Filters in front of or behind pinhole?

[Rlibersky]

Is there a difference where the filter is placed. For my application it would be easier to tape it inside the camera.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

That would preclude moving the camera by bumping it while holding a filter in front of it. Whatever is easiest, go for it. Never occured to me before to place on behind the pinhole but I'll have to store that one for later.

 

[papagene]

I tried a filter behind the pinhole of my Zone Zero 6x6 and every bit of dust and scratches appeared in the print, a little fuzzy but there none the less. This might ad to the aura of the image, depending on what you are after.
Just my experience with this.

gene

 

[Jon Shiu]

I have used a red filter inside my Santa Barbara Pinhole camera (4x5 75mm) with great results. I put two strips of double sided scotch tape on either side of the hole and just stuck a 49mm screw in filter on it. Easy to put on or take off. I did it that way because the shutter on the camera is just a cork-like plug.

Jon

 

[Rlibersky]

Thanks, It didn't occur to me about the dust issue. I will make sure it is a clean filter going on. The double back tape is a good idea to. It is the bumping of the camera I'm trying to keep from happening by placing it behind the hole.

Jon can I assume the attachments are the pictures you described?

 

[Jon Shiu]

Yes, these were taken with the red filter held in place with the double sided scotch tape, 3 to 5 minute exposures, but the negs are a little dense.

Jon

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Empty slide carriers are a great holder for gel filters, and you can make a little drop-in slot inside behind the p-hole.

 

[Lee L]

You can also buy a cheap used/broken filter and attach that to the outside or inside of a pinhole camera permanently. As long as the threads on that are good, you can use it to attach any threaded filters of the same size that you might have on hand. There are also threaded gel holders that you could attach in this way.

In studio, I used to always attach gels to the back of the lens inside the view cameras for color correction. This kept the gels clean, away from fingerprints and settling dust, and out of the direct line of sight to lights. Voss and others made such holders, which gripped the back of the lens with a spring metal clamp padded with rubber. You could stack multiple gels in them for critical color balance.

Lee

 

[j.green]

I glued a wratten #8 filter right in front of, and in touch with the pinhole. No dust problems, but strange lightrays coming in from different directions, sometimes even without the sun being in front of the camera. Not always an adding feature as it is totally unpredictible.

Gr.

 

[PhotoBob]

thanks

Thanks guys ... this thread has been interesting to read.
I've attached a deep red inside my Zero 4x5 when using IR film, but so far the results are not as expected and I'll need to greatly modify my exposure times.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Hi Randy. I also use 29R filters behind the pinhole. I use gel filters, which I cut into pieces to fit empty 35mm slide carriers for easy handling. I think I got six filters from one gel. A pop of canned air before loading the film seems sufficient to keep dust off.

 

[Larry Bullis]

I tried a filter behind the pinhole of my Zone Zero 6x6 and every bit of dust and scratches appeared in the print, a little fuzzy but there none the less. This might ad to the aura of the image, depending on what you are after.
Just my experience with this.

gene

My experience with dust etc. using pinhole has been so bad for this reason that I decided that it simply isn't worth it. I was supposed to contribute an article about using filters with pinhole. I declined for that reason.

The only way I could think it would work alright would be to use a heavily died gelatin and actually fill the hole with it.

I just thought of another way, though. Using long exposures, you could keep the filter in motion for the duration of the exposure.

Keeping the filter clean as has been suggested, and the idea of putting the filter right up against the hole are very good ideas. In my experiments, it was impossible for me to keep the filter clean, working out in the desert in Eastern Washington with the wind blowing.

If you were to use the filter right up against the pinhole, it might not produce the noted anomalies if the filter were taped inside. Worth trying.