quart/gallon pinhole?

[BimmerJake]

has anyone used the paintcan style of pinhole camera? if so, do you have any finished prints? if these work, could you use a 5 gallon pail to make a "large format" pinhole camera that might take 8x10?

[2F/2F]

You can use anything light tight to expose anything that fits. You will likely need to devise a way to make the pail light tight, and will be limited to one shot at a time, unless you rig a way to allow it to take film holders. Sounds like fun to me...

[tiberiustibz]

You can buy premade paintcan pinhole cameras with magnetic "shutters" and printed exposure tables from some website. The gallons can't quite hold an 8x10 sheet of paper (7x10 maybe) but they're a lot of fun.

[BimmerJake]

the 8x10 would go in a 5 gallon bucket. bucket's easy enough to acquire, i would just have to figure out how to secure the film and calculate the hole size. as far as light tight, i could easily paint the inside flat black, and the rubber gasket seal at the lid should be adequate.

is it better to expose a negative, or to just expose a sheet of paper? i know the exposure would take much longer on the paper, but it could be interesting. i'm sure this topic has been discussed many times, i'll look it up.

[Greg_E]

Painting the inside black may not be enough! May need to paint a lot on the outside too. Maybe try the chrome paint on the outside as this might block more light than a black paint. You could also glue aluminum foil to the outside to make it light proof.

As far as calculating the hole size, Pinhole Designer will do that once you know the length from front to back if flat or side to side if using the rounded edges to get that kind of effect. Just google for it.

[Michael W]

I've made a pinhole camera from a cylindrical tea tin, essentially the same as a small paint tin, although it does have a nice push on lid, rather than the pry off caps of a paint tin. I painted the inside matt black & poked a small hole with a sewing needle. I got lucky & have a very sharp hole that gives me approx f/180. My camera takes 4x5 film easily; the film doesn't need to be secured in any way, it curves itself to the interior. I've used paper & film and both are interesting. If you have a B&W darkroom it's easier to start with paper negs to sort out your exposures. My camera can take paper negs sized 5x8 inches, so I've just started cutting some 8x10 film to 5x8 inches to see how that looks. I don't see any need to paint the exterior.

[GJA]

Try and find a metal five gallon drum. Normally paint comes in translucent plastic, as does drywall compound, but metal is used normally for asphalt sealant, roofing tar (we have a can at work, filled with asbestos no doubt but your welcome to it) and hydralic oil which we buy often in metal five gallon drums (i might try this myself).

Find a construction site, or better yet an excavating contractor and ask for a metal five gallon drum.

[FM2N]

Hello,
Try these out. The price is reasonable and well made. Plus alot of fun.
http://www.pinholeblender.com/pages/tube.html
Arthur

[BimmerJake]

i work for sherwin-williams, any variety of bucket or drum is not a problem, up to 55 gallon anyway. the hesitation i have with the metal 5 gallon bucket is the lid. it's not easily closable the way the plastic buckets are. but obviously metal would be better for total darkness. these are details i'm still pondering, but i'm becoming fairly determined to have a 5 gallon pinhole in the somewhat near future.

[GJA]

IMO, the most enjoyable part of a pinhole camera is making it yourself. Buying one seems to me like cheating yourself out of a lot of fun.