I just jumped right into the deep end....

scootermm · Feb 1, 2005

I always liked to just jump into the deep end when I was little.

so I made a pinhole camera yesterday. an 8x20 one no less.

heres the first shot I took with it, used 16x20 ilford MGIV RC paper cut in half to 8x20.

also here is a few shots of the camera itself.
http://scootermagruder.com/temp/8x20pinhole/galleryb.php

I still need to do more work on it.... the hole I cut in the wood isnt quite wide enough the wood is actually in the shot on the left so I need to widen the hole that the piece of metal with the pinhole covers. and Im planning on adding a long hinge to the back and remove the black foamboard and replacing it with wood so the entire construction is wood. also need to paint the interior black as I think that will help with overall contrast and exposure.

Jim Moore · Feb 1, 2005

That is just too cool Matt

Jim

rbarker · Feb 1, 2005

Nifty. How is it for backpacking?

scootermm · Feb 1, 2005

I think if I just glued two straps to the bottom it would work out wonderfully as a backpack.

although to back pack it somewhere for one shot wouldnt make much sense.

its pretty much a "load it with some paper (or film perhaps soon) then haul it to take a shot.... then haul it back and develope it" type camera.

Deniz · Feb 1, 2005

rbarker said:
Nifty. How is it for backpacking?

well looks like you can pack your backpack in it

rogueish · Feb 1, 2005

No problem! A small changing bag (read tent) would take care of that.
When I first saw the picture, I thought my buddy finally found a buyer for his homemande speakers...

rbarker · Feb 1, 2005

scootermm said:
. . . although to back pack it somewhere for one shot wouldnt make much sense.

Yeah, but just think of what you could charge for that one-of, paper print original of a remote Tibetan village! (tee hee)

Bottom line, your 8x20 pinhole is cool, with or without the carrying straps.

noseoil · Feb 1, 2005

Scooter, make no small plans, eh what? Very nice. tim

oriecat · Feb 1, 2005

That's neat. I still need to make myself one and try doing this.

How long of an exposure did you do?

scootermm · Feb 1, 2005

Thanks for the comments all.
I managed to get one just now at this old school complex near downtown austin. its in the process of drying so Ill post it later on. but its a much better exposed shot than the first two. I filled out the wood so that it wouldnt show through in the paper neg anymore and its almost perfect.... such a wide angle view as well. really kind of like it.

The exposure on that first shot was 35mins. I took it at about 5pm last night so given the sun was going down and it was already overcast I just let it sit there for a long while. in retrospect I probably could have managed a 1hr exposure and had better detail in the apartment siding etc.

it was fun to actually create a camera with my own two hands. great sense of accomplishment when I actually get a discernable image from it.

Ill definetaly be creating more of these. VERY fun.

Nige · Feb 1, 2005

luv it!

TPPhotog · Feb 1, 2005

Nice picture and great looking camera, who says size isn't everything !

scootermm · Feb 1, 2005

I figured it was my own "economical" means to shoot the banquet format.

Im contemplating using one of my old wollensak lenses and seeing if it will work on it.

scootermm · Feb 1, 2005

really pleased with how this one turned out

Jeremy · Feb 1, 2005

Me too!

kwmullet · Feb 2, 2005

Literally awe-inspiring!

A year and a half ago, I would have NEVER thought I'd get all cranked up about brownie and pinhole photography. Thanks to my fellow APUGers, I have lots of fun with my 'antique' cameras and am now chomping at the bit to make a few pinhole cameras.

Scootermm: how did you arrive at the pinhole size? Did you just make one that was convenient, or use one of the calculators on the net or what?

-KwM-

scootermm · Feb 2, 2005

kwmullet
I used the pinhole calculator on mrpinhole.com
I want to use a banquet format (7x17 is my dream camera) I ended up using 8x20 because I had a packet of 16x20 ilford paper I could use immediately to create these paper negs. I punched in the focal length I wanted to use (I love wide angle - both for the field of view and the compactness) I ended up deciding on 12"/305mm focal length. punched all that in and it gave me an optimum pinhole size of .75mm so I used some thin aluminum I got at a hobby shop and gently punched the pinhole, and after some sweat and blood (yep I bled a little) ...
voila.

maxn · Feb 7, 2005

nice stuff scooter (and pretty funny to see you here after sharing photos on b.com ). I have
a trick which I found this weekend, since I notice you tape your paper to the back: double sided
tape. If you dont have any, or its too thick, put pieces of tape *face up* (facing the pinhole) on the
back, then tape it down all all four sides with other tape... kind of like making hinges for mats.
I actually prefer this latter method b/c double sided tape tends to be way too sticky.

Nathan Smith · Apr 7, 2005

Very cool - I've thought about doing this but haven't managed to follow through. I've thought about making such a camera out of corrugated plastic from the hobby store (like what's used for real estate signs) and joining it with gaffer's tape in such a way that it would fold. I guess you'd have to have some sort of dark slide set up for that though, maybe make one like the Primitive Photography book.

A couple of questions for you Matthew:

Where's the school in the photo? You and I are practically neighbors BTW, I'm just down Hwy230W in 78737.

Also, reading your info page on your site you mentioned getting a woodworker at WhiteWind studios to repair your 8x10 - would you recommend that I contact them for similar repairs? My 5x7 back is broken such that one of the surfaces that the film holder rests on is missing. I can replace it, but I'm anxious about getting it dead level with the other side so the film is properly parallel to the lens.

Thanks,
Nathan

Nathan Smith · Apr 7, 2005

nsmith01tx said:
You and I are practically neighbors BTW, I'm just down Hwy230W in 78737.

Sorry, I fat-fingered that, it's "Hwy290W".

joeyk49 · Apr 8, 2005

You could put wheels on it and trailer it around...but then you'd probably have to register it with the DMV...and insure it, and put lights on it...If you were Amish, you could just paint it black and put a traffic triangle on the back...LOL

Really nice job. The results speak for themselves.

Murray@uptowngallery · Jul 1, 2005

I found the main site, but the given link for the camera was not working...

Murray

I just jumped right into the deep end....

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