Thanks Luke! I’m glad you found the signup form!

Thanks Nick! This is indeed one of the reasons I created the Mercury system: interoperability via standard parts. That mostly affects the Mercury system itself, but also has ancillary benefits for other camera systems by helping them to place nice with Mercury! It’s also partly the result of using open or semi-open standards whenever possible in the Mercury design, such as Pacemaker lensboard specs, Graflok backs, M58 threads, cold shoe mounting points, etc. At any rate, your idea of integrating the basic Mercury mount in Graflex lensboards is a great one, as it allows Mercury-mounted lenses to be very easily transferred to a Graflex camera without having to unmount them (i.e., no fooling around with their retaining rings).

Hi Ananna,

Thanks for your interest! I just saw your question. Ordinarily Mercury doesn’t come with a lens; you can choose your own from many different new and vintage options. However, we do have a few lenses if you wanted to purchase one from us. A tilt-shift module may be an option for the future, in which case it could be added to any existing Mercury. However, there is no tilt or shift capability available at this point. Our “4×5 Limited Ground Glass Back” does indeed come with the glass already. As far as I know, no Graflok ground glass back has been produced before, just ground glass spring backs that exist alongside the Graflok system, but those are proprietary and will only work on their original camera. Pre-orders will close very soon, but I can still get you in the queue if you email me back at mercurycameraworks@gmail.com.

Is there any chance you will have a newsletter, or some sign up facility? I would like to know about the development of the camera and accessories.

(I couldn’t find a link to sign up here or on the kickstarter).

Edit: Ah I found it now! No worries.

Thank you!

Please keep the ideas flowing!

I have been using a Fotodiox Vizelex Rhinocam device which allows me to shoot up to 8 digital frames with my Fujifilm X-mount cameras through a 6×4.5 or larger medium format lens and later stitch them together to create a very high resolution file. This contraption actually works very well for things like landscape photography, and I am using it with a macro lens to create high resolution “scans” of medium format film. With my 16 mp Fuji I can use this device to stitch together files that are over 40 inches wide by 30 inches high at 300 dpi, all shot through a single unmoving medium format lens. This has many advantages over the typical stitched panorama approach. This is the poor-man’s medium format digital back.

Some of these devices are also set up to mount on a Graflok back, but when used like this they are limited by the fact that the sensor is somewhat behind the proper Graflok film plane. This means that on a standard view camera you can generally only achieve infinity focus with 120mm lenses, or longer focal lengths. Wide lenses can’t get close enough to the sensor on a standard view camera, at least as the device is currently designed.

This is where Mercury comes in. You guys could design a shortened Mercury body, or perhaps a special short lens module, so that a shift-stitch back like this would function (and achieve infinity focus) with a much wider choice of lenses than can currently be mounted on the Rhinocam device directly.

Even better, you guys could engineer your own shift-stitch back for the Mercury system. In it’s simplest form it would allow you to simply slide the camera horizontally to shoot and stitch digital panoramas using the full width of the available image circle. All this requires is a light-tight sliding panel with a bayonet mount that matches the digital camera. You won’t need to manufacture the bayonet mounts because they are already available from Fotodiox and Cambo, among others.

File this away somewhere, and if the idea appeals to you in the future you are welcome to contact me for more information and suggestions.

Nick Lyle

Hi Ananna,

Thanks for your interest in the Mercury! The 4×5 Complete Merc Perk kit from Kickstarter comes with a Graflex Optar 135mm lens. The standard 4×5 kit does not come with a lens. You can choose your own lens to purchase from the list on this site (over 50 lenses to choose from). If you’d like to pre-order a complete 4×5 kit, we can still do it, but it would include a Kodak Ektar 127mm lens instead, as all of our Optars have been claimed. Just email us at mercurycamera@gmail.com to set up the pre-order.

Regards,
Zach

I wanted to know what kind of lenses does the Kickstarter for the 4×5 come with, as well as if there are any tilts or shifts Avilable. Lastly if I wanted to purchase the glass back, does it come with ground glass already with the package or would I have to insert my own. Is there anyway to maybe use an existing 4×5 back with this kit ? Please get back to me soon. I want to really purchase the 4×5 (large format kit?its called on Kickstarter) before it runs out

Thanks so much for making this Avilable to the public at such great prices