Zero Image

Poisson Du Jour · Dec 3, 2009

Beware of Picnik, the accomplice to Flickr that can absolutely ruin images, AND re-post them willy-nilly, adding confusion ad-naseum.
I am reviewing my options for how to get pictures up and not have them bedevilled in the couldron of Picnik.

That B&W photo appearing earlier in this thread — though undeniably quite a striking scene — has probably been sharpened several times, and—? If so, it is a false representation of the nature of pinhole. We must all remember to show pinhole images for what they are, and leave their inherent failings alone. We've all got access to cameras that produce images of outstanding sharpness and beauty. Pinhole has a beauty all of its own and that's what we need to embrace, not summarily impose elaborate technical refinements. Enjoy it.

FM2N · Dec 3, 2009

BVYYou don't know what you are missing. The vast majority of attendee's are pinholers who make their own cameras. It is a real blast to walk around Pitt. with a group of 10-20 pinholers talking and taking wonderful pics. There are usually 1 or 2 gallery openings which include many wonderful pinhole images. I hope you will get out with us next time.
Arthur

Perry Way · Dec 4, 2009

My camera shipped today! Well.. actually about 22 hours ago 2 - 3 days shipping was my quote. I'm feeling like a kid waiting for Santa Claus to show up

bvy · Dec 4, 2009

Thanks, Arthur. Seriously, I do post to the f295 forums and have had some e-mail conversations with Tom (its founder) -- we actually live about a mile from each other. It's great to have such an organization right here in Pittsburgh, and I do hope to get involved sometime soon.

Perry Way, sorry if I (we?) hijacked your thread. For now, I'm enjoying making my own cameras, but there is something appealing about a professionally built pinhole camera. Scott Speck's stuff, as you pointed out, is especially inspiring. Anyway, congrats on your purchase. Looking forward to seeing some results...

Jim Chinn · Dec 4, 2009

I have contemplated buying a camera from Zero Image from time to time. I really like the design of adding or removing "frames" to get the desired focal length and the turret for the various pinholes. Getting a multiple focal length camera, pinholes and zone plates for that price seems a real bargain.

thebanana · Jan 10, 2010

zero image question

Maybe someone with experience ordering from Zero Image can help me. I'm interested in ordering the 2000 model but want to go with the zone plate option. However, their order page doesn't seem to have that option listed for any of their cameras, despite what the written descriptions of the cameras indicate. Has anyone had experience ordering a zone plate camera? Do any of their cameras have a pinhole/zone plate combo option? Maybe it's me, but I find their site a bit confusing. Not to mention their Paypal page is in Chinese.

Poisson Du Jour · Jan 10, 2010

Do not be put off.
I ordered my camera from Zero Image without problems, speaking with Zernicke Au (the manufacturer himself) personally, by email. I don't think the zone plate option is available for the 2000 (my own Zero Image is the 6x9 multiformat, with option for pinhole or zone plate).

The PayPal site is an ongoing (and serious) problem for Zero Image and has more to do with the Chinese than the company. Send an email enquiry to Zero Image and organise to make payment direct through PayPal email transfer once he has given you the information re your choice. Don't risk drama with the PayPal "Chinglish" site, or the Digital River site that has high overheads on purchase.

Send email enquiry for Atten: Mr Zernike Au, orders@zeroimage.com, telling him exactly what camera you want and in what configuration.

thebanana · Jan 10, 2010

Thanks. According to their site, both the 200o and 6x9 have the zone plate option. I didn't realize that the 6x9 was multi-format. I will send him an email. Cheers,

John

Perry Way · Jan 10, 2010

my 4x5 has a turret with 3 pinholes and 3 zone plates. the 3 represent sizes especially for 25mm, 50mm and 75mm and above. i do not know about smaller sized formats.

thebanana · Jan 12, 2010

It's been very confusing trying to clarify this with Mr. Au. It seems that the only medium format camera that currently offers both the zone plate and pinhole options is the 612F which is way out of my price range. Most cameras offer and either/or option, but not both.

Galah · Jan 12, 2010

You pin-holers are an inspiration to the rest of us. All your shots are just great, and you don't even use lenses!

Keep up the great work .

Poisson Du Jour · Jan 12, 2010

thebanana said:
It's been very confusing trying to clarify this with Mr. Au. It seems that the only medium format camera that currently offers both the zone plate and pinhole options is the 612F which is way out of my price range. Most cameras offer and either/or option, but not both.

Why do you need the zone plate option?
Mr. Au is much more a craftsman than a communicator. And he has consummate patience.

To get an idea of what zone plate does to an image, smear a good coating of petroleum jelly on a normal lens and look through it. What do you see? That's what a zone plate will do. Unless you're skilled at abstract imaging, it would be best to stick with a pinhole for the sake of definition and making sense of what the camera is seeing. It's not so easy with a zone plate.

I'd go for the multi-format 6x9 as it has the zone plate/pinhole option, but again the foregoing comments are reiterated so you can get a 'feel' for pinhole and progress to other options later on. Remember it's a very different branch of applied photography to the hi-tech (by rudimentary comparison) arsenal of goodies we usually cart around.

thebanana · Jan 12, 2010

Poisson Du Jour said:
Why do you need the zone plate option?
Mr. Au is much more a craftsman than a communicator. And he has consummate patience.

To get an idea of what zone plate does to an image, smear a good coating of petroleum jelly on a normal lens and look through it. What do you see? That's what a zone plate will do. Unless you're skilled at abstract imaging, it would be best to stick with a pinhole for the sake of definition and making sense of what the camera is seeing. It's not so easy with a zone plate.

I'd go for the multi-format 6x9 as it has the zone plate/pinhole option, but again the foregoing comments are reiterated so you can get a 'feel' for pinhole and progress to other options later on. Remember it's a very different branch of applied photography to the hi-tech (by rudimentary comparison) arsenal of goodies we usually cart around.

Yeah I get that about zone plate. I've done pinhole before, so I know what I'm getting onto. What I don't understand is how the whole pinhole/zone plate "option" is defined. His email stated that the 6x9 doesn't have that option, you say it does. Probably a communication issue, I don't know. If possible, I'd like to get both options now, rather than placing another order later. Perhaps with the 6x9 it's an either/or option, you buy either a pinhole 6x9 or a zone plate 6x9?
Luckily I'm patient too

Poisson Du Jour · Jan 12, 2010

thebanana said:
Yeah I get that about zone plate. I've done pinhole before, so I know what I'm getting onto. What I don't understand is how the whole pinhole/zone plate "option" is defined. His email stated that the 6x9 doesn't have that option, you say it does. Probably a communication issue, I don't know. If possible, I'd like to get both options now, rather than placing another order later. Perhaps with the 6x9 it's an either/or option, you buy either a pinhole 6x9 or a zone plate 6x9?
Luckily I'm patient too

Curious...
The Zero Image order form I used clearly allowed the option of pinhole or zone plate, with illustrations from the Specifications page; I chose the former. My initial order was through the Digital River site that Mr. Au himself dislikes because of that operator's "grab" for profit; I baulked at it too and thus as per my first post here ordered directly from him, again specifying just the pinhole version. It is rather odd that he should now say that zone plate is not available on the 6x9 multiformat (which refers to 6x6, 6x7 or 6x9)?

Buy whatever is on offer, then! Whatever you end up with, and reflecting other posts in this thread, you'll fall in love with a Zero Image camera obscura; they really are a showpiece of engineering.

The best thing is to communicate directly with Mr. Au even though email is probably not the best way.

thebanana · Jan 12, 2010

So if the 6x9 can technically do both using the same body, what specifically is required to make that happen?

SMBooth · Jan 13, 2010

Gary, how is the pinhole mounted into the camera, is it glued in on or is there a locking ring that can screw out to replace pinhole with zone plate? (or new pinhole)

Poisson Du Jour · Jan 13, 2010

The brass shim is integral to a support from what I can see; certainly, it's not just a circular shim stuck in place. I cannot determine if it is glued on or what, such being the quality of detail. It appears also reinforced against any accidental damage, with double flanges. The Zone Plate from my understanding replaces the pinhole assembly entirely.

olwick · Mar 9, 2010

thebanana said:
Maybe someone with experience ordering from Zero Image can help me. I'm interested in ordering the 2000 model but want to go with the zone plate option. However, their order page doesn't seem to have that option listed for any of their cameras, despite what the written descriptions of the cameras indicate. Has anyone had experience ordering a zone plate camera? Do any of their cameras have a pinhole/zone plate combo option? Maybe it's me, but I find their site a bit confusing. Not to mention their Paypal page is in Chinese.

I asked the exact same question and here is his response:

Dear Mark,
Thanks for interesting in our camera. You have to chose either pinhole or zone plate for your camera. If you don't mention anything in the order, we will ship a pinhole version.
If you need a zone plate, send us an email after you place the order or if you order it by CCnow, you have to chose pinhole or zone plate version before your order is completed.

Please feel free to contact me again if you need a further assistance.

Best Regards,
Zernike Au
Zero Image Co.

Perry Way · Mar 9, 2010

If you spend just a few dollars more, you can get the deluxe model and get a remote actuated shutter (you know, like with your normal shutter cable extensions) and in the turret you get three pinhole and three zone plate choices. The choices are one for 25mm (one body section), one for 50mm (two body sections) and one for 75mm (three body sections and beyond). I bought this model. I have not regretted it at all. There is only one thing I wish I had at this point and it's not even an option for the Zero Image, and that is a timed shutter for when using the zone plate on a sunny day. Even with ISO 100, I routinely blow out highlights like as in sky and sea since sea reflects an awful lot particularly so for the zone plate halo effect. The halo will wipe out all your highlights if you don't get your shutter speed fast. And that is very difficult to do correctly when you've got a shutter cable in one hand and the other hand is ready to smash it quickly and release. Or using your thumbs pretending you're playing a game of thumbs. Man, I've lost about 15 sheets of Astia now in the last few weekends of shooting. At this point the only thing I can think of would be to get a bunch of ND filters and work out a way to afix them to the front of the camera. Other than the shutter speed on a bright day shooting zone plate problem, I can't think of anything I am dissatisfied about. This is a simple but great camera. And the precision is just top notch!

olwick said:
I asked the exact same question and here is his response:

Dear Mark,
Thanks for interesting in our camera. You have to chose either pinhole or zone plate for your camera. If you don't mention anything in the order, we will ship a pinhole version.
If you need a zone plate, send us an email after you place the order or if you order it by CCnow, you have to chose pinhole or zone plate version before your order is completed.

Please feel free to contact me again if you need a further assistance.

Best Regards,
Zernike Au
Zero Image Co.

Zero Image

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