converting box cameras to pinhole

I'm pondering converting an old box camera with no lens into a pinhole camera. I was going to put the pinhole disk in place of the glass lens and hopefully breath new life into the camera. I know I'll have to do calculations to determine the f-stop equivalent of the pinhole diameter and other things but I just want feedback as to whether this is actually worth doing or will it be an exercise in futility and frustration.

Doug

spoolman said:

I'm pondering converting an old box camera with no lens into a pinhole camera. I was going to put the pinhole disk in place of the glass lens and hopefully breath new life into the camera. I know I'll have to do calculations to determine the f-stop equivalent of the pinhole diameter and other things but I just want feedback as to whether this is actually worth doing or will it be an exercise in futility and frustration.

Doug

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I've done it and it worked well. only trouble is I have to hold the shutter release open with a rubber band.

RalphLambrecht said:

I've done it and it worked well. only trouble is I have to hold the shutter release open with a rubber band.

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Hello Ralph: thanks for replying. Does it matter whether the pinhole disc is placed in front of,or behind,where the glass lens was.

Doug

In the more common Kodak box cameras, the pinhole can be placed where the lens was or slightly in front of there. If it is attached to the front of the camera, the corners of the image will be blocked off. Check to see of the body of the camera cuts off the corner of the picture before shooting film. Many of these cameras have a tab on the top of the camera that can be pulled up for time exposures. They may also have waterhouse stops to give some variation in exposure, and tripod sockets for horizontal and vertical formats. Most are in working condition, even after a hundred years! If not, an amateur tinkerer can usually fix them.

I've converted several - box, collapsing barrel, and TLR. My favorites were the Kodak Duoflex TLRs as you can see approximately at what you are aiming the camera which works great when shooting from ground level. One of the box cameras had flip in dual apertures and I just put the pinhole on the aperture. A camera having a T shutter setting is a bonus.

I've converted Isolettes to 6x6 pinholes (but chopped off the folding stuff to make them really wide). The shutter and cable release is really really nice to have. I also made a 4x5 pinhole and used an Isolette shutter for it.

I've had good luck with the laser-cut pinholes from eBay, though my soda-can lens was also very good.