pinhole view camera help needed

[matthewbetcher]

so i'm new to the pinhole and need some help constructing my setup... well, technically i'm not new yet as i am still trying to figure out the best way to get into it given my current kit and shooting "habits"!

i have some projects i will be shooting and would actually like to come up with some sort of rig that i could use for the sinar i pack around with me. since i pack around a sinar 8x10 (yeah, not light) i can't take more than one camera. the idea here is to add a pinhole lens plate to the arsenal to shoot both 4x5 and 8x10 (probably equal amounts of both). i have been looking at the turret from 8banners and this seems like it could be the thing - mount it to a board and there i have the different pinholes needed at my disposal. my question is this...

what size of pinholes will i need to cover such film that isn't ridiculously wide? i know that it also depends on the focal length, but for example... the 8banners only offer holes drilled 0.2, 0,3, and 0.4mm... are these going to allow me to shoot 8x10 without MAJOR falloff at the edges and with reasonable detail? also, i noticed that this wasn't even available right now... is there another similar setup i could look at? i did notice the pinhole resource apo II - seems pricey, but then again if this will do it... not too bad. -- but if i go for this one, what size pinhole is recommended for someone who wants a reasonable coverage without going toooooo wide or too soft. in the end, i would love something that will allow me to construct some images utilizing some different angles of view determined by the shot and will let me set up the shot on the ground glass (again, i know it would be faint which is why i again love the idea of the turret with a "composing" hole). exposure times are not an issue with the subject matter so if one size hole will do and it's just a matter of changing the focal length and increasing fstop... great!... but i guess i'm just not sure if this is the case or not. i know i am probably trying to shove the square peg of my shooting practices into the tiny circular hole of pinhole photography, but i can't help but think that this would be quite possible (and give me the images i am looking for). again, i'm really looking for advise, resources, and a little hand-holding in determining basically, what size pinholes will allow me to shoot 8x10 and 4x5 on my sinar that aren't ridiculously wide and ways to mount these to make shooting as controllable (constructing the framing as well as exposure) as possible? crap... i'm babbling now - HELP!!!

many many many thanks for the help from a newbie to the lensless few.

_matthew

 

[Pinholemaster]

Instead of answering your question, I'd rather give you one of many resources I've used to learn this stuff.

http://www.pinholeresource.com/

Learning it, instead of being spoon feed is much more rewarding.

You might think of simply using a box that is made for the focal length you want, instead of converting an existing view camera.

http://www.pinholecamera.com/

or

http://www.zeroimage.com/web2003/EntryPage/entryFrameset.htm

 

[smieglitz]

Do you really need a turret? I can appreciate the fact that you might wish to haul around one camera at a time, but using a Sinar and fancy turret strikes me as somewhat antithetical to the spirit of low-tech imaging using pinhole cameras.

Why not grab some brass shim (or a beer can), some sewing needles, and fabricate several pinhole sheets with different diameter holes that could be attached to the lensboard(s)? This wouldn't be as convenient as a turret, but the cost would be insignificant and I would think much more rewarding.

You can find a table of optimum pinhole diameters for different focal lengths (extensions) by following the "pinhole" link at the top of the Pinultimate Pinhole Photography website home page.

Joe

 

[matthewbetcher]

thanks for the info/links. and yes, this is something i will definitely be playing with a lot and learning all the intricacies (of which i am sure there are many which is why i was fishing here for some info - not necessarily spoon-fed shortcuts, just some idea of what is out there and maybe some potential pitfalls to stay away from).

as for the overkill - yeah, it is - no doubt about, but for me i think it could also be the most efficient and effective setup. "could" being the operable word... and in the end, if i get the image i don't really care if it came from a sinar or a pringles can!

btw, that pinultimate pinhole photography website is amazing and has just answered several of the newbie questions.


thanks again

 

[Jim Jones]

An excellent site (mentioned in the Pinultimate site) is Dead Link Removed. Another resource with information not widely known is http://www.mines.edu/~mmyoung/PHCamera.pdf. A web site with an active pinhole forum is http://www.f295.org/ My favorite pinhole designer is http://www.pinhole.cz/en/pinholedesigner/. For optimum on-axis resolution I suggest a user constant of 1.5 with this calculator. If you can easily make lensboards for the Sinar, mounting a variety of pinholes and perhaps zone plates in them might be practical.

 

[tpersin]

i made a pinhole lens board for a 4x5 crown graphic from an old 4x5 dark slide and some wood glued to the back. I mount the pinhole aperture in a flat washer (found at any of the big box hardware stores) and glue a piece of magnetic material to the lens board --I used a piece of a refrigerator calendar from my vet. The magnet holds the washer/aperture against the lens board and in this way you can easily change the apertures for different focal distances. You can even dril one about 1/8" and use your ground glass for viewing. I also mounted a cheap step ring/lens hood to the lens board to faciliate filter use and the lens cap aperture.

I wrote an article for View Camera last September/October that outlines the entire process/procedure. I'm sure Steve has some back issues, or perhaps your local library...

Here's a link to the f295 forum that has an image of the converted camera:
http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl?m-1153099883/s-0/highlight-crown+graphic/#num0



Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Best of luck!
Tom

www.f295.org