Catching Up

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NOTE POSTED 04-17-2009 – I have been trying to get a handle on the cross slit project since this was originally posted here. At this moment, and I don’t see my mind being changed, I am abandoning any further work or time. I believe that simply put, since there are two distinctly different focal lengths there will always be one plane that is stretched out of proportion. I am planning to continue into the world of old manual focus M42 lenses and even older lenses from folders on my Canon XTi. Of course, there will still be occasional side trips into pinhole land.

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I did receive the SD card I needed in order to test my digital stereo rig. As soon as there is a decent day I will be trying it out, along with some more shots with the homemade wood stereo camera and, of course, the newest toy – that double slit camera cap. The main problem for the rest of the year is the weather. With an annual snowfall of over 110″ per year combined with one of the lowest percentages of available sun received, the subject matter until Spring is mainly bare trees and snow. In fact, guess what was in the air just a half hour ago ? 

 

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 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.

Pinhole Stereo Camera Information

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Here are some quick pictures of my homemade stereo pinhole camera.

The lens covers and the film index hole cover are super strength magnets; fender washers are glued to the wood body. I put some self stick camera light seal material on the backside of the magnets. This was part of a general camera light seal fix kit from an online auction site.

The level is from one of those dollar store assortments. I broke the holder off and glued it in a routed slot on the top. This is a very important item. Stereo images that are not level are very hard for your eyes and software to rectify.

The inside shows how I set the two images five inches apart (all measurements here are approximate). There are five compartments, The two end ones are for the film rolls; the middle one is for the staggered image; the other two are the pinhole compartments.

The white tape is some teflon tape I had around and used in an attempt to reduce friction on the film, The first roll shows some scratching of the negatives in every frame, so I have to rethink this.

The pressure plate is simply a piece of wood mounted on the back with foam weatherproofing tape. Foam tape was  also used  between the back and front as a light seal; a note here- I didn’t wait quite long enough for the paint on the wood to cure; and the tape was ruined in a couple of spots when I opened it up, after two weeks stored closed, for these pictures. I’d say wait a week or so or just store it unassembled.

So, I have two things to remedy – the tape scratches and replacing the damaged light seals. I am happy that there are not more problems.

As for the spacing of images on the film. As the roll is advanced through its length the stereo pairs are like this 1R.2R.1L.2L.3R.4R.3L.4L.5R.6R.5L.6L as they roll on the take-up roll. Six pairs per 120 film. Looking at the film back through the back hole the number sequence is 2.3.6.7.10.11 as the pictures are exposed.

There is a fold up/down viewfinder from an unknown folding camera to get a general idea of the framing.

There are three screw adjusters on the bottom of the camera. Since this is not exactly tripod friendly due to its width, I figured car tops, fences, chairs, benches, rocks, tree trunks, etc will be the normal resting place. These give me a way to level the camera. I do have a super reinforced tripod mount on the bottom, but unless it is a still day or indoors I’ll use a support as mentioned above.

Using hardware store parts I made spring loaded roller guides and roll winders. Whatever works for your plan – after all this is part of the fun – being conceptual artist, designer, engineer, fabricator, assembler, trouble shooter,  and user. When the first roll comes back it reflects what you have done.

As with all my projects/hints – please read the Notice at the bottom of the right hand column .

Dollar Store Pinhole Cameras – An Update

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Last night I spent three+ hours destroying one of these quality cameras trying for a simple way to make the shutter stay open when the release was held down. Nothing doing. Then another two hours trying to add a second push/pull shutter release. Too contrived and not what I was looking for. I covered the parts with a towel and left them there, in the dark, with no food or water, to come to their senses and tell me what to do.

After looking at a Blog on WordPress an hour ago, that I found using the Tag Search with pinhole as the search word, I had my answer. I was being much to mechanically minded on the project. I decided to just take the shutter mechanism out, leave the shutter release to serve the function of a film advance regulator and use …. drumroll ……… rimshot ………. duck/duct tape or black electrical tape !

http://johnsomerville.wordpress.com/

Above is the Blog where I found my inspiration. Thank you John ! My Bloglist widget has a link to his Blog.

I have made an early New Year’s Resolution – to take at least one picture a day with both my DSLR and a pinhole camera. I have been spending too much time at the keyboard and workshop. Winter is coming and the Fall colors are passing me by.

Just now I found a small blurb regarding the difference in developing 220 vs 120 film. The physical difference is there is no paper backing on 220 film, making it very sensitive to light. This comes into play when you load/unload the film. Also, if you have a camera that has a red viewing circle, there are no numbers and the light coming in through the circle can fog the film. This is probably old news to MF film users, but was news to me. I was planning on using a roll of 220 color in my homemade stereo pinhole camera to double the number of stereo pairs, this info saved me the price of a ruined roll of film.

This and That

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The rain continues, despite the TV weather predictions of it stopping soon. 

I was helping a friend drop off some accumulated stuff at the town landfill this morning when I had one of those short lived moments of lucidity that seniors have. He pulled into the dollar store at my request and I ran inside to see if they had any of those $1.00 plastic 35mm cameras left. Yup, must be fifty or so hanging there. I grabbed eight of them and a couple of dog snacks. Hey, with ranch dressing they aren’t half-bad. 

Maybe it was the recent posts here and on my website regarding duplicate pinholes that spurred a sleeping neuron or two to life. Short version of a long story – there are eight duplicate pinholes sitting on my workbench with the paint on them drying. 

Later I will see if it is going to be possible to make the shutter stay open when the release is held down. If not, I’ll have to cobble up another method. What to do with them ? Two thoughts – the photography group I am in doesn’t seem to share my interest in pinhole photography, so I could bring them to our next meeting all loaded with film and use them as pass-outs. That might get some interest going.  The other is to sell them on an online auction site. Hmmmm… perhaps both, I’ll have to see what develops. Darn, I promised myself I wouldn’t use that phrase again.

The trip to NYC is coming in a week. I’m still indecisive as to where to wander and what equipment to take. I know the DSLR is going with the 28mm prime. The pinhole question looms – dare I haul along the stereo pinhole or should I take one of these new plastic jobbies, or stick with my favorite wooden pinhole with the Graflex roll film back ?  So many places, including the sidewalks are persona non grata to tripods in NYC making the pinhole good only in parks. The police are supposed to allow amateurs a certain time period for tripod use on sidewalks, providing you are not obstructing pedestrian flow. I prefer to not get into a timing or perception issue with the NYPD. Decisions, decisions ………..

Update – I’ve decided to take my monopod and the wood camera. Of course, that might change

An Hour of Leisurely Photo Taking

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I packed up the Bronica and my handmade wood pinhole camera, both loaded with Kodak 160NC. I wandered around a small industrial village nearby. After shooting the roll in the pinhole, I loaded it with B&W 100 ASA el cheapo film. I’ll send the 160NC to the lab tomorrow. The Bronica only ate 1/2 of its roll.

There is now a page for images from the pinhole.

Quick hint for Graflex roll back users – remember to pull the slide ! I had a few unexposed sections of negative on the B&W roll………..

Pinhole Day 2009

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According to the Pinhole Day website > www.pinholeday.org < each year Pinhole Day is on the last Sunday in April which will make it April 26, 2009.

Time to start planning ahead ! 

Quick synopsis of Pinhole Day – the day that all participants take image(s) and upload to the website. All uploads will then be put in a gallery. The Pinhole Day galleries for past years (2001-2008) are available for perusal. It is amazing to see the images from all over the world, taken with all sorts of cameras, all within the same 24 hour period.

Take time to look at the galleries for the past years. I make a bookmark of the last image I have looked at and then start in the same place when I again have the time.

I will put a clickable link within the Web list Widget to the right.

As soon as I get a few images sorted out, I will make some pages up to hold them, after all, I am trying to have a PhotoBlog here. LOL

Edit/Update at 9:30PM – I added a page with some of the images from the stereo pinhole camera.

It is a dark and dreary day ……….

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Perhaps I will see what develops ……….  Enough of that ! 

I do have a personal website, nothing for sale and no opinions on current affairs.

Update March 2009: The website below is now being forwarded to this website. All information is on a page named photographyhacks.

There is an article with details on the Yashica A conversion to pinhole, another on those screw on wide angle adapters, and more photographs.

Today I am going to attempt working with the stereo pairs I have from my homemade pinhole stereo camera. I will probably do one in P***oshop and another in a freeware stereo program. When I get done, if either are decent, I will post them in a message here. They will be in both stereo pairs for crosseyed viewing and in anaglyph format for use with red/cyan glasses.

I just found that the NYC metro system has a 1 day pass for $7.50, available at automatic dispensers. Compared to the double decker bus day pass it is a bargain. I believe I will get one first thing. A note to remember for newbies on the NYC Subway system- in less traveled areas of Manhattan (possibly other places also) there are entrances that only go in one direction. With my last fare used on my card, I went through the turnstile and got in an uptown terminal – yup – I wanted downtown. So, back through the turnstile, up the stairs, across the street, back down, purchase another fare ticket and get on the correct train.  Like I have said in an earlier posting here, I am but a country bumpkin.