Next-Gen Film Camera Concepts

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[The Next Generation of Film Photograhpy]

In the previous articles about 1/8th Frame, Ultra Half Frame, and Methods for Dividing Photographic Film I discussed some rudimentary concepts for creating a camera system which can shoot in the Ultra Half Frame format. This will be a continuation and expansion of those concepts for various camera systems. The information presented here does not necessarily only apply to the Ultra Half Frame format or the 1/8th Frame format but can apply to other formats like full frame, half frame, 1/4th frame, and sometimes fully digital systems.

We will begin by looking at concepts for a fixed lens system. This system could include a zoom or prime lens using either an SLR style viewfinder, optical viewfinder, a hybrid or a digitally assisted viewfinder, or a purely electronic viewfinder. A fixed lens system is able to deliver metering, focus, and composition information to a viewfinder of some kind using a linking system uniquely available in a fixed lens system, IE: the camera knows all possible capabilities of the optical system as opposed to detachable lens systems. This means a viewfinder can display focus and framing changes without actually needing to look through the lens, usually through an optical system of its own. This would be an easy place to start when building a longitudinally split frame camera.

Modern detachable lens systems are a completely different challenge. Even with electronic communication of lens focal length, focus target distance, metering information, etc... there is still no way of conveying the actual “through the lens” image to the viewfinder without relying on an SLR system or some kind of intermediary digital sensor. Interestingly the 1/8th Frame format, due to its small size is able to fit a small digital sensor directly adjacent to the film gate.

This small sensor would likely be 1” (12.9x9mm) and use a special lens stack to shift the focal plane to be closer in line with the optical path of the film as well as make up for the difference in flange distance since the sensor would have to be mounted in front of the shutter by some amount. This would work with ultra half frame as well to some extent, but would require a custom sensor (or 4 1” sensors next to each other) to achieve, and sadly I believe the difference would be too great to correctly compose an image unless a significant correction optic is used. This correction optic could also SLIDE if it obstructs the film path.

Speaking of sliding there are many other interesting ways to utilize digital sensors in film cameras that are not unique to these non full frame formats. For example, the SSC or Sliding Sensor Camera. This is a film camera with a sensor and correction lens that moves out of the way before a photo is taken by the film portion of the camera. This would provide liveview (meaning you could have a film camera with a flippy/tilty screen!!!), realtime exposure preview, autofocus, magnification, pretty much all the modern features you would expect, AND it can create a digital copy of the photo as soon as the shutter is pressed.

The SSC of course is extremely complicated and it actually would be simpler to utilize an SLR to digital sensor system instead of an SSC. The SSC may sound silly but remember many Leica cameras have a little light sensor that pops up inside the camera behind the lens for TTL metering. Instead of using a 1-1 frame size SSC a much smaller sliding sensor or some kind of mini optical -> sensor system could be employed to simply check critical focus and meter the shot.

I stated in one of the previous articles that an SLR could fit inside of an Ultra Half Frame film camera using L-Mount. The same applies to 1/8th Frame since both are approx 12mm in height. This would be very tight, you would have to get creative with certain things and sacrifice some mirror size but there is room. The mirror would not only have to flip up but also retract vertically, OR completely move (slide) without flipping, thus saving more space. This is actually the simplest situation and creates the most space. This is only possible due to the small height of of these smaller formats BUT technically you could design a full frame camera with a set of two sliding mirrors and digital sensors that can fit within L mount though you would be giving up some coverage.

sliding mirror for half frame

dual sliding mirror for full

I assume the focus screens and maybe some other optical elements will move with the mirrors in both designs. The single mirror design could actually just travel downward into a pocket area to ensure minimal glare from reflected light. Again you are sacrificing the ability to see the whole frame but that is better than a non ttl system for removable lenses. A non moving pellicle mirror can also be used at the cost of some light.

Here are some more interesting concepts to consider. A form of focal length matching viewfinder can be implemented without an SLR system. This can be achieved via a rangefinder style laterally mounted in camera optical system which can be either automatically adjust based on lens data, or manually be dialed in via a menu.

This is like a zoom system inside of the camera. This will not be able to display true focus but will be able to match composition. The “output” of this optical system could be an optical viewfinder, a hybrid, or a digital sensor feeding an EVF (which can be used to fine tune composition alignment). You may now be wondering, why even use a complex optical system at all?

A camera could be made which uses a high megapixel compact digital sensor (like in a phone) which acts as the viewfinder, but can be cropped to any virtual focal length for composing an image. This is actually one of the easiest solutions to composing a shot for a modern non slr style film camera. This also does not technically allow for focus to be visualized… unless two cameras are used. Yes two digital sensors could detect and display focus depth. Auto focus target distance can be determined via these two sensors and image processing or via LIDAR.

The biggest downside to this is that it will only work for electronically auto focusing lenses or lenses which can communicate to the camera the current focus distance of the lens (in manual mode). There are other very impractical but technically possible ways of communicating focus distance of manual lenses to a camera without a TTL system like an SLR or SSC such as a universal lens gearing system similar to follow focus systems of cinema cameras.

I believe that these specific types of designs could be the future of film photography. Specifically a sliding mirror SLR digital EVF Ultra Half Frame or 1/8th Frame camera with an L mount. You may be wondering why I keep referring to L mount specifically, well there are many reasons. One big one is that there is simply no way for an independent camera manufacturer to sell a camera that uses a mount like Nikon Z, Fuji X, Canon RF, etc…

At best you could use EF but that limits the camera. Ideally I want to use a mirrorless mount to be able to adapt ANY vintage lens while also allowing the use of the most cutting edge modern optics. At least it is TECHNICALLY possible to join the L mount alliance. Though they really should just open source L mount and let the ecosystem truly dominate instead of pretending to be an open standard.

Another reason is flange distance, L mount is 20mm which is very large in the mirrorless world. There is about 5.5mm of area from the surface inward that is obstructed by the mount and lens. I am sure the super secret l mount specification has actually defined no-go zones. 14.5mm is JUST enough to fit a film transport, a shutter, and a small mirror that does not have to flip up. It will be tight but this is supposed to be a truly modern precision machined camera. It can work.

M mount is another good choice, again due to flange distance. M mount is a rangefinder mount so it can adapt almost any vintage lens. This would be the better choice for a fully manual camera since there is certainly enough room to squeeze a larger mirror in there. So the lens mounts of choice are L mount for cutting edge experimental camera concepts, EF for larger less versatile camera systems, and M mount for less technical designs. MFT may also be appropriate for smaller film formats like 1/8th Frame.

I will end this article with a couple of even more exotic camera concepts and ideas. First a panoramic stills camera which uses 16mm motion picture film bulk loaded into custom easily reloadable cassettes. Think, X-Pan but 16mm. This would essentially shoot the same size photos as Ultra-Half Frame. This could also have a multi format system: pano and 110 size since 110 is 16mm to begin with. Basically this is just a better way of doing 110 than relying on weird uniqueness of 110 film. This camera could also utilize the above concepts to incorporate modern digital features.

Next a modernized Lomokino style camera designed for panoramic stills inside an L mount body using an SLR to digital sensor style system, likely the sliding mirror type system described above. SLR to digital is needed so that way the camera can still be compact vertically even though the film is traveling vertically. The Lomokino shoots a 2 perf panoramic format (24x8.5mm) meaning there is even more room for an TTL system compared to my half frame formats, both of which are nearly 12mm in height.

Because of the much smaller frame size the camera could also employ speedboosters, either internally in its own specialized mount if it were a non L mount system or externally attached if there were. (This is especially true for 1/8th Frame as well.) (Why is there no EF to L speedbooster? Many ef lenses can cover medium format!!!)

I have many more specifics for all of these concepts written out. Everything here is intended to simply convey the general ideas and possibilities.

I am releasing this information (again under Apache 2.0 so anyone can use these concepts for free) because I have been experimenting with these ideas for a few years now. I of course would like to manufacture cameras like these, but I simply lack the resources to do so or even build a prototype.

It is simply time I let these ideas go public so they at least are out there in SOME form. Please DONATE if you can or Contact Me if you want to fund my cool unnamed camera company (that will be unrelated to ShyStudios). There may be other articles like this in the future as I am sure to come up with more amazing revolutionary camera concepts like these!