Sigma’s DP1, DP2, and DP3 cameras are known for the fact that they’re compact cameras with beastly APS-C Foveon sensors inside. With such novel sensor technology at their core, comparatively less is said about the f/2.8 lenses on the front of each camera.
Some folks over in China decided that they wanted the glass of the camera to be just as hardcore as the sensor within, so they figured out how to modify DP cameras to offer an Leica M mount, turning the bodies into interchangeable cameras (and proper mirrorless cameras). Read more…
San Diego-based photographer Robert Benson had a curious problem a while back. He had a $6,500 Leica Noctilux 50mm f/1 lens, but no camera to use it on. Not being able to afford the Leica M9 at the time (and unsure if he wanted to ever buy one), he decided to make massive modifications to his Canon 5D Mark II so that it would accept any Leica M lens without needing an adapter. The frankencamera above is what emerged from the brand-change operation. Read more…
Slit-scan cameras are used to shoot finish line photos due to the fact that recording a moving subject along a strip of film makes it impossible to miss any frames. Engineer and photographer James Guerin was interested in the distinctive look, so he went about building his own slit-scan film camera using an old Pentax SLR.
He ended up with the heavily modified camera seen above: a Pentax ME Super SLR that’s equipped with a special winding system that automatically moves film across a narrow slit as the photos are being exposed. Read more…
These bizarre looking images are what you get when you “modify” chromogenic prints with chlorine bleach. Flickr user Sarah Palmer has done a number of experiments with these technique, and the results are pretty abstract. Read more…
This crazy self-portrait was taken using the tiny reflection in the tip of a ballpoint pen. Russian photographer Alexey Arkhipov modified a Canon PowerShot S1 IS, adding a custom (and cheap) lens setup to achieve this super-macro shot. Head on over to his blog post if you’d like to learn how it was done and how to do this yourself (you might have to use Google Translate).
Self-described creative technologist Thiago Avancini hacked this Atari 2600 joystick into a shutter release cable — complete with an autofocus control for his Canon T2i. The controller is considerably larger than the average cable release or remote control, but it’s a pretty nifty. Avancini has more photos of the contraption on his site, but so far, no DIY instructions.
