film canister cap is a Nikon RF user's best friend...

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Pianissimo

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I was looking for something I could use to turn my S2 into a pinhole camera, but that I could still switch back with my other lens. It turns out that a regular film canister cap (I haven't found a black one that fits well yet, but the grey ones from translucent canisters fit perfectly) are nice and snug, and if pinhole photography isn't your thing, it makes a GREAT cheap body cap. Just thought I'd share.

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not just for nikon rf. I think the idea comes from some guy on pentax forum and he showed like 10 pentax pancake lenses with canister caps on. It was so hot....
 
You realize that with the Nikon's body focusing helix, you have a (slight) pinhole ZOOM, right?
 
fbf: I didn't know that. That's really interesting though....I wonder if there are any Nikkors that could do that. The 50/1.4 is too big, I just tried it.

Frank: Of course! : ) I don't think the zoom is more than a few millimeters of focal length though...and I'm really not sure the current focal length. There's a website with a calculator, but it depends partially on how far away the hole is from the film plane, and if it's TOO close then I start to lose sharpness (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). If only I could get a wide pinhole (it would have to be much closer to the film plane), a few millimeters of zooming would make a signifigant difference! I could probably get a 21-28mm f/168 or something ; )
 
I've got a stash of some Kodak black lids (yes, I've got boxes of film cans all over the studio) if you want one pm me.
 
sepiareverb said:
I've got a stash of some Kodak black lids (yes, I've got boxes of film cans all over the studio) if you want one pm me.
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actually the grey one tends to work better:D. You can use it to adjust whitebalance at the same time. It's perfect...
hey, free is always good :D
 
Great tip. I've been trying several film canister caps, but none fit really well. The ones used by Ilford come very close, but still fall out when I tilt the camera downwards.

Which film canister cap did you use? Also, if it fits really tight, how do you then remove it?
 
Jan Van Laethem said:
Great tip. I've been trying several film canister caps, but none fit really well. The ones used by Ilford come very close, but still fall out when I tilt the camera downwards.

Which film canister cap did you use? Also, if it fits really tight, how do you then remove it?
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The caps from Ilford I have don't fit for me, either. I believe that these cheap grey ones are from Kodak color (negative) film, although I could be wrong. I just got Fuji 1600, 800, AND 100 today and none of them are the right cap so I'm guessing Kodak. Actually, now that I think about it, it might not be color. Try Tri-X or T-Max.

Because of its shape, it IS fairly tight and stable. Recently I've stuck a little piece of paper at the edge and I've been able to pull it out using that. Before, when there was no film in the camera, I set it to bulb and stuck my finger very carefully through, and punched it out (obviously, proceed with caution).
 
Thanks, I'll try with T-Max or Tri-X. Removing it through the back is of course a possibility, but that would mean you'd have to finish your roll before you can change back to a lens.

Two further questions:

1. Have you encountered any problems punching the hole? I understand you have to make a really clean hole for the pinhole to work.

2. Have you tried the pinhole with film? If so, how are the results and how do you figure out your f-stop? I suppose you could use the sunny f/16 rule and then vary your exposures on a test roll until you get it right.
 
I bet you haven't tried it yet, because it wouldn't work as a pinhole. For a pinhole to work, it needs to be the correct size, perfectly round and punched in a thin foil.
But you could make a pinhole in a coke can foil, then cut larger hole in the canister cap and glue the foil to the canister cap.

The idea with the body cap is fine.

May I suggest one more use ? if you cut the inner lip of the cap, and leave just the outer - you can use it as standard lens rear cap (lenses that mount to the inner bayonet).
 
Johann Espiritu said:
Interesting... Does anyone know how to compute for the focal length in case you make a pinhole using the lens cap?
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There is a good page dedicated to pinhole photography with exposure guides here

http://pinhole.org/?page_id=7

but I'm sure there are many others. As far as I can see, one needs to determine the exact distance from the pinhole to the film plane to determine the focal length. I have never tried pinhole photography, but it is an interesting concept.
 
Spyderman said:
May I suggest one more use ? if you cut the inner lip of the cap, and leave just the outer - you can use it as standard lens rear cap (lenses that mount to the inner bayonet).
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Could you send us some pictures how to proceed? I've been checking several film canister caps but none seem to fit. Are we looking at the Kodak film canisters?
 
Jan Van Laethem said:
Could you send us some pictures how to proceed? I've been checking several film canister caps but none seem to fit. Are we looking at the Kodak film canisters?
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I tried that approach, but none of the lids I could find worked.

But recently, a friend sent me a 50/1.4 with the niftiest rear cap, made from the bottom of a translucent cannister. Looks like a Fuji one. It fits like the proverbial glove.
 
focal length of pinhole = distance of hole from film/sensor. So, what is the "registration" distance for the old Nikon or Contax I/II lenses? Something around 39 mm, i guess.
 
if you cut the bottom out of a black ilford 35mm film canister and slide it into a kodak 35mm film canister you get a larger film canister that is just big enough for 120/220 roll film... make sure you keep the ilford canister cap - it's possible to use some electrical tape to make the two halves absolutely light tight but probably not necessary...
 
Spyderman said:
I bet you haven't tried it yet, because it wouldn't work as a pinhole. For a pinhole to work, it needs to be the correct size, perfectly round and punched in a thin foil.
But you could make a pinhole in a coke can foil, then cut larger hole in the canister cap and glue the foil to the canister cap.

The idea with the body cap is fine.

May I suggest one more use ? if you cut the inner lip of the cap, and leave just the outer - you can use it as standard lens rear cap (lenses that mount to the inner bayonet).
Click to expand...

You're right :D I haven't gotten around to getting a formula yet. I'm going to get some good pinhole paper from school (we made pinhole cameras out of breadcrumb canisters a while back) and probably mount it a bit farther back in the camera, I want a bit wider of an image.
 
What if that foil with pinhole is glued inside the cap and it falls off on camera, inside the cap? Got a new shutter ready to install? Just wondering.

I would drill a sizable hole, ~ 5 mm or so into the cap, then cover it with tinfoil, the kind you use for baking, that has a pinprick hole in it. Then see. A couple of mm wider will not have much effect nor be too safe ... I am afraid.

Actually you should use a MF of LF camera for pinhole pics anyway. Enlarging such a small format as the Contax has is rather futile. Your oats box was much better suited for this!
 
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