4x5 pinhole

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Nebular89

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Is there any need/advantage to 4x5 pinhole over 6x6?
I owned a zero 2000 about 4-5 years ago. I sold it when I moved away from film, which I now regret! I’ve been considering getting another 6x6 pinhole but I’ve always been curious about the Harman Titan.
But seeing as the cost of film is going up I’m struggling to see the point of 4x5 pinhole photography as it costs more per shot and sharpness isn’t really something you get with any pinhole.
 
I can't say about sharpness. Cost per shot to move from 6x6 to 4x5 will of course increase. Foma 100 50 sheets can be had for £40 so 80p a shot. Kentmere 120 can be had for £5.50 so 48p a shot (prices based on a quick search, postage excluded) Of course if you go for Ilford film costs will increase again. You can get Foma x 25 sheets for £25.

Sounds as though you're going to buy a ready made pinhole camera anyway. But a home made 4x5 will be considerably cheaper even if you buy a purpose made laser drilled pinhole and don't buy a 4x5 DDS limiting you to a single shot before "reloading". IF you want to try home made you could be looking at £35ish for film, pinhole and delivery which doesn't seem too expensive to find out whether 4x5 pinhole is for you or not.

There are kits to make 120 pinhole cameras in various frame sizes (I've built one as a lockdown project) but due to requiring a winding mechanism and better light proofing they are going to cost more than a 4x5 box at the appropriate depth (pinhole calculators are available online). I'll see if can find my box 4x5 pinhole which I've only used with positive photo paper.
 
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I shoot pinholes in many formats - 35mm, 120 as 6x6, 6x9, and 6x12, 4x5, half-plate, and 8x10.

4x5 pinholes can, on occasion, have a magical appearance that you don't get with the smaller formats. This is one of my favourites:


Gibside Chapel - pinhole by Kevin Allan, on Flickr

When you get up to 8x10 you might have to look carefully to be sure it is a pinhole image. This one is an 8x10 paper negative pinhole:


Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside by Kevin Allan, on Flickr

My 4x5 and half-plate cameras are conventional large format cameras which can accept a pinhole lens board, so they serve multiple purposes. I'm not sure I would buy a dedicated 4x5 pinhole.

One factor to consider is whether you already have film holders and film processing tanks for 4x5, not to mention a suitable scanner and/or enlarger - if you want to avoid that expense then medium format may be better for you.
 
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Kevin Allan said:
I forgot to say that once you get to 4x5 and above, the use of paper negatives becomes a practical alternative to film, at a much lower cost. Certainly you can do paper negatives with smaller cameras, but it is more practical to use multiple 4x5 DDS's rather than trying to change paper in a changing bag,
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Paper negatives did interest me actually. More specifically not a negative but harman direct positive paper. I like the idea of having a print right away and it being a one off. The only issue I’ve seen is the amazingly low iso and the difficulty with the contrast. I think a lot of people prefer flash it with an enlarger but I don’t have anything capable of that
 
Some years ago at Focus on Imaging, Harman were offering portraits using the direct positive paper in a 10x8 camera, almost immediate delivery as they had a portable darkroom. The result for mine was as good as a standard negative. Try a search "harman direct positive paper portraits" - it just worked for me.
 
Kevin Allan said:
I shoot pinholes in many formats - 35mm, 120 as 6x6, 6x9, and 6x12, 4x5, half-plate, and 8x10.

4x5 pinholes can, on occasion, have a magical appearance that you don't get with the smaller formats. This is one of my favourites:


Gibside Chapel - pinhole by Kevin Allan, on Flickr

When you get up to 8x10 you might have to look carefully to be sure it is a pinhole image. This one is an 8x10 paper negative pinhole:


Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside by Kevin Allan, on Flickr

My 4x5 and half-plate cameras are conventional large format cameras which can accept a pinhole lens board, so they serve multiple purposes. I'm not sure I would buy a dedicated 4x5 pinhole.

One factor to consider is whether you already have film holders and film processing tanks for 4x5, not to mention a suitable scanner and/or enlarger - if you want to avoid that expense then medium format may be better for you.
Click to expand...
Love the photos :).
I do have film processing equipment for 4x5 as I tried it quite a while ago with a MPP 4x5. I ended up selling it, which I now regret as I got it very cheap with a 135mm lens, £180 I think. I sold it as even though I liked it didn’t offer me anything that digital didn’t. As I said I regret it a bit now as I had bought it in the hopes it would be my main camera for all things that I didnt need auto focus for, landscape etc. Really i should have viewed it as an occasional camera that I got out for specific photos I wanted to use it for.
I “scan” with my digital camera and a macro lens, does a good enough job.

Speaking of medium format I do have a 6x6 folded that I started to convert to a pinhole but never got around to it. I have just ordered a laser cut pinhole from reality so subtle to finally finish it so if it works and I get hooked again I may well look towards 4x5. At the dismay of my partner I’m sure! I have a habit of buying and selling
 
On a side note it was some of Tom Barils photos that made me interested in pinhole. I don’t think he used pinholes but they have a similar look to 4x5 pinhole, to me anyway.
 

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Kevin Allan said:
I wasn't aware of Tom Baril so had to look him up. His work is very inspiring.
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I first heard of him a long time ago on the art of photography on YouTube. Apparently he did a lot of work with Type 55 film. I rewatched the video this evening and he did actually use pinholes for still life. He didn’t mention anything about pinholes for other photos but the bottom 2 photos in the picture I posted look like pinhole’s to me.
I also have a lens from 7artisans that gives a slightly similar look. A bit of across between a holga and a pinhole. Not as soft as a pinhole but it’s even across the frame.
That’s just a screen shot, the original is too big to post
 

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Nebular89 said:
Paper negatives did interest me actually. More specifically not a negative but harman direct positive paper. I like the idea of having a print right away and it being a one off. The only issue I’ve seen is the amazingly low iso and the difficulty with the contrast. I think a lot of people prefer flash it with an enlarger but I don’t have anything capable of that
Click to expand...
I have tried Harman direct positive paper. I found it difficult to get the exposure correct especially in bright sunlight. For me it felt like guess work. To be honest it was easier to get a good image indoors in winter as basically an exposure was in the hours range - so if I stopped the exposure at 1.25 hours or 2 hours there wasn't that much difference in the final print.

At that time I hadn't heard of pre-flashing so I didn't do it. You've got me thinking about trying it again but this time pre- flashing as I have enlargers. I found it easy reloading the pinhole in a dark bag whilst out and about.

Harman Direct has gone up since I last bought some. It's roughly £1.30 a sheet now.
 
I suggest reading the technical info - there's a download link here

www.ilfordphoto.com

ILFORD DIRECT POSITIVE PAPER Sheets

Fibre based, traditional silver gelatin black & white photo paper. Produces direct positive prints without a film negative making it perfect for pinhole photography or photograms. Positive paper – no need for a negative Coated on 255gsm fibre base Fixed grade, high contrast paper Glossy surface...
www.ilfordphoto.com www.ilfordphoto.com
 
There is more to it when you shoot 4x5, most medium format pinhole cameras dont give you movements, but im not sure the Titan pinhole will either. My 4x5 would allow me to fit a range of pinhole sizes, applicable to chosen focal length and I can still dial in front rise and fall while still keeping the rear standard perfectly vertical which helps with keeping perspective correct.

Why not have both, there will always be times you would prefer one format over another.
 
Nebular89 said:
Is there any need/advantage to 4x5 pinhole over 6x6?
I owned a zero 2000 about 4-5 years ago. I sold it when I moved away from film, which I now regret! I’ve been considering getting another 6x6 pinhole but I’ve always been curious about the Harman Titan.
But seeing as the cost of film is going up I’m struggling to see the point of 4x5 pinhole photography as it costs more per shot and sharpness isn’t really something you get with any pinhole.
Click to expand...
It dates all the way back to 2011, but if it's any help at all here's a review of the Titan I did then.

 
Pinholes have been sent. Just need to remove the shutter and mount it when it arrives.
Obviously the shutter is still on so lines and marks are illustrative only, but, if I make 3 marks on the body so I can align the edge of the film with the centre of the pinhole will that show the edges of what will be in frame if I look along the line?

IMG_8159.jpeg
 
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