For now the list of digital cameras compatible with ObscuraFlex is limited to compact, fixed lens, point and shoot style cameras such as the Ricoh GR, Leica D-Lux, Lumix, and FujiFilm X100 type bodies.
The problem with using a mirrorless or DSLR camera is two-fold; the lens requirements, and physically mounting the camera.
First I need to clear up one very common misconception: ObscuraFlex does not expose directly to the digital camera's sensor the way a stitching back or lens adapter does. The digital camera needs a lens.
Optical Constraints
The ObscuraFlex concept works by photographing the large format image on a diffusion screen mounted at the large format camera's original film plane. This is how ObscuraFlex is able to recreate the entire large format frame, edge to edge, with all the optical character of the format intact.
So the digital camera must have a lens, and that lens must be capable of framing the image area (2-4 inches tall) from a distance that is physically compatible with the adapter, and at which the lens is capable of focusing. Very very few lenses can achieve that combination.
For example, a full-frame camera would require roughly a 22mm focal length lens with a minimum focus distance of ~120mm or ~4.7 inches.
Physical Constraints
Second is the challenge of mounting the digital camera to the back of the adapter securely, perfectly aligned, and with a light-tight seal.
So far all the successful mounts I've been able to design have relied on the digital camera having a bayonet filter or accessory ring that is physically connected to the BODY of the camera rather than the moving elements of the LENS itself.
Using the front filter thread of any standard lens would mean the entire weight of the camera is hanging from that filter thread and the lens's focusing mechanism. Not a good idea even before you consider the handling and movement involved in actually taking a photograph. In addition, the front element of most lenses will move as focus is adjusted, making alignment and focusing a complex series of manual adjustments.
Thinking Outside the Box
Despite all these hurdles, I have been experimenting with a solution to the mounting problem, but the results so far have been a Frankenstein rig that’s at best cumbersome and impractical, and at worst... unsafe for both cameras.
What Now?
That said, I am always open to ideas. If you have a compact camera, that weighs less than ~500g/1lb, that can focus at a distance of ~100mm/4in with a wide angle lens that can comfortably frame the image area of the format of camera you hope to mount it to (2x3, Polaroid, 4x5, etc)... then by all means reach out via the contact page and lets talk.
If you aren't sure, try photographing a ruler and see what you get.
For a more scientific test, follow the instruction on this page: How to Test Your Digital Camera for Compatibility.