Go big, go REALLY BIG. LARGE FORMAT DIGITAL CAMERA - LargeSense

[9VIII]

Now that's my kind of mirrorless.

 

[MARKOE PHOTOE]

Gee, didn't I see one of these on FleaBay as an import? I think they were going to throw in a bunch of free stuff like SD cards, lens brush and a useless bag that didn't fit the camera, oh, and a pick up truck to haul it all in.
I put a bid in for it but it's not over. ;D ;D

 

[Aglet]

So they've manage to get some video out of the thing now:

".. full sensor readout of the LS911 saved as 16 bit TIFFs, then converted to 4k UHD and 1080p. The TIFFs were edited in PhotoShop, Alien Skin Exposure 6 and Adobe Premiere. Adobe Premiere was used to combine the video."

http://largesense.com/blog/2015/12/first-large-format-digital-video/

 

[Zeidora]

This finally has some potential. The existing "LF" backs are just MF mounted for LF bodies, not true LF backs. Scanning backs are impractical. There are also options for putting a dSLR on a LF camera: talk about crop sensor! I'd be interested in a LargeSense for my 4x5" AS. I wonder what pricing looks like. Could not find a word on that on the website. There are some things that a TS lens cannot do, such as simultaneous tilt, swing, and rise, both at front and rear standards.

 

[scyrene]

Because the pixels are so large.

A 'fast' 10x8 lens starts at f8, and some stop down to f128. Remember than on a 10x8 300 mm is the 'standard' focal length.

Wow. I guess it really is pretty different from 35mm stuff. ;D

Yea, including lugging one around ! The IQ from this thing could be unreal, but I would think it is so impractical that its main uses will be copy work.

I am totally clueless about this sort of thing. How would the images differ? Shallower depth of field, lower noise? Or is it something to do with perspective?

 

[Don Haines]

I tried to read their blurb, but the text kept jumping up and down as their images at the top were different size when they changed. Truly amateur performance, and they want to convince me they have the technical know to make such a camera when they don't even know how to make a web site thats readable?

It is my understanding that building websites and designing CCDs are in fact different skills that are performed by entirely different people within an organization

Although you might not know it, digital cameras have software running the entire camera.

Different people writing different software in a different language... For example I am very good at writing software for process control and data logging while I know diddly squat about creating websites.... One task will be done very well, the other will be slow and amateurish....

 

[scyrene]

Incidentally, although it all seems too good to be true, I'd love to see what a sensor like that could do for astrophotography - especially as it lacks an IR filter.

 

[Sporgon]

Because the pixels are so large.

A 'fast' 10x8 lens starts at f8, and some stop down to f128. Remember than on a 10x8 300 mm is the 'standard' focal length.

Wow. I guess it really is pretty different from 35mm stuff. ;D

Yea, including lugging one around ! The IQ from this thing could be unreal, but I would think it is so impractical that its main uses will be copy work.

I am totally clueless about this sort of thing. How would the images differ? Shallower depth of field, lower noise? Or is it something to do with perspective?

The original capture is larger - much larger. Theoretically improved gradients, the other things we associate with "IQ". All from a lens which doesn't have to be anything like as good as the ones on a tiny format.

Shallower depth of field ? Theoretically, but not in practice as there aren't the speed of lenses out there for this format. 35mm / FF provides the shallowest dof due to the combination of sensor size and very fast lenses available.

Lower noise ? I guess it could be amazing at very high ISO, but who uses a large format camera at high ISO ?

There isn't any difference on the perspective per se.

So why do it ? I guess because they can.

 

[scyrene]

Because the pixels are so large.

A 'fast' 10x8 lens starts at f8, and some stop down to f128. Remember than on a 10x8 300 mm is the 'standard' focal length.

Wow. I guess it really is pretty different from 35mm stuff. ;D

Yea, including lugging one around ! The IQ from this thing could be unreal, but I would think it is so impractical that its main uses will be copy work.

I am totally clueless about this sort of thing. How would the images differ? Shallower depth of field, lower noise? Or is it something to do with perspective?

The original capture is larger - much larger. Theoretically improved gradients, the other things we associate with "IQ". All from a lens which doesn't have to be anything like as good as the ones on a tiny format.

Shallower depth of field ? Theoretically, but not in practice as there aren't the speed of lenses out there for this format. 35mm / FF provides the shallowest dof due to the combination of sensor size and very fast lenses available.

Lower noise ? I guess it could be amazing at very high ISO, but who uses a large format camera at high ISO ?

There isn't any difference on the perspective per se.

So why do it ? I guess because they can.

Ah, ok

 

[deleteme]

Reading the description of the sensor describes what seems to be a scientific sensor of some sort. It has no AA filter, no IR filter no CFA, no micro lenses.
IOW it is a monochrome sensor with high IR response.
Describing it as having 24FPS capture implies a rolling shutter type of capture as opposed to some leaf shutter/processor combo that makes it sound like an uber Sony.

Adapting a scientific sensor of this type to a field usable product most likely (if it actually exists) is a very complicated project. Power source (probably needs to be quite large), processing and data storage and the integration of all the functions into a usable interface is not trivial.

Large format is a different fish. I worked in these formats up to 5x7 and would be delighted with even a 6cm square sensor. But I also have to acknowledge the fact that I would be very unhappy with anything less than the color, speed and UI that I enjoy with today's cameras.

 

[Aglet]

Lower noise ? I guess it could be amazing at very high ISO, but who uses a large format camera at high ISO ?

you have no choice, I think the sensor's base ISO is ~2000!
from what I can tell, huge pixels and relatively shallow charge well so I'll be very interested to see what the SNR / DR is in final form. I expect about 12 to 13 stops initially.

 

[Zeidora]

Apparently price is targeted at US$50K (4x5") or $100K (8x10"). A bit steep, IMHO, particularly for a 6.7 MP sensor. No idea who the target audience is. Off buying some film tomorrow.