Folding Pin-hole Panoramic

I made this on the principle of trying to maintain a constant distance from the pin-hole to the film-plane. Ok this is only on the X axis not the Y but goes a long way to reduce increased magnification (or FL) and darkening towards the sides of the frame.

Not only with the operation of the camera but there was a lot of trial and error esp in the size of the pin-hole (and how much to sand the aluminium down to reduce diffraction). Too small a hole and diffraction reduced sharpness, too large a hole and well, less sharpness. About a medium needle's diameter was good. The 'lens cap' was the shutter. Hi-fi volume knob was the film wind. Sliding frame-number window door and viewfinder, cut from zinc sheet. In the end one of the best pin-hole camera ever, so I thought.

Then I realised that magnification and darkening towards the sides of the frame is an unique 'asset' of pin-hole photography, and I'd just gone and ironed it out!

Medium-format 6 x 12cm format. Usually loaded with B&W 120 film, 400ASA.

Exposure is long (which adds to the look, smoothed moving clouds and trees etc), the best method to calculate exposure time from a hand-held meter I found was to meter at f64, then multiple the exposure by 60, so 1/2sec reading becomes a 30sec exposure.

As to photo samples from the camera, they are 300 miles away stored in mouldy boxes.

I seem to remember some great B&W negs, exposures taken in Prague. The camera was confiscated by guards in a museum - they didn't know what it was, suspicious, and I couldn't speak the language. I thought that might be the last I saw it, but it was handed back when I left, phew.

I gave up B&W photography a while back so couldn't print them now - but could get them scanned. I'll find the negs sometime and do this. The other option is to load the camera with film a take some fresh shots ...but just too busy at present. The camera is tempting me back though!