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Leica M PinHole photography


Steve Ricoh

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It was a toss-up between posting here and on the digital sub-forum, but it's more likely the film photographer will be tempted to play. So here's the question:

Anyone tried doing Pinhole photography with their M using a device such as this? https://skinkpinhole.com/wp/webshop/shop/fur-sucherkameras-for-rangefinders/fur-leica/skink-pinhole-pancake-pro-kit-leica/

 

I've recently purchased the equivalent for the m4/3 - only received yesterday, so limited shooting, but interesting results non the less (can't post non-Leica photos here, so unable to show the results).

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Yes, I did, with the M8:

 

 

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Like most things in life, size matters ;) Right? Just wondering if 35mm is big enough for pin hole photography, or if as I suspect medium format and above is required. Images shot on the u4/3 using the Skinky could be best described as expressionistic caused by massive amount of diffraction on a small sensor. The M however offers 4x the surface area of (analogue or digital) sensor.

Edited by Steve Ricoh
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I've done pinhole work with formats down to FourThirds (13x17.1 mm) but in it shines better with larger formats. 35mm is large enough ... The size and focal length of the pinhole also matter a lot. 

 

This one was made with the Leica SL using a Skink Pinhole (with the Zone Plate f/47 disk), exposed ISO 1600 @ f/47 @ 1/30): 

 

24440066100_df16206741_o.jpg

 

You could do the same with a Leica M. 

 

This one was made with an Olympus E-PL1 using a Skink Pinhole for an Olympus E-1 that was fitted using a FT->mFT mount adapter, making it a long focal length pinhole (about 70mm): 

 

8558382982_8e0b416d32_o.jpg

 

What takes time with pinhole work is learning what subjects work best and how to visualize them. :) This one was exploratory using the Leica CL, Skink Pinhole (f/128 pinhole disk) exposed at ISO 12500 @ 0.3 seconds: 

 

44051393802_196958e05c_o.jpg

 

Pinhole is fun... 

Edited by ramarren
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Pinhole photography outcomes should make it clear that the larger format, the better.

 

 

The "better" if your goal is high resolution: Indeed, very true.

 

I have custom made 6x6 pinhole camera that has a very very short focal length pinhole for ultrawide, high-res pinhole shooting... It's about a 20mm focal length. I've got to get out there with it and do some shooting, have a roll of Washi-120 paper/film in it, ready to shoot with. 

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Pinhole M mount cap was available on ebay. Still is. It is like 10 bucks.

I have one laser drilled. f156 28mm equivalent. I slap it on film M camera once a year for pinhole day.

 

33665415733_450cb0261e_o.jpg

 

 

26063074694_8423867013_o.jpg

 

 

27007453017_90d92c2fd7_o.jpg

 

 

30302520614_2032ebc9a5_o.jpg

 

Same pinhole M cap on M-E:

 

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Edited by Ko.Fe.
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Pinhole photography outcomes should make it clear that the larger format, the better.

 

Yes but it isn't just a matter of 'bigger is better'. I can't remember the technical reason but with m4/3 you just won't get anything in focus/vaguely sharp, but as you go up to full frame it is possible if you have the correct sized pinhole. It's something to do with the angle of the light hitting the sensor being to great because the pinhole is too close to the sensor with m4/3. Having done large format pinhole photography I always think of pinhole photography as having an element of sharpness and not simply a fuzzy image. I have a Skink pinhole for my M and I've made my own from a body cap and brass shim. While the Skink is nicely made I prefer the results of my own homemade pinhole. Both are sharpish but the homemade one presumably has enough edge faults around the hole to create a more randomly interesting image.

Edited by 250swb
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Yes but it isn't just a matter of 'bigger is better'. I can't remember the technical reason but with m4/3 you just won't get anything in focus/vaguely sharp, but as you go up to full frame it is possible if you have the correct sized pinhole. It's something to do with the angle of the light hitting the sensor being to great because the pinhole is too close to the sensor with m4/3. Having done large format pinhole photography I always think of pinhole photography as having an element of sharpness and not simply a fuzzy image. I have a Skink pinhole for my M and I've made my own from a body cap and brass shim. While the Skink is nicely made I prefer the results of my own homemade pinhole. Both are sharpish but the homemade one presumably has enough edge faults around the hole to create a more randomly interesting image.

Can you possibly post an example of the M Skink please?

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Can you possibly post an example of the M Skink please?

 

Here is one using the Skink pinhole

 

https://flic.kr/p/atPiHK

 

and if you scroll to the right there are three more as a sequence.

 

Here is one made with a body cap pinhole

 

https://flic.kr/p/9Ck6oa

 

(in each case ignore the 'lens info', it was just what the M9 thought was the lens used, or I could have set the lens information manually, can't remember now)

Edited by 250swb
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Up 'til now I've only ever shot LF and MF pinhole but having seen these results I'm heading for eBay right now to order an M cap pinhole.

 

Ouch, why are M cap pinholes 3 times the price of LTM cap pinholes? I ordered a 0.2mm pinhole, I have plenty of body caps, I can build my own and decide what focal length I want.

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I, too, have a Skink pinhole. It's rated at 1:110/24mm and it has a filter thread of 43mm (same as the X Vario).

 

The following are part of a small series I did just this afternoon:

 

Just the hole:

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red filter (091); only the red channel shown, with some drastical enhancements of the curves

 

green filter (Leica GGr), only the green channel shown, with no additional processing

 

blue filter (80b), only the blue channel shown, with no additional processing

 

Obviously, the three filters are not meant to be used for channel separations. They were just in the cupboard, begging to be used for something.

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In the following series I used the same pinhole with different extensions, i.e. at different distances from the sensor. I used the rings from the BEOON set and an LTM to M adapter:

 

Again the original:

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Rings A+B

 

Rings A+B+C

 

Rings A+B+C+D

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This has been taken from the same place, with a Leica Summarit-M 1:2.5/50 fully open, with the same post processing as the pictures taken with the pinhole. The focus lies on the first garden chair in the background.

 

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As a special bonus, I add my first ever 3D pinhole photograph.It has been taken with the Skink pinhole, BEOON rings A+B and the Kúla Deeper beamsplitter which has an eye distance of 105mm. The picture is to be viewed with crossed eyes.

 

 

 

:D

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Very nice Ko Fe, I particularly like the results from film, esp. the first tree. Do you find pin works better with film and less so with digital?

Thank you.

I don't know, I work with both media. Digital could be hand-held and could be printed as darkroom negative and printed in lith.

I do it from time to time, but not with pinhole. Will give it a try.

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