Convert film Camera to Digital Kick Starter

[Mark Keefer]

I know we have seen similar attempts to convert old film cameras to digital before. This is a bit different and has a working prototype. I came across this and thought it was interesting. I actually saw a YouTube demo of a working model of an adapter to allow you to mount a cellphone camera to the back of an old film camera. (I tried a few searches on PN and did not find any hits to it being discussed here before so here goes.)

 

Link to Digi Swap Kickstarter.

to Matt Granger Video - Demo of unit. Edited August 26, 2022 by Mark Keefer

[SCL]

To me it's still trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I'd love a real solution fitting inside an old film camera.

[AJG]

While I admire the attempt, how would you see through the viewfinder of an SLR to focus and compose? And if you're left-eyed, as I am, a rangefinder wouldn't be any better. I hate to see film cameras go unused as much as anyone and since I grew up with SLRs and rangefinders I prefer their controls to any newer digital camera that I have used but I don't see how anyone can come up with a practical way to reuse film cameras for digital photography with the exception of medium format cameras with interchangeable backs. Even there, the digital sensors are a lot smaller than the film size that these cameras used, so wide angle lenses are lacking.

[Ed_Ingold]

I'm not sure we need to re-invent the wheel.

 

Assembling and collimating a copy camera can be a substantial part of the external time of the process. A dedicated film scanner does the hard lifting in this regard, but they're not being made or supported any more. Despite all the early attempts to hybridize film and digital cameras, the ultimate solution was a dedicated digital camera. The remaining problem is how to present the film to the camera, which has largely been solved by a resurgence of copy adapters, including the Nikon ES-1 (slides) and ES-2 (slides and film strips), used with a macro lens and digital camera.

[rodeo_joe1]

Another non-starter Kickstarter.

What amazes me is where they find the overly optimistic backers.

 

My offer is 50p for 100% of the business, just so that we don't have to suffer any more of this ridiculousness. Any more than that and I'm out!

[BeBu Lamar]

I can simply shoot images with my phone thru the film camera viewfinder. That way I can have the telephoto using the phone.

[Ken Katz]

My wife's Iphone 13 pro has a 77mm equivalent telephoto that I would bet would provide better files than shooting through an SLR / DSL viewfinder. Produces good files in decent light, but has a much smaller sensor than the main WA camera. When holding the phone in one hand and a sand pail and shovel in the other hand, while taking images of our 17 month old granddaughter at the beach, I don't think the ridicules contraptions described above would work all that well. In the next 1-2 years we will likely see phones with zoom lenses using folded optics and even better computational tech.

[Sandy Vongries]

Including a phone would rule me out - don't have won't have one.

[Rick Helmke]

As I recall Kodak created hybrids based the Nikon N90 and a Canon body as well. I guess it worked reasonably well for its time though limited and expensive. I’ve thought for years that a digital F2 is something I’d go for quickly, not that it would be any more or less practical but it is a layout I know well and continue to use. Of course Nikon already did something similar and I’ll never see a useful digital F2 but I can dream……

 

Rick H.

[rodeo_joe1]

I’ve thought for years that a digital F2 is something I’d go for quickly, not that it would be any more or less practical but it is a layout I know well and continue to use. Of course Nikon already did something similar and I’ll never see a useful digital F2 but I can dream……

I have to agree that the ergonomics of an F2 are hard to beat. Just one tiny drawback.... the silver-salted length of perforated plastic you have to feed it!

 

I'm still shaking my head in disbelief that some idiot(s) would think that strapping a smartphone to the back of a film camera was in any way analogous (sorry!) to shooting film. And getting fuzzy Holgaesque images to boot.

 

Jeez. If you'd thought it up as an April Fool's prank you wouldn't imagine too many people falling for it. There must be more fools in the world than I estimated.

[za33photo]

Why bother , even though sourcing and processing film can present problems , one should use the film camera as it was intended to be used.

Much satisfaction can still be got from using film.

[steve_gallimore1]

I think I'll just stick to my Fuji mirrorless cameras, with manual lenses (modern or adapted), for something that feels like a 'proper' camera.

 

Smartphone stuck on the back? sounds like the worst of both worlds...

[Jochen_S]

Why is that thing for 35mm? I can't have been the only guy buying digital bodies going with lenses from film days. A toy dedicated to experiencing old film cameras might be more fun on TLR with chimney finder or LF attachable.

And no, iPhone only doesn't score either. Android devices are way more attractive, since they work without SIMcards.

[Ed_Ingold]

SIM cards add needed flexibility, particularly if you change carriers or travel outside of your home region. $25 bought me a week's worth of GPS in Iceland, plus phone and messaging.

[JDMvW]

If something real had come out in 2004 or so, it might have found a small boutique market.

(see The RE 35 Will Not Turn Your 35mm Film Camera Digital)

 

But its time has 'went'.

 

Some of Kodak's (despite what is said, a pioneer in digital photography) efforts were the closest approach ever.

 

 

see also(4MB pdf download)

17 years of Kodak Professional digital camera systems

https://www.nikonweb.com › files › DCS_Story

Edited August 27, 2022 by JDMvW

[rodeo_joe1]

SIM cards add needed flexibility, particularly if you change carriers or travel outside of your home region.

Yes, but lack of a SIM card shouldn't stop the camera from working. Nor should a SIM card be necessary for GPS location with offline maps loaded. Playing preloaded music, games & videos should also be possible; even websurfing if a WiFi hot-spot is available. The only thing you wouldn't expect a SIMless phone to do is.. er.. phone.

[Ed_Ingold]

You need telecom for GPS navigation.

[steve_gallimore1]

You need telecom for GPS navigation.

No, you don't.

[Ed_Ingold]

You need cellular data for the maps, unless you download them first. The scope of downloaded maps is limited to a predetermined route, and not very useful when exploring the countryside. Edited August 28, 2022 by Ed_Ingold

[dan_fromm2]

You need telecom for GPS navigation.

Interesting if true. I've had three cell phones that claimed to have GPS receivers. None could find where it was when in a location without cellular signal.

 

This happened most recently in a mountain valley in the Dominican Republic.

 

Since I do fieldwork in places without connectivity I carry a hiker's GPS so that I can log locations accurately and use a Garmin routing GPS with downloaded maps to find my way around. I miss gasoline companies' highway maps. I also carry a laptop with Garmin's Basecamp and downloaded maps.

[q.g._de_bakker]

You need cellular data for the maps, unless you download them first. The scope of downloaded maps is limited to a predetermined route, and not very useful when exploring the countryside.

No, you need coordinates. Matching those to maps can be done at a later stage, using, for instance, maps downloaded from the web, with no 3, 4 or 5G involved.

[bgelfand]

Where, pray, do these coordinates of which you speak come from? My GPS receivers listen to GPS satellites and calculate their current locations' coordinates. My cell phones do nothing like this without connectivity.

 

I do not know what cell phone you have, but my Pixel 5a will, with the proper application. For offline use, I have Here, which has both online and offline modes. It also downloads about 16 GB of maps just for the U.S. to work offline. Maps for many other areas of the world are available. The only "connectivity" needed is the built in GPS receiver in the phone.

[dan_fromm2]

No, you need coordinates. Matching those to maps can be done at a later stage, using, for instance, maps downloaded from the web, with no 3, 4 or 5G involved.

 

Where, pray, do these coordinates of which you speak come from? My GPS receivers listen to GPS satellites and calculate their current locations' coordinates. My cell phones do nothing like this without connectivity.

[dan_fromm2]

You need cellular data for the maps, unless you download them first. The scope of downloaded maps is limited to a predetermined route, and not very useful when exploring the countryside.

 

Have you ever used a routing GPS? My latest Garmin holds the finely detailed North America (Canada, US, Mexico) that Garmin provides. It also holds, for example, finely detailed maps of South America from openmapchest.org. These last are compiled from openstreetmap country maps.

 

My cell phones have held maps of France, the UK, Argentina and Uruguay from Here Maps. All totally useless without connectivity, useful with.

 

Where did you get the idea that "The scope of downloaded maps is limited to a predetermined route, and not very useful when exploring the countryside?"

[Ed_Ingold]

Yes, I've used a Garmin with pre-loaded, detailed maps, but an iPhone (or iPad) has much better ergonomics when navigating by car, provided you have cell service. Among other things, the Garmin has no way of knowing about traffic or construction delays.

 

How this correlates with the idea of using a cell-phone, film camera hybrid is unclear. I merely inserted a correction to a statement regarding SIM cards. I think there is broader compatibility between EU nations, including Iceland. But I'm from the US and find it easier to purchase service in the EU and elsewhere using SIM cards.

 

None of my smart devices has a game of any sort installed.