DIY Anamorphic camera with music box mechanism 'timer'

[Iain P]

Hi all, I've been experimenting with making a medium format anamorphic pinhole camera which can take roll film.
I've finally managed to make and use something I'm pleased with, and here are the results.
The first link shows the design and build, and the second shows the resulting images. Now I just need to perfect the camera and learn how to use it properly!
Regards, Iain
https://fouragesofsand.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-ip-mark-9-diy-anamorphic-pinhole.html
https://fouragesofsand.blogspot.com/2019/03/first-results-from-diy-anamorphic.html

 

[Grandpa Ron]

Very clever, the ingenuity of some folk never fails to amaze me.
Interesting shots to say the least. Keep up the good work.

 

[Iain P]

Thanks. I've been watching your experiments and progress with interest too! I've improved (I hope) the camera today and will shoot some more film tomorrow.

 

[AgX]

Am still puzzled by your set-up of tubes and I do not see a anamorphic effect as the fillm seemingly is exposed when at right angle to the optical axis.

 

[Iain P]

sorry, I should have explained re the tubes (see 1st photo attached). There is a delivery and a take up tube, and 2 others guide the film into the main cylinder. The other 2 just provide support and stability to hold the 4 tubes in place. The pinhole goes at the top of the cylinder, fitted into the lid of the box. The FOV is a doughnut shape outlined by the red and blue lines. The pinhole is perpendicular to the film surface, so the light entering it directly appears at the bottom of the cylinder where there is no film. hope that makes sense.

Iain

 

[AgX]

Thank you, now I understand. I was completely off track...

I was lead astray by the term amorphic. But meanwhile I realised that it is employed in the pinhole world in a very broad meaning. (And after clicking on your first link I forgot that there still is a second link with the resp. amorphic images. Sorry. for the hassle.)

 

[AgX]

In a compilation of camera sounds your sample shure would take a special place.

 

[Iain P]

Thanks AG ;-) My fault for the lack of clarity. I only actually understood how (this kind) of anamorphic camera works after actually making it! And as you say, it means different things to different people, and something quite different in the digital world.

 

[Jim Jones]

The concept of a pinhole centered in the end of a Pringles can may be extended with sheet film as shown here. The image on the negative was 8.7x7.8 inches. Since the required exposure is greater near the end of the camera distant from the pinhole than near the pinhole, the exposure was varied along the length of the Pringles can by sliding a tube up the can. Exposure was from 10 to 200 seconds on Kodak Tri-X film. A tripod socket fixed to the far end of the camera provided the flexibility needed for capturing some images. The camera was pointed at the sky a little bit above the image area. The dark areas on each side of the picture are shadows of buildings on one building and on the sidewalk the tripod was standing on.

 

[Iain P]

That's a great shot Jim! I can see that architectural subjects show off the features of this kind of camera more than subjects in nature. Looking forward to trying something similar. I imagine, for example, the inside of a church would be quite something.

 

[Iain P]

Here are the results from the "new improved" anamorphic camera. Making a 0.34 mm diameter pinhole worked much better with the maximum 85 mm focal length. Still a steep learning curve though....
https://fouragesofsand.blogspot.com/2019/04/new-improved-anamorphic-pinhole-camera.html