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[OM] Re: Pinhole conversion

Subject: [OM] Re: Pinhole conversion
From: Andrew Dacey <adacey@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 13:28:28 -0300
On 8/8/05, Walt Wayman <hiwayman@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> I suggested buying a ready-made pinhole contraption because of my own 
> experience with DIY projects over many, many years.  Before I undertake any 
> project, unless it is an emergency -- like patching the roof if a meteorite 
> crashes through in the middle of a rainstorm -- I require as a prerequisite a 
> resoundingly affirmative answer to three questions:
> 
> (1) Is it a project I will enjoy doing?
> 
> (2) Do I have, or can I obtain, the appropriate materials?
> 
> (3) Do I have the proper tools to accomplish the task?
> 
> If the answer to any one of these questions is "no," then forget it; I'll 
> either buy one, hire somebody, or do without.
> 
> In the case of making a pinhole for an OM camera equivalent to the f/180 
> store-bought version, with a clean, round hole with properly crisp edges, I 
> would need an OM body cap.  Okay, got many.  I would also have to have a 
> piece of stainless steel, or some other metal, .001 in. thick.  Now, where do 
> I get that?  Next, I would need either a laser, which is out of the question, 
> or a drill bit .011 in diameter.  Taking a look in my tool chest, I find I 
> have drill bits all the way down to .040, but nothing smaller.
> 
> This is all I need to know to convince me that, assuming I had any interest 
> at all in pinhole photography, which I don't, I would be inclined to spend a 
> few dollars for the commercial version instead of foraging for materials and 
> equipment and then cussing for two hours in the workshop.
> 
> Of course, since the object is to make fuzzy photographs, I suppose it 
> doesn't really matter if the hole is round, square or oblong, particularly if 
> one enjoys similarly primitive technology and looks at the results by 
> firelight in the log cabin after coming back in from the outhouse.  :-)
> 
> Since pinhole photography doesn't interest me, I know I should've stayed out 
> of this, but it's raining again, and I'm stuck indoors, and I'm bored.  Is 
> the E-1 really waterproof?  I may find out in a few minutes.

Interesting points Walt but the equation works differently for me.

(1) Is it a project I will enjoy doing?

It's a pretty easy project and involves an aspect of photography I'd
like to play with some more so yes.

(2) Do I have, or can I obtain, the appropriate materials?

I have a donor body cap I can use (although I may use a Sigma one I
have from a teleconverter rather than deface an official Olympus one).
The ohter material needed is the aforementioned thin metal. I have
some copper shim material from the pinhole workshop which is excellent
for this type of work.

(3) Do I have the proper tools to accomplish the task?

All I need is a drill and bit for drilling the larger hole (both of
which I have). The pinhole can be made using a pin (imagine that!), in
my case it looks like a #13 sewing needle is what's required to get
around the right size hole. A bit of sandpaper for removing the bur
and that's about it.

So in my calculation it's a pretty easy project. I might later opt for
a manufactured pinhole but I can get started with a home-made one for
now and simply replace it later.
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