New metal pinhole camera

The new EightBanners metal pinhole cameras are out. I got mine in the mail today and its a multiformat 120 camera capable of 6x12 images. Haven't played with it yet, but it's a monster - black and heavy. Kind of like the monolith from 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Probably the last pinhole camera I'll be buying for a while. I mean, how can anything top this one? It has a compass built into the top. What's cooler and more useless than that? It's the Red Ryder BB gun of cameras.

I'll end up sticking a zone plate in it and hope to have some fun. It's neat looking and has some clever design work that, to be honest, surprised me. I think they have photos up on the EightBanners website.

With awesome translations like this, buying one is a must:
"This series of very compact, the thickness of only 3cm. Provides a span devices, the elimination of approximately beside axis regulation more reasonable. To advocate metal camera users can best option panels use soft quality hides, access excellent feel."

Cool!

Stephen,

did you buy this direct or throught the unofficial eBay reseller?

any pictures from it to share yet?

No, direct from a source in Hong Kong who runs the website. He knew I wanted a metal one and sent it to me as soon as it came out.

I saw a crazy thing on eBay - someone was selling an EightBanners wood camera for over $250!!!!! You can get the same thing new with shipping for $150 or less. Yikes.

I did quickly shoot a roll today on 6x12 mode just to see how bad illumination would be at the far edges. I'll process it tonight but it was simply a photo in the lawn so it wont be interesting! I've got some nasty old developer I'll use.

The camera does need a few tweaks. I need to sand down the slats that allow the format to be changed. No big deal and will take 5 minutes. Nothing to mod on the camera itself that I can see.

But thank God for the compass so I could navigate my way out of the front lawn.

Does it put the EXIF data from the compass on the film?

Wow. Film looks great. Left film in overnight and had it sitting in bright sun for a while - no light leaks. Illumination at the edges looked very good from what I can tell.

I'm very impressed with this thing and I'll see what happens when I put in one of my homemade zone plates. I've never been a lover of wide formats, but I'm thinking I'll use this on the 6x9 setting quite a bit.

Oh, that wood one on eBay is $240 not including shipping - crazy.

Hi StephenS

Thank you for namedropping EightBanners

I have for a long time now been looking for the perfect pinhole to buy.. One that's not to expensive, but still good quality..

I surely think I have found the one now!

Or what do you think? ..I'm kind a new to pinhole..

I think I figured out what the compass is for. It's so that you can determine the direction of the sun for when you are out scouting for a shoot.

But I still wat to know if it's in the EXIF data on the film.

I plan on using my 8 Banners quite a bit this fall. I've been so busy lately I haven't had time to use them.

The metal series are great cameras for the price. But I do like my original 6x6 wood version as its so compact. Not a huge fan of the panoramic formats so I'd be happier with a metal version in 6x6. They do have one, but its the ultra wide angle version.

StephenS said:

Not a huge fan of the panoramic formats so I'd be happier with a metal version in 6x6. They do have one, but its the ultra wide angle version.

Click to expand...

Yeah, me too. That's why I decided to make a more narrow angle of view:
http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl?b-cm/m-1150676255/

It will let me shoot 35mm or 120 (at 6x4.5) with the backs that I have. Hopefully I can tame the light leaks. Probably try it out this weekend.