press kit

the VZ-6617

A Variable-Frame Medium Format Film Camera

The VZ-6617 is a medium-format film camera designed to give photographers complete creative flexibility over framing and aspect ratio. Using its stepless Variable Zone Film Gate™ mechanism, the camera can shoot formats ranging from 6×6 all the way to 6×17 on the same roll of 120 film. Instead of committing to a single format per roll or needing to carry multiple medium-format camera systems, photographers can adapt each frame to the composition in front of them.

Most medium-format film cameras lock photographers into a single aspect ratio for an entire roll of film. If a photographer loads a 6×6 camera, every frame must be square. If they choose a panoramic camera, every frame must be panoramic. If they want both, they must carry multiple camera bodies with them. The VZ-6617 removes that limitation by allowing photographers to change the image area between exposures. A single roll of film can contain square portraits and panoramic landscapes.

The core of the concept is the Variable Zone Film Gate™, a fully 3D printed articulating mask mechanism that allows symmetric masking of the exposure area with the turn of a knob. A series of sliding panels move in sync to create film gate sizes from 6×6 all the way up to 6×17. The goal was to make this adjustment effortless and as seamless to the shooting process as changing aperture or shutter speed. No need to remove a film back or install separate masking plates or inserts - everything is self-contained in the camera body and always ready to use.

KEY FEATURES

Variable Zone Film Gate™ allows stepless adjustment from 6×6 to 6×17
Shoot multiple aspect ratios on the same roll of 120 film
Uses widely available large-format lenses
Interchangeable lens cones with integrated dark slide to allow switching lenses mid-roll
3D printed body makes the camera both lightweight and affordable
925g body only, 1850g with a Fujinon-SW 90mm f/8 lens
Focusing helicoid with printed scale for zone focusing

SPECIFICATIONS

Format
120 medium format roll film

Frame Size
6x6 to 6x17 in stepless increments (Variable Zone Film Gate™)

Dimensions
290mm W x 120mm H x 70mm D (body only)

Weight
925g (body only)
1850g (with Fujinon-SW 90mm f/8 lens)

Lens Compatibility
Most standard large format view camera lenses with integrated shutters

Field-tested lenses:
Fuji Fujinon-SW 90mm f/8
Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon 90mm f/8
Schneider Kreuznach Super Angulon 75mm f/8
Schneider Kreuznach Symmar 135mm f/5.6
Schneider Kreuznach Symmar 150mm f/5.6
Nikon Nikkor-SW 65mm f/4

Focus & Exposure
Lens cone-mounted focusing helicoid
Lens-integrated shutter exposure controls

Additional Features
Interchangeable lenses/cones with dark slide
Quick-release film spool holders
Multiple-series film backing frame counter windows
Protective lens cage/accessory mount with bubble level
Support for optical viewfinder or third-party viewfinder app
Magnetically detachable cable release
100mm x 150mm rectangular filter holder
Body-mounted horizontal bubble levels
3X cold shoe mounts

about the creator

What began as an exploratory project to see what was possible with modern production methods and design tools, Francis Garing founded Exposing Engineering to bring a novel film camera platform to the photography community. Francis is a design engineer by profession with over 20 years of experience working alongside industrial designers and engineers to bring new products to market. He has worked on everything from life-saving medical devices to luxury aircraft interiors, and leveraged his years experience of prototyping and developing functional, visually compelling, and human-centered products to create the VZ-6617.

Early engagement with the community through social media and in-person photography events revealed a need for a new tool to match everyone’s individual creative journey and vision. Like many other photographers exploring film as a medium, he bought, tested, and re-sold several camera bodies and systems to figure out the type of photography that best expressed his vision and style. What he found was that there was no one camera that could fit all situations since the environment, subject matter, and composition don’t always align with the equipment on hand.

After experimenting with multiple medium format cameras - RB67, various Fuji 6×4.5’s, a vintage Takane Mine Six folder - he built the first prototype which would eventually become the VZ-6617. It focused solely on the panoramic 6×17 format. He took this on a trip through Germany and Denmark and was hooked on the ability of the panoramic format to capture a range of light and shadow across it’s expansive frame. However, being limited to 4 shots per roll and having such a composition-defining aspect ratio was challenging. This is what inspired the adjustable internal mask system that became the Variable Zone Film Gate™.

Five generations of prototypes and hundreds of 3D printed parts and mechanisms later, he is ready to share with the photographic community a tool that is accessible, adaptable, and affordable. The VZ-6617 is a camera without compromise, leveraging the vast catalog of existing high quality large format lenses adapted to a modern body design that can capture every standard medium-format frame size.