Tag Archives: f stop options

Using the iPhone to get better film based Pinhole Photographs

While my iPhone is the ‘camera’ I always have with me. I also shoot with a 16 megapixel digital, a Diana Mini and a Diana Pinhole. Since the Diana cameras are film cameras with a level of uncertainty built in, a bit more thought happens before hitting the shutter button. Film is a lot of fun, with a large variety of simple camera being available at very low prices. The film they use though is getting more expensive as suppliers lessen as well there is the cost of developing/printing. Due to this, I’m less likely to just shoot up a roll of film of anything I see like I would with a digital camera. I must say though, when film/developing was less expensive, a lot of experimentation can really help create a person’s look/feel.

A nice little app I found to make sure my Pinhole camera shots are more often usable instead of over/under exposed is Pinhole Assist. It offers a few screens of dials for you to tell the app what the environment is like, as well what film speed you have loaded and how big the pinhole (or f stop lens if you have the option on your camera). The answer you will get is how long you need to have the shutter open.

Pinhole Assist does cover a nice list of particular pinhole cameras (Diana, Holga, Zeroimage, Ilford and more), as well it has enough flexibility to be used with a camera you may have built yourself.