receiving light? on zero image pinhole

[anon s]

Hello,



I am having problems of Image Zero pinhole camera.
Irregularly the images get kind of leaking light like below attached images.
Does anyone know what it is and how to avoid it?

many thanks,

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Zero Image cameras do not have any means to hold the roll under tension, so care must be exercised when loading the roll, and again when unloading, and definitely not in bright daylight which escalates the risk of spoilage.

Your roll is suffering from light piping, caused by loss of tension and slight unravelling as the roll is loaded and again unloaded into the camera. When this happens, light seeps through the spool ends (top and bottom) and causes the characteristic flare you are showing.

Is Portra 800 the right film to use in very bright daylight with this camera??
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Load and unload the camera in subdued light, or better still, cover it with a shirt or jumper while going through the process.
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[anon s]

thanks for your answering!
so I will be more careful when I load and unload films.
I wonder if I could do any DIY to make film more tensed in the camera...
Anyway at this moment I cannot trust this camera that much...

So I have not use it recently and don't remember exact shutter time, but I have been using Portra800 a lot.
I estimate this film like ISO 400-640 and Image Zero got f250.
If I wanted to emphasize the shadow more (longer shutter time),,,, then I used Kodak 400NC.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Mr AU (Zirneke Au, the camera maker) has many years of research into the engineering of the Zero Image cameras. I doubt very, very much there is anything else to improve that would impinge of the traditional nature of the image creation: simple and unrefined, and that is how it should be.

 

[mcfitz]

I don't have a Zero Image camera, but do have an Ondu, which gives me fat rolls. It sounds like the same problem you are experiencing.

The solution for the Ondu is in https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/tips-for-avoiding-fat-rolls-with-ondu-cameras.154719/ this thread. It might work for your camera as well.

What I did was fold a bit of card in half and taped it into both the take-up side and film loading side of the camera. The tape goes inside the fold. This means the folded bit of card acts like a spring to put slight pressure on the roll of film. I tested it using the backing paper from a roll of film, it seemed to do the trick. I have a film on the go in the camera now so can't tell you how successful this camera hack has been, or show what it looks like, but it certainly feels like there is more tension when winding the film.

As I said, I don't have a Zero Image camera, so I don't know if this sort of solution is possible with it, but thought I'd mention it to you.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I have a cheapie Holga pinhole that has foam pressing against the film on both sides. Seems to work really well to keep the film taught.

I think you have an internal reflection or a light leak somewhere in the front of the camera, perhaps leaking around the pinhole. I had that issue with the Holga and it drove me nuts until I traced it down. Made nearly the same pattern on the film. I don't know the design of your camera though, but i thought I would mention it it case it helps you.

 

[Arthurwg]

Light coming through the red window on the back?

 

[howardpan]

Zero Image cameras have built-in tension springs ; are you sure your problem is caused by a loosely wound spool?

 

[anon s]

hi my friends,
thanks a lot for all answers and suggestions.
the 'fat rolls' make sense.. light piping... (@poissondujour
I have bent the springs a bit to apply some more tension...
let's see if this helps (tnx howard)
don't think it comes from the red back window

to illustrate:






thanks again

anon

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

View attachment 208360

Zero Image cameras have built-in tension springs ; are you sure your problem is caused by a loosely wound spool?

Yes, because I had the same problem of light piping when I first started using 120. It just requires care with the rolls, nothing else.
FWIW, light piping also occurs when loading/unloading a Pentax 67 in bright light! Examples of this a popping up everywhere.
In the Zero Image pinholes, the film is quite lose when pulled across to the take-up spool, and loosens further until the rear cover is slipped down in place and the top cover secured and the proper winding initiated to provide the necessary tension.

In the post showing three sample images, the Zero Image camera is shown with its loaded film in full exposure to ambient light! Now, what was I saying about the risk of light piping...

 

[anon s]

I use Rolleicod...and there this problems never happened... So thinking about something wrong with Zero pinhole... But I am understanding the concept and go back to the basic !

hehehehe

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

So thinking about something wrong with Zero pinhole.

Oh please...