A photographer has designed and built the first E-Mount film camera

I love this! But my love for the NEX Series is related to being able to use old lenses on Sony's digital body - Olympus, Minolta, Pentax...
Would it make sense for me to use this... with a lens that was designed before the digital era? (I'm assuming the invention doesn't work with Sony's own E-mount lenses which are all autofocus/OS-operated?)

2 months agopermalink

Olifaunt

Used film camera prices are skyrocketing as more people are interested in film again and stocks are dwindling. The better quality compact film cameras have become unaffordable to most regular people. So this, while a work in progress, is a very welcome step in the right direction.

3 months agopermalink

Chak Kee

食飽飯冇事做

3 months agopermalink

The Dopaminer

This is perfect, as an example for `solution in search of a problem`.

3 months agopermalink

Alexander would probably disagree with you; accomplishing a hard task is very rewarding. You might miss that point if have never built anything and your hardest daily accomplishment is making a cup of coffee.

3 months agopermalink

toughluck

> Alexander would probably disagree with you;
So far so good, a nice lead in.
> accomplishing a hard task is very rewarding.
Great delivery of an important point.
> You might miss that point if have never built anything
Okay, you're pushing it. Quit while you're still ahead.
> and your hardest daily accomplishment is making a cup of coffee.
And here's where it all breaks up. That was completely unnecessary and uncalled for.

1 month agopermalink

There is one issue that no one seems to have noticed. Most analog lenses made for film do not work as well as digital lenses because of the different thicknesses of the image plane. Film lenses are pretty straightforward because they only have to focus on a flat very thin image plan; i.e., thin film. Digital lenses have to focus on the sensor plane which is under at least one and sometimes two cover glasses. The glasses can degrade the image which is why digital lens makers design their lenses to focus on the 'buried' sensor plane. Most analog lenses do not focus as well as the digital lens made for it's corresponding digital camera. Leica is a rare exception since their policy is to accommodate older lenses on the newer camera when designing a new sensor. Even then, the results are frequently not a perfect match.

I wonder if the same holds true when trying to use a digital lens in an analog camera with an image plane using film. Are there any optics experts that can comment?

3 months ago*permalink

Technically you are right with your statement, but you can see nicely the fit of older film based Canon FD SLR lenses on modern Sony FF MLC cameras - they all work excellent with high image quality, even on the high MP sensors. Reason is that the thicker sensor glass cover on a Sony MLC leads to a similar sharpness as compared to a film SLR. It is getting a bit more tricky with rangefinder (film and digital) lenses on a Sony MLC since the pupil distance is shorter and therefore the light hits the sensor cover glass in a steeper angle than (D)SLR lenses do. Especially in case of wide angle rangefinder lenses this can lead to some corner unsharpness and vignetting. One solution is to modify the thickness of the sensor glass and make it similar to the one Leica uses in their digital M cameras. It reduces these issues severely.

3 months agopermalink

That's nice to know.

3 months ago*permalink

absquatulate

Deleted.

3 months ago*permalink

Tungsten Nordstein

Why are so many people complaining about someone showing some ingenuity, learning how to design and build cameras for himself, and being prepared to share what he does with everyone?

3 months agopermalink

kodachromeguy

The crowd here likes to think they are so sophisticated and know all the answers about cameras, marketing, and the economics of the imaging marketplace. And, of course, the film thing seems to intimidate many of them.

3 months agopermalink

Tungsten Nordstein

@kodachromeguy

Not just film, anything that moves. :)

3 months agopermalink

Acalthu

because that's the human condition; they're upset they didn't come up with it first.

3 months agopermalink

Many people who have never built something will never understand someone who has. Any why be complimentary when you can be snarky.

3 months ago*permalink

All humans, since forever: "what, someone tried to actually DO something? How silly and risky and challenging and..." - [insert jealous mumblings]

2 months agopermalink

In first year photography classes we made an analog camera out of a shoebox, but congratulations to this guy for getting others to crowdfund him.

3 months agopermalink

Tungsten Nordstein

where does it say he's being crowdfunded?

3 months agopermalink

Ahh I read it hastily. He's thinking of crowdfunding it going forward.

3 months agopermalink

https://shop.cameraquest.com/voigtlander-viewfinders/

It says "open source"

2 months agopermalink

sirhawkeye64

While I praise the designer's work, my question is WHY? It's like a pin hole camera that can take modern E-mount glass (so thus, the possibility of getting a focused image and zooming in/out). But as with pin hole cameras, without a viewfinder of any sort, you aren't really sure what the shot is going to look like until you develop it. Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting idea but for anyone to take it seriously, I think it needs some sort of optical view finder so people can at least estimate how the end resulting image will be framed.

3 months ago*permalink

Elonlukatski

I focus and shoot one of my film cameras without doing it through the viewfinder all the time. There is a way. Even action shots.

3 months agopermalink

apestorm

Wide angle lenses on a rangefinder use an external viewfinder (or shoot from the hip). No need to focus on a wide angle as depth of field is massive giving you a rapid and extremely high quality snapshot camera with todays amazing wide angle designs.

3 months agopermalink

There are plenty of hot-shoe mounted optical viewfinders; you can get them for specific focal lengths. Looks like the body has a hotshoe mount so I dont see the problem.

3 months agopermalink

sirhawkeye64

I guess, but even if you had a hotshoe adapter, would it need to be designed to work with the camera? Maybe that's in the plans. LIke I said, interesting idea and it will be interesting to see where it goes.

3 months agopermalink

Hot shoe viewfinders are basically dumb squares without electronic information. Some can have magnifying glass which gives you a similar field of view to the lens; some will have two focus marks, close and infinity to help the photographer anticipate where to focus. They take a bit of practice to anticipate parallax issues.

3 months agopermalink

sirhawkeye64

Yeah I saw that (decided to google them after making my response.)

3 months agopermalink

Yeah, the X-Pro has solved many of the issues with an electronic overlay, but that’s not possible here.

3 months agopermalink

JensR

Focusing lenses without a distance scale will be a problem in many cases.
Still a cool project :)

3 months agopermalink

Sure, but there are E-mount MF lenses and the Zeiss E-Mount lenses have distance scales. You could also use an adapter to mount legacy MF lenses.

3 months ago*permalink

Karroly

So, a camera without a viewfinder to frame and check focus ?
I'll come back when they design one...

3 months agopermalink

Elonlukatski

It is nice but not always needed. Just need a good guess on the distance and what your set aperture gives you. Framing can be done with a guide on top.

3 months ago*permalink

You can put a hot shoe viewfinder on it.

3 months agopermalink

Karroly

Hot shoe viewfinders work with prime lenses and are available for a limited number of focal lengths. Forget the use of zoom lenses. "Zoom" viewfinders are very rare.
Also, guessing the distance works with a fair amount of depth of field. Forget the use of a 85mm F1.8 portrait lens, or even a 50mm F1.8 wide open.
So what is left available ? 35mm prime lens or shorter stopped down at F8 ?
Also, you need to use fully manual lenses with a mechanical aperture ring. These kind of lenses are not made by Sony and are available usually for Canon or Nikon as well. So, just grab an old Canon EOS EF-M. As its name suggests, it is an MF body with a split-image focusing screen and an EF mount...

3 months agopermalink

kb2zuz

Hotshoe viewfinders exist but they pose challenges. For close subjects there's parallax issues, most e-mount lenses are zooms which is not ideal, finally there's no focus confirmation.

Now you can use a hot shoe viewfinder to give you a ball park aim, guesstimate framing of the zoom, and zone focus with a wider focal length and smaller aperture.

It's not clear if the camera has a light meter so you'll probably be using an external light meter or more likely relying on sunny-16. With those issues, it's not much better than a disposable camera and it is inferior to many point-and-shoot style 35mm compacts from the 90's. So that leaves a lot of us reading it saying "ok, this person put a lot of effort, but why am I reading this?"

I think it's a great learning project for the person building it and would make an amazing science fair project for a student. However the issue is for those of us reading the article, it's not exactly exciting or useful.

3 months agopermalink

CarpentersEye

A. Done for non-effectual fun
B. Done to make you think only the manufactures (In Asia) can produce high results.

You know. So you will buy more.

What happens when we foster business and make it profitable for a small companies to make their own, better sensors and systems?

This stuff is not magic. Quality is lacking. Combination is lacking. Value is lacking. Corruption is thriving.

3 months agopermalink

dbaechli

I appreciate every person's efforts to create something. Whether this will find its clientele or not, it certainly will work towards the fact that people are using film cameras and love it. Eventually, maybe, who knows, another major label, other than Leica, might consider delivering something decent new again. So it's good to make some noise <3

As for E-mount: it is actually not a bad move. Personally, I went the other way, though, which is why almost all of my "E-mount" lenses are actually M-mount (bayonet or M39/LTM). I can use them on my Sony a7II, Fuji XPro2, Leica M9 and M3, Leica CL, Voigtländer R2A, Zeiss Ikon SW, and what else is laying around.. Better even the M39 screw mount lenses - they can also go on my Voigtländer Bessa L, the Canon rangefinders, Barnack Leicas, Zorkis, Feds, and so many more cameras. Best thing to buy, M39/LTM, or M-bayonet - small and solid. Never did regret this move and I really dig to adapt them crisscross all sorts of cameras.

3 months ago*permalink

Clint Dunn

Is this a joke? Just because you can does not mean you should. If you want to shoot film there are literally hundreds of thousands of used, cheap cameras that are in every way superior to this thing.

3 months agopermalink

HeyItsJoel

The Chinese invented black powder. Little did they know that generations later, it would be used to kill people by the millions. Should they have invented it? Think about it when you're watching fireworks at the next 4th of July.

3 months agopermalink

Elonlukatski

Maybe like so many cool things before it. This is just a first step.

3 months agopermalink

The multitude of film cameras can only use lenses in a specific mount. Adaptation of lenses is difficult there but not with the shown E-mount film camera (shortest flange distance).

3 months agopermalink

khunpapa

Good idea! Great invention! Extraordinary innovation!
Hrrrrmmm. Why I suddenly think of the IBM PCjr.

3 months agopermalink

Zymurgist

You can buy a Nikon F4 on eBay for a couple hundred bucks. Why spend your money on this?

3 months agopermalink

HowaboutRAW

Well, the F4 won't accept E mount lenses.

Which does raise the question of how to focus focus-by-wire AF E-mount lenses on this body. Don't they have motors that need power to focus even manually?

3 months agopermalink

Ziginox

HowaboutRAW: Most do, yes

3 months agopermalink

Zymurgist

The article doesn't say anything about AF, OSS or even a rudimentary aperture control. I have a collection of cira early 1970s Nikkor glass I adapt to my a7's. I'm waiting for a nice F4 to come up on eBay.

3 months agopermalink

HowaboutRAW

Zymurgist:

Okay, but you have those 45 year old Nikon lenses. So this F4 will work well for you.

They're of course manual focus, with aperture rings, so with an adapter would also work well on this E mount film body (with caveats about this body being untested yet of course).

3 months agopermalink

Please don't tell people to buy a Nikon F4 if they want to get into film coming from digital...

2 months agopermalink

guywithyashica

Brilliant, man. I believe the manufacturer that puts out a film-digital hybrid will steal the market. Full digital or swappable film back with digital backup for proofing. I'd buy one.

3 months agopermalink

(unknown member)

Yes, this is why I want a digital back for my Pentax K1000! How many of us have these laying around and would love to be able to use them again?

3 months agopermalink

I posted this as reply earlier - the idea of such hybrid isn't new, and some inventors made some cool attempts in this direction but none made it into commercialization. The closest was somebody who attached a cropped sensor into the film compartment of the 35 mm based SLR. I am not aware of any attempt to build in a full frame sensor though.

3 months agopermalink

kodachromeguy

As Copal wrote, there have been attempts to market a hybrid camera, but with limited appeal. The results went down two paths:
1. A modular camera like the Hasselblad 500 series which had a totally separate film back or digital back. Is the Rollei Hy6 still in production?
2. A SLR camera that had been purposely-built to electrically connect to a digital back. As far as I know the Leica R8 and R9 were the only ones that accepted the DMR back:
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/4888226123/leicadigitalr9

Yes, that Leica, the Leica that so many of the "experts" here like to mock and criticize as being technologically backwards, etc. Otherwise, the challenges of fitting a digital sensor into a film camera have eluded most inventors.

3 months agopermalink

Nikoncanonfan

Weird mount choice, surely due for steep decline over the next twelve months.. .

3 months agopermalink

In fact a smart move - E-mount delivers the shortest flange distance between film and lens pupil which allows to use adapters attached to the E-mount to use all kind of manual focus based lenses.

3 months agopermalink

SammyToronto

It does look homespun.

3 months agopermalink

xoio

Yet more hipster mashup.
The rationale behind this is on par with what this guy is doing in this video (especially the last 40secs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrJcXYgMCTs

3 months agopermalink

mahonj

How do you focus ?
- with a meter stick ?
How do you expose ?
- Are you supposed to carry a lightmeter ?
I can see that you could use a hot shoe viewfinder, but the rest is a bit of a mystery.

3 months agopermalink

apestorm

Zone focus and sunny 16 or a meter.

3 months agopermalink

Focusing is the most tricky part here since this camera misses any kind of internal focusing system. You have two options: either focusing on a static subject with a manual focus lens attached to another camera and then attaching it onto this film camera and taking a picture from the same distance. Or you use the meter scale of the lens and zone focus (better using a higher aperture number like f/8 or f/11). For metering either again first with another camera with built-in meter or with external light meter (Sunny 16 rule is another option even I am not such big fan of it since it is very latitude-dependent location-wise and doesn't work well in very contrasty scenes).

3 months agopermalink

PankajDubey

I see banding 🤓

3 months agopermalink

ProfHankD

I don't see any electrical contacts for using actual E-mount lenses -- they need 'em. I also don't see how one would manually focus or even compose a shot. In short, I don't see the point of this... is there one?

3 months agopermalink

That's actually a good point - you would need an aperture ring also which most E-lenses made by Zeiss/Sony don't have (with exemption of the Voigtlander E-mount lenses for example). But the E-mount still allows you to use adapters for all kind of rangefinder and DSLR lenses with aperture ring (or you need to lock the aperture of a lens mounted to the digital camera first before attaching it to this film camera).

3 months agopermalink

http://www.opticallimits.com/sony-alpha-aps-c-lens-tests/842-sony1650f3556oss?start=1

Loxia and Voigtlander lenses have focus distance, aperture ring and dof scale on them. The contacts on the lens are just to transmit exif data to the photo and to see the current f stop on screen. Manual e mount lenses do not "need" them. Any true manual e mount lens will work fine but a range finder may come in handy.

3 months ago*permalink

ProfHankD

Yes, manual (native or adapted) lenses work fine on a non-electronic E mount. However, that still doesn't give a focus method nor viewfinder for farming.

It seems much more compelling to me to take an existing 135 film camera and hack the mount on it. In fact, most SLR lenses can be adapted to Canon FL/FD/FDn with 3D-printed adapters I've made, and nice old Canon film bodies are cheap and easy to find. For E mount, you'd probably have to start with a rangefinder body and replace the mount, but that seems easier than this and would provide an optical viewfinder (and maybe rangefinder focus coupling, if you're clever enough)....

3 months agopermalink

esmoxd

I wonder how Sony's digitally uncorrected lenses perform in analogue?

3 months agopermalink

kelstertx

Get ready for 7.5% barrel distortion! LOL

Not that all of them are that bad. The 85/1.8 and 24-105 apparently are pretty good even uncorrected.

And yes, I noticed that's an APS-C lens. It was just an example.

3 months agopermalink

gustabod

was wondering that also, based on the sample images much like a Holga? early days, I know...

3 months ago*permalink

captura

An APSC lens.
Hmm, is there something similar between NEX and LEX?

3 months agopermalink

Paul Reading

I don't think you can buy APS film anymore.

3 months agopermalink

TillmanB

I was trying to keep an open mind but I'm really puzzled why someone would want this. There are some nice e-mount lenses, but it's not as though there is anything extraordinary about them. The sample photos look like they were taken with a Holga as well, so not really a great advertisement.

3 months agopermalink

Agreed that the sample pics look pretty bad for film pics. Not sure what went wrong there. I suspect focusing was an issue since the camera has no rangefinder focus system and you would just be able to compose the frame via external viewfinder. But as I stated blow, the camera is not limited to E-mount lenses where I see the big benefit of it.

3 months ago*permalink

D135ima

Now you can use modern lenses on film...
Hmmmmm. I I have heard many typical arguments of using old lenses on digital bodies. You know, all this "soulful", "classic bokeh" and "more artistic old schemes"... And I understand some of these things. ( Although I prefer to use old lenses on old film cameras)
But i really can not just come up with arguments for reverse situation.

3 months ago*permalink

see my post below yours and you have the answer.

3 months agopermalink

Vlad S

Why there has to be an argument? What about just having fun? Is it not a good enough argument?

3 months agopermalink

MyReality

Two for the price of one. I use my "modern" Canon EF lenses on both my digital Canon Body and my Canon Elan 7ne film camera. Sometimes I carry both bodies and it works great.

3 months agopermalink

In fact it is a good idea, and here is why: first, film is a different medium than digital. Especially for B&W, film can still be the better option. Some film exhibits a much better grey tonal range than a regular digital sensor can "see". This camera is useful if somebody is vested into either the Sony E-mount MLC system and/or in Leica M mount lenses. Easily the digital camera can be carried along with this film camera and the same set of lenses. Nice thing is that due to the shorter flange distance of the E-mount, also most M-mount lenses can be used on each camera with suitable adapter ring (yes, different adapters would then also work on both cameras with DSLR lenses for example). I wonder more about the viewfinder of this film camera as shown - it might require an external finder attached on the hotshoe socket instead.

3 months ago*permalink

kodachromeguy

Thank you, Copal. A well thought-out comment, as opposed to the "Is this a joke?" drivel one normally reads from the film-experts here on Dpreview.

3 months agopermalink

Gesture

No, we want a digital imaging insert for our legacy film cameras. Imagine digital imaging with a Rolleiflex or Leica R.

3 months agopermalink

WastingTime

You, you want that.

3 months agopermalink

There was an article on PetaPixel a few months ago when some of these film/digital hybrid cameras were mentioned. You find a few of these also just by using Google. But none of those is commercial or made it far, most are home-built and use a smaller sensor and not full frame.

3 months ago*permalink

dbaechli

Maybe you are thinking of I'm back:

http://imback.eu/home/

3 months agopermalink

This barely rates a constructive comment, but I'll try.

Go to E-bay or KEH camera or others and you will find some excellent buys in quality used film cameras. They will hold or increase their values. Excellent films are available as well as quality film labs. Why buy a LEX 'film adapter' that mounts mediocre E mount lenses when you can shoot with higher quality Zeiss, Schneider, or Leitz/Leica lenses? When the novelty wears off you can use these quality cameras as very attractive shelf or desk ornaments or sell and get your money back? All you can do with the LEX is use it for an ugly doorstop.

3 months agopermalink

You could in theory directly have a M-mount on this film camera, but it requires a longer flange distance. This means only M-mount lenses could be mounted - better idea to have a little bit shorter flange distance with the E-mount instead and use adapters for other rangefinder or DSLR lenses if needed. The benefit of this film camera is simple its adaptability to all kind of lenses which can be focused manually.

3 months ago*permalink

kikiriki

Because on “medoicre” E mount You can mount everything else you mentioned. Adapters are few bucks each, fyi. Welcome to the club.. :-)

3 months agopermalink

lukecookphoto

Well... most modern "mediocre E-Mount lenses" are better than film era lenses. But don't let that get in the way of your fanboy moment.

3 months agopermalink

I was referring primarily to the E mount kit lenses, most of which are considered mediocre by the review sites. The 'pro' line are much better. Your comment is too generalized. Most of the M mount lenses and many of the LTM mount lenses by CV, Zeiss, Leitz/Leica and Schneider lenses will simply blow the average E mount lenses away, as well they should. Check the data and apply your "fanboy" trash talk to another subject.

3 months agopermalink

kikiriki

@jsevidon: You referred to E mount lenses, no mention of kit lenses. You even did not refer to Sony Lenses, and there are plenty of Zeiss native E-mount lenses.
E-mount is open standard, well documented, and there are many beautiful native E-mount lenses from various companies. Capisci?

3 months agopermalink

@kikrriki,
If you'll re-read my comment, I said " most" E mount lenses. Even you will have to agree that most E mount lenses are kit lenses. And they are mediocre. I also included Zeiss Among those that are superior to MOST e-mount lenses. My two favorite lenses that I use on my Leica M 240 are the Zeiss f/2 50mm Planar and the 35mm f/2.8 Distagon. Now since you seem to be such an enthusiast for this film box adapter for E-mounts I suggest that you hurry up and buy stock in the company before it folds, should it come out with anymore harebrained ideas.

3 months agopermalink

HeyItsJoel

Hold on. I'm gonna turn my laptop into a typewriter..

3 months agopermalink

NottsPhoto

Put me down for two in your kickstarter campaign.

3 months agopermalink

mick232

I just threw away my remote control. I will switch channels on the TV again.

3 months agopermalink

PaulSnowcat

Ummm... What's the point of this sickness?

3 months agopermalink

Max Iso

To honor the greatest system the universe ever spawned !

3 months agopermalink

Answer: to use the same set of lenses in parallel both for digital and this film camera. And yes, shooting film and digital in parallel can be beneficial.

3 months agopermalink

PLShutterbug

What sickness?

3 months agopermalink

EthanP99

I will sell anyone who buys this camera a 24mp digital "back" for the low price of $3000.

3 months agopermalink

and a lens adapter for Leica m mount cause you know... always wanted to shoot film though some vintage Leica glass. Now it can be possible!

3 months agopermalink

@cigent: Exactly. It is a low cost camera option to shoot with M lenses without having to vest into a Leica M film camera. You got this right!

3 months agopermalink

DtEW

So mirrorless discards the mirror/OVF that can now be deemed non-essential for through-the-lens composition given the advent of the electronic, non-expendable imaging medium (at the cost of running the sensor all the time, and adding another layer of sensor/display calibration issues, but I digress...).

Now it is "pretty cool" that somebody discards the electronic sensor as well, so that we abandon the central rationale that justified the transition to mirrorless (i.e. that we don't need an OVF to compose anymore)... by deeming that we don't need to compose anymore?

If I build a box that eschews the imaging medium altogether, but just lets you peer out of an E-mount lens (given DPR's over-enthusiasm for all thing/bugs E-mount) imaged on ground glass, would you feature that with an article that deems it "elemental and bracing for its simplicity"?

3 months ago*permalink

Max Iso

LOL they are going to tear you to shreds dude...

3 months agopermalink

Johannes Zander

A mirror less film camera! Cool!
How do I frame?

3 months agopermalink

Boissez

Put it on a tripod. Compose with a regular FE camera, then mount the film camera.

I guess this could make sense if you want to play with specialized film like IR or UV film.

3 months agopermalink

There is an optical viewfinder mounted in one photo.

3 months agopermalink

Likely external viewfinder mounted on the hotshoe place. This works!

3 months agopermalink

cdembrey

Same way they did, way back in the 1920s when Oskar Barnack was inventing the FULL-FRAME 24x36mm film camera—you use the much vaunted optical-view-finder https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8057/8219727264_771e167db0_z.jpg Please note the optical-view-finder permanently mounter on the body.

3 months agopermalink

realmadeira

another stillborn photography project in search of some hipster with too much spare time... If I ever shoot film I will pick up a mint F4 off eBay for next to nothing

3 months agopermalink

PWPhotography

for the sake of e-mount. how many units will sell?

3 months agopermalink

cosinaphile

a cool effort.... but why ? i do not see a reason for this mounts abilities to be expanded [

3 months agopermalink

Boissez

Specialized film like UV or IR? Frame through your digital body, then take your shot through this.

3 months agopermalink

cosinaphile

hmmm interesting

3 months agopermalink

see my response above for the answer to your question!

3 months agopermalink

Androole

Does it have electronic contacts to control the aperture? And if you had electronics to control the aperture, you could also conceivably add autofocus...

3 months ago*permalink

windmillgolfer

One can admire the ingenuity, effort and execution but ...

3 months agopermalink

PLShutterbug

Why not just leave it at, “one can admire the ingenuity, effort and execution.”?

3 months agopermalink

Branko Mitic

Looks comfortable to hold in hand like any other E-mount camera.

3 months agopermalink

Vladyslav Kosulin

:-)))

3 months ago*permalink

Mescalamba

Lol, so true.. :D

3 months agopermalink

Can someone make an add-on grip for veritcal shooting and autowind?

2 months agopermalink

cdembrey

How is this any better than my 1935 Leica IIIa ??? Can it be repaired almost anywhere in the world ??? Are there plenty of high-quality Max Berek designed lenses available ???

3 months agopermalink

tangbunna

it is opensource camera. so repairing is by your own, parts can obtain from LEX and software/firmware from forums. unfortunately not for ordinary photographers. it is for software enginnering photographers who "know-how".

3 months agopermalink

Making a new product does not require it to be better than everything else. What else do you want to complain about?

3 months agopermalink

Vladyslav Kosulin

This is DIY fun project.

3 months agopermalink

PLShutterbug

In two (ok, one hyphenated) words: it’s not.

So what?

3 months agopermalink

Magda Maria

No viewfinder? Only prime lens? A zoom viewfinder will cost more than a A7III.
Auto focus? Telemeter? How to use a modern lens that doesnt have distance marks?
And, Sony lens doesnt hold focus, you must focus every shot.
Nice try...

3 months agopermalink

Sergiusbr

What about weather sealings? :-/

3 months agopermalink

supersargas

"Nope." *nice beat continues*

3 months agopermalink

SushiCub

If I hear "but but no IBIS," "but but the dynamic range," or "but but the battery life" I will roll my eyes until I see my brain, really really hard.

3 months agopermalink

zsedcft

Photographers of the past would have would have sold a kidney to have a A7riii instead of their 35mm film cameras.

3 months agopermalink

mick232

And how would they view the digital images in an era without computers? How would they get prints?

3 months agopermalink

Rensol

Simple.
They would have second kidney left to trade for a minilab or a PC with the printer.
Then there are other organs left. Say brain. Well not everyone possesses it in the first place but...

3 months agopermalink

zsedcft

@mick232

Thanks for taking it so literally.

3 months agopermalink

SushiCub

It's a sarcasm everyone...

3 months agopermalink

MPS Photographic

@mick232 - You could take a modern PC back in time, plug it in and it should work just fine, just in standalone mode. Subject to the power plug being compatible and the grid being able to handle the high-for-the-time draw.

3 months agopermalink

I would prefer to (and do) use a 35mm analog camera over a 'still in test stage' Sony A7 series camera.. or most digital cameras for that matter. The Bayer pattern filter produces flat lifeless images.

2 months agopermalink

AlePirchi

I am amazed by the creativity and effort put into this Project, I wish I could do this in my free time ;). But letting that aside, It is a shame that there is no way to use Power Zoom, OSS or Focus By Wire lenses, but the E-Mount has some good native lenses without those features. Keep up the good work!

3 months agopermalink

mick232

I do not see any lens contact pins. Will it be manual-focus only? How to stop down?

3 months agopermalink