Just can't leave it alone

The funny thing with pinhole and film photography in general is that I just can't leave it alone.  It's addictive.  In fact in several posts that I have made I have consistently said that I'm enjoying the whole process more that digital.  I still feel like I'm crafting something.

Last week, I decided that I would shoot with the 4" x 5" again.  I had four sheets of film left (now two) but I thought I would continue to experiment with this film.

The other night I decided I would take a shot of Marsden Park, Nelson.  This is an area that has water in and plenty of activity.  It's a good choice to give me an idea a coastal 4" x 5" pinhole would look like.

Of course I was using the Rollei ATO 2.1 film that I had left.  This time I took some advice from Massive Dev Chart.  I decided I would shoot it with an EI of 1 but the exposure time would have been around 36 hours.  I didn't really want to spend that much time on site so I decided I would expose it for the amount of time I had and then see what happened.  So in the end the exposure ended up being around 40 minutes.  Quite impressed with this one.  Still could have done with a little longer exposure but it's nearly there!

World Pinhole Day is on its way!

World Pinhole Day is on its way.  Why not take part.  It's really easy and creative.  For more details visit the World Pinhole Photography Day Website.

Getting somewhere at last!

The Pracktica MTL3 with pinhole lens attached.

I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere!

A couple of days ago I made yet another pinhole shim for the Pracktica MTL3 35mm SLR.  As you may recall, I love the look of the pinhole on the Micropress 4" x 5" but was a little worried about making a full essay with the reliance on one camera.

During a brainstorm I realised I had the MTL3 spare and could convert that to a pinhole.  That way, I could use the 4" x 5" to make the critical images that I have planned for the essay and carry the MTL3 in case I come accross something I hadn't considered.  In addition to this the MTL3 can carry 36 exposures in one roll and I can carry several rolls in my pocket at once!  Whereas the 4" x 5" has two shots in the dark slide and carrying several dark slides around may get to be hard work.


Pinhole shot taken with previous

 pinhole shim.    Lacks a little definition.

I'm happy with the 4" x 5".  In terms of quality the images are fantastic.  In fact to say there isn't any real lens on the camera they are well beyond what I expected.

The 35mm, I have struggled with.  I wasn't getting anywhere near the image quality that I wanted.  I didn't mind too much that the images we very impressionist in their appearence but what I did want to see was a little more detail.  I didn't want the images to be too blurry.  I wanted them to have just enough definition.  The new shim gives me the level if detail that I was after.

Looking at the lens you wouldn't even think there was a hole there.  It is tiny.  In fact it is the diameter of the tip of a sewing needle.  But it's working.




Pinhole lens version.  Note the less blurry look to

 the pavilion shot.

Image taken with 50mm lens

attached to camera.



The other day, I put a roll of Ilford FP4+ in the camera and took it out and I am happy with the results.  There is now quite a bit of definition in the images and I really don't think I need to go any sharper with this.  This will do nicely.

Next thing to sort out is which film.  Do I stay with my favourite black & white film, FP4+ or do I try something else.  In the coming weeks I will be ordering some film to take on holiday with me.  I might have to order a range of films to see which I like best.

For now though it's time to leave Lancoast alone for a while.  I have my cameras set up, I know what I'm doing with film and by the time I get back from holiday it will down to the business of shooting the essay.

Image taken with 50mm

lens attached.

Pinhole lens version.  Note

detail in the grass and on

the bridge.

 * Click the images to see larger version.







Continuing the experiments

I've just posted a story on my main blog about an experiment with a film that I was given.  It's not really an Lancoast story but I did use a pinhole lens as part of the experiment.

Back to the drawing board

With 50mm lens

Yesterday I posted about my experiments with a 35mm pinhole camera as well as the 4" x 5".

Well after that initial experiment I made a shim with a smaller hole to see if I could get a sharper image and boy was that hole small.  However, tonight I put the film through the tank and was a little disappointed.  The image taken with the new pinhole lens are just as bad.  The light of the dark is that I did managed to make some rather nice photographs with the 50mm lens on the MTL3.

The promised post on work flow will be here either tomorrow or early next week.  In the meantime why not compare the images yourself.  I have to admit to liking the abstract nature of the pinhole shots but I don't think they are anywhere near good enough yet!

With 50mm lens

With pinhole lens

With 50mm lens

With pinhole lens

Further Experiments with Pinholes

Colne Water - Praktica MTL3, 50mm
lens, Kentmere 100 film

It’s official.

I’m a worrier.

Well, that’s not strictly true.  I’m actually a good boy scout; I like to be prepared.

The experiments with the 4” x 5” have been extremely enjoyable.  In fact, I’ve relished the challenge of trying something new and a little more complex than I am used to but (and it is a big but) I began to (not) worry (but have it in the back of my mind) about what do I do if I can’t get a decent image out of the 4” x 5” pinhole.

Let’s make this clear.  This isn’t the camera’s fault; it’s not the films fault; it’s mine.

I am quite a technical person but my downfall is maths and physics.  What does photography rely on?  Maths, physics and chemistry.  I suppose one out of three is a start.  I can at least cope and do quite well with the chemistry stuff!

The camera is fine.  I’m getting sharp enough images out of it for what I want.  The exposure is the problem and this is compounded by the fact that there is no data sheet for reciprocity failure leaving me guessing to what the exposure should be.

The other worry is what if I want to take more than two shots?  The obvious answer is to buy more dark slides and carry them with me.  Which, I have resolved to do.  The other option is to have a changing bag and change on the fly (I’ve ruled this one out due to me likely to have some sort of light accident).

So, as a good boy scout, I have come up with a back up plan.

I have a spare camera.  A Praktica MTL3 which is in good condition.  It’s also a 35mm.  What if I make this in to a pinhole as well?  I can carry endless rolls of Ilford FP4+, Kentmere 100 or even Rollei ATO 2.1 (in 135 roll form).  They are lighter than dark slides, and I can have 36 images per roll.  In addition to this if I use FP4+ or Kentmere I have reciprocity data readily available (learning a lesson yet Rollei?).  With the amount I am able to carry I am also able to bracket shots to ensure perfect exposure.  What’s one more shot off a roll of 36?  It’s a bit different when you only have one or two shots to pull off the perfect photograph.

Woodland Path - Praktica MTL3, Pinhole Lens,
Kentmere 100 film.

And so, I made a pinhole lens for my MTL3.  This was very easily done.  I got a body cap and drilled a 15mm hole in it.  On the back of the cap I attached a small piece of aluminium with a hole of around 0.5mm through the centre et voila a pin hole lens.

First in the camera was a roll of Kentmere 100.  This I had data for and the exposure is more or less perfect.  However, the image is really blurred.  This can only be down to the pinhole size.  The answer?  Make a new shim with a smaller pinhole.  Which is exactly what I have done.

I have to admit, I really do like the blurred image.  It’s kind of abstract in its nature but still has definition.  You can tell what the subject is without know the subject location.  It’s almost impressionist.  I think I would have liked it even more if it had been in colour.

So, the new lens has been constructed.  Lessons in handling the camera and working out the exposure have been learnt and a workflow is in place (which will be the subject of the next post).  I had a roll of FP4+ lolling around my camera bag so that has been slapped in the camera and is in the process of being shot.  Will post some images after the roll is finished and been developed.

Incidentally; shooting with a pinhole lens means you can’t see anything through the viewfinder and so I take a shot with a 50mm lens (which is pretty close to the focal length of the pinhole).  This also helps with exposure.  The shot at the top of this post is one of the images that came out.  It is the same location as one of the 4” x 5” test shots.

The Experiment Continues

Colne Water - Rollei ATO 2.1 exposed for 64 seconds.
Developed in Rodinol 1:300 for 13 minutes.

Last week we had a break in the weather and what a lovely little rest bite it was too.

It also meant a chance to carry on the experiment with the Micropress 5 x 4 pinhole.

So, I loaded up two sheets of film and off I trotted to a little place at the top of Colne.

The problem with the Rollei ATO is that there is no data on the reciprocity of the film therefore the experiment this time was to test for this.  The first exposure was based on the sunny 16 rule and this negative didn’t develop.  It was quite literally black.  The second exposure was based on FP4+ reciprocity and ended up with an exposure of around 64 seconds.  I reckon that this is around 3 stops under exposed so based on this assumption the exposure time should be around eight minutes and we should get somewhere close.

Although the exposure isn’t quite right it is easy to tell from the negative that the image is nice and sharp where it needs to be and should be able to produce good results.  I still have four sheets left of this film to experiment with.  Roll on the next break in the weather!