Anyone considered a Pinhole Lens?

M

mtokue

Well-known
Local time
1:55 AM
Joined
Mar 9, 2005
Messages
302
After getting some good results with Avenons 21mm Lens I started to look into their lenses and came across a very interesting "AIR LENS"
From what I can gather they made these for a few different cameras.
I found a Leica screw mount one in a Japanese Auction and am tempted.
My question is:
Has anyone tried one of these or something simmilar?
Any thoughts as to whether such a thing would work with the RD-1?
Any comments?

Cheers
Mike.
 
I use one on my 20D when the mood strikes me. I really like it for something different.
 
I am not sure if it is the same thing but I once made a pinhole out of my Canon lens cap and used on my 300D. The thing work very good, it even metered correctly (because of TTL metering) and since it was an DSLR I could see through the viewfinder. You will not be able to do that though with the Epson but it will probably meter corectly.
 
Have not tried that particular "lens", made one my self out of tin from a coke can and a nikon bodycap for my DSLR. It really makes sense to use one on a digital cam-no waste of film trying to estimate exposures. What amazed me was how close you can get macro like shots, here are a few I took recently:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/9328/sort/1/cat/500/page/2

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/9327/sort/1/cat/500/page/2

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/9326/sort/1/size/medium/cat/500/page/2

all were taken with a Fuji S2 Pro.

Todd
 
The best place for readymade pinholes: Pinhole Resource. Cut a hole in a body cap, glue on the piece of thin metal with the pinhole, and shoot away. You won't really need the rangefinder since everything, and I mean everything, will be in focus. No matter how close or how far. Not too sharp, but in focus. The Pinhole Resource pinholes will be a lot sharper than you would think. Just select the optimum one for the pinhole to film plane distance.
 
My understanding is that Leica pinhole lenses render an indescribable glow, creaminess of tones, and a 3 dimensionality unmatched by other pinholes. ;)
 
If you are using pinhole on a digital camera and you think your sensor is clean, just a heads up, it will show every piece of dust on your sensor, requiring quite a bit of dust busting in Photoshop.

Here is an example image using the pinhole body cap -
http://www.pbase.com/keithbg/image/38790543
 
Last edited:
It took them years to design the perfect pinhole... But in 1945 when the Russians took over they also took the plans for the perfect pinhole....
Years later after of the fall of USSR the goverment revealed that the reason you never see any Russian made pinhole lens is because on the long road back to Russia the secret service unit in chage of all th impotant documents....................... Ran out of toilet paper some where in the no mans land region.


So, they were forced to use the plans for the perfect Leica pinhole lens to..........................


Write a letter on the back of then send the document to foward command. A scout was sent out and never made it to foward command( or so the story goes) Some say he froze to death that June. The plan lay some where in between Russia and Germany, hiding the secrets that could bring the company back to the strength it new before the plans were stolen...
 
I can't believethat I got no replys for this educational experience that shared with everyone.
 
pinhole

pinhole

i've played w them a bit having made them out of brass shim material, tinfoil...and currently use one Larry Bullis made from silver. I had an adapter machined for thread mount and of course an adapter takes it to bayonet mounts quite easily.
one of my favorite experiences in Paris was when FNAC wouldn't charge for the "out of focus" shots and put a little sticker on the print stating something to that effect.
and of course, whether on a Leica thread mount or any of the M series bodies, it makes about a compact package as possible. very fun very fun
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top