First trip with my 8x20 pinhole

Kami-the-Trout · Jan 10, 2010

Built an 8x20 pinhole over the Christmas break, just did my first trip with it. I'm thrilled with the results, the 'big box' worked perfectly.

It's a 300 mm focal length with a .650 mm laser drilled pinhole, giving f/450(ish). I use f/512 for exposure calculations. FOV is about the same as a 20mm lens on 35mm film. A nice wide panorama.

I built an 8x20 sheet film holder from black foam core, mat board and duct tape. The camera is built like a big shoe box sort of. The film holder goes in (sits on a lip inside the box) and lid fits over, to seal the light.

My shutter is an old wooden Montecristo Cuban cigar box, (which is suprisingly well made). Open to expose, close to end the exposure.

I'm surprised at how sharp the results were. Good resolution and very little fall off. (The thing is almost too good; I was hoping for a little 'pinhole funk' . . .

Film is Efke 100, developed in HC110, Dil H, for 14 minutes. My plan is to contact print the negs as VDBs and albumen prints. Maybe even some bromoil.

First Pic:

The camera:http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4259916563_c9afb8af58_b.jpg

Mark Fisher · Jan 10, 2010

That, my friend, is one big camera!

bobwysiwyg · Jan 10, 2010

Mark Fisher said:
That, my friend, is one big camera!

++1!

It does take a nice picture for sure. How long was the exposure?

Kami-the-Trout · Jan 10, 2010

This exposure was five minutes. I've worked out a table that shows for the most part, exposures should be between 1min 30secs and 60 mins, figuring for reciprocity.

My G10 (which I use for my meter) metered this scene at ISO100 at 1/100@f/8. That translates to five minutes on my pinhole, reciprocity factored in. The worst case scenario, from what I can tell, will be if the G10 says the scene is 1/15@f/8. That equals 60 mins on the pinhole.

If it's darker than that I probably won't shoot, as a 60-minute exposure is probably all my patience will be able to endure.

Poisson Du Jour · Jan 10, 2010

That must be the ultimate camera obscura, an humungous 8x20, and it looks very well engineered, too! I do like the ultra-wide view and definition does appear good (assuming no sharpness has been applied by Photochopping!). I agree with your comment regarding a perceived lack of "pinhole funk" (there goes a term with clout!); I don't want my pinhole images to exhibit the razor sharpness of my Canon L-series optics!

I will shortly be changing the format in my Zero Image from 6x6 to the "ultra-wide enough for me" 6x9.

Efke sounds like an interesing film in the old classic mould, but my Pro lab was unaware of the need for a hardener to be applied (or somesuch) due to its perceived "frailty".

Kami-the-Trout · Jan 10, 2010

No sharpening at all, just Levels adjusted. I had to scan the neg in two parts on my Epson V700, however, and reassemble the image in PS.

My plan is to contact print these, as soon as I update my UV printing system to print the bigger negs.

And the pinhole is not as sharp as a Canon L, for sure; there's some softness. I think I might pick up a zone plate or sieve to try out as well. And perhaps I'll get more pinholeishness with more direct 'in-the'lens' kind of light. Things to play with.

If not, I built a dirt cheap LF 8x20 camera . . .

Here's a link to the 100 per cent size, raw scan of the neg. It's not the best scan, just a quick rough one to get it digital . . .

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2098000/sunnyside2.jpg

Poisson Du Jour · Jan 10, 2010

Wherever you are, it looks bloody cold too (USA?), which is in stark contrast to the 43°c heat being experienced in Victoria, Australia at this moment quote torrid indeed...

A Zone Plate will make your image extremely soft and indistinct (I had and still have the option of a ZP on my Zero Image); it's a much more 'abstract' interpolation of the scene before the pinhole than what you have, but still ideal for a try to compare the two styles. I personally have no wish for any degree of sharpness in my pinhole images (as opposed to definition ); very happy with all the effects, just need my car back from the repairer to continue the work so rudely interrupted on 13th December by a bingle...

Kami-the-Trout · Jan 10, 2010

Good point on sharpness versus definition . . .

As far as temp up here (I'm in B.C., Canada), the temp this past week has been about -2C — pretty darned livable for winter here actually. It was -22C before Christmas. Now, 43C is just plain nasty, although we hit 40C here in our summer as well, which is your winter, of course.

And what the heck is a bingle?

Mark Fisher · Jan 10, 2010

If you want less sharp, just use a less optimum pinhole. I've only made a couple of pinhole cameras, but I noticed that my home-made pinhole (pop can, needle and sandpaper to make pinhole) was much less sharp than a laser cut pinhole with approximately the same pinhole size. You could also use a larger or smaller pinhole.

Poisson Du Jour · Jan 10, 2010

Kami-the-Trout said:
Good point on sharpness versus definition . . .

As far as temp up here (I'm in B.C., Canada), the temp this past week has been about -2C pretty darned livable for winter here actually. It was -22C before Christmas. Now, 43C is just plain nasty, although we hit 40C here in our summer as well, which is your winter, of course.

And what the heck is a bingle?

Sorry, a bingle to us in Australia is an accident in the carusually a minor one (though this "minor" one has put my car off the road for a month!!)
On 13/12 I was distracted in heavy rain by two red signs advising oh-so-politely of bushwalkers using the road I was on also, then before I know it instead of following the road as it curved, I went up the embankment! Didn't even know I'd hit it until the mud stopped flying...

largeformat pat · Jan 10, 2010

I thought a bingle only was when a 8 x 10 field camera slipped. Kami the trout a lovely image. I looking at enlarging one of my view cameras, not pinhole, however copying and enlarging the rear standard out to 16 x 20inch. Again well done both the camera and image.

Randy_Va · Jan 11, 2010

I love the cigar box shutter.

Looks beautiful compared to my in-process 4x5 pinhole downstairs.

Ric Johnson · Jan 11, 2010

excellant... photograph, film, exposure time and camera. You should be really happy.

Kami-the-Trout · Jan 11, 2010

Ric Johnson said:
excellant... photograph, film, exposure time and camera. You should be really happy.

Thanks Ric.

Honestly, I'm surprised it all came together on the first exposure. I thought for sure I'd waste a few sheets of film to fine tune it all. Had I known, I might have spent a little more time pondering this scene's composition . . .

Next time.

SMBooth · Jan 11, 2010

How can you "waste" 8 x 20 film... nice camera make my 8x10 pinhole small. The shutter is a cool touch.

Kami-the-Trout · Jan 11, 2010

SMBooth said:
How can you "waste" 8 x 20 film... nice camera make my 8x10 pinhole small. The shutter is a cool touch.

Ummm, pretty easily. I've wasted lots of 8x10 film in my day, usually with light leaks, poor exposures and developing errors.

Although I suppose every mistake is a lesson, meaning it's not really a waste.

walter23 · Jan 12, 2010

Mark Fisher said:
If you want less sharp, just use a less optimum pinhole. I've only made a couple of pinhole cameras, but I noticed that my home-made pinhole (pop can, needle and sandpaper to make pinhole) was much less sharp than a laser cut pinhole with approximately the same pinhole size. You could also use a larger or smaller pinhole.

Thicker material (for the pinhole) will give more vignette, too, as the off-center points will receive much less light. Might get some of those weird reflection and/or diffraction flare effects too.

First trip with my 8x20 pinhole

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