The RhinoCam Vertex

Medium format cameras have always been around to deliver high detailed images with the most ease. These cameras still retain the traditional SLR design, making them portable and practical to use for a variety of shoots. However, medium format cameras come with a high-ticket price since they are considered professional tools reserved for commercial photography. Despite becoming more accessible through offerings such as the Fujifilm GFX system, not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend on these ecosystems.

Consider this: what if you could get medium format quality images with your current gear? - That is where our RhinoCam Vertex comes into play.

The RhinoCam Vertex is a compact stitch adapter that helps create medium format style images with standard digital sensors and vintage lenses. The Vertex allows you to take four images around a lenses’ image circle that can then be stitched together in editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop.

The RhinoCam Vertex mounts the camera off-center to capture the corners of the lens' image circle. The camera side rotates in four stages which represents the number of shots required to create the final stitch. These adapters feature an arca-swiss style tripod foot with a standard 1/4-20” thread. To properly use the adapter, it must be mounted on a tripod.

The four images can then be imported into Photoshop and combined using the stitch feature. Depending on the complexity of your shot, some retouching may be required to get the desired results. For example, if you are shooting a scene with moving objects you will have to carefully examine the photo to correct anything that is out of place. This includes things such as clouds and vehicles.

The final stitched image will be two times[three times] larger than what the sensor you are using can produce with a native lens - this also doubles your field of view. The image will also be sharper since the Vertex revolves around the sweet spot of the lens being adapted.

The RhinoCam Vertex has been optimized for mirrorless camera systems only and a main design principle is to utilize lenses of a larger format than than the camera it is made for. For example, we support Canon FD, Minolta MD, Canon EF, and Nikon G lenses on sensors smaller than full frame. This includes Canon EF-M, Sony E APS-C, and Fujifilm X cameras.

We also support full frame cameras and crop digital medium format cameras. These Vertex adapters are for Sony E Full Frame, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Fujifilm GFX, and Hasselblad XCD cameras to medium format film lenses. These include Bronica ETR, Hasselblad V, Mamiya 645, Pentax 645, and Pentax 67 lenses all of which cover a larger frame than the cameras they can be adapted to with the Vertex.

The RhinoCam Vertex is for anyone seeking high res images with the most detail and megapixels. It is a great tool for creating images needed in large format printing for fine art or advertising. Vertex is a cost effective solution compared to purchasing a Hasselblad H6D, especially if you already have any of the supported cameras/lenses. Despite vintage medium format lenses going up in price, its still more affordable to buy the lens and a Vertex adapter. Additionally, the final stitched image can be cropped to any ratio while still preserving megapixels and detail.

One thing to note about this adapter is that you lose the ability to photograph scenes with moving objects such as streets. It is best to use it in a controlled environment such as studio or for scenes with little to no movement. Of course everything can be fixed in post to an extent making the RhinoCam Vertex limited to the skill and comfort level of the photographer.

The original RhinoCam line came into existence in 2013 when we released the first version of the system. The first generation of the RhinoCam was bulkier than the Vertex. It utilized a board with an interchangeable lens mount that allowed the camera to shift in two linear paths. There were three versions made: one for DSLR cameras, one for APS-C sensors, and one for the full frame Sony A7’s of the time.

For a comparison on both systems, check out our past article here!

To view our RhinoCam Vertex collection, click here.