paul_nelson

<p>If you have another old film pack (or possibly a new one), you could remove the picture from your film pack and place it in another with a working battery (in the dark, obviously). You then could take a picture in the dark (or cover the lens) and eject/develop the picture. The impossible project has a number of videos that illustrate a similar process.</p>

<p>duplicate post</p>

<p>While the Impossible Project is making new integral films, they have several pack films available. <br>

I've used the chocolate, blue and 664 films. The chocolate make delicious sepia images, the blue is unique - depending on the exposure it is blue/white film or some other color can work its way into the image. They are starting to get a bit older, but I have had no problem with either. I have some of the sepia but I haven't shot with it yet.<br>

I'll miss them when they are gone, but am enjoying them now!</p>

This thread brings back some of my oldest memories. I?m 45, so they aren?t too old (I tell myself). When I was little, probably around 3-5, I was given a brownie box camera of some sort. I vaguely remember being told how to wind the film and take pictures, but I don?t remember ever shooting more than a roll or two. I realize now that film and processing were relatively EXPENSIVE back then. Sometime before first grade, my dad got rid of the camera and I remember being a bit upset about it. My next camera, late 70?s, was a 126 instamatic which I used until high school when by dad let me use his Yashika camera (I have no idea which model, but it dated from his trips to the Marshall Islands in the 60?s). I still remember the AG-1 flashbulbs, which I find myself using again today.

 

My interest in ?classic? cameras was rekindled again a few years back when I noticed a Brownie box camera on eBay. I?ve bought and enjoyed a variety of relatively inexpensive classics since then ? my favorite being my stereo realist camera.

The Honeywell / Heiland tilt-a-mite can be easily modified to work with modern batteries. I removed and tossed the capacitor from mine. I then cut and folded a piece of brass shim stock into a "M" and placed it on the top of the battery compartment (it is in contact with both contacts at the top of the compartment. I then placed a CR2 battery between the bottom contact and the brass shim.

 

The modification negates the use of the "test" button, but the flash works just fine on camera. Depending on the model, it will work with AG-1, mini-bayonette and bayonette based bulbs.

On a number of my Ikontas, there is a red dot on the apeture scale and on the focusing ring. I have assumed that it was a hyperfocal aid - at f = red dot, and focus = red dot, most things will be in focus. It's just a guess, but it would seem to make some sence.

The freeware program Pinhole Designer provides a useful tool for sizing pinholes, calculating exposure time (with compensation for some films), angle of view and Zone Plates. it is available at:

 

http://www.pinhole.cz/en/pinholedesigner/

 

The rest of the site is pretty goo too.

Although my pinholes were purchased, they were not laser drilled - and they weren't that expensive (though at a buck or two a roll for short or just past date film, I guess you could buy a dozen or so rolls of film for what they cost. The seller I picked them up from currently has a set up at auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7523279894&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT (Standard disclaimer: I have no stake in the auction, but was pleased with my purchase.)

 

I guess I could make my own, and I may try someday. But, I was looking for the shortest path to playing with pinholes. I especially enjoy working at short focal lengths - it's an easy path to very wide angle photography. I'm currently trying to decide on a folder to change into a short focal length pinhole camera.

QUOTE - BTW, you've got more nerve than I do if you shoot 4x5 chromes with a pinhole -- or a lot bigger budget. - Unquote

 

Between the film, flashbulbs, and vintage cameras, my wife might complain that the latter is true. But, the film came cheap from eBay and I did a test exposure with cheap Polaroid film first. Unfortunately, I don't shoot as much 4x5 as I'd like. I get the camera out a few times a year, then save the film until I have enough to send it out economically.

 

I've attached an enlargement of the cupola that shows some of the detail that is possible with a pinhole. It is still a bit soft, but I was pleasantly surprised when the film came back. (I will have to admit that I took the easy way out and bought a set of pre-drilled pinholes. But I have installed them in several different camera bodies and have been quite pleased with the outcome. If I only had as much time to pursue photography as I would like!)<div></div>

I have a pinhole that I use with my Speed Graphic (4x5) on occasion. It is 0.0138" and used at ~60 mm (f=171). I am actually surprised at how sharp the pictures turn out. One of these days, I want to try a laser drilled pinhole to see if it is any sharper than the hand-drilled one that i'm using.

 

The attached picture is the one that I submitted for world pinhole day this year. The 500 pixel limit doesn't do justice to the picture. You can pick out individual blades of grass most of the way to the church on the original chrome.<div></div>

After reading about tulip soft fabric paint above I thought it might be good for bellows repair too. I got a bottle of Ebony (which is really dark grey) and applied it to the bellows of a number of folders ? including one that was approaching bare cloth on the corners. After letting it dry for 24 hours and opening and closing the bellows several times I only had one remaining (easily coverable) pinhole on 5 cameras. Time will tell how it holds up, but I?m impressed with its ease of use. It sure beats the other option of PVA (white glue) with detergent and black pigment.

I recently developed several rolls of Kodacolor X as B/W and posted in the Classic Camera forum. The developing procedure is described in the URL below. If you want to DIY, you'll need a 127 reel.

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CGYU

 

Alternatively, e-mail me offline, and I can see about dropping it in the tank next time I develop some film.

Yea, I can't type. I noticed that typo after posting - by then it was too late to edit it.

Party time! This picture was actually between grandma and the ceremony. The bottle behind the soft drink bottle clearly has a tax stamp on the cap.

 

Overall, I no longer have a fear of processing Kodacolor X as B/W. Color might be nice, but it is doubtful that it will survive well this long. And, the results are much quicker and cheaper than sending it off.<div></div>

And here he is in front of the stage. As an aside, the girls that were graduating wore white (or light colored) mortarboards.<div></div>

It appears to be a dreary day. Most of the shots outside appear underexposed. This shot appears to be our hero on stage. Those do appear to be hills behind him. The topography is much flatter in pictures taken to the left.<div></div>

The hairstyles and clothing of the crowd may give a clue as to the date of these pictures. The juxtaposition of the two girls near the left made me do a double take at first.<div></div>

Here?s the third set of pictures developed from Kodacolor X that was

exposed in an Ansco Readyflash camera. The link to the thread with

the processing information is:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CGYU

 

These pictures seem to be from a later era than the others. Each of

these series overlaps each other on the three rolls of film that came

with the camera, so they were shot in sequence. Only 3 rolls in I do

not know how many years! I wonder why no one bothered to get them

developed. Then again, maybe I should not be surprised.

 

There were more pictures in this series than the others, but many

didn?t come out well and I don?t want to bore the forum with too many

similar shots. Here?s a subset of the graduation series.

 

Here is the better of two shots of the graduate with grandma?<div></div>

This is one of my favorite pictures from the rolls I developed. Our subject sits with Ginger and Mary Ann in a choke-hold. The goy on the left makes the picture though. The bow-tie looks like it was stolen from a clown suite. I can only guess what color it was. My guess was that the goy was the math teacher. (My wife guessed science teacher, but as a chemist, I just can?t buy into that.) Other than LIFE, I can?t make out any of the book/magazine titles.<div></div>

OK, this one doesn?t look like much. But a higher resolution scan revels that those are letters on the bulletin board. Most carry a grade of B and the writing ?Good? on them - which is why I suspect that the subject of this series was a teacher. It?s my guess that this was his bulletin board.<div></div>

Here?s a closer picture of the cake, but it?s not any help for figuring out the first line. You?ll get to see the pigtails again in a moment.<div></div>

Here?s his good-bye cake. I can make out ?Sorry to see ya go? but I?m unable to figure out the first line.<div></div>

Here?s a second set of pictures developed from Kodacolor X that was

exposed in an Ansco Readyflash camera. The link to the thread with

the processing information is:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CGYU

 

This series of pictures appear to be of a teacher who is leaving a

school (or perhaps a job).

 

Here is the subject of this series. Unfortunately, I can?t make out

the beverage he is drinking ? if it was regional, it might help

locate where the pictures came from.<div></div>

I wonder what?s up here and what the youth are holding in their hands.<div></div>

Double exposure ? the boy returning down the aisle underneath the youth in the church basement. This and the next picture may be from a different event. Gotta love those white socks with black shoes!<div></div>