Kodak Bimat Lens Is Finally Mounted and New Pinhole Lens Almost Done

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It took longer than anticipated due to my midstream change to using a bellows for future mounting of old lenses to my Canon XTi.

The original method I was using involved purchasing an old lens, then removing all the optics, then getting the focal length set correctly, then taking the optics out of the old lens, and mounting the old optics. This was very time consuming.

Now I have a M42 screw type bellows mounted to the XTi via a focus confirming adapter (soon to be replaced with one of the new custom settings version). Then all that is needed is to directly glue the lens to an M42 screw type macro tube. Then screw on the lens to the bellows and shoot. Much easier and cheaper. As a bonus the lens is not harmed except for the glue used in the mounting.

Today I have finished the old M42 135mm mount for the pinhole project. All that is left is a quick visit to Mr Pinhole’s Website to get the dimension for the pinhole itself and then just get it mounted to try it out. I hope to be able to use this for Pinhole Day 2009.

Photos will follow when the Sun comes out (sometime in June I believe).

Dimensions for popcorn can pinhole camera

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I used one of those huge metal popcorn cans that appear out of nowhere during the holidays as a pinhole camera to use 8×10 and 10×14 inch photographic paper.  It is about 10.5 inches high and 8 inch diameter.

Simply clean the residual grease and gunk (pophuskus greasis) from the inside of the can and lid, paint both flat black inside (ouside is optional) after drilling a hole 1/2 way up from the bottom for the pinhole to show through.

Add a pinhole per directions in other posts on this blog.

Enjoy!

The dimensions from one website are as follows (remember to look at my disclaimer at the bottom right side of this page)

FL 240mm

Pin hole diameter .649mm – #72 drill

F stop 370

ASA 6

AOV 80.5 degrees with 8×10 paper

Sunny exposure 90 sec.

Now all I need is a sunny day, yeah, right, in upstate NY ? Maybe in June.

Update on the Duaflex IV Part2

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The shutter on the Duaflex stopped working during the night. I perhaps should have left the punch and hammer on the workbench nearby.

I figured it was time for disassembly of the winding mechanism and shutter button by removing the side cover. It always looks simple, just remove two screws and voila! , there it is all neat and pretty, just waiting for you to quietly and slowly begin the examination. NOT! As usual in these things, as soon as the second screw was loosened, parts started shifting and by the time the cover was lifted there were parts all over the workbench. Gratefully, it all went back together with a minimum of fuss and bother, I put a couple of small drops of sewing machine oil on the plastic springs, pivot points, etc and re-assembled. 

At this point it is time for Murphy’s Law to come forth. It did. The shutter would still not work correctly (please remember that at this juncture both lenses and the aperture wheel are gone, and a new pinhole has been cemented in place.), then, out of nowhere an oblong hole near the inside bottom of the camera appeared. I know what you think – it was there all the time – I know better – it manifested itself. Anyways- a small drop of oil on the pivot point inside freed up the shutter instantly. Whether or not the last one drop of oil would have been all that was needed I don’t know. But, it would be a good place to start if you find yourself with a sticky shutter Duaflex IV and, of course, if that oblong hole is already there.

Update on the Duaflex IV Part1

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This camera is a forerunner of the current method of building automobiles on assembly line using robots. The parts that are most likely to need adjustment or replacing are mounted first, then everything else is glued, stapled and welded over them.

Short version- using pliers, tin snips and screwdrivers- I removed the entire lower lens assembly except for the shutter. Suddenly, it started working. The pin punch and 20 ounce ball peen hammer I was about to use must have intimidated it.

So, it will be a pinhole sprocket hole camera (perhaps a new name is needed here – perhaps “2HPS” Camera) ?

I do have a possible tip/suggestion for pinhole cameras. This is untried and certainly there are people who have scientific ‘proof’ that it will not work without even trying it. To prevent tiny pieces of dust from getting in the pinhole, I am going to glue a ’slip cover’ over the pinhole. A slip cover in this context is a piece of very thin glass normally used to cover specimens on microscope slides. If this works, it would also help stop the supposed introduction of dust into DSLR cameras when the mirror operates when using a pinhole cap – something I have reservations about. I personally feel the dust in DSLR’s when using pinhole caps is introduced via that two inch hole that is open to the world when lenses and body caps are removed and replaced. Or, is that silly, thinking that more dust will come in via a two inch hole than through a .3mm hole when the mirror moves ?

I feel the massive influx of dust in DSLR’s when using a pinhole body cap is more probably dust that was already on the sensor. Dust on the sensor is very hard to notice in normal usage with optical lenses and the opposite is true with pinhole lenses. Each and every piece of dust on the sensor is visible when looking at an enlarged digital image from a pinhole camera. The dust is the most in focus part of the picture. It is then very easy to look for some devious method of dust introduction upon one’s sensor than admitting one’s sensor was already dirty.

Use that old 620/616 camera

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In my constant quest for the different, I ran across this item at an auction site. It is an adapter to let you use 35mm film in the old 620 and 616 format cameras and also available for the 120 format. It costs $10USD! Finally, someone who knows how to merchandise! Instead of selling it for $49.99 and not getting any takers, it is priced in the LOMO style – cheap and fun. 

The images show the sprocket wheel holes as the entire width of the film is exposed and the format is panoramic. There are pictures on their Flickr site, the addy is on their website.

See the website below for information. Now I have to CLA the Kodak Duaflex IV that is in the drawer, the shutter is very sticky.

I had a hard time deciding whether to place this post  here or on my other blog where I have information using unmodified equipment, as this is not an invasive modification. Since the idea of sprocket holes appearing as an integral part of an image is more in keeping with this blog- well, here it will be.

Sprocket Information

Update: I received the package from the website. It is simply a pair of wooden dowels modified to be press fit on the 35mm canister and then placed into the camera. I figure it would take me a couple of hours of fiddling around to copy it, so the price is reasonable. Now, if I could only find the package – hope it didn’t drop in the trash can. Further Update – It is March 2009 and the package is still missing – I’ll probably have to re-order.

Photographyhacks.org RIP

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I have decided to let my website photographyhacks.org die a natural death after June 2009. It is too much expense to maintain a non-income generating website and too time consuming to play with HTML code every time something is changed or added. 

In order to maintain the information I have on the website, I made a page entitled photographyhacks.org and I placed  the information from the website there. The images in general aren’t worth the effort to move. So, now is the time to look at the pictures if you wish. The images from the tutorials are still there.

 
UPDATE 12-10-2008: I found a quick way to zip all the images from photographyhacks.org. I will put them in a gallery on their own page. They will include, in no particular order or filename convention, cross-eye stereo, images that originally were embedded in the projects, and normal (for me) snapshots.

Double Slit Camera 4

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The super lens cap is finished, tested and a new page containing photographs has been created.

Double Slit Camera 3

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This morning I got what I needed together for this project. As I mentioned before, I have turned aside a bit from making a whole camera in order to determine something of the physical characteristics needed. This will be a lens cap on steroids, so to speak. I am using a set of macro rings as the basic structure, single edge injector razor blades for the slit edges, black core foam for the blade holders and information I have gleaned from the internet. If the findings are OK, I will then turn to making it in a 4×5 MF wooden camera with a Graflex roll film back using 6×7 negatives.

A few words here on the internet information – there are many references to slit cameras, however, most are related to either cameras used to determine finish line winners or the very interesting experiments on quantum physics showing how light travels as both waves and particles depending on whether they are being observed or not – real SG1 tech talk, huh ? Try this for a starting point – you will start wondering when the Asgard are going to beam you aboard – I hope you have on clean undies – LOL.   http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=usTOM8vffB4 or search the internet for>> Dr Quantum <<

 Further, the little related to what I am doing is mainly of the sort “I am going to make a double slit camera and I am all ready to make it, and it is going to be neat. Can anybody give me information on how to do it?”, or, “Here is a link to (pictures, information, guidelines, etc)”; a vast majority are either dead or not having anything related to the subject. The three places I did find that had needed information are enough to get going, I will either place the information or the links on my www.photographyhacks.org website after I actually determine if they are worthy.

So, here I am saying I am going to do it AND post pictures yadda, yadda, yadda ……….  Well, I do have good intentions of doing just that and you can determine if I follow through by checking back here for updates. Below is a quick picture of my worktable all set to start.

Double Slit Camera 2

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On the bus trip I did come up with a design concept for the camera project, then today I happened to spot a website that referred to a company that makes a double slit add on for MF cameras. I checked it out and it is a straight forward design very similar to a pinhole body cap. Taking this one step further, I changed direction a bit and now I am planning on building a double slit add on for my Canon XTi. This will be two-fold. First it will be quicker to assemble, second it will give me practice on the spacing of the slit widths.

Double Slit Camera 1

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I really should stop web surfing ………….

A month or so ago I found a wonderful website:  http://www.f295.org/

Update March 2009: The above website has gone to a member’s only pay website, however the information is still all there.

there are literally thousands of posts and photos to look at and they are all either pinhole or alternative developing styles for both film and paper.

There is a section dealing with what is referred to as double slit cameras. This is basically a sort of super pinhole – with baggage. Two slits are aligned at 90 degrees from each other and spaced apart front to rear. The first, narrower, slit acts as a wide pinhole in one direction and the second, wider, acts as a pinhole in the other. The upside is faster exposures and better detail. The baggage ? Well, since there are two focal lengths there is a degree of stretching along one or the other axis depending on the slit alignment. I was able to read the information and leave without getting too excited over it. Well, last night …………..

You guessed – I’m at the first stage I mentioned recently – conceptual artist. The image is fuzzy at this moment. It will — nope – won’t use the d**e**p word — come to fruition – probably on the bus ride to NYC tomorrow. Instead of just making a simple one and going at it, I’m going to make a dream machine. All the adjustments and such that I can work in to the design. I have a small stash of poplar that will be used. 

The thing that actually triggered this ? I was put off by the accuracy of the slit. Last night I had another of those rare lucid moments and thought ” why not make a pattern of sorts in Ado*e Ph*t*s*o* ?”.  I grabbed some transparency sheets, set the program to make a file at 1000dpi and 2″ x 2″ with a black background. I then made 8 different sized ’slits’ with the pen tool. Starting at 11 pixels wide down to 4 pixels. Now I can use the patterns to align the slit edges to ensure they are parallel.

The whole concept became apparent when I held two of the transparencies – one vertical and one horizontal – spaced about two inches apart, up to a light. When I moved my head around in an imaginary square to approximate a 6×6cm square that little square of light- .004″ square – traveled along the slits – just like the descriptions in the posts ! “It can be done !” – sorry to Mel Brooks.