Exposing Engineering variable film gate camera
Currently only available for filmmakers
The film photography resurgence doesn’t look to be slowing, with every month bringing us new cameras and film stocks from giants like Kodak, through to smaller indie developers. Exposing Engineering has seen the similarly explosive popularity of panoramic photography and dealt with one of the biggest barriers to it and that is frame size choice.
Usually, you would have to decide on which camera to invest in based on the frame size, which could be anything from 645 to 617 or even wider. The problem with that is you are restricted to that choice and if you decide you want variety, you will need to fork out more cash to buy a second camera, or at the very least a different back.
Expose Engineering has launched a Kickstarter campaign that sets to do away with that worry, with a very promising looking camera called the VZ-6617. The camera looks great, with a pretty comprehensive set of features and I for one am looking forward to getting my hands on one. It used brass helicoid focusing, on which you mount a large format lens, which keeps things affordable (for photography gear at least). The camera is a mix of 3D printed and metal components, so it will be light but durable and that combo also keeps costs down.
A few nifty features are included, such as a magnetic mount for the shutter release cable and top mount for things like light meters or phone based viewfinders but the real party piece here is the variable film gate. A simple mechanism on the back takes you through from 6×6 to 6×17 with other options between, including 6×7, 6×9 and 6×12. If this works as well as expected it will be a real winner for anybody who likes variety. Better yet, it does it all on one roll, with compensated frame spacing, making the most of that expensive film you have loaded.
I’ll be supporting the Kickstarter campaign and can’t wait to put this to the test!
Price and availability
The campaign is still win the early stages but has already hit over £50k, with an initial target of £5k, os people are clearly impressed by it. Shipping is expected to commence in October 2026 and the starter bundle is just £549 but do keep a little budget spare for a lens. Many models are supported but check the site to see which suits you best.