Snapper_uk
Well-known
Just been emailed about this - another new film camera from Ilford;
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/product.asp?n=83&t=ILFORD+CAMERAS
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/product.asp?n=83&t=ILFORD+CAMERAS
Ilford Obscura
- Thread starter Snapper_uk
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 20
- Views 5K
Rodchenko
Olympian
Quite like that. There's been a few pinholes available lately.
zuiko85
Veteran
Saw this several months ago. Are they finally bringing it to market?
Ah, answered my own question. just checked B&H and they have it listed as new product, available July 25th. at $99
Ah, answered my own question. just checked B&H and they have it listed as new product, available July 25th. at $99
Rodchenko
Olympian
Saw it mentioned in AP when I was browsing it in Sainsburys.
zuiko85
Veteran
The Ilford site says it's made from expanded PVC. Is that the same as foam core?
JoeV
Thin Air, Bright Sun
Foam core is laminated to a paper outer layer. I would not expect this camera to have a paper surface, but haven't seen it in person to know for sure. At the price offered, I would expect something else.
~Joe
~Joe
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
I don't quite understand their obsession with pinhole.
One or two models are enough.
But why don't they add a decent lens mount with focusing onto one of these newly designed cameras?
It could be the revival of LF as we know it. And they would be able to make some money bundling the adaptors to various old lenses.
One or two models are enough.
But why don't they add a decent lens mount with focusing onto one of these newly designed cameras?
It could be the revival of LF as we know it. And they would be able to make some money bundling the adaptors to various old lenses.
zuiko85
Veteran
It's here, or rather will be in December, 2013. Check out the TravelWide 4X5 on Kickstarter. The funding ended 5/2 and they are finalizing plans with the parts maker. For the backers, (I'm one) the price is the same as this Ilford kit.
DougK
This space left blank
Looks interesting. I may go for the Walker Titan 4x5 instead, though, since I already have several film holders.
alienmeatsack
Well-known
I just picked one of these up myself.
I liked the look of it and it's very sturdy and light for the size. It's also very easy to use.
I also liked that it came with 3 boxes of paper (Ilford 100, Harman Direct Positive, and some Ilford MGIV) plus an empty box for your exposed films with a dark box inside of it.
It's a little big inside of my current changing bag so I may see about getting a little larger one for field work but loading it is very simple.
Sadly, yesterday when it arrived it was way too dark for any short term shots with it so I just played with some Polaroids in it (expired and didn't turn out very well). I look forward to putting some photo paper and film into it and making lovely shots maybe this weekend! if the rain will stop.
I liked the look of it and it's very sturdy and light for the size. It's also very easy to use.
I also liked that it came with 3 boxes of paper (Ilford 100, Harman Direct Positive, and some Ilford MGIV) plus an empty box for your exposed films with a dark box inside of it.
It's a little big inside of my current changing bag so I may see about getting a little larger one for field work but loading it is very simple.
Sadly, yesterday when it arrived it was way too dark for any short term shots with it so I just played with some Polaroids in it (expired and didn't turn out very well). I look forward to putting some photo paper and film into it and making lovely shots maybe this weekend! if the rain will stop.
alienmeatsack
Well-known
I finally got a chance to fire the Obscura up and make some photos happen this morning.
Trucks by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
Fire Hydrant by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
Using it is a bit cumbersome due to the need to change the paper or film out between shots but it takes lovely photos. The pinhole is super crisp on it!
Trucks by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
Fire Hydrant by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
Using it is a bit cumbersome due to the need to change the paper or film out between shots but it takes lovely photos. The pinhole is super crisp on it!
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Sells film!
Imagine you could sell a camera which makes a small profit in its own right but which also creates a demand for your principal product -- film!
Write to American Photographer and ask 'em when they're going to run my review of the camera -- I was given a pre-production camera in February.
The finish, incidentally, feels a bit like plywood: you can mark it with a fingernail, but only in the sense you can mark plywood with a fingernail -- a faint scratch if you push hard enough.
Cheers,
R.
Last edited:
zauhar
Veteran
I finally got a chance to fire the Obscura up and make some photos happen this morning.
Trucks by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
Fire Hydrant by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
Using it is a bit cumbersome due to the need to change the paper or film out between shots but it takes lovely photos. The pinhole is super crisp on it!
Were these made with the 'positive paper'?
I like the look! But I wouldn't like finding a darkroom to load each individual sheet.
Randy
lynnb
Veteran
^^Alienmeatsack - nice results! Do you load it in the field with a large dark bag?
Edit: how long were the exposures on those shots?
Edit: how long were the exposures on those shots?
Roger Hicks
Veteran
alienmeatsack
Well-known
zauhar - Yep, Harman Direct Positive paper. No pre-flashing. Works like a champ in the camera and you get instant viewable results. Only downside I can find is that the image needs to be flipped and the loading is a pain in the butt.
lynnb - Thanks! Actually I took those near my house so I literally just walked there with a pre-loaded camera, took the shot, went back to the house, unloaded in the darkbag and repeated.
Since then I've taken the changing bag with me out into the field and made paper changes (and film). I still try to make sure I do it in the shade and am very careful since I am so used to doing this from my desk where I can take my time.
I just got back from a shoot nearby with it a bit ago, having taken 4 direct positive shots on a local pedestrian bridge I enjoy shooting. This camera is one of the sharpest pinhole cameras I've used and when you use film, the results are outstanding.
One thing I want to try is "stacking" my shots inside of the camera. I don't know how much light will pass through the paper or get around the sides of it, but I am guessing not much. By taking a shot then just stacking the next on top of that one inside the camera, I can avoid having to unload the exposed paper over and over for a handful of shots out in the field.
I think I will try this with some cheaper negative paper to see how it works with just two sheets. Would be a time saver. My changing bag just isn't quite big enough to manhandle the big camera, film/paper boxes, exposed paper box, plus my hands.
I should probably get a larger bag I guess for field work.
lynnb - Thanks! Actually I took those near my house so I literally just walked there with a pre-loaded camera, took the shot, went back to the house, unloaded in the darkbag and repeated.
Since then I've taken the changing bag with me out into the field and made paper changes (and film). I still try to make sure I do it in the shade and am very careful since I am so used to doing this from my desk where I can take my time.
I just got back from a shoot nearby with it a bit ago, having taken 4 direct positive shots on a local pedestrian bridge I enjoy shooting. This camera is one of the sharpest pinhole cameras I've used and when you use film, the results are outstanding.
One thing I want to try is "stacking" my shots inside of the camera. I don't know how much light will pass through the paper or get around the sides of it, but I am guessing not much. By taking a shot then just stacking the next on top of that one inside the camera, I can avoid having to unload the exposed paper over and over for a handful of shots out in the field.
I think I will try this with some cheaper negative paper to see how it works with just two sheets. Would be a time saver. My changing bag just isn't quite big enough to manhandle the big camera, film/paper boxes, exposed paper box, plus my hands.
I should probably get a larger bag I guess for field work.
alienmeatsack
Well-known
FYI I processed the above shots in Diafine and have done so with all of my paper shots thus far with great success. 30seconds to 1 minute in A, then 1 minute in B, then fix normally and viola.
I've also been considering trying to make a simple mask that will allow me to use cut strips of 120 film in the camera as well since it's cheap and would make lovely landscapes if run along the 5" side of the camera. I did some quick mockups and i think if I just layer 2 pieces of thicker paper, construction paper or cover stock I can make a nice mask that will hold a cut strip of 6cmx12.7cm approx. I was going to make the top layer overlap the film by a little all the way around and the bottom layer fit the piece perfectly, this way it holds it in place.
I figure I can get 5 shots of this size out of a 120 roll. Would be a fun experiment at the very least.
I've also been considering trying to make a simple mask that will allow me to use cut strips of 120 film in the camera as well since it's cheap and would make lovely landscapes if run along the 5" side of the camera. I did some quick mockups and i think if I just layer 2 pieces of thicker paper, construction paper or cover stock I can make a nice mask that will hold a cut strip of 6cmx12.7cm approx. I was going to make the top layer overlap the film by a little all the way around and the bottom layer fit the piece perfectly, this way it holds it in place.
I figure I can get 5 shots of this size out of a 120 roll. Would be a fun experiment at the very least.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
I fear you are guessing wrong. Consider, after all, paper negatives, which rely on the transparency of the paper. You might have more success if you interleaved the paper with black aluminium foil (Roscoe Cinefoil) but the thickness of the sandwich would rapidly build up.
Cheers,
R.
alienmeatsack
Well-known
Roger, it was just an idea. I think if nothing else, with the slow speed of the paper, it could produce some interesting light background hints of the photos above each shot as they layered. 😀
A few shots from this past Friday in the Obscura on the Harman DP paper...
Light Post by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
(Not sure what happened there on the right.)
Self-Portrait - Two Positions by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
And for comparison, here's a slightly underexposed shot from the Obscura on Ilford Delta 100 film (vs the Harman Direct Positive paper).
Obscura - YardTest by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
(I actually did this shot to compare how this camera looked in comparison to a cookie can pinhole camera I'm making, same shot from it seen here.)
I've not done any color with it yet but I have some Portra film on order now.
A few shots from this past Friday in the Obscura on the Harman DP paper...
Light Post by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
(Not sure what happened there on the right.)
Self-Portrait - Two Positions by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
And for comparison, here's a slightly underexposed shot from the Obscura on Ilford Delta 100 film (vs the Harman Direct Positive paper).
Obscura - YardTest by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
(I actually did this shot to compare how this camera looked in comparison to a cookie can pinhole camera I'm making, same shot from it seen here.)
I've not done any color with it yet but I have some Portra film on order now.
lynnb
Veteran
Noticeably sharper than the cookie can..
Please add the Portra shots to this thread - will be interesting to see.
Please add the Portra shots to this thread - will be interesting to see.
Similar threads
