The DIY Pinhole Camera Thread

stevelmx5

stevelmx5

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Seeing as my Yashica 44 build thread has gone off on a pinhole tangent, I figured it would be best to start a new thread. I've been drawing up a new wide angle pinhole body to use with the 23 Graphic 120 rollfilm back I've already got. My intention is to be able to switch between the "SnapShot" body which has a removable ground glass/shuttered lens, and the PinHole body which has a simple 0.25mm diameter pinhole and 38mm 'focal' length. By using the same printed rear section on both bodies, the rollfilm back can be fitted to either mid-roll.

As per my usual work, I can't just build a basic camera so I've incorporated a support mount for my iPhone as I've got both a bubble level and pinhole exposure calculator app on it, so it makes sense to combine them. I was going to embed a bubble level into the main body but there's little point when the phone's level is more sensitive.

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The support arms for the phone are drawn to provide the 85mm field of view for the pinhole to assist with composition.

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The shutter is hinged from the top and has a pair of small magnets embedded into the body/shutter arm so it stays closed but can still be opened easily without causing any camera shake.

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There's a flat base on the camera body so I can embed a tripod thread once it's been printed.

Feel free to share any other pinhole camera designs on this thread too. I'm always looking for new ideas :0)
 
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Mental and brilliant.... i worry though that at some point in the future you are going to invent the thing that destroys the planet. Heaven forbid that you and Hooley get together in a lab. :D
 
I actually got a picture of Rob working last time I was over there..

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I have the components printed for a currently untested Instax back so could take them and build a pinhole body around them. My only concern with Instax is that I read on another site that someone tried and the results weren't great, possibly due to reciprocity failure? I'd have to do some testing I guess.
 
I've just drawn up a quick sketch idea for a multi-focal length pinhole based around a very simplified 35mm body. The idea is to basically make a 35mm film holder that looks like a large 110 film cartridge and then have slot in bodies that offer different focal length/pinhole sizes.

1) Wide angle 20mm focal length:

0.2mm pinhole
87 degree field of view

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2) Mid range 40mm focal length:

0.3mm pinhole
50 degree field of view

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3) Telephoto 60mm focal length:

0.35mm pinhole
35 degree field of view

I'm not entirely sure if there's a real need for multiple focal lengths but a quick Google shows quite a few companies making them.

Alternatively, if I could get hold of a non-working small bodied 35mm camera like a Trip 35 I'd remove the lens/aperture/shutter assembly along with the majority of the top plate to basically leave a 35mm holder and winder to maintain frame spacing. I could then mount a wide angle pinhole to the body.
 
I'm also going to change the design of my 6x7 pinhole body to replace the hinged shutter with a simplified sliding darkslide. As well as reducing the number of printed parts it also reduces the complexity.
 
First print of the 6x7 pinhole body was a pretty conclusive failure :mad: Looks like another case of a model drawn in Sketchup and imported to the printer software doesn't always go to plan. I've now re-drawn the body and simplified it by removing the support for the phone on the top and flipped it over so it won't need any printed supports. Fingers crossed it prints better this time! The other parts all printed ok though which is a bonus.
 
Second version of the body was more successful today so I've assembled the complete body and shutter tonight;

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The shutter has a small embedded magnet so it only needs a tap to quickly lock to the open/shut positions. I'm printing the phone support separately so I'll see how that looks before o decide if I'm going to fit it.
 
I'm not sure if I should skin the camera or leave it bare? The problem with leaving it bare is that 3D printed PLA isn't the most sleek looking finish!

This is the leather cover although it hasn't been glued on so it will look much smoother;

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I'll probably fit end pieces of leather too to cover it fully.

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Why the question? You just have to skin it!
 
I printed the phone support/FOV guide separately yesterday with a view to adding it to the body. As ever, I'm undecided! Practically, it adds a useful composition guide and having the phone on top gives me a digital level/pinhole exposure calculator. Aesthetically, I'm not really that happy with the look!

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I did consider embedding magnets in the body/mount so it can be clipped in but I think that's asking for trouble when my phone bounces off the top of it..
 
I've used a variety of pinhole cameras and although I've occasionally placed my phone on the top to get a rough guide to composition I don't think I'd need a permanent mount on the body.

If you feel the need for a guide to the field of view then perhaps guidelines embossed in the top for various pinhole sizes would be useful and the addition of a bubble is handy as well or if you want to be flash a 2 way bubble would be even better. .
 
Thanks Nick. As ever, the voice of reason ;0). The mount started out as two guidelines embossed on the body funnily enough. Like you say, it may be a little over-engineered so I think I'll skin the body on its' own and embrace the freedom of pinhole photography!
 
My pinhole plate arrived today and the seller has kindly given me both a 0.25mm and a 0.4mm plate so I guess I'm going to have make 2 cameras :0)

Along with the pinhole, my new ground glass for the 6x7 SnapShot body came too soon can get that finished as well.
 
Needs skinning in CF look sticky back plastic!

Where do you get your pinholes from, Steve? Used to have a set of VERY fine drills but they got left in Dad's garage while he was ill then given away by my sister.
 
lol, I was all out of faux carbon ;0)

I got the pinhole plate from the EBay seller in Lithuania I've bought my ground glass from too. His EBay id is VIRGISST and he's got some listed at the moment. I bought the GGS for my SnapShot camera and the pinhole plate together for around £7 and they arrived within a week.
 
I had a horrible feeling you'd say e-bay - I don't "do" it! Might have to resort to a planished can and a pin when if I get around to it.
 
Thanks for that link steve. One other option for pinholes is microscopy/optics suppliers like thorlabs and edmund optics. They will be very high quality but also correspondingly more expensive.
 
Thanks for that link, Steve.

Brian, I know pinholes are easily available from assorted sources, I'm just a cheapskate!!!
 
I am cheaper than that!!! (Per second, at least... :p)
 
No, I haven't tested it but the hole looks very small so I'll give it a go with film and check the results! Annoyingly, I shot a test roll on Friday between both the pinhole and SnapShot bodies and assumed it was outdated Fuji 160. It was only when I unloaded it that I saw it was actually 400H...only slightly overexposed there then...
 
stevelmx5 said:
No, I haven't tested it but the hole looks very small so I'll give it a go with film and check the results! Annoyingly, I shot a test roll on Friday between both the pinhole and SnapShot bodies and assumed it was outdated Fuji 160. It was only when I unloaded it that I saw it was actually 400H...only slightly overexposed there then...
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Is there an equivalent of standing development for colour film? :)
 
It's only just over a stop over so I reckon you'll get away with it. Could be a handy experiment to see just how much you can balls up exposure with that film!
 
I actually shot it around ISO100 assuming that the film was past its' expiry just to add a bit more! I'll post it off to FilmDev today anyway and see what happens :0)
 
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