Camera Talk

Just an FYI for those who shoot pinhole. I can't recall ever shooting a pinhole photo. Maybe I should convert one of my busted film bodies.

I took a couple of pinholes the other day; 6x6 on TMax100, fixed into the bottom of a Mamiya TLR.



The Mamiya is not particularly wide having a focal length of 70mm, compared with the Record 6x9 which is 40mm.



But the TLR makes for a relatively quick change from one lens to no lens.





Funnily enough this was the first time in many months that we've had decent weather on the weekend, so it was good to get out and developing again. Last year on WWPD it was drizzzzzling and overcast - the forecast is better for this year.

Incidentally, there's now a good little pinhole exposure calculator on the Ilford site ... http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/201 ... 612113.pdf

I think I'm working, but I'll try to get something taken after work on the Day itself to upload to the WPPD website. Then maybe I'll go out again on the Monday. I have done my best pinhole stuff with my Century Graphic, but I have made a couple of biscuit-tin cameras, and one for roll film that was pretty good, if I do say so myself, until I broke it, mended it, broke it, mended it and finally broke it again (it's my winding mechanism that's weak )

This is fun stuff, Guys. It is amazing how the pinhole photographs have a 19th century look to them despite the modern subjects.

Looks like I have to get to converting one of the old 616 or 116 boxes.

I made a pinhole camera out of a cookie tin, but I have no idea of the diameter of the pinhole; what is an easy way to determine the correct exposure without knowing that?

I measured my pinholes using one of those USB toy microscopes. Once I had the hole centred in the microscope, and arranged good lighting, I captured a picture. Blew that up on screen, and measured the width of the hole just by counting the pixels. Then I got a picture of part of a steel rule at the same magnification, so I could turn pixels into millimetres.

I think people also do this by scanning the pinhole.

I guess the alternative is trial exposures.

Turns out I have a lightleak as well as a pinhole ...



Converted Agfa Isolette, Acros.

That's grand! What are the funnelly things in the back?

I had to work, and the light wasn't much good once I was out, but I've taken three pictures today (so I can hold my head up and say I 'did' the Day), and I'll try for some more tomorrow.