TTV and Digital Pinhole Discussion

[ktuli]

Hey - I wondered if anyone else here has tried TTV (through the viewfinder) photography.

For those who have no clue what I'm on about, it is basically using an old TLR (twin lens reflex) that has a large viewfinder that you then take a photo of that viewfinder with your DSLR.

I got into this at the end of last summer, and really love it. Old TLRs (like Anscoflex II and Argus 75 and Brownie Reflex) are readily available at flea markets and vintage/antique stores for pretty cheap ($5-$25 USD). Then all you need is some cardboard, tape, a craft knife, and some free time!

I love the instant vintage feel it gives to the photos - especially since I'm a SOOC kind of guy, I don't have to try doing that stuff in PP. Some of it can be done in PP, but some of the distortion and whatnot might be a bit tougher to pull off accurately.

I have a bunch of posts about TTV on my blog if anyone is interested, but I'll share some examples here too...


Gargoyle:

Summer Broderie Room Garden:

Winter Broderie Room Garden:

Barrel Cacti Trio:

If you take TTV photos, feel free to share them here. My apologies if this thread has been done before - I tried searching for it, but wasn't having any luck finding it so I figured I'd post my own.

Also, feel free to C&C any/all of these images as well and share your thoughts on the technique.

- Bill

[Steaphany]

I've heard of TTV before, but never found it appealing since my first camera was a Yashica MAT TLR and I love the image quality. If I found a neglected antique TLR, I'd clean it up, load a roll of film, and bring it back to life.

For a real vintage feel, try your hand at Pin Hole Photography !
( Yes, there is such a thing as digital Pin Hole Photography )

[ktuli]

For a real vintage feel, try your hand at Pin Hole Photography !
( Yes, there is such a thing as digital Pin Hole Photography )

Steaphany,

Actually, I have a spare camera body cap sitting in my wishlist for the next time I do an order (no sense paying shipping for a $2 piece of plastic when I can combine it with other stuff for free shipping) and fully intend on trying my hand at some digital pinhole photography!

I bought this book by Chris Gatcum called Camera Creative that has given me several good ideas for things to try. Fun little projects to try new techniques for photography.

- Bill

[speedneeder]

( Yes, there is such a thing as digital Pin Hole Photography )

Is that when you set your aperture to f22?

[revi]

How would you protect the sensor from dust when using it with a pin-holed body cap?
I don't like the idea of having the body open to the exterior for any extended period of time (even with the only access being a 1-2 mm hole...)

[Wirefox]

Bill

I have tried it but I put the view into context with the camera



and here is the culprit. The 635 (as applied by its model number) also comes with a cartridge so that you can convert to 35mm. Not sure why you want to do that though

[Donald]

For a real vintage feel, try your hand at Pin Hole Photography !
( Yes, there is such a thing as digital Pin Hole Photography )

Now, this is really weird in terms of timing.

There is an article in the latest issue of 'Black & White Photography' that's just popped through the letterbox in the last few days, all about digital pinhole photography. In fact, the magazine took 4 readers out for the day for a shoot and when they arrived on location, told them it was going to be a session shooting digital pinhole. So they took the lenses off the camera and fitted a body cap with a pinhole already made into it ... and away they went.

The results were really interesting.

There's an advert in the magazine for a company in the UK who will make the pinhole for you in a cap that you provide, for £30. Seems a bit steep for sticking a pin in a bit of plastic, but maybe there's more to it than I understand.

[ktuli]

There's an advert in the magazine for a company in the UK who will make the pinhole for you in a cap that you provide, for £30. Seems a bit steep for sticking a pin in a bit of plastic, but maybe there's more to it than I understand.

1. If they would seal it with optically inert glass, that might be worth a few bucks - not £30 mind you, but something. That would eliminate Remco's concerns of exposing the sensor to dust while shooting in this manner. It shouldn't be hard - just glue the glass to the inside of the cap in such a way that the cap can still go on and not interfere with any of the internal workings of the camera. And as long as the glass doesn't affect the light coming in (or does so very minimally), I don't see a reason not to do this.

2. Seriously? For £30 they can't even provide you the cap? That's ridiculous. It would be interesting to see how many issues their ad stays there, and to also get a list of their customers... I have a couple bridges I'd like to sell them.

3. Why am I hijacking my own thread? We were talking TTV, not pinhole photography. HAHA! Just kidding, I am interested in both forms. Feel free to share some digital pinhole photography if anyone has some.

- Bill

[John C]

The folks at Photojojo had a blurb about pinhole cameras using a body cap with a hole in it. Looks like the one they have is covered to keep the dust out.

http://photojojo.com/store/awesomene...hole-body-cap/

[Steaphany]

I created my pin hole with a mounted 300 um held in a T-Mount lens assembly and I added an antireflective coated optical window to prevent dust from entering my camera. Then I just fit my T-Mount adapter, which allows me to use the camera on my telescope, on the camera and screw on the pin hole.

This is a lot more precise that glueing a pin hole on a body cap.

If you are interested, I can provide a complete how to on the parts and assembly.

[Steaphany]

Since I was pressed for time, my last post didn't have my usual excessive detail, so here is the source, design, and how to for my Pin Hole Lens:

Go to http://www.edmundoptics.com/ to buy these items:

T-Mount 25/25.4mm Thin Lens Mount
Item Number NT52-292

A Laser Cut Mounted Precision Pinhole
Item Numbers NT56-291 ( 1000 μm ) through NT56-272 ( 1 μm )
I went with the NT56-285 ( 300 μm )

Anti-Reflection (AR) Coated High Efficiency Windows
( To prevent dust from passing through the Pin Hole into the Camera Body )
Item Number NT46-098 ( Window 1" Dia. 3mm Thickness, AR Coating )

and to put all these parts safely together, if you don't already have one, get the Mini Spanner Wrench Set, Item Number NT36-413

The total cost from Edmund is $143.00US. Assembly is straight forward, place the Pin Hole into the Lens Mount, place the Optical window over the Pin Hole, and screw in the retaining ring using the spanner. Just don't over tighten or you'll risk breaking the window. You are done !

If you already have a telescope that you use with your camera, then you'll probably have a T-Mount adapter ring for your camera body mount style. If not, check out Orion T-Rings for 35mm Cameras.

To put your new "lens" to use, attach the T-Mount adapter ring to your SLR, screw on the Pin Hole assembly, place your camera on a tripod and expect Long exposures. Here is a snap that I recently shot:

This image is a crop from a much larger imager frame size, so the soft focus effect is more pronounced