Topic: the Box is back.....

[astrobeck]

for me it never left, but here's a new kid on the block from the Kickstarter program


https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theboxisback/the-box-is-back-modern-modular-box-camera?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=the+box+is+back

[Francois]

Well... 79$ is surprising considering the price I usually pay for an original box 
But I must admit that their interchangeable lenses and wide range of apertures are interesting features.

[MiguelCampano]

Looks very interesting, actually. I might pitch in! Thanks for sharing!

[cs1]

But I must admit that their interchangeable lenses and wide range of apertures are interesting features.

But doesn't that actually contradict what a box is all about (not having interchangeable lenses, having two apertures max, maybe the odd yellow filter and just B or 1/30s or so)? A box in my eyes is about being cheap (they were back in the time) and minimalistic. That being said, the sample photos on the kickstarter page are nice and the box itself is oddly pretty (maybe not exactly my style but fashionable... sort of).

[Francois]

Somehow I don't think that fashionable and box cameras belong in the same sentence....

But I do agree that this one is missing the cheap factor.

[Pete_R]

Have you watched his videos? The guy talks b******t. Try and make sense of his description of how the camera focuses if you can - I couldn't.

And why use such bad images to demonstrate the camera. It's like, "this is really difficult to use, even I can't get decent pictures".

And the colours don't do it for me. All he needs is a denim one and he'll have the complete set...

Maybe I'll give it a miss.

Edit: And did you get the bit where he says he doesn't actually have a shutter speed tester so he's guessing what the shutter speed really is. Is this guy for real?

[cs1]

It's indeed a little difficult to understand this focussing system. If the hyperfocal distance is behind the subject and the fixed focus of the box is adjusted to that distance, you wont get blurry background at all -- you'd be lucky to have your subject in focus. The only way this makes sense is if the fixed focus of the lens is adjusted to the hyperfocal distance for a certain aperture (maybe f/11 or f/22 or so) and for all wider apertures (e. g. f/5.6) you lose the full depth-of-field but have a small DOP around the distance that's hyperfocal for f/22. Then the whole tape measure thing in the description starts to make sense. Whenever you pop in the f/5.6 aperture you need to make sure that your subject is always close to the fixed focus distance. Which leads me to conclude with what I already wrote: a box is about simplicity. And this has nothing to do with it.

The box in this project has another problem: 1/200s is too short a shutter speed for a box in my eyes. If you want to use this as a "real" box, you'd need to use apertures of f/8, f/11, or smaller to have the DOP of a classical box. If I calculate correctly this means that at ISO 100 you need alt least EV 13 or higher to get a properly exposed shot. That's quite a lot of light. You'd need quite high ISO films on overcast days in the city if you don't want to shoot with a tripod. I understand that the box is designed to work handheld. But the number of scenarios where you can is minute. He should've gone for 1/30s or maybe 1/60s. That would've made more sense with the latitude of apertures he offers. Also, the concept of having a box with great optics is sort of counterintuitive. I don't look for a good lens in a box camera. Having a wonky lens with a good lack of corner sharpness is exactly what I look for in a box. But that's just my 2 € cents.

Regarding the inventor of the box: I think that he's very enthusiastic about the project and actually means well. However, with 78 US$ as the starting price and 168 US$ being the top range, I don't see many people wanting to back this project.

[Francois]

Especially with so many good boxes out there...

[charles binns]

Another hipster's day dream.

[John Robison]

The pitch is very short of details. I had to look all over to find the focal length. He really needs to have a specification list. (the link video would not play, don't know why)
More questions;
Where is the focus set? At 6X9 with a 95mm lens at f22 hyper focal is 18 ft. with DOF at 9.5 ft. to infinity.
He also says the standard lens is equal to 55mm on 35mm but, the diagonal of 56X84mm is just over 100mm so 95mm on 6X9 would have an angle of view equal to 41mm on 35mm, not 55mm. (But that is not a bad thing, he just got his math wrong.)

At any rate I already have the Zeiss of box cameras, a Tengor, with adjustable focus and aperture, a 'B' setting, standard PC flash terminal, (and yes it will sync electronic flash, I checked) and a standard 1/4-20 tripod tap and fitted to take a standard cable release. Shutter speed is a bit slow, at about 1/30 or so.

Okay, I logged onto Kickstarter directly and the video would then play ok. Fast talker, bit hyper.

So......no sale I guess.

[zapsnaps]

I like the idea - hipster or not. And if it gets hipsters buying film, that should be applauded. Will I buy one? No - I'm very happy with my 'old' box. It takes better snaps, too

[Pete_R]

I should really drop this but anyone who talks such crap and sucks people in really needs to be called out.

In one of his videos he says "When your hyperfocal zone encroaches onto your far limit focus, that means everything from your near limit will be in focus all the way out to a really ungodly distance".

Just prior to this he says the dof at f/22 will be 7 to 15 feet. But he's clearly suggesting that everything out to infinity will be in focus (he actually says infinity later). Duh!

And based on his figures for dof at other apertures, it looks like the lens is focused at 10 feet.