Antique Pinhole Cameras

Brian Schmidt · Nov 17, 2016

Has anybody ever seen one?

It sure seems like they are a new-ish fad based on a really old idea. I have never seen an old pinhole camera in an antique store (or anywhere for that matter). Why is this?

Lets discuss this. It could be quite interesting.

-Brian

DWThomas · Nov 17, 2016

Can't recall having seen any. My ignorant speculation would be the tendency for them to be DIY projects from salvaged material, old cigar boxes, etc. might mean they were later re-purposed -- or used for kindling!

kier · Nov 17, 2016

I have no evidence, but I'd speculate that antique pinhole cameras just look like old boxes, and so don't make it to the antique store

grussmir · Nov 18, 2016

Pinhole cameras are not a very old invention, at least as photogaphic tools. Of course the pinhole principle is long known, we have written evidence from antique Greek and some scientists from the University of Lousville, KY have a wild theory on its use as what they call paleo camera (http://paleo-camera.com).

But to use it as photographic tools one needs rather fast photographic material, so the first pinhole cameras in use as a real camera should date from the invention of developed out silver emulsions (not printout paper) so we can savely date this to the 1870ies.

Pinhole got common for a time around the turn of the 20. century with pictorialist movement.
I recall vaguely to having seen one on an online auction, but can't remember any details. Seemed to be the classic wooden box with pinhole from somewhere 1890-1900... but thats a rough guess based on my fading memory

grussmir · Nov 19, 2016

Found this extensive textsource at the moment:
http://photo.net/learn/pinhole/pinhole
"The oldest extant pinhole photographs were probably made by the English archeologist Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) during his excavations in Egypt in the 1880s. Two of his photographs are reproduced in Renner (1995:39,40). It should be noted that Petrie's camera had a simple lens in front of the pinhole."

Gerald C Koch · Nov 19, 2016

Until the widespread use of lasers it was very difficult to make a really good, symmetric pinhole. This would limit the popularity of pinhole cameras.

Jim Jones · Nov 19, 2016

Gerald C Koch said:
Until the widespread use of lasers it was very difficult to make a good pinhole.

Not so. In the early years of pinhole photography, a higher degree of personal craftsmanship was pervasive. People often made do with whatever was at hand, or did without. Photographic journals and books of a hundred years ago included articles on fabricating and using pinhole cameras. Accurate pinholes can be made by photo printing, punching, drilling, and perhaps even etching in addition to the traditional methods using a pin or needle. The precision of these methods may well equal or better that of the laser. Perhaps it is easier for someone already set up for laser fabrication than for someone with a packet of sewing pins and some fine sandpaper, but it seems less challenging. Unlike the easy way out, progress is a result of rising to challenges.

DWThomas · Nov 19, 2016

I think Jim is 100% correct on this one. There are many ways to get there, and it is mostly a matter of careful process and close attention to details. I view laser cutting, and CNC for larger parts, as a volume production technique that may or may not produce higher precision than a skilled craftsman doing a one-off. In many cases those methods are more about consistency and allowing less skilled operators to crank out parts than ultimate precision. Since the ideal pinhole has a knife edge, that might encourage an etching method, which tends to undercut the resist and result in a hole that is slightly conical, with a sharp edge at the smallest diameter. I personally have gotten some pretty impressive results with the dimple and sand method, especially in larger format cameras. (And then too, it depends on what you want from your pinhole photography! )

Brian Schmidt · Nov 19, 2016

I figured pinhole cameras would be somewhat popular in the early dry plate days as it would allow anybody to have a camera without buying a lens and high speed shutter. Of course, for the same reason of simplicity and low cost, they would probably appear quite bland or thrown together (as said above with the cigar box example). They would then end up in the trash when somebody got tired of them or got a more versatile camera.

Good points, everybody.

Brian

Gerald C Koch · Nov 20, 2016

My point was that if the pinhole camera did not produce good results then it would not make it to the "antique" stage.

rubbernglue · Feb 26, 2017

This item made me remember this thread, to quote the seller,

The Kodak Pinhole Camera was distributed to school children as a science project in and around 1930. It was a 'kit camera'...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/302231420886

AgX · Feb 26, 2017

I never heard of this kit. Thank you.

wahiba · Feb 26, 2017

They were around as I remember an old photo book with some examples in. However as they would be using plate cameras where the lens and shutter unit could be removed i suspect the pin hole unit was probably added as required.

I think I saw one in the museum the other day, adjustable pinhole. I was just mooching around the Kodak collection in Bradford while waiting for a film to start. Will try and look more closely next time.

Andrew K · Feb 26, 2017

the Kodak kit is uncommon, mostly because they were designed to be cheap to manufacture and were normally discarded after use.

Pinhole lenses for large format were common in the late 1800's. Some had a single pinhole in them, others had a turret with several pinholes depending on the focal length you were using.

http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_L103.html

There was also a folding pinhole camera made in France around the end of the 19th century - it took a single sheet of film maybe 2x3 inches in size. There was also a solid cardboard one made in Americe around the same time by the Glen Camera Company - https://www.flickr.com/photos/bancoimagenes/2258517222/in/pool-toycamera

From the 1960's onwards there were several commercially made pinhole cameras and camera kits made. Sorry I'm not at home so I can't name them - I probably have a dozen or so in my camera collection

Antique Pinhole Cameras

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