4x5 Pinhole Thoughts - An Ill Advised Adventure

[LoFiPin]

Howdy all,

I've been shooting 4x5 pinholes for the past few years in a very "DIY" manner - homemade cameras, photographic paper, and homebrew Caffinol C developer. I scan the negative and invert the image digitally. This has been a cheap and fun experiment which requires long exposures and results in very Lo-Fi images that kind of resemble old albumen prints.

I got my hands on one of the Rockland Colloid "Tintype Parlour" ferrotype kits, as it seems much in the same vein as albumen prints. My research suggests that jumping into dry plate process is ill advisable, but film doesn't interest me in the least and I'd much prefer to waste my time fooling around with dry plate. It cannot be any more frustrating than a marginal pinhole, iffy paper, and instant coffee...

SO, that being said. I'd love to build my own LF camera that is nicer than a beer can or shoebox. But I have two other "building" hobbies as it is, and cameras just aren't in the mix. As such, I'd like to find a nice 4x5 pinhole camera that accepts film holders and doesn't require my shop space or time.

I've narrowed it down to:
- The Santa Barbara Lensless Super Wide Angle 4x5
- The Perle Cubo 4x5

Does anyone have experience or thoughts on either?

OR...should I just be ritzy, bite the bullet, and do an Intrepid 4x5? This is what I would really like, but once you add in the lensboard and filmholders it's way beyond what I'd prefer to afford.

Remember, the goal here is pseudo-janky-cheap Lo-Fi photography through unusual processes. Or, an Intrepid if I can be thoroughly convinced.

Cheers!

[LabRat]

About the film holders, used 4X5's cost about $5 each, so that won't break the budget, and having the ability to kwik-change films or paper in the field is a no-brainer...

Wet plates + pinholes take a long time to expose as they are even slower than your paper negs...

Having a camera with lensboards will allow greater range of possibilities, as you can use pinholes, lenses, and even try making your own lenses...

Plenty of cheap 4X5's out there... You don't even need to build...

Film does nice stuff too, so never say never...

Go for it!!!

Good Luck!!!

Steve K

[Vaughn]

A beat-up Speed or Crown Graphic as a 4x5 pinhole camera.

[Havoc]

I second the use of standard 4x5 film holders. Here in Europe they are far more expensive than the $5 mentioned, but being able to change he film without having to handle the whole "camera" is just so much easier. Also a lot easier than having to change the film inside a camera and you can take a few of them along.

For the camera itself, if you have other "building" hobbies then I'd try to mix in a camera. You want it low-fi, so just don't spend weeks on it. After all it shouldn't be more than a more durable and slightly more elaborate shoebox. There are enough plans on the net that are nothing more than a few pieces of wood, saw at a diy shops glued together. Just resist that building cameras becomes the hobby.

[xkaes]

Check out the BOTTOM section of this page:

http://www.subclub.org/fujinon/close-up.htm

You can either build or buy a 4x5 (and "lenses" and "shutter") for very little money. Necessity is the Mother of Invention.

[Two23]

Couldn't you just build a camera out of Legos? Steal them from your kids. Check it out:
https://carynorton.com/legotron-mark-i/


Kent in SD

[Chuck Pere]

If you are looking for ultra wide angle use make sure any "real" camera you buy will be able to adjust the standards close enough for the focal length you want. I know my 8x10 pinhole with a 3in focal length would be hard to do on most 8x10 cameras.

[Jim Jones]

An inexpensive press camera has several advantages over the Santa Barbara or Perle Cubo. The focal length can be varied. Various pinholes, zone plates, or funky old lenses can easily be interchanged. These cameras can usually be expanded into a versatile kit. Build quality may be better than in home-made or commercial pinhole cameras. All of these features favor the photographer who is more interested in making the best possible pinhole images. However, if doing the most with the least is more important than the quality of the final image, anything will do.

[faberryman]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the Ilford Harman Titan. It accepts standard 4x5 film holders. I would recommend it for a pinhole camera before a press camera.

[Oren Grad]

I have the Lensless 4x5 Super Wide that B&H sells, and which you linked. It's simple, does the job, price is right. It comes with three extra pieces of wood that you want to be careful not to lose - a thick, flat panel that you can leave in the camera when it's not being used to keep dust out, and a couple of wooden cylinders/dowels of different diameters that you wedge into the back to keep the film holder or dust shield firmly in place. The light seal is maintained by a foam rubber gasket around the back opening that will surely deteriorate at some point, but should be easy to replace if and when it does. I've had mine for several years, with admittedly minimal use, and so far there's no sign of deterioration in the seal just from it sitting around.