The Pinhole Project: Revisited.

[Ash]

actually... I found this: http://www.blog.co.uk/index.php/alspix/2005/12/31/matchbox_pinhole~428481 😀

 

[Stephan]

Some people expose onto printing paper not film.

Yep, tried that last weekend with a shoebox, the results were really nice but having a negative to be able to print something large (and in positive, without the hit and miss rigmarole of using the first print as an overlay) would be really nice. I'll probably try sticking some rolle film to the back of the box and see how that works out.

PS: I used a handy table at halfway down this article http://www.galerie-photo.com/stenope.html for information about focal length and F/stop relative to the size of the hole, could be usefull to anyone here wanting to make one 😉 (mesures on the table are in millimetres by the way)

 

[BrianShaw]

Yep, tried that last weekend with a shoebox, the results were really nice but having a negative to be able to print something large (and in positive, without the hit and miss rigmarole of using the first print as an overlay) would be really nice. I'll probably try sticking some rolle film to the back of the box and see how that works out.

Good for you... actually trying it and succeeding! Perhaps you might consider sheet film if you haven't worked out a roll film holder yet. Sheet film is a lot thicker than roll film and you won't have film curl issues.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I do want some opinions on materials.

I think that foamcore would be a good thing to use for the cameras because it's cheap and easily available. It's also light tight and can be painted matte black. On the other hand, wood is a more permanent material...I'd be worried about the outside of the foamcore board if I got stuck in the rain. Foamcore would be lighter, but wood would feel more sturdy. Foamcore would be easier to cut and really only require a box knife, but wood would finally push me into getting that darn Dremel I've been wanting.

I registered at f295.org as well so that I can get the opinion of people there...but I thought it might interest a few people here as well. 🙂

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Some people make pinhole cameras from paint cans or coffee cans.

 

[narsuitus]

Don't forget that your Argus C3 also makes a good pinhole camera.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

It leaks. I'll be replacing it with one that hopefully won't leak soon, but the lens on it is too good to use it as a pinhole. 😉

 

[narsuitus]

Yes, the 50mm f/3.5 Cintar is a darn good lens.

Since the C3 is an interchangeable lens camera, unscrewing and removing the lens does the lens no harm.

 

[rbiemer]

I do want some opinions on materials.

Stephanie,
I ultimately ended up with cameras that used both wood and foamcore:
a wood "base plate" so that I could use a 1/4-20 T-nut for a tripod screw and foamcore for the rest of the body. Black core foamboard is available and makes getting things lighttight much easier. My usual practice was to glue the joints with Elmer's and then tape the outside edges with electrical tape. For the inside joints, I used black construction paper cut into narrow strips and glued in place. The electrical tape is pretty good at being opaque but I thought it was too shiny for the inside of my cameras.
If you're concerned about weather resistance, a coat of acrylic paint on the outside will work pretty good. I discovered(by ruining a camera) that the typical can of spray paint was not a good idea: the foam in the foamcore will melt if it gets any solvent on it.
I liked building the cameras just aout as much as using them, to be honest.

Yep, tried that last weekend with a shoebox, the results were really nice but having a negative to be able to print something large (and in positive, without the hit and miss rigmarole of using the first print as an overlay) would be really nice. I'll probably try sticking some rolle film to the back of the box and see how that works out.

Stephan,
If you have(or can get the use of) a flat-bed scanner, you could scan your paper negative and print digitally to what ever size you want(and have a printer for). Or there is transparency film made for inkjet printers(mainly for overhead projection, I think) that you could use to print a negative to use in an enlarger.
Rob