Fotomans` Dmax, Dmini and 45SPS

3 New Looks:
Fotomans’ Dmax, Dmini and 45SPS
by Tal Rickards
Over the past eight years Fotoman Professional have
successfully developed 6×9, 6×12, 6×17, 6x24, 4×5, 4×10, 8×10
film cameras. Each camerabody is made of aluminum alloy T6061
with customized rosewood handgrips. Award winning Chinese
panoramic photographer and Fotomans’ Chairman, Charlie Li, has
launched three newly revised large format cameras, Dmax, Dmini
and 45SPS. All 3 cameras were designed to attract more marketability and maximize the capacity to function with numerous
lenses, camera backs and a variety of accessories. Certainly,
Fotoman has taken into respect the concerns and needs of their
clientele, therefore old and new customers will be more than
satisfied with their purchases. Charlie Li is assured that his
laborious effort over the past 2 years has proving to encompass a
more accessibly adaptable and functional camerabody appeal.
China based: Hong Kong has been home base for
Fotoman Camera for many years, spearheaded by Paul Droluk,
Len Grenier and Charlie Li. Now a days, Shenzhen, China is prime
headquarters for Fotoman Professional, with Charlie as frontman.
The recent transition to China was a strategic move to be closer
to the manufacturing and QC process. Present China, especially
the South Guangdong region has acquired a very competitive
environment; therefore it was sensible for the Fotoman team to
relocate and take advantage of the opportunity to regain their
reputability for delivering high quality and affordable panoramic
and large format cameras.
Fotomans’ camera system covers all formats, with a
current offering of, 4x10, 8x10, 4x5SPS, Dmini (6x6), 6x9HPS,
Dmax (6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x8, 6x9, 6x12), 6x17 and 6x24 camera
formats. There are also a large variety of attractive accessories
available for users. To name a few, the Fotoman Helical Focus
Mount (HFM), which employs multiple threads technology,
exhibiting a silky smooth action throughout its 8mm of travel,
and accurate depth of field markings as well as, distance marked
in both meters and feet. The 120 degree Optical Viewfinder,
delivers a sharp and distortion free viewing, thanks to its carefully
designed and multicoated optics, which features an integral top
mounted circular bubble level that is viewable inside the finder.
A large variety of interchangeable Fotoman Viewfinder masks are
also handy, offering convenient re-shaping or re-sizing of
specified camera formats. Fotoman also has a reasonable
amount of customized Cone Assemblies made for the Horseman
612 camera and telephoto lenses.
62 VIEW CAMERA, March 2012
What‘s new? First up, the Dmax, a well-integrated film &
digital camera that accepts six film backs, namely Hasselblad66,
Mamiya RB67, Mamiya RZ68, Horseman69, Horseman612 and
Widepan612. It’s also capable of supporting all digital backs with
Mount V, Mount H, Mount M & Mount C. Eventhough each of the
mentioned digital backs are supplied by different manufacturers,
such as Hasselblad, Phaseone, Leaf, Mamiya or Sinar, that won’t
affect them being able to work with the multifunctional Dmax
body. All of the above-mentioned digital backs can be mounted
to the Dmax by the means of adapters that provide a “snugg” and
tight fit.
What lenses can Dmax support? Without sacrificing the
tolerance of utilizing a 612 film back, it starts with Schneider
38mm/5.6XL (the first wide-angle lens) and other lenses include
45mm, 47mm, 58, 65mm, 72mm, 75mm, 80mm, 90mm, 135mm,
150mm,180mm, 210mm, 300mm. Lenses of different focal length
& different brand can be mounted to the Dmax with a matching
cone assembly. To make it more exciting, Dmax also caters to the
needs of old Fotoman69 & Fotoman612 users. The height of Dmax
body measures exactly the same as that of Fotoman69 &
Fotoman612. If an older customer decides to upgrade their
camera body, they will have a more powerful and effective digital
system. In this case, you must first have a functional digital back.
Dmax is an exceptional camera, cost-effective, practical,
reliable and compliments commercial photographers due to its
shift & stitching capabilities. It allows a shift of 20mm on each side
and 25mm for each rise & fall, with a customized Ground Glass
View Finder. Now you know that six film backs & five digital backs
can all achieve format switching with the proper adapter.
Fotomans’ newly anticipated Dmax is definately a multifunctional
professional camera, because it can make almost everything
possible.
Secondly, the design concept of Dmini lives up to it’s
name. A fairly small camera in terms of dimension and weight but
”packs a punch” in terms of its digital capabilities, offering high
resolution and dynamic results.
What lenses can Dmini support? Dmini supports the
latest digital lenses sized at 23mm & 24mm as well as, 28mm,
35mm, 38mm, 47mm, 55mm, 58mm, 65mm and a variety of older
film lenses. It can also support all digital backs such as Mount H,
Mount V, Mount M, and Mount C, due to interchangeable adapters. Dmini accepts Hasselblad 6×6 film back as well.
Thirdly, the 45SPS is designed idealy for shift, point &
Dmax
“All 3 cameras were designed to
attract more marketability and maximize
the capacity to function with numerous
lenses, camera backs and a variety of
accessories.”
Dmini
shoot. It’s a modified version based on the old Fotoman 45PS.
45SPS meets the standard requirements of a conventional point
& shoot camera, yet it can aslo appeal to commercial & architectural photographers. It is durable and fine-tuned with a 40mm
vertical shift (20mm each rise & fall). 45SPS also accepts the
sliding back method, which securely joins different digital backs
to it.
What lenses can 45SPS support? The first wide-angle
lens for 45SPS is Schneider 47mm/5.6XL & the following are
55mm, 58mm, 65mm, 72mm, 90mm, and 150mm. A the request
of the buyer, special Cone Assemblies can be customized for the
45SPS.
Fotomans’ 3 new looks, come in the form of the newly
revised Dmax, Dmini and 45SPS. These cameras are high quality,
well-integrated and affordable multi-format film and digital
camera systems. The delivery of Dmax, Dmini and 45SPS is
confirmation of the painstaking time well spent by Fotomans’
frontman Charlie Li to rethink and reconstruct a more well
rounded product and most importantly to provide more
in-expensive cameras for the professional, semi-professional or
hobbyist users.
45SPS
Fotoman Professional,
fotomancamera.com