No Longer Just for Smartphones

No Longer Just for Smartphones

No Longer Just for Smartphones

For years, every time I posted about how the ObscuraFlex functions not just as a digital viewfinder for, but as a full frame digital back for a 4x5 that lets you use your smartphone to shoot digitally (even video) with large format cameras, Polaroid Land Cameras, etc people kept asking "Why not use a 'real' camera on the back instead of a phone?"

I had some solid reasons, from the cumbersome physical size of DSLRs and the extreme close focus required, the convenience of the large phone screen, my app to flip the image, and the fact that the iPhone is already shooting at 48 megapixels RAW... what more do you want...? 

But people kept asking... 

So for the handful of folks who asked... I'm happy to announce that ObscuraFlex is rolling out compatibility for a selection of modern high-end digital point-and-shoot cameras that meet some very specific technical requirements... starting with the Ricoh GR series, and expanding to include the Leica D-Lux and Panasonic Lumix L10, and more soon. 

How?

After about a dozen prototypes, using a the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome as a guide, I have developed a camera-specific mounting cradle using the camera's accessory bayonet mount. For alignment, security, and weight distribution I used the 1/4in tripod mounting hole to lock everything firmly in place. I also added a small rotation adjustment to the twist-lock mount to ensure perfect horizon matching. It's a pretty elegant fix if I say so myself. 

To build your kit, simply select the cradle for your camera model when you build your kit, or if you already have an ObscuraFlex shop for cradles here. 

Why?

The Ricoh GR has a few rare optical and physical characteristics that make it an ideal companion for the ObscuraFlex Large Format Digital Adapter system. 

  • Extreme minimum focus (aprox 30mm in macro mode)
  • Extremely high ISO (up to 409,600)
  • Very light weight design (255g) barely more than an iPhone 17 Pro Max (233g)
  • Manual Focus (with 16x Zoom)

Match those features with exceptional image quality, resolution, and features most smartphone can't match (like memory cards, and a real flash hot shoe) and adding the Ricoh GR to the lineup of ObscuraFlex compatible cameras is a real game changer. 

The Results

Here are a few shots I captured using the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome on my first day testing with the setup. These were all shot using a Graflex 4x5 with ObscuraFlex adapter, handheld with the Ricoh GR set an ISO of 3200 at around 1/100th or 1/60th exposure time. 

After cropping the Ricoh's RAW image (6192 x 4128 pixels) the 4x5 image area comes out to around 5k x 4k which is a nice round number that makes it easy to work out that these images are technically the same resolution as a 4x5 negative scanned at 1,000dpi. Not quite as high res as the iPhone Pro shooting at 48 megapixels, but I think the resulting depth of detail are significantly better from the Ricoh. 

What's Next?

I have begun testing ways to mount the Leica D-Lux series and the Lumix L10, both of which have remarkably similar optical systems. Join the mailing list below to be the first to hear about my progress with that. 

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