Ilford Titan Pinholes have arrived

[pbromaghin]

Fred, according to a guy on Flickr, who had a chat with Mike Walker, you are exactly right. They are on the prototype, but aren't guaranteed to make it to production.

 

[SMBooth]

A offset pinhole can also be use to balance the light, the natural light falloff can act is a grad ND filter to control the over bright sky.

 

[FredW]

good to know, It took a while to think of a reason. Its my most common camera adjustment when doing landscape, a little front rise often does wonders for the composition.

 

[MacReady]

I saw that, around £400 when it hits the market apparently.

 

[canuhead]

I saw that, around £400 when it hits the market apparently.

SAY WHAT ?????

 

[MacReady]

My thoughts exactly..

That came from a lady manning the desk at Focus.

 

[Roger Cole]

Insane. You can buy a decent old 8x10 and real lens for that. If you also want a pinhole a laser cut one should be cheap to get and easy to mount to a lendboard.

 

[summicron1]

not to rain on the Titan parade, but you folks DO know you can get a ZeroImage 4 by 5 pinhole camera with three different distance settings (25, 50 and 75) AND already equipped with three pinholes, one for each distance, and three different zone plates, also for each distance, all for about $250?

OK, so you hold it together with rubber bands, but it's still a pretty nice outfit, at least in my two weeks experience with one.

Having said that, I'm glad Ilford is having some success with this -- anything to get more people using film.

 

[clayne]

Am I understanding this right? 600$ for a pinhole camera?

 

[Roger Cole]

Brand new. With the name "Ilford" on it.

The name's not worth $400, sorry.

 

[Roger Thoms]

not to rain on the Titan parade, but you folks DO know you can get a ZeroImage 4 by 5 pinhole camera with three different distance settings (25, 50 and 75) AND already equipped with three pinholes, one for each distance, and three different zone plates, also for each distance, all for about $250?

OK, so you hold it together with rubber bands, but it's still a pretty nice outfit, at least in my two weeks experience with one.

Having said that, I'm glad Ilford is having some success with this -- anything to get more people using film.

Not raining on my parade, as I'm totally pleased with my Titan. The quality is excellent, it is light and easy to use, and the image quality is awesome. From everything I've heard the ZeroImage cameras are also very good, but something about the Titan struck a cord with me so that' s what I bought.

Roger

 

[Pioneer]

Am I understanding this right? 600$ for a pinhole camera?

It does seem a bit out of place doesn't it. The Zero Image units are far less expensive but even they are a bit over the top for me. My last pinhole was made out of a generic oatmeal box with a piece of aluminum flashing taped to the front that had a small pinhole made with a finish nail. I have no idea what size the pinhole is but the picture came out pretty much as I expected on a piece of 4x5 film. I based the exposure timing on some info from an old website. I think I have probably used it only a couple of times, but its still around here somewhere. The sheet of film was the most expensive part of the entire proposition. That and my time, though I've been known to waste a little of that once in a while.

I was under the mistaken impression that pinhole photography was all about that dreamy, slightly out-of-focus look and do-it-yourself. If I want to get any more precise than that I can use my Crown Graphic and shoot beautifully sharp images with that Kodak Ektar lens. I don't think I paid over $150 for the Crown Graphic for goodness sakes!

Maybe I should buy a Zero Image and an Ilford and do a camera shoot off before I send them back. Just to see which of the three makes the dreamiest image. Ought to make a great Luminous Landscape article.

Hmmm. I might need to paint that old box, use my airgun to blow out the oatmeal dust, include a few sheets of outdated film and put it up on flea bay for $25. This might be a business opportunity!

I do agree though, I may think it a bit silly but I am very glad that Ilford is doing so well with the idea. It just means they may be able to stay around a while longer and keep selling me film.

 

[canuhead]

I really don't think these types of pinhole cameras (read $$) bring in new users as much as we would like to believe they would. They probably just grab hold of existing film photographers so there is no real gain in new film users imo. Look at who bought the 4x5 version...people who hang out here

 

[Pioneer]

Sold Out

Well...if they sold out the first batch that quickly for that much money, a lot of someones have to like them.

I'll have to go find that old oatmeal box, make a new pinhole with one of my wife's bigger sewing needles. (Don't tell her, if she don't see she won't know...right?) Maybe the next picture will get clearer. Now...where did I hide that formula to calculate the aperture??

 

[summicron1]

I
I was under the mistaken impression that pinhole photography was all about that dreamy, slightly out-of-focus look and do-it-yourself. If I want to get any more precise than that I can use my Crown Graphic and shoot beautifully sharp images with that Kodak Ektar lens. I don't think I paid over $150 for the Crown Graphic for goodness sakes!

.

you are not mistaken, but some of us -- total honest alert! -- are either snobs or just like to play with really nice cameras, and an oatmeal pinhole camera doesn't qualify as "really nice."

Plus I'm not the handy sort. So shoot me, I like to buy stuff rather than make it. I DID use a speed graphic as a pinhole camera once, and have a friend who is doing so now...pretty easy, just use the rear shutter.

You want homemade and dreamy -- check out this guy, who's taken homemade to a whole new level, and gets that dreamy look by filtering the pinhole light through HIV positive human blood...http://boyofblue.com/cameras/hiv.html

 

[Pioneer]

you are not mistaken, but some of us -- total honest alert! -- are either snobs or just like to play with really nice cameras, and an oatmeal pinhole camera doesn't qualify as "really nice."

Plus I'm not the handy sort. So shoot me, I like to buy stuff rather than make it. I DID use a speed graphic as a pinhole camera once, and have a friend who is doing so now...pretty easy, just use the rear shutter.

You want homemade and dreamy -- check out this guy, who's taken homemade to a whole new level, and gets that dreamy look by filtering the pinhole light through HIV positive human blood...http://boyofblue.com/cameras/hiv.html

Oh wow! I'll pass on using blood of any kind. It certainly takes all types to make a world.

You are absolutely right. My little oatmeal box is certainly nowhere near as nice as your Ilford Titan. And I am a gear head who really appreciates nice things as well, so I would surely enjoy using the Titan. I have looked at pictures and it does look very nice.

But you just might surprise yourself regarding being handy. While it is sometimes nice to buy it ready made, you might want to try out the oatmeal box yourself one of these days. You might be surprised at how much fun it really is to roll our own. Besides, and I know this probably sounds a little dumb, but it kind of makes me feel like I am experiencing photography the way it was for the guys who first started this whole crazy thing out in the very beginning.

Anyway, have fun with the Titan and toss us poor cardboard camera users a bone or two and show us some of your pictures.

 

[munz6869]

My name's Marc - I'm handy AND I've ordered a Titan... They just look nice is all, and there's no harm buying a nice thing from one of our surviving analogue material manufacturers.

(I am still drawing up plans for a 4x5" 'urban stomping camera' though... with a shell made from Tasmanian blackheart sassafras...)

 

[Roger Thoms]

One thing to remember is that the $600 is a rumored price for the 8x10 which is not available yet. The 4x5 is a more like $225, and includes film, paper, and an exposure calculator.

Roger

 

[Pioneer]

I am having great fun giving you a hard time about this, but underneath it all I do understand the attraction. The kits do look tempting and the pictures make them look very nice. But I get my fill of pinhole photography through less expensive methods right now, and my Crown Graphic also doubles as a pinhole from time to time.

I do love the idea of building cameras from scratch, though I have not been successful with anything but simple pinhole cameras yet. I am following Colray's posting here on APUG about the progress on his homemade 5x4 camera and once the weather here warms up a bit more I'll be following in his footsteps. Not real sure about that bellows yet but I did learn to sew on my own buttons awhile back so it can't be that tough.

Throw out a few posts once you get started on your own camera as I am always interested in seeing how these things work out.

And no, I seriously doubt that Deardorff will feel at all threatened by my camera building efforts so you guys are far better off buying your own as you see fit.

But seriously guys, $200 for a pinhole?

 

[clayne]

I did not realize that the 4x5 kits included paper and film, all up for 225$. That's a heck of a lot more reasonable.

 

[Simon R Galley]

Hi Guys,

We do not know how much the 10" x 8" TiTAN will be....although 100% accurate is the price we were quoting at FOCUS is circa £ 400.00

As always the consumer decides on whether to buy based on a range of criteria including value for money. I would remind you that these TiTAN pinholes are 'hand made' in the United Kingdom.

I will let you know the actual launch price and what it comes with if we do go into production.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN tcehnology Limited.

 

[Roger Cole]

They may cost enough to make that that's the price you'd have to charge. And if so, I understand. But I don't really understand why people would pay it. I'd just buy an old 8x10 field camera and make a pinhole board for it.

The 4x5s are not unreasonable for what you get.

 

[ChuckP]

One advantage of the 8x10 Titan should be weight. Carrying around an 8x10 field camera with some holders can be a chore. A very light 8x10 pinhole outfit would get more use.

 

[PKM-25]

I have a 150 5.6 Rodagon, neg carrier and some 4x5 film holders that could see some use. We NEED to support our film makers any way we can. I figure for $225, I can forgo going out to dinner a few times and come up with that.

I am on the notify list on B&H and will keep an eye out on Freestyle, I'm in!

 

[Rob Skeoch]

I have a couple of the pinhole 4X5's in stock if anyone is looking for one.
I'm in Canada but can ship it.
I realize not all countries imported the kits.

-rob skeoch