Photo thanks to Mr. Ralph Fuerbringer (Email)
Related Local Links:
Panoramic Camera Notes
Plaubel Veriwide 100 Camera
Nimslo 3D to Panoramic Xpan Clone
Shift Lenses Page
The Vistashift-612 is a unique ultrawide shifting 6x12cm format panoramic
camera custom crafted by Mr. Ralph Fuerbringer ([email protected]). The Vistashift-612 comes in a
number of models, depending on the lens used:
I first became interested in the Vistashift-612 cameras from a photo in
Meehan's Panoramic Photography book. The Vistashift-612 cameras
offered a true 6x12cm panoramic camera that was also ultrawide. Many 6x12cm and 6x17cm panoramic cameras
were simply not wide enough for my needs, often having little more
horizontal coverage than a 28mm lens on a 35mm SLR. Most ultrawide cameras
such as my Plaubel Veriwide 100 didn't offer any range of shifts needed
for correcting converging lines in my cityscape photographs. So the
Vistashift-612 camera models seemed to offer a nice combination of
panoramic format (6x12cm), ultrawide lens coverage (to 35mm on 6x12cm!),
a range of lens shifting capabilities, a big and bright finder, and
interchangeable backs
(including Polaroid type 545). Wow!
I have recounted the history of the Plaubel
Veriwide 100 and related models at a related page on this website. The
Plaubel Veriwide used an ultrawide 47mm f/8 Super Angulon in a rugged body
with wire frame finder. The later Brooks Veriwide featured interchangeable
backs and newer versions of the 47mm Super Angulon lens in both f/8 and
later f/5.6 models. These Vistashift-612 panoramic cameras continue that
tradition with many improvements, both optically and mechanically.
As the camera photo at the top of the page shows, the Vistashift-612
consists of a wide angle lens, camera body, interchangeable back, and
large
bright finder. The latest XXXwide model features an ultrawide 35mm
APO-Grandagon lens, which is equivalent to an 11.25mm shift lens on a 35mm
SLR! Since the widest currently available shift lens on any 35mm SLR is
only 24mm, this newest Vistashift-612 XXXwide model provides a unique
capability. In other words, you won't find any wider rectilinear optics in
any format, let alone with any shift capabilities, including 35mm
SLR/RF. Any other custom ultrawide panoramic camera will have the same
35mm APO-Grandagon lens as their widest option too, since that lens is as
wide as rectilinear lenses currently get.
My understanding is that the 35mm APO-Grandagon was designed with such
panoramic coverage rollfilm cameras in mind, as it doesn't fully cover
4x5" (even without shifts). So a shifting panoramic camera application
such as the Vistashift-612 XXXwide is getting the maximum benefit out of
the widest optics available for medium format. By comparison, the
traditional Hasselblad Superwide with its Zeiss
38mm f/4.5 Biogon lens is only covering a 6x6cm format (actually 56x56mm).
So while the lens focal lengths seem rather similar, the 35mm
APO-Grandagon on the Vistashift-612 XXXwide is covering more than twice
the film area and length!
The two photos below emphasize the much greater impact of the 6x12cm
format over the 6x6cm square format.
Close examination of the two photos will show that not only is the
panoramic photograph twice as large, but it is covering quite a bit more
than twice as much subject matter. Moreover, the excellent rectilinear
correction of this ultrawide lens is also obvious in the straight lines
which remain straight, even when at the edges of the panoramic photo.
The benefit of shifting capabilities on the Vistashift-612 models is best
appreciated after some experience with using such capabilities to provide
desired perspective effects, e.g., such as eliminating converging
verticals in architectural shots. While you can get some shifts with most
4x5" view cameras, the use of an ultrawide lens on such cameras is rather
problematic (especially below 47mm even with wide angle bellows). You also
often end up with a rather more bulky and tripod oriented setup, rather
than with a handholdable quick shifting camera like the
Vistashift-612 models. Even if you could mount and use the 35mm
APO-Grandagon on a given 4x5" view camera, the range of movements and
limited coverage (not enough for full 4x5") would recommend either
a rollfilm back or cropping and cutting the 4x5" film. So for many users,
the relatively compact and handholdable nature of a custom ultrawide
panoramic camera with shifts like the Vistashift-612 is a real benefit.
Since the depth of field of such ultrawide lenses is often a few feet or
so to
infinity (at say f/8), you may be able to operate such panoramic ultrawide
cameras as if they were virtual point and shoot cameras. Just set the
shutter speed and aperture to match the film speed in use and general
lighting conditions. You can quickly frame and shoot even handheld shots
at even slower shutter speeds (e.g., 1/35mm or 1/30th second rule of thumb
- probably conservative on such an ultrawide lens camera). Be careful to
closely watch the bubble levels to ensure the camera is level (here,
easily seen in the viewfinder along with shift marks). If shifts are
needed, snap-shift them in as needed, and shoot. You can focus on
composition of the panoramic shots, as the mechanics are so easy once
setup for existing lighting conditions.
Hasselblad Superwide with 38mm f/4.5 Biogon - Photo thanks to Mr. Ralph
Fuerbringer (Email)
Vistashift-612 XXX-wide with 35mm f/4.5 APO
Grandagon -
Photo thanks to Mr. Ralph Fuerbringer (Email)
If you have a fixed ultrawide camera, you may find yourself forced
to include large expanses of foreground (e.g., roadbed, grassy fields) in
order to photograph a particular subject such as a large building. You
will also often be at ground level when trying to do so too. From this
position with a fixed camera, you may be unable to include all of a tall
building without having to step farther back or including a lot of
distracting foreground. Obviously, if you tilt the fixed lens camera up
even a little to include more of the tall building and less of the dull
foreground, you get serious problems with converging verticals. You can
solve these problems only by switching to a shift lens camera. Another one
of the nice features of the Vistashift-612 cameras is a "snapshift"
capability which makes it easier to adjust shift settings on these cameras
versus competitors such as the Horseman-612 models.
With a shift lens camera such as the Vistashift-612 XXwide model with 45mm
APO-Grandagon lens, you can shift circa 10 millimeters vertically to
reduce that distracting foreground and take in more of the top of your
desired tall building. Naturally, if you were taking photos of our Texas
Bluebonnets and red Indian Paintbrush flowers, you might want to go the
other way and de-emphasize the dull sky while taking in more of the nearby
flowerscape. Again, this is easily done by simply shifting downward. The
ease of controlling such foreground problems and ability to offset
converging verticals in trees and buildings makes using a shift camera
quite addictive to the perfectionist photographer!
The Vistashift-612 XXwide with the 45mm APO-Grandagon lens is considered
the "standard" model. While it is slightly less wide than the 35mm lens
variant, it provides a larger image size which has a vertical coverage
about the same as a 21mm on a 35mm SLR camera. But thanks to the panoramic
format, you get a third more coverage horizontally (e.g., 24x36mm is 1:1.5
versus 6x12cm is 1:2). The impact of such panoramic photos can be
partially enjoyed by the examples shown here, courtesy of Mr. Ralph O.
Fuerbringer. But the far greater impact of panoramic photos when seen in
print or on a light table can mean increased sales over similar shots
taken with a more restricted 6x6cm or 35mm SLR.
Comparison of Hasselblad Superwide 6x6cm with
38mm Biogon f/4.5 lens versus Vistashift-XXwide 6x12cm with 45mm
Apo-Grandagon f/4.5 (plus shifts!). The greater coverage of the
6x12cm panoramic shift camera is rather an obvious benefit!
One of the benefits of the Vistashift-612 models is the ability to use
interchangeable backs. Besides the standard 6x12cm back, you can use both
Polaroid and Fuji or Kodak packet backs. The unique back mounting design
enables correcting some problems seen with other designs. For example, our
Polaroid Test Camera pages highlights that
the type 545 back has a 3mm offset or shift versus the standard film pack.
By comparison, the Vistashift-612 back horizontally centered mount
corrects for this problem, so what you see with the Polaroid is what you
get.
Naturally, the Vistashift-612 Xwide model (with 47mm Super Angulon XL
lens) and the wide model (with 55mm APO-Grandagon lens) work best on
4x5" backs. They permit covering the full 4x5" format, plus allow circa
10mm of shift adjustments. So you can have the full 4x5" format, plus
some corrective shifts (e.g., for architecture to control converging
lines). But the camera is a handholdable panoramic with a large, bright
viewfinder. Naturally, you could presumably substitute a ground glass back
on a tripod if you wanted precise control over image elements.
The finder is another obviously nice feature if you have ever had to
squint to look through the smaller finders typically adapted from 35mm
rangefinders (e.g., Leica) for use with ultrawide cameras. Besides an
easier to see bright image, the finder also shows a vertical bubble level
and shift in use directly. Thanks to such features, the Vistashift-612
series make a very nice handholdable shift camera with outstanding
rectilinear optics.
The market for panoramic cameras in general and ultrawide panoramic
shift cameras in particular is not huge. That means that most available
cameras are custom designs, often assembled out of individual elements in
a custom machined design. The cost of these ultrawide lensed cameras is
also greatly determined by the high cost of the ultrawide optics which
have to be used in its manufacture. You also are unlikely to be able to
rent such custom panoramic cameras on a trip or even most USA cities. But
if you need this kind of ultrawide coverage with shifts, you have a rather
limited number of custom designs to pick from. While we have hopefully
provided some insights into this interesting panoramic 6x12cm shift
camera, you will obviously need to contact the camera
designer/manufacturer directly for the latest information on features and
costs.
These Vistashift-612 camera models are custom cameras available directly
from Mr. Ralph O. Fuerbringer. Contact him at:
Mr. Ralph O. Fuerbringer
403 West 40th Street 2FW
New York, New York 10018
phone: 212-629-4813
or Email [email protected]
Panoramic cameras are an entirely new ballgame for the 35mm SLR user, as
far as use and
composition go, especially with shifting ultrawide panoramics like the
Vistashift-612 models described briefly above. I highly recommend reading
Meehan's Panoramic Photography for an overview of this exciting
area of photography if you haven't already done so. You will see why the
need for such ultrawide panoramic shifting cameras has caused the growth
of a "cottage industry" of custom crafted panoramic cameras like the
Vistashift-612 models. While these specialty custom cameras may not be for
every user, the experienced amateur and professional photographer is
likely to find them a source of creative challenges and a great deal of
fun!
Rear view of Vistashift camera with rollfilm back shown
Photo courtesy of Pat Mulherin, General Manager, E.V.P., KEH
Various backs for the Vistashift include Polaroid, 6x12..
Photo courtesy of Pat Mulherin, General Manager, E.V.P., KEH
Superwide viewfinder with 6x12cm mask for 55mm optic
Photo courtesy of Pat Mulherin, General Manager, E.V.P., KEH
Superwide viewfinder and selection of masks
Photo courtesy of Pat Mulherin, General Manager, E.V.P., KEH
Related Updates and Postings:
Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2000
From: ralph fuerbringer [email protected]
To: Robert Monaghan [email protected]
Subject: Re: thanks, vistashift-612 info received, request to reuse photos
Excellent page. As I stated previously you are welcome to use anything
there or here. When I get my scanner going I'll send you some color shots.
The finder shown is one of the .42x attachment lenses w/ basic optics
idenitical to the horseman at $450. For those who want something more
glamorous or smaller original Zeiss and Leitz 21mm finders can be equipped
with additional element at about 5 times the cost.
Most of the attachment lenses have a removable eyepiece behind which a
right angle mount can be attached with a the vertical level or both or a
bubble. The latter two I find overkill and timeconsuming w/no improvement
in the pic. Out of a black circle the size of the front you cut a
rectangular mask with indents or gels to show the shift field. A small
rectangle or circle below is cut to view the level directly.
Amount of shift on 612 is determined by shooting a 4x5" polaroid and
determining the max. In the case of the 45mm its 10mm; the 35mm is 5.5mm.
The camera is configured so the shift is achieved by simply reversing the
interface with the back. No extra weight or complexity from gears,
bellows, etc. needed.
Congratulations on an impressive site.
ralph
> From: Robert Monaghan [email protected] > Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 > To: [email protected] > Subject: thanks, vistashift-612 info received, request to reuse photos > > Greetings again, > > I just received your 2 pages of info on the Vistashift-612 today; decided > to put up a page with some related info from these pages and other sources > > the draft page is at http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/vista612.html > May I have your permission to reuse the 5 photos from the handouts as > shown on the draft page? I am putting photo credits to you and also > providing email hot links to you directly, as well as posting your > address and contact info (phone..) in the article itself... > > thanks again for the info and most interesting custom design! ;-) > > regards bobm
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 2000
From: ralph fuerbringer [email protected]
To: Robert Monaghan [email protected]
Subject: f4.5
It should be noted that the apo-grandagons are f4.5 just like the biogons.
The super angulons are f5.6 . The new heliar 12mm is all just f5.6, and
contrary to statements on the web it is obviously a retrofocus lens.
The apo does not have to be stopped down past fll for max covering power.
It is interesting that the current 47mm f5.6, not the xl model, starts
photographing its own rear end after f11. I have to circumcise the rim to
avoid vignetting past f11 on 6x12.
You should just add f4.5 somewhere after apo grandagon I had that noted
in the pics. These are 6 generations down. I could send you the original
scala positives of the 35 and 38 comparison, and color negs of the 45-38
comparison if you want to be bothered to use them. However, this page
shows the relative differences surprisingly well.
ralph
[Ed. note: check date 1/1/2001, for potential buyers a New Year's
Bargain!]
Date: Mon, 01 Jan 2001
From: ralph fuerbringer [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: liquidating suberb rectilinear panoramas
anyone interested in a graflex-xl superwide or a brooks veriwide? with 6x9
back and 47mm lens these cameras equal the panorama coverage of the 90mm
on
fuji, linhof 617. with the option to selecting a 3 to 1 format from double
the vertical coverage (equivalent of a rising front). for years i've
collected these versatile cameras, originally to add 6x12 backs for1/2
again
as much horizontal as those 617's. When the 35 to 55mm apo-grandagons
arrived I added shifts to exploit their 612 coverage (full 45 as well w/
55mm). I am liquidating overstock of original equipment. it is obvious
w/o tweaking these cameras shoot impressive panoramas with their
lanthanam
glass ( no longer available). with color neg and digital overtaking
transparencies in many applications these compact shooters offer
potential
advantage over the cumbersome 617: size, price and backs including
polaroid
interchangeable with groundglass at any time.
each camera includes a graflok back frame with choice of 67 or 69
rollfilm
back. they accept polaroid back or groundglass in same film plane(both
available).
prices and specs:
graflex xl superwide w/47mm f8 super angulon,frame finder $700. w/1"
spacer(available)this camera accepts all graflex xl lenses inc 58mm
grandagon, 80 heligon and planar, 100 tessar& planar, 150 sonnar,etc in
same focusing mount in same plane.
brooks veriwide w/47mm f8 super angulon,optical finder,levels,$950 ,
$1300
with new mc 47mmf5.6 super angulon or $1850 with new 45
apo-grandagon. the
f5.6 47 will cover 612 back (available), the 45apo 612 w/shift.
lenses alone are 1/2 the price of a complete camera:$350 for47mmf8, $650
47f5.6mc new,45mmf4.5 apo-grandagon $925 also new & way below b&h.
in addition to the above i'm offering the following lenses:
210mm
sinar
angulon f6.8 in compound-x shutter; 24" goerz red dot artar in ilex-5
$800;
goerz wide angle formula
computars: 150mmf9 $500, 210mmf9 $700.
for questions or more info about the cameras or possible tweaking,
please
contact me off list : [email protected] or phone 212-629-4813 ( new york). ralph
PRE> Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 From: ralph fuerbringer [email protected]> Subject: Re: 6x17cm - or wider smaller pan format? Re: input needed for study To: [email protected] i agree with Robert: the 612 format is more versatile. i will be selling the the "dream 6x17" made especially to shoot the tall buildings in new york. i planned to us the camera vertically , throwing out the foreground to get a 612 final neg. i found the 47xl superangulaon can cover the format fairly well at f32 but shooting at f11 and f16 it disappoints in edge quality. i found that my vistashif-612xxx wide with the 35apo-grandagon on 612 would get me the same extreme coverage in the center of the image circle at f8 instead of 32 with better definition at that wide aperature than the xl at 43 . blown up to equal size as the 47xl it looks far better. the apo-grandagon 35mm is not approached by any other lens in covering power , brilliance and lack of distortion where it maximizess the 612 format allowing a demonstrable shift. its horizontal angle on 612 is virtually the same is Jim Romeo's 35 noblex and it is rectilinear with 50%more vertical coverage and shift. a comparison of the 35apo on 612 with the legendary biogon 38 on the superwide hasselblad can be seen on Robert Monaghan's famous medium format site: http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/vista612.html all hail 612: to get 220 i had a brooks back opened to 612 and a new wheel for auto stop installed. meanwhile in france Bert McClure has found someome who can convert brooks to 612 in a slick professonal manner which mine is not though it works fine. he also has some entries on Robert's medium format gold mine. ralph > From: Robert Monaghan [email protected] > Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 > To: [email protected] > Subject: 6x17cm - or wider smaller pan format? Re: input needed for study > > well, I used to think that my dream camera would be a 6x17cm or even > 6x24cm, then I made the mistake of pricing and hefting examples of 'em ;-) > > I think the question is complicated by improvements in films, which are > enabling larger degrees of enlargement, and improvements in 6x9cm MF > lenses, which are providing wider lenses with shifting movements but only > with enough coverage for 6x9cm or maybe 6x12cm? > > A fuji G617 with 105mm lens is covering circa a 24mm lens on 35mm SLR > horiz. angle of view IIRC? Even if you crop a typical 47mm XL SA 56x90+mm > image to the same 2.83:1 ratio, you will still have over 20% more in the > image in terms of degrees of coverage? (and so can crop a "shifted image > equivalent" bigger than 15 degrees, again offsetting the shifting benefits). > > personally, I think the 6x12cm models are more interesting, esp. with the > newer wider lenses, unless you are doing seriously huge enlargements > beyond 12 or 16X? The lack of really wide lenses in 6x17cm coverage with > movements, coupled with ability to do large enlargements from 6x12cm or > less, makes wide angle panoramic 6x17cm less interesting to me now than > in the past. So I would recommend being cautious about projecting new > markets and 6x17cm models, esp. with the overall medium format and LF > market dropping 50% as it has in the USA in the last year per rpm-med fmt > > HTH bobm
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 From: ralph fuerbringer [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Filter in general thin, fat, huge front threads with stepup ring it is all b.s. with extreme wide angle lenses with all filter and lens manufacturers. only rodentack points out that when you screw in one of their 3 hundred to a thousand dollar centerfilters into one of their 5 hundred to 3 thousand dollar lenses you automatically reduced the image circle available. how? the filter threads themselves. in other words you pay a huge price to get usable exposure in the extreme corners which are of course no longer there anyhow. i have a line of tweaked brooks veriwides, the vistashift-612's, for which i have solved this catch-22 with a 4-x and more factor thrown in. these are reviewed on Robert Monaghan's superb medium format fountainhead http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/vista612.html the solution is simple but not easily achieved. i generally use over the lens mount adapters and filter mounts which will accept mounted filters with front threads 20 or so mm wider than the original lens mount. fat or thin is immaterial. summarizing: you cant screw anything into an extreme wide angle lens without loss of imagae circle. if you cant find an over the lens adapter, you have to have one made or you have to accept the bum cropping the filter and lens makers have done to your extreme wide angle lens. like i said earlier, only rodenstock even admits to this inexcusable outright fraud. ralph > From: "M. Denis Hill" [email protected] > Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Filter in general > > Before those thin filters came out, I purchased a "wide-angle" 82mm Heliopan > Kasseman polarizer for the 90mm f4.5 Grandagon I formerly used for view > cameras up to 5x7. The front diameter is 105mm! I think I paid $360 for it. > Having not used it in five years, I guess it will soon appear on eBay. > > M. Denis Hill > Qualified Panoramic Photographer > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2002 > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > Subject: Re: Filter in general > > > Not too long ago I bought a polarizer for my Sigma 17-35mm lens. Because it > had to be ultra thin to prevent vignetting at 17mm, it cost about as much as > my 1st car. But that was 1950. > > Marty
[Ed. note: presumably the camera is long sold, but the notes on backs may be of interest..]
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002
From: ralph fuerbringer [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: FS: custom 6x12 camera body
Hi! also All. Herewith another different 612 back for sale. i have a Brooks
Veriwide Back 69 back modifified,including new counter wheel, allowing 220
(12) as well as 120 (6) 612 exposures per roll. this back will fit directly
a brooks veriwide( for full 612 you need f5.6, have them also including mc)
or ab xl graflex superwide . no modifications required, just snap it on in
place of the 69. On the xl rf or standard body only 58 mm grandagon would
give the full 612 though the other lenses would give the 4 1/4 horizontal
dimension of the polaroid pack back. Dont ask who did it becuase he wont do
any more. $450. I am having it checked and tuned up. if interested contact
me off list, [email protected]
historical note: by a strange coincidence both these backs,now on
steroids, were designed by the same guy originally . thrown out of mamiya
its original owner started the marshall camera company which made the
back for the veriwide for burleigh brooks as well as a press camera of
unusual design.
> From: Steven Morton
From panoramic mailing list:
Date: Mon, 01 Apr 2002
From: ralph fuerbringer [email protected]
Subject: Re: Low tech question.
Medium tech filter and ring info, many are unaware of: in respect to wide
angle lenses, many lose image circle when you screw anything into the front
threads, not that swinglens cameras have/need wide angle lenses at all. I am
referring to the super angulons, apo-grandagons, super symmar xl aspherical.
only rodenstock mentions this problem, publishing these startling,
threatening figures: the 55mm apo-grandagon loses 9mm from the diameter of
its image circle and its angle is reduced from 110 to 107 degrees when its
dedicated center filter is screwed in. you buy a center filter to get better
edge coverage, but hey catch 22 the far edge is eliminated altogether by
the filter. Further degrading of the image is from reflection of the screw
in ring on the film,this also in the rodenstock center filter brochure.
solution: for my vistashif-612 tweak of the brooks veriwide
(http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/vista612.html) i use over the lens filter
mounts, into which i remount the center filters. all center filters are
actually in step up rings to begin with. For example the dedicated center
filter for the 55 apo-grandagon has the 67mm lens threads on the small end
and 86mm on the front. also in many the retaining rings are way to wide and
again can cut image. heligon center filters are the worlds worst in that
regard.
ralph
> From: [email protected]
> Date: Mon, 01 Apr 2002
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: Low tech question.
>
> I said adapter rings, I meant to say step-up rings.
>
> AJ