared to be shooting quickly as well.

Looking at it close up, it looks a bit home made with wood screws holding on the leather strap, the bellows is fake, and the whole thing looks to be crudely made from wood. I wonder if it is just a box for effect with a digital camera hidden inside...

--
2024: Awarded Royal Photographic Society LRPS Distinction
Photo of the day: https://whisperingcat.co.uk/wp/photo-of-the-day/
Website: http://www.whisperingcat.co.uk/
DPReview gallery: https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/0286305481
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidmillier/ (very old!)

Click to expand...

DavidMillier said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?

Click to expand...

NAwlins Contrarian said:

NAwlins Contrarian said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?

Click to expand...

Being nosy and not too shy to ask strangers these sorts of things, I would have just asked her what she was shooting, why she chose it, and how she likes it.

Click to expand...

NAwlins Contrarian said:

That said, the bellows is not a bellows--the material doesn't look to compress or expand along the lens axis--and the front standard shows a gap (and her left hand) on the other side. Are parts of it plywood or something? So I think it's some kind of art project 'camera', maybe to be fun to use or maybe to provoke people's reactions to it. She looks like she's having fun with it.

Click to expand...

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SigmaChrome said:

NAwlins Contrarian said:

SigmaChrome said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?

Click to expand...

Being nosy and not too shy to ask strangers these sorts of things, I would have just asked her what she was shooting, why she chose it, and how she likes it.

Click to expand...

Me too. Just ask. What could you possibly stand to lose?

SigmaChrome said:

That said, the bellows is not a bellows--the material doesn't look to compress or expand along the lens axis--and the front standard shows a gap (and her left hand) on the other side. Are parts of it plywood or something? So I think it's some kind of art project 'camera', maybe to be fun to use or maybe to provoke people's reactions to it. She looks like she's having fun with it.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

DMillier said:

SigmaChrome said:

NAwlins Contrarian said:

DavidMillier said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?

Click to expand...

Being nosy and not too shy to ask strangers these sorts of things, I would have just asked her what she was shooting, why she chose it, and how she likes it.

Click to expand...

Me too. Just ask. What could you possibly stand to lose?

DavidMillier said:

That said, the bellows is not a bellows--the material doesn't look to compress or expand along the lens axis--and the front standard shows a gap (and her left hand) on the other side. Are parts of it plywood or something? So I think it's some kind of art project 'camera', maybe to be fun to use or maybe to provoke people's reactions to it. She looks like she's having fun with it.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I don't think my 45 years ago schoolboy French was quite up to that task!

Click to expand...

Galleries by Vitee

www.pbase.com

SigmaChrome said:

DMillier said:

SigmaChrome said:

NAwlins Contrarian said:

SigmaChrome said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?

Click to expand...

Being nosy and not too shy to ask strangers these sorts of things, I would have just asked her what she was shooting, why she chose it, and how she likes it.

Click to expand...

Me too. Just ask. What could you possibly stand to lose?

SigmaChrome said:

That said, the bellows is not a bellows--the material doesn't look to compress or expand along the lens axis--and the front standard shows a gap (and her left hand) on the other side. Are parts of it plywood or something? So I think it's some kind of art project 'camera', maybe to be fun to use or maybe to provoke people's reactions to it. She looks like she's having fun with it.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I don't think my 45 years ago schoolboy French was quite up to that task!

Click to expand...

Ah! Maybe that explains it.... But don't most French folks speak English these days?

Click to expand...

DMillier said:

SigmaChrome said:

NAwlins Contrarian said:

DavidMillier said:

Saw this young lady prancing around with what I first thought was a 5x4 in Narbonne. She was operating from a little podium in the square, photographing tourists. "She's brave, hopping around holding that hand held", I thought. But then I snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw a LCD screen on the back. "It's a digital!", I thought, "In a fake view camera body with a bellows".

What is it?

Click to expand...

Being nosy and not too shy to ask strangers these sorts of things, I would have just asked her what she was shooting, why she chose it, and how she likes it.

Click to expand...

Me too. Just ask. What could you possibly stand to lose?

DavidMillier said:

That said, the bellows is not a bellows--the material doesn't look to compress or expand along the lens axis--and the front standard shows a gap (and her left hand) on the other side. Are parts of it plywood or something? So I think it's some kind of art project 'camera', maybe to be fun to use or maybe to provoke people's reactions to it. She looks like she's having fun with it.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I don't think my 45 years ago schoolboy French was quite up to that task!

Click to expand...

DMillier said:

I think it is a digital compact or a phone placed inside a home made wooden box made to mimic the style of a 5x4 field camera. Probably to draw the attention of tourists and get them to pay for a snap they could take with their own phone. Something like that.

Now I'm wishing I had asked her.... "Bonjour, mademoiselle, quesque c'est ca appareil photographique, c'est differente!". I could have managed that, I could have, I could...

Click to expand...

Greg7579 said:

DMillier said:

I think it is a digital compact or a phone placed inside a home made wooden box made to mimic the style of a 5x4 field camera. Probably to draw the attention of tourists and get them to pay for a snap they could take with their own phone. Something like that.

Now I'm wishing I had asked her.... "Bonjour, mademoiselle, quesque c'est ca appareil photographique, c'est differente!". I could have managed that, I could have, I could...

Click to expand...

It is a very cool shot. Did you take that?

Click to expand...