Hulcherama
Encyclopedia
The Hulcherama is a shutterless, motor-controlled panoramic
camera
designed and manufactured by the Charles A. Hulcher Company, Inc. in Hampton, Virginia
.
The Hulcherama is a panoramic camera that can rotate in a circle for a full 360-degree image. It uses standard medium format 120
or 220
roll film
and standard Mamiya
, Pentax
or Hasselblad
lenses. The resulting negative for a 360-degree photo is approximately 2.25" wide (the width of the film) by 9" long. It is not locked to rotating 360-degrees and can be manually rotated to any arbitrary degree. When used automatically it uses a 12-volt battery to operate the motor and the rate of rotation can be varied from 1 to 144 seconds per revolution. The film is exposed through an adjustable slit controlled from the outside of the camera. While there isn't a shutter in the traditional sense, the width of the slit, in combination with the rotation speed, serves a comparable purpose.
While panoramic cameras are hard to master, the Hulcherama is fairly easy to learn. Film can be loaded in daylight. Speeds are set by a six-position switch on the outside of the camera. Some newer models also include an anodized plate on the rear of the camera, displaying a chart with light levels and camera speeds. Another new feature is the shift lens, which allows the lens to shift up or down, useful for architecture. Lastly, newer models also include a side eyepiece, which provides users with an upside-down preview of their photography.
The photojournalist Simon Nathan famous for his "Simon Sez" columns and film stills of several James Bond movies, is considered by many to be the spiritual father of this unique camera. His love of panoramics and friendship with the crew of Hulcher Company led to the development of the Hulcherama, a term he coined. Other famous photographers who have used the Hulcherama include Will Landon (Ranier Panorama) and Tom Schiff (Panoramic Ohio).
Panoramic photography
Panoramic photography is a technique of photography, using specialized equipment or software, that captures images with elongated fields of view. It is sometimes known as wide format photography. The term has also been applied to a photograph that is cropped to a relatively wide aspect ratio...
camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
designed and manufactured by the Charles A. Hulcher Company, Inc. in Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
.
The Hulcherama is a panoramic camera that can rotate in a circle for a full 360-degree image. It uses standard medium format 120
120
Year 120 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Fulvus...
or 220
220
Year 220 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Antonius and Eutychianus...
roll film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and standard Mamiya
Mamiya
is a Japanese company that today manufactures high-end cameras and other related photographic and optical equipment. With headquarters in Tokyo, it has two manufacturing plants and a workforce of over 200 people...
, Pentax
Pentax
Pentax is a brand name used by Hoya Corporation for its medical-related products & services and Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company for cameras, sport optics , etc. Hoya purchased and merged with the Japanese optics company on March 31, 2008. Hoya's Pentax imaging business was sold to Ricoh Company, Ltd...
or Hasselblad
Hasselblad
Victor Hasselblad AB is a Swedish manufacturer of medium-format cameras and photographic equipment based in Gothenburg, Sweden.The company is best known for the medium-format cameras it has produced since World War II....
lenses. The resulting negative for a 360-degree photo is approximately 2.25" wide (the width of the film) by 9" long. It is not locked to rotating 360-degrees and can be manually rotated to any arbitrary degree. When used automatically it uses a 12-volt battery to operate the motor and the rate of rotation can be varied from 1 to 144 seconds per revolution. The film is exposed through an adjustable slit controlled from the outside of the camera. While there isn't a shutter in the traditional sense, the width of the slit, in combination with the rotation speed, serves a comparable purpose.
While panoramic cameras are hard to master, the Hulcherama is fairly easy to learn. Film can be loaded in daylight. Speeds are set by a six-position switch on the outside of the camera. Some newer models also include an anodized plate on the rear of the camera, displaying a chart with light levels and camera speeds. Another new feature is the shift lens, which allows the lens to shift up or down, useful for architecture. Lastly, newer models also include a side eyepiece, which provides users with an upside-down preview of their photography.
The photojournalist Simon Nathan famous for his "Simon Sez" columns and film stills of several James Bond movies, is considered by many to be the spiritual father of this unique camera. His love of panoramics and friendship with the crew of Hulcher Company led to the development of the Hulcherama, a term he coined. Other famous photographers who have used the Hulcherama include Will Landon (Ranier Panorama) and Tom Schiff (Panoramic Ohio).