4x5 underwater photography [Archive]

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Erick Regnard

02-12-2007, 03:48 AM

Clay Coleman

02-12-2007, 11:37 AM

Hi Erick. I have never used a medium format camera underwater, but I thought about trying it once. Housings are few, far between, and relatively (to 35mm) expensive. Housing prices are also pushed upward by collectors who have no intention of putting them in the water.

I suppose you could have a housing built for any camera you might have, but I think it would be more cost efficient to first find a housing and then get the camera for which it was made. The Rolleimarin housing for the Rollei TLR was a very popular model, and those housings and cameras can still be found. They're limited to the 80mm lens and a flat port, so wide angle is not an option. Still, it was good enough for Hans Haas. Housings for Hasselblad are also available at the predictably inflated price.

Good luck in your search and keep us posted with what you find. -Clay

Jonathan Bird

02-12-2007, 06:56 PM

4x5 is another step up from medium format!! A 4x5 camera is a "baby" large format camera. I don't know much about them except all the large format cameras I have seen are single shot view cameras using sheet film. Can you imagine....one dive, one shot. Like a sniper!

Jonathan

Clay Coleman

02-13-2007, 12:01 AM

Jonathan Bird

02-13-2007, 09:34 AM

Warren_L

02-13-2007, 10:14 AM

I used to shoot pentax 6x7, but I can't imagine housing that beast up and taking it down only to have 10 shots.

Clay Coleman

02-13-2007, 01:55 PM

Maybe we are.....? Not sure....I assumed 4x5 sheet film! I have never heard of 4x5 cm. Is there such a thing? I used to shoot with a Mamiya 645 (6x4.5cm) but I have never heard of a 4x5 medium format. But what do I know, I'm a digital guy now!!!!

;)

Jonathan

Nah, you're right. I must have been thinking about a digital chip. I don't think I know of anyone using a large format camera underwater since Louis Boutan--not a very practical idea in my view. -Clay

tarczy

02-13-2007, 08:45 PM

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i284/mongo255/Miscellaneous/hasselbladh3d-31.jpg

Large format 48x36mm digital capture

The H3D-31 features a 31 Mpixel sensor measuring 33×44mm enhanced with micro-lenses to boost ISO rating by one stop to a new maximum of ISO800. The H3D-31 makes use a new high speed capture architecture for the fastest possible operation, with the H3D-31 capturing at the rate of 1.2 seconds per capture, working either mobile or tethered to a computer. These features make the H3D-31 the natural choice for the professional mobile photographer.

Today's digital photography demands higher resolution, less noise, and improved compositional choice, all of which the CF backs provide. The sensors are 22 or 39 megapixels in size and they are both more than twice the physical size of today's 35mm sensors. This means more and larger pixels, which ensures the highest possible image quality and moiré free color rendering without gradation break-ups - in even the most subtley lit surfaces.

Someday . . . SOMEDAY . . .

(eh . . . by the time I get to be good enough to warrant spending the $50k for one of these beasts, Canon will have developed a better one for $5k :rolleyes: )

Jonathan Bird

02-14-2007, 08:30 AM

You would need some BIG flash cards to shoot that sucker underwater!!

Daniel

02-14-2007, 02:01 PM

You would need some BIG flash cards to shoot that sucker underwater!!

Perhaps it has or should have a hot-swappable hard drive!

Cheers!
Daniel :)

Erick Regnard

07-19-2008, 10:11 PM

Hi All,
a while back, i've put a question about 4x5 underwater... well i've done ithere is a peak on the result... thanks to all that reply.

Clay Coleman

07-20-2008, 11:40 AM

Details, man! We want to know how this was done! -Clay

tarczy

07-21-2008, 08:31 AM

Very interesting image Erick!

Where did you find a housing for a 4x5 camera?

Erick Regnard

07-21-2008, 07:52 PM

lots of hard work... one photo at a time shot on PN55 (polaroid positive/negative film) 3 weeks of 8 hrs in the water/day to get one position a day, but it was all worth it.
i got the housing made only to go down to about 10-13 metres. with fixed focus. this is part of a series of pics for an exhibition that is supposed to tour the world in 2010. i tried to do the same with the whales but where we went, we didn't see one whale for 2 weeks.... so i need to go back.
anybody know a place with very clear viz and where the whales stay without swimming away from human?

Jonathan Bird

07-21-2008, 11:16 PM

anybody know a place with very clear viz and where the whales stay without swimming away from human?

Whales are always tricky. There really is no place for guaranteed encounters, especially around people. I can't imagine trying to do it with only one frame in the camera. Man, you are patient!!

Very nice image!! Who is your model?

Jonathan

Erick Regnard

07-22-2008, 07:44 PM

a girl from Hawaii who swims a lot and surf...

Carsten Wolff

09-10-2009, 10:55 AM

Erick has already seen my reply over at another forum, but for those who are interested, I made something similar, in 2007. It's a somewhat different approach from Ericks, due to different needs. It's a multi-format design: 5x7 inch sheet film and 6x17cm panoramic, (or 4x5 inch format if you wanted to, with an adapter cassette). So far tested to 50m (but could be modified to go much deeper, with a different dome port, which I don't require), has optically uncompromised lens tilt and flash sync across all speeds. I was going to shoot GBR and Antarctica scenes in shallow water with it, but have since temporarily moved to the northern hemisphere and the project has thus taken on a different tack for now. Here is an '07 photo of an early stage in its construction to give you an idea: http://huk7nq.blu.livefilestore.com/...r%20wshop2.jpg
Per dive it can either do 2 sheets of 5x7 (or 4x5), or 4 frames, motor driven, of 6x17cm on rollfilm. I'm now thinking about using an even wider, better lens and thus the front port may need a re-design, but it's been excellent so far (albeit still in its testing phase). I might post more pics once I unpacked the removalist box it slumbers in if you're interested. Although the set-up is complete now there is not that much additional to see, other than details like a finder and the anodized finish. Why did I do it? Because I had all the bits lying around and have an LF and panorama background, so it didn't cost me much and perhaps 200MP+ equivalent for big enlargements and tonality, long time exposure capability (no batteries :)) and possible focal plane tilt ala Scheimpflug sounded good to me. Am possibly getting my act together and put some more film through it this month off Ireland, or Spain. I was going to write a little article about it at some stage and post it here, or submit it to magnachrom, View Camera magazine, or openphotographyforums, or such... any suggestions for best impact?

<Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Regnard View Post
...
anybody know a place with very clear viz and where the whales stay without swimming away from human?
...>

You'd know that whales are generally more shy than dolphins and hang out in deep water, but you could try Minke whales off the Northern GBR e.g. Undersea Explorer, out of Port Douglas. They have stopped their regular trips and currently do charters only, but they know where to go), or Humpbacks off Ningaloo Reef at the right time of year (I think the Coral Bay and Exmouth dive shops run trips; there, you'll also have the chance to dive with whale-sharks); the whales are relatively unbothered by humans, but do cruise past you at a steady pace..
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Clay Coleman

09-16-2009, 02:52 PM

I didn't get anything from the link in your post. -Clay

Jonathan Bird

09-18-2009, 10:03 AM

Me neither.

Carsten Wolff

09-19-2009, 05:54 PM

sorry...this working?

tkelly

09-20-2009, 10:26 AM

Do you have a pick of the finished housing? I would love to see it.

Viz'art

08-17-2010, 04:50 PM

Hi All, i have just join in as a member. i've been a photographer now for 15 years and just getting backin underwater photography.... I wanted to try to shoot with a 4x5 underwater and was wandering if anybody out there has heard or seen it done before. iwanted to get in touch with anyone whomight have had experience in that field... Any thoughts...
thanks,
Erick

Wow, Erick, I haven't seen a request like your's for quite a while, i did dable with a panoramic underwater camera concept, using a Schneider 58mm and a 6x12 roll film back at one time long long ago, and never got pass the buying the roll film holderk and lens stage, too complex and limited, but hardcore 4x5", that is fringe man! it would need to be based either on a field camera such as a Zone VI type or actually, even easier to make the housing straight out of aluminum, major hurdle was, in my case, cocking the shutter, accessing shutter speed, set it on hyperfocal distance and especially difficult was the tiny aperture key. its doable for sure, practical... not so sure, one thing if you decide to invest your self in such an ambitious project, I would research getting a Grafmatic film holder that holds 6 sheets of film, this way you get a bit more mileage out of your dive, but seriously, I feel the levelling factor would be the water quality itself, with today's high resolution camera such as the 1Ds Mk III I'm pretty convinced you would have way better results and more time on your hand consequently :rolleyes:

Carsten Wolff

09-05-2011, 11:26 AM

Do you have a pick of the finished housing? I would love to see it.

Ok then: Some pics of and with my "Scheimpflug enabled" 5x7" (2 exp) or 6x17cm (4exp) underwater p&s LF camera. http://www.flickr.com/photos/37082363@N08/6116286092/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37082363@N08/6116286498/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37082363@N08/6116286336/
The first two are a bit dark and mysterious, sorry - . The big thing on top is a free-floating strobe.... - I'm writing an article on this which I'm going to submit to a well known LF magazine shortly, so more details and better pics to follow some other time.

tkelly

09-05-2011, 08:59 PM

Wow! Very impressed. Glad it's working out.
What is the housing? Did you modify an existing housing? Post more pics when you can or both the camera and the work you are doing with it. Great stuff.

Carsten Wolff

09-05-2011, 09:25 PM

Wow! Very impressed. Glad it's working out.
What is the housing? Did you modify an existing housing? Post more pics when you can or both the camera and the work you are doing with it. Great stuff.
Shall do one day. :) Originally I was going to make the housing out of a (condemned) aluminium dive tank, but the wall thickness would have been overkill. I found an old beer-gas tank that was a bit thinner, cut that up, and got it machined and welded into the t-shape, then anodised. End-bits are Delrin and PVC. The small matched dome port is glass.
Everything else I had pretty much floating about as well, so cost was manageable.

tkelly

09-05-2011, 09:29 PM

given the size and shape, I would imagine you could modify an old video housing, one of the tube shaped generic housings may have also worked.

Carsten Wolff

09-06-2011, 06:21 AM

given the size and shape, I would imagine you could modify an old video housing, one of the tube shaped generic housings may have also worked.
Yes, of course. Anything big enough would have done the job; if you want to manipulate the back, ±6" free inner diameter is needed though.
Any thick-walled opaque plastic pipe would do, too. As with any home-made job, the possibilities are endless and the results range from elegant to, well, Mad-Max'esque. All fun though!

Clay Coleman

09-07-2011, 11:57 PM

That is really neat! Please keep us posted.

tkelly

09-09-2011, 05:24 PM

What is the big white disk on the size of the housing? It is a little hard to see from the flickr photo.

Also what controls did you put in the housing? Do you have full focus, aperture, and shutter speed? Do have, or plan to have, any tilt shift ability?

Maybe the more general question is how do you operate it? I assume you only have a single shot?

Carsten Wolff

09-11-2011, 08:33 AM

Yes, it has tilt, but no shift (I can't think of too many situations where one would really need that underwater, u/w architecture seems such a niche within a niche :) ). That's what the big white dial-gear does.
I had built a port version that would offer focussing ability on top of the quasi-Scheimpflug tilt, but I've not incorporated that in the latest version, because it doesn't need to anymore and I have a simpler, lighter and very compact dome now which is lens optimised (no diopters and no fuzzy corners). I have flash synchro at all shutter speeds (1/400s to 1s, T and B); I preset the aperture to f22; although I have the lens gears to change aperture, it's not really needed. On a single dive I can either expose 2 images in 5x7" or 4 in 6x17 if you swap the DD holder for the (motorized) back. On top of that of course I have unlimited long time and multi-exposure capability.
Aligning and optimising the lens, port and film-plane system to make the whole LF experiment worthwhile was the biggest challenge and I don't recommend it to the optically uninitiated. Forget flatports (unless you're into "macro only") and forget in-air testing.
Weight underwater is ~100g, on land 15kg; - the airlines love me :)
Well, that's all I want to comment on for now; I'll keep you posted if and when my article gets accepted in one of the mags. Happy trails!