How cool is this? A 6 X 4 foot Negative from a 35 foot long camera!

How cool is this? A 6X4 foot negative from a 35 ft long camera!

Wow, if I owned this I would be traveling the country with it and shoot portraits in every state I traveled through. It seems that is the plan for this amazing device as it will be going on a 20,000 mile journey doing just that. Pretty cool. Below in the video you will see a rendering of this “Eye of America” which is currently being used by a Mr. Dennis Manarchy who shoots still that he exhibits at about two stories tall. Many of you may have already seen this but for those who have not, take a look below!

27 Comments

  1. … and the project is just noble and terrific. Dennis is looking for funding on Kickstarter to help his project photograph the cultures and peoples that are disappearing in the US. I am just a mutt, nothing in particular fascinating about me (compared to a Cherokee or Inuit, for instance), and I also really dislike photographs of myself. This camera is different, however. I would just love to sit in front of it. It would be like trying to stare down a dragon, or like, instead of us taking photos of the Big Dipper, the Big Dipper is taking a photos of us. It is fascinating.

  2. Looks like a really cool project, I cannot wait to see the lense and folding action. Also this being the Internet, cannot believe some thick set loudmouth with a strong resemblance to what they resent; hasn’t made an anti American stab relating to its size yet.

    • That would be to late, as some guys in California already made a bigger camera. They converted a hangar into a 49m X 13m camera. They made a single exposure, which took 10 days. I guess a terrible ISO 🙂

      Also there are large cameras in other parts of the world, so we can’t bash you on that one ;(
      For example: http://www.imago1to1.com/en/
      I think that one was made in the 70s and rediscovered by the daughter of the photographer who build it.

  3. I love it, what a great idea – would love to see some street shots with it…

    I bet folks will start to complain that the plasma screen doesn’t tilt and that there’s no true HD recording capability.

  4. Nothing NEW here. There has been a huge Polariod camera for years. Joe McNally shot photos of the 9-11 responders with this camera.

    “Huge indeed. What results after the exposure is a life sized image, 40″x 80″. You lay it out on the floor of the camera, wait 90 seconds (it’s the same Polaroid paper that comes in your over the counter cameras) and then peel the chemical backing off. There you have it.” http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/2008/07/08/welcome-adorama/

    • I’m glad someone else remembers the Gigantic Polaroid that toured the states some 20/30 years ago. Polaroid used to hire it out at vast expense ….

      I seem to recall it’s cost per photo was HUGE – cheaper to hire Annie Leibovitz and her team!

      This project looks like a bunch of 3D renderings – not a working item – perhaps it’s gonna take the guy until 2039 to raise the funds to build it (if ever) hence the 200 years of photography celebration claim!

  5. Fantastic idea, but I’m not sure we’re “approaching the 200th anniversary of photography” quite yet. That would 2039.

  6. dont look to kodak for film stock , im sad to say

    btw what is the filter thread for this street cam

  7. Love the celebration of film that is going on. Before I place my order with B & H I want to make sure I can get an underwater case!!!

  8. it will be the most dreadful portrait camera. super macro on the face. every tiny zit magnified 100x. every female mustache detail.

    • Was just thinking of the logistics of keeping the film flat to process it. Avoiding creases in the negative will be a major operation.

  9. It is cool and so american in its own way 🙂 The “plasma screen” in place of viewing screen made my day. Taking head shots on 6×4 foot film (screen?) will be macro photography unseen before.

    • you won’t be able to scan your negatives.. because once you fire the camera with the flash, you will be forever blind.. and your subject will have a permanent tan from the sheer intense bright light .. 😀

  10. and how cool is that?

    “possible Dalsa-Leica partnership”

    the sensor for the M10 from Dalsa?

    “Dalsa announced a new 24 Megapixel CCD sensor”

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