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I'm surprised there are no digital large format cameras or backs. I'm also surprised the medium format backs are so expensive. Isn't making larger photo sensors

I'm surprised there are no digital large format cameras or backs. I'm also surprised the medium format backs are so expensive. Isn't making larger photo sensors supposed to be easier? Btw, if you had never seen photos made on a large format camera, find a gallery near you, and go see some prints. I'm yet to see a digital equivalent of that.

justincormack 12y ago
No, they are chips, and making large defect free chips is hard. Chips are best small. You can get large format scanner backs, but they take time to scan. Sheet film is a huge cheap disposable sensor, just add a scanner and you are done if you want digital.
- imaginenore 12y ago
  Scanning is a huge pain in the ass. Even scanning 35mm is a pain, and I own a dedicated film scanner. Flatbeds for large format are just crazy hard. Newton rings are almost impossible to get rid of. Not to mention all the film processing. I'm actually thinking of making a scanning back from a scanner. You basically remove the light, and put it on the back of the large format camera.
- UnoriginalGuy 12y ago
  > No, they are chips, and making large defect free chips is hard. Chips are best small. That's true. But you can sometimes assembly lots of small chips into one larger sensor and solve a lot of the issues doing that causes in software after the fact. I suspect it doesn't exist because the market is tiny and the R&D too expensive, rather than it being an inherent problem with the tech' itself. I just don't think enough people, even pros, would spend $20K+ on one of these to justify the engineering, software, and marketing that went into it (and the level or risk). > You can get large format scanner backs, but they take time to scan. So recreating the original experience of large format then? :)
  - wlievens 12y ago
    The company I work for designs and sells image sensors. Our largest (custom) sensor is about the size of a phablet phone - not quite large format but it's close.

justincormack 12y ago

No, they are chips, and making large defect free chips is hard. Chips are best small. You can get large format scanner backs, but they take time to scan. Sheet film is a huge cheap disposable sensor, just add a scanner and you are done if you want digital.

imaginenore 12y ago
Scanning is a huge pain in the ass. Even scanning 35mm is a pain, and I own a dedicated film scanner. Flatbeds for large format are just crazy hard. Newton rings are almost impossible to get rid of. Not to mention all the film processing. I'm actually thinking of making a scanning back from a scanner. You basically remove the light, and put it on the back of the large format camera.
UnoriginalGuy 12y ago
> No, they are chips, and making large defect free chips is hard. Chips are best small. That's true. But you can sometimes assembly lots of small chips into one larger sensor and solve a lot of the issues doing that causes in software after the fact. I suspect it doesn't exist because the market is tiny and the R&D too expensive, rather than it being an inherent problem with the tech' itself. I just don't think enough people, even pros, would spend $20K+ on one of these to justify the engineering, software, and marketing that went into it (and the level or risk). > You can get large format scanner backs, but they take time to scan. So recreating the original experience of large format then? :)
- wlievens 12y ago
  The company I work for designs and sells image sensors. Our largest (custom) sensor is about the size of a phablet phone - not quite large format but it's close.