HARMAN TiTAN 4x5 Pinhole Photography

[girishmenon]

<p>I just came upon the HARMAN TiTAN 4x5 Pinhole camera. I want to get into large format photography and I reckon that this sort of a pinhole camera will help me understand the basics of sheet film, loading film holders and processing etc. before I make bigger investments. <br>

However, I would like some sort of a viewfinder because composition is very important to me. I have read that the iPhone can be used, but I'm looking for other options. I read about "sports finders" but I haven't found a single note that explains them clearly.<br>

Is there any way I can have a focusing screen for a pinhole camera such as this one?</p>

[dhbebb]

<p>The Harman Titan has been designed to be affordable, lightweight and cheap. It therefore has a simplified back into which a 4x5 filmholder is simply clipped. A ground glass screen would in any case be totally ineffective because the standard pinhole <br>

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1082920&gclid=CN7y2_-f48sCFesV0wodGuYCBQ&is=REG&A=details&Q=<br>

has an effective aperture of f206, which would give a screen image so dark that you could see it only if you spent 5 minutes or longer with your head under a black cloth.<br>

The best idea would be to get an accessory viewfinder made for a 35mm camera and put this in the accessory shoe provided on the camera. A 24/25 mm finder would be ideal, a 28 mm would give you a reasonable idea of the field of view.</p>

 

[AJG]

<p>You could probably find a used 4x5 monorail and lens for not a lot more than this camera is selling for new, and you would get much better results. David's suggestion of a 35 mm finder would work, but a new one from Voigtlander or Leica will run you as much or far more than the camera mentioned and still have the wrong aspect ratio. Pinhole cameras are a lot of fun and can make some unique images due to their optical characteristics, but they aren't a great tool for general photography.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Yes, this camera uses large format film and film holders. But otherwise it has very little to do with large format photography as it is normally practiced. You would be much better off as Andrew suggests with a used 4x5 view camera. You could also consider a 4x5 Speed Graphic or Crown Graphic, which shoot a 4x5 negative but can be handheld and offer the option of viewing and focusing on the ground grass like a regular view camera or through a regular viewfinder with rangefinder for focusing.<br /><br />A pinhole camera can produce interesting images in the right hands but it is a specialized tool. For most photographers, it's a photography class build-it-yourself project just to experiment with. Not something most people use more than a handful of times.</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>I see on the Titan cameras the advantage of being quite lightweight units for the given format. If this is what you are looking for, that`s fine. They are unbeatable. If so, I`d get and adjust a RF type viewfinder on it (e.g., a Voigtlander).<br /> But keep in mind that it doesn`t replace a movable front/rear standard camera, which could be the most interesting feature of a "real" large format camera. I also agree with above; a cheap monorail could serve you better to enter on the LF world, and to use Scheimpflug`s principles (it will be much heavier and bigger, that`s unavoidable). <br /> Film loading, shooting and processing is not that difficult. After a couple sessions you`ll understand how it works. Then, it may be that you`ll end missing a more versatile camera, with a longer lens and some tilting&decentering capability.<br /> And if pinhole photography is what you want, think that there are precision made pinhole plates that you can easily attach to any LF camera lens board, at your own taste.</p>