My passion for photography started on a trip to Yosemite National Park many years ago; it wasn’t my first trip there, but it was the first time I packed a dedicated digital camera in my backpack. The urge to capture vast mountain ranges and towering cliffs inspired me to pursue a new medium of art, separate from my professional work as an industrial designer. Since then, I haven’t left the house without a camera, even on trips to the supermarket, or weekend walks in the park.
Panoramic photos have always intrigued me; to see beyond the traditional frame, and to capture the landscape as a wide uninterrupted image. I initially used a panning tripod head to digitally stitch several photos into one landscape shot, but I always felt that the image was more like a reconstruction of the scene, rather than an actual photograph. Moreover, this technique would not be possible with moving subjects, windy trees, or waves crashing onto a beach.
Upon this realization, I set out to create a panoramic camera which would address all the limitations of digital panoramic photography; one that you could bring with you on your greatest adventures. And what better way than to capture on film.
Film as a medium captures the essence of a scene while preserving the still life of a moment as a tangible memory. The finite number of exposures per roll encourages a slower, more intentional pace, whilst the unknown result of the image allows you to focus on the adventure at hand.
Bringing the Sasquatch 617 to Yosemite years later, I can confidently say that capturing panoramic landscape photos on medium format is an experience unlike any other. And now, I hope to share that experience with others who find joy in photographing the vast landscapes of our world.
Behind the Build
Development Drawings
Our product development process started on the drawing board with sketches of the features we wanted to include on this camera. During this stage, we worked out the mechanical details such as the rear door latch, the knob assembly, as well as subtle design features to give this camera a tactile and refined feel.
Stainless Steel Body
The sheet metal body was perhaps the most challenging to get right, yet rewarding aspect of this camera. We decided to use a rigid exterior shell because it allows us to confidently build 3D printed components onto the frame, whilst maintaining the camera's durability and overall quality. We chose to use stainless steel instead of aluminum because it met our requirements for rigidity, as well as give the Sasquatch a premium look and feel that helps it shine above the rest of the competition in this segment of affordable 6x17 cameras.
Prusa Research - Core One Sponsorship
We’ve used many 3D printers for over a decade, and Prusa has always been our first choice. We prototyped all of the components in the Sasquatch on two of our personal Prusa MK4S's that we've owned for years. However, with the overwhelming support on Kickstarter, we knew we'd need more printing power. So we reached out to Prusa Research, requesting their support to provide us with a new Core One printer. This printer has over-exceeded our expectations, giving us full confidence that it will meet both the demand and quality standards expected by our customers.
Prototyping Parts
Once our conceptual drawings were complete, we brought our ideas to the physical world with many stages of 3D printed prototypes. It was during this stage that we were able to consider the manufacturability of each component, inclusion of hardware, and the assembly process. Here's a snapshot of that iterative journey.