4x5 pinhole from K1000

icywarm

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Ok, so I want to build a 4x5 pinhole camera. I ordered two matching 4x5 backs from the classifieds here. I will build a box around that. However, for a shutter I was thinking about stripping down a Pentax K1000, adding a Skink Pinhole Pancake with a pinhole plate around .400mm. I was going to make bellows and a gg back (which I figure a 50mm lens around f/22 should help me compose before adding on the pinhole pancake.) Add on the 4x5 back and use the shutter from the k1000 for my shutter. I will remove the back half of the camera and attach it as possible to a lensboard so I can still access the shutter and shutter speed.

What will/will not work with this?
 

SMBooth

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As long as your film holder is far enough from the back of the camera so it does not vignette it should be OK. Rather elaborate, but OK. Much easier to just make a simple swing shutter, your shutter speeds will be quite slow unless you go A/ very wide angle B/ use fast film C/ your pinhole to big
 

Matthew Rusbarsky

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It would work, but it would be a waste of a K1000 as you are only going to need "B" mode. Mounting the Pentax frame to the lensboard will be more complicated than the rest of the camera. A cheap leaf shutter from an old folder would make things much easier for you. Shutters on pinhole are a bit of an extravagance anyway. I've glued steel washers around my pinholes and used refrigerator magnets for the shutter. Works great.
 
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icywarm

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No functional K1000 will be hurt in the building of this camera.... the one I am going to take apart is sans film winder and the back door is cracked... I bought 5 of them as is from a highschool selling their darkroom stuff...

Don't worry my father's k1000 with 50mm is still functional and used... often...
 

holmburgers

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Sounds like a cool project, I'm glad my film holders are going to a good cause...

But like they're all saying, besides the joy of tearing into an old SLR, I don't think the shutter will provide you with any benefit whatsoever since all your exposures are gonna be quite long.
 
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icywarm

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Yes your holders are going to a good cause... if I like dealing with 4x5's Neg I am going to buy a camera/lens proper, but for now it is about work flow...

I was worried (but I couldn't see how) the SRL body would 'clip' the light.
 

SMBooth

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the SLR body will vignette (clip the light) if the film holder is to close to the body of the SLR. On another point using a 50mm len to compose wont work to well (if at all) as the focus point of the len is 50mm, I think your filmholder is going to be about 100-150mm out from the back of the SLR body so you get a full 4x5 image.
 

Andrew Moxom

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I made a 4x5 pinhole camera some years back... I used a simple wooden paddle as the shutter, but it could use a regular cable release.. It was based around the Skink pinhole fitting and the Skink tripod socket. The shutter is internal and just moves in front of the pinhole from behind.
 

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DWThomas

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What I've now done twice is a sort of external version of Andrew's shutter. I didn't bother with the cable release as the pivot for mine is set to provide enough friction to hold the shutter wherever it's positioned -- sort of always on "B."

Attached is the most recent incarnation - a separate shutter sub-assembly.

(More than you wanted to see of this WPPD 2011 project here. Awaiting some graded RC paper for further testing.)
 

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