First pinhole camera, 2018

Poisson Du Jour · Feb 8, 2018

Theo Sulphate said:
Sorry - I should've provided more details. I know two people who have the ZeroImage 6x6 pinhole cameras. We both use 120-format color film and have it printed at the same place (I'm looking at actual prints, not a monitor). Theirs appear less soft than mine. The only thing I can think of is that I was using old film and increasing exposure to compensate. Even so, most of my exposures run from one minute to 20 minutes.

The ZeroImage 2000 6x6 has an effective aperture of f/138.

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Issues with film flatness across the film gate have been reported across Zero Image cameras, particularly at and above 6x9 and especially 6x12. The flatness mechanism inside is rather rudimentary. And if the format slats are not fully seated, but ajar, that might have a bearing on softness. But I question whether film flatness is this culprit if you are using the 6x6. You can use more than one operating aperture besides the common f22: mine is f16, f19 and f22, set to the 6x6 format — the most common format in my own work.

Twenty minutes is too long to loiter. Newbies to pinhole often get antsy about these long exposure times. I detest them so keep them low. Whenever possible, I keep mine to between 8 and 20 minutes, tops. I am not the type to sit cross-legged in the dirt singing Kumbuya while a pinhole counts down its hour-long exposure!

NedL · Feb 8, 2018

Poisson Du Jour said:
...Too many people actually sharpen their pinhole camera photographs, because they want them to appear like a Zeiss lens! Ilford trumpets the Titan pinhole as having better sharpness than a lot of pinhole cameras, and then users go and sharpen the images again! Seriously, let a pinhole camera be a pinhole camera.

Amen

Sometimes it's not possible to show what it really looks like on a computer screen, because the image must be downsized and that also creates a kind of sharpening which hides the true character of the print -- the softness can be at a small scale. The amount of detail on a large pinhole negative can be amazing, though. I often think my "digital versions" look too sharp and because of that are missing something of the character of the picture.

I don't mind waiting hour(s) for my exposure -- often it means I set a tin can in place and then go for a hike, picking it up on my way home. But most of mine are measured in minutes not hours.

Theo Sulphate · Feb 9, 2018

Poisson Du Jour said:
... if the format slats are not fully seated, but ajar, that might have a bearing on softness. ... You can use more than one operating aperture besides the common f22...

Unlike the multiformat models, on the ZeroImage 2000 6x6 there are no slats: only the top cover and back are removable. The surface upon which the film is guided as it moves from feed to take-up spool is fixed. However, I have questioned whether it is sufficiently flat in my camera. I do check that the flat spring pushes against the spools sufficiently and I do try to tension the film with the wind knob before exposure.

As for the aperture, I have no selection disks as the other models do, so my aperture is fixed at f/138.

Twenty minutes is too long to loiter. Newbies to pinhole often get antsy about these long exposure times. I detest them so keep them low. Whenever possible, I keep mine to between 8 and 20 minutes, tops. I am not the type to sit cross-legged in the dirt singing Kumbuya while a pinhole counts down its hour-long exposure!

Heh. I once sat 15 minutes in front of my camera for a self portrait. My tendency is to use slow film - nothing faster than 100. I like to see the effects of time in my images.

Jim Jones · Feb 9, 2018

Sharpness in a properly exposed pinhole image is controlled by pinhole diameter and quality, not by film. Camera movement can easily contribute to unsharpness. For best resolution, the pinhole should be within several percent of optimum diameter. If larger, resolution is degraded due to geometric optics. If smaller, diffraction limits sharpness.

TheFlyingCamera · Feb 9, 2018

I have two pinhole cameras - a 4x5 (the Travelwide 65mm EFL that clocks in around an f/125 IIRC) and a Vermeer 6x18 that's an f/300. It's probably also about a 65mm. The 6x18 has a hemispheric film plane (it's curved instead of flat, and there's a good reason for it - a flat film plane would have the corners, and in the case of a 6x18, significant portions of the sides of the image, farther away from the pinhole than the center, so you'd get significant vignetting unless you made the camera have a very long focal length). If you want to check these out, here's the link: http://vermeer.gbzl.pl/strona_eng/sprzet.htm

Lux Optima · Feb 10, 2018

Welcome to the wonderful world of pinholes!

For 120 I would recommend, as so many others already did, one of the extremely stylish and practical ONDU cameras. I love mine, a 6x6, it is really very easy to load/change the film. The haptic is outstanding, the results are stunning. If you are interested in a shutter release and a filter system (as well as a panoramic version) contact the creator of ONDU, Elvis, via his ONDU page. I am sure there are some new models in the pipe, if I read his Facebook postings and his emails correctly.

Any Ondu will do it for a start. Once you are in you will instantly realize, that there are so many things to shot that you will want to make your next pimhole yourself. A very good book for pinhole DIY is "The pinhole camera" by Brian J. Krummel. He will provide you with enough information for a good start! This book is even an inspiration if you don't want to make a pinhole yourself, due to a pinhole artist section with amazing pictures.

TheTrailTog · Feb 10, 2018

Theo Sulphate said:
For some reason, my ZeroImage 6x6 photos are noticeably softer than images I've seen from others having this same model.

I realize sharpness shouldn't be a prime attribute in pinhole photography, but some of those photos I've seen have amazed me.

You are not alone. I also have noticed that my Back to Nature 2000 is softer than most photos I have seen from other 2000s. I don't necessarily find it to be a bad thing, just a different aesthetic than I expected when ordering.

M Carter · Feb 14, 2018

And another take - get one of the old Isolettes from eBay, unscrew the lens element, stick a pinhole in the shutter. Nice to have a cable release, film advance and counter.

I saw the earlier post where someone did that - but I ended up dremeling off the doors and struts, I wanted a wider angle camera. Some 1/8 plywood and black paint, it did take a few hours to make.

Nick Dvoracek · Feb 15, 2018

elmartinj said:
So I think I really really really want to get into pinhole. I think I'd rather go with a 120 film (I have no gear for developing LF). I wanted some recommendations on pinhole cameras and formats. I'm having a hard time for making my mind on 6x7, 6x6, or 6x9. I'd want something that's not that bulky, but I'm hearing all options. I also don't know much about focal distances in pinhole photography what's convenient and what's not. Thanks in advance! (Budget's not a huge issue, but I'd rather buy something that's not that expensive)

You can make a camera as good as the commercial ones out of stuff you already have. http://pinholica.blogspot.com/2017/03/10th-anniversary-edition-populist-plans.html

LJClark · Jul 7, 2018

Theo Sulphate said:
Unlike the multiformat models, on the ZeroImage 2000 6x6 there are no slats: only the top cover and back are removable. The surface upon which the film is guided as it moves from feed to take-up spool is fixed. However, I have questioned whether it is sufficiently flat in my camera. I do check that the flat spring pushes against the spools sufficiently and I do try to tension the film with the wind knob before exposure.

One might question the practice of tensioning the film just before exposure. After tensioning the film, if there is no mechanical method to hold the film in place at the film plane, the film will attempt to adjust itself to an "at rest" position. In theory, both film spools are inefficient coil springs. Just like some other activities, tension is often followed by relaxation. If that relaxation occurs during the exposure -- especially for shorter shutter speeds -- there could be a noticeable loss of sharpness. I know that some consider the softer look of pinhole an essential aesthetic element -- but there is no sense in giving away IQ in the camera.

For short exposures, perhaps a gentle swat or two after winding, followed by a short wait, would allow roll film to settle in place. For those lonnnngggggg shots, it wouldn't matter.

First pinhole camera, 2018

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