you're right, experience with a given camera gives better results. Drawing
lines on the top and sides to define the margins is also helpful. For
closeups, I find that a laser pointer laid on the top and sides gives me a
good idea of how the camera is centered. I've used larger format, 8x10, and
then just cut out the composition i wantd from the negative. Somebody called
this editing on the negative. centering and composition get much more tricky
with more 'telephoto" setups. The "normal" focal length for any size
negative is equal to the diagonal distance across the negative. This can
also be calculated asthe length of the length squared times the lenght of
the width squared equals the square of the "normal" focal length.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Uptown Gallery" <gallery@uptowngallery.org>
To: <pinhole-discussion@pinhole.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 12:02 AM
Subject: [pinhole-discussion] estimating 'view' with homebrew pinhole
cameras
> Hello:
>
> I know some of you will tell me to just experiment, but I am wondering if
> there is a way to estimate how close/far to be with a pinhole camera of a
> given format and focal length to estimate composition? Or do we all just
> develop a realtionship with a particular camera from experience?
>
>
> With my 35 mm pinhole, I used the meter on the converted camera, and
> pre-viewed my composition thru another SLR with the zoom set to
approximate
> the f.l. of the 35 mm pinhole camera. I'm just not confortable 'blindly'
> pointing and shooting and hoping I'm not too close, not too far.
>
> Can an analogy be drawn between a 'normal' perspective focal length on two
> different formats? Say, a 50 mm f.l. lens on a 35 mm camera is about the
> same (whatever same means) as an 85 mm lens on a 120 / 2-1/4" camera.
>
> I saw a pinhole camera on the Internet somewhere (Australia?) that had a
> wireframe 'viewfinder' on top and side. I guessed the manufacturer figured
> out how big to make the rectangular 'viewfinders' by trial and error.
>
> Thanks
>
> Murray
>
>
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Received on Wed Dec 12 08:59:25 2001
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