My father-in-law gave me this great old folding Polaroid camera a couple weeks ago. After doing some research on the camera I was disappointed to learn that the film was recently discontinued. It looks like the “Time-Zero” film is only available on Ebay. If anyone has some other good resources for getting some film, let me know.

Ebay is a great place to shop for the Polaroid SX-70. Here’s what is on Ebay right now:

RARE:EARLY POLAROID SX-70 LAND CAMERA ALPHA/w/BOOK,STYRO&BOX(VERY CLEAN COND.)

US $84.00 (4 Bids) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 20:39:33 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

2 G.E. Flash Bar II 20 Flashes For Polaroid SX-70 Sonar or Alpha Twin Pack NEW

US $11.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:56:35 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $13.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Polaroid SX-70 1972 *The SE Excellence Kit* *RARE VIVITAR* MIB +2 pack of PX 100

US $1,000.00 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:59:57 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1,000.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Vintage Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera with Case and IB

US $99.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 6:16:01 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

USED VINTAGE Polaroid SX-70 LAND Film Camera ALPHA 1 MODEL 2 W/ STRAP

US $50.99 (2 Bids) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 7:09:07 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE POLAROID SX-70 LAND CAMERA WITH ORIGINAL LEATHER CASE & INSTRUCTIONS

US $122.50 (34 Bids) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 7:58:11 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Instant Camera Electronic Strobe Flash and Station for Polaroid SX-70

US $110.00 End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 8:42:49 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $110.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

POLAROID SX -70 ONE STEP CAMERA WITH CASE

US $15.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 9:20:42 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Polaroid SX-70 Film Land Camera-Model 3

US $9.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 10:21:05 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Polaroid SX-70 Model 3 Instruction Manual - G

US $13.00 End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 10:34:47 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $13.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

I haven’t built any new cameras lately, but I have been shooting about a roll a week with my Lego camera. I have been tweaking the design and modifying things and I think I finally have a camera that I am pretty happy with. You can read about the original Lego camera design here. Here is a description of some of the improvements I have made:

(more…)

There has been another Lego camera sighting, but this time the camera comes equipped with Mindstorms! For those of you who don’t know, Mindstorms are Lego robotics kits. It is kind of hard to tell what the robotic parts actually do on this camera, but I assume it controls the shutter. It would be really impressive if it advanced the film as well. Could that be true? I am not real confident that I translated the site correctly, but I think the inventor’s name is Markus Thomas. You can view his camera here and one of the photos he took with it here. Congratulations, Markus! Very impressive.

Sunday, April 30 is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. Now you have an excuse to build that pinhole camera you have been procrastinating about. In celebration of this holiday, I thought I would point you in the direction of some of the articles I have written about pinhole photography.

How to convert a Polaroid camera into a pinholaroid The Medium Format Lego pinhole camera The 35mm Lego pinhole camera Where to find cheap laser drilled pinholes The hard way to build a digital pinhole camera Here is a gallery of some of my pinhole photography mostly taken with my Lego camera

Have a happy holiday and have fun taking pinhole pictures!

If you are interested in pinhole photography, Ebay might be a good place to find a starter pinhole camera. Here are the pinhole camera auctions going on right now:

CORDLESS NANNY PINHOLE CAMERA SPY CAM SURVEILLANCE

US $21.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:09:16 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $24.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pinhole Camera Kit - New - Everything Included

US $34.95 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 22:14:01 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $34.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

4.5mm 4.5 mm pinhole CCTV Camera Button board Lens New

US $18.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 22:58:59 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $18.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Wired Mini Spy Pinhole Color security Camera CCTV Cam

US $14.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:14:42 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

New Mini Wired Pinhole Color Security CCTV SPY Camera

US $14.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:15:18 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Astak CM-A815 Color Pinhole Spy Camera

US $66.13 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:46:28 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $66.13 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pinhole Camera

US $12.12 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:46:45 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $12.12 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pinhole Camera Kit STD35

US $76.72 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:47:32 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $76.72 Buy it now | Add to watch list

4GB Mini 720*480 Pinhole Cam car key chain Camera DVR Video Surv

US $13.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:10:50 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

8GB Mini 720*480 Pinhole Cam car key chain Camera DVR Video Surv

US $17.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:12:58 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

The Canon EOS 5D: the digital camera you have been dreaming about. No, I am not fortunate to own one of these, but the company I work for does and I have been playing with it for the last few weeks. Wow. This is the most expensive camera I have ever used, and probably the best. If you can afford this piece of equipment, I highly recommend it. Amazon sells the body for $3,000 and the 24-105mm lens for another $1,200. Unfortunately that is just the beginning and you start to see that this camera can easily become a money pit. You will most likely need accessories. For example, it doesn’t have a built-in flash, so an external flash is probably a good idea. At 12.8 megapixels, storage quickly becomes an issue, too. The camera is so fast even at the highest setting that a 2gb card gets filled very fast. In addition to a couple large compact flash cards, you will probably need an external harddrive for your computer. Even 200gb will get filled faster than you would expect. You should probably upgrade your version of Photoshop. An extra lens or two wouldn’t hurt. The battery pack is pretty cool. It never ends. However, if you have the money, this is an amazing camera.

Ebay is a great place to shop for the Canon EOS 5D. Here’s what is on Ebay right now:

2x LP-E6 LPE6 Battery+Charger+Hand Waist Strap For Canon EOS 7D 60D 5D Mark II

US $20.89 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:38:16 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $22.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Canon EOS 5D Mark III with 24-105mm Lens Kit Brand New

US $5,199.95 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 22:50:19 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $5,199.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Hot Shoe Cap Cover New For Canon EOS 60D 5D Mark II 450D

US $2.65 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:11:52 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $2.65 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Flash Bracket Grip for Canon EOS 7D 60D 5D Mark II 5D2 550D D600 D450 D10 D20

US $29.95 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:43:31 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $29.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

MULTI FUNCTION LCD TIMER REMOTE CORD FOR CANON EOS 5D II 7D 1D RS-80N3

US $21.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:58:40 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $21.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Timer Remote Cord for Canon EOS 5D 10D 30D D60 1VHS 1V

US $21.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:59:01 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $21.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

LP-E6 Battery Charger for Canon EOS 5D MarkII 7D 60D

US $6.35 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:05:01 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Flash Bracket Holder Stand for Canon EOS 1000D 550D 600D 1100D 7D 5D Mark II 60D

US $28.99 End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:12:55 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $28.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

2pcs 7.4V 2200mAh LP-E6 LPE6 Battery for Canon EOS 5D Mark II 7D NEW

US $22.19 End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:19:39 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $22.19 Buy it now | Add to watch list

2200mAh LP-E6 LPE6 Battery for Canon EOS 5D Mark II 7D NEW

US $9.29 End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:20:55 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $9.29 Buy it now | Add to watch list

One modification that I have never made to my Holga is a spool tensioner. It isn’t that I don’t need tension on the spool, it is just that I didn’t like any of the methods described online. The ones I have seen involve cutting and taping plastic strips or jamming cardboard under the spool. Not that my Holga is elegant, by any means, but I just want a cleaner solution. Yesterday it hit me when I saw a sponge brush in a box of tools. You can get them at Wal-Mart for $0.36. Your Holga probably came with a little bit of similar sponge glued underneath where the film goes. All you have to do is cut the sponge off the stick and put it in your Holga! Since the brush has a thin piece of plastic inside the sponge, it is perfect for a spool tensioner. I put the sponge on the left side of the film, but you could probably stick it on any side. The plastic prevents the sponge from getting pulled through with the film. No glue or tape or anything else required. I also use this for a spool tensioner on my Lego cameras with good results.

Ebay is a great place to shop for the Holga. Here’s what is on Ebay right now:

HOLGA 120FN / 120 FN Medium Format Film Plastic Lens Toy Camera Flash 6x6 Black

US $39.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:06:40 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $39.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120GFN 120 GFN Medium Format Film Glass Lens Camera Flash 6x6 Black Color

US $40.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:21:43 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $40.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 135BC 160 TLR Flash Medium Format Film Yellow Plastic Lens Toy Camera LOMO

US $73.90 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:26:37 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $73.90 Buy it now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120N 120 N + 12MFC Flash Medium Format Film Plastic Lens Camera LOMO Black

US $48.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:40:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $48.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120N 120 N + 12MFC Flash Medium Format Plastic Lens Toy Camera Night Glow

US $61.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:52:41 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $61.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120N 120 N + 12MFC Flash Medium Format Film Plastic Lens Camera LOMO White

US $59.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 22:02:57 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $59.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120N 120 N 12MFC Flash Medium Format Film Plastic Lens Camera Silver Black

US $59.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:13:36 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $59.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120N 120 N + 12MFC Flash Medium Format Film Plastic Lens Camera Red White

US $59.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:25:46 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $59.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

HOLGA 120N 120 N + 12MFC Flash Medium Format Film Plastic Lens Camera Red White

US $59.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:36:06 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $59.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Holga 280120 Wide Angle Adapter Lens for 120/135 Camera

US $21.94 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:45:30 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $21.94 Buy it now | Add to watch list

As far as I know, Koen Beets is the first person to build a camera out of Legos from the directions I posted back in November. I was glad to learn about some of the tweaks Koen made to his version of my medium format Lego pinhole camera. Most notably, he was able to make it light-tight without using any tape! His solution was to make the walls four bricks thick. It looks pretty cool, and Koen has taken some pretty cool photos with it, too. Go on over to stuutekeer.wordpress.com and check it out.

I got Philips’ keychain digital camera for Christmas. I think it cost about $20, and surely was a tempting stocking stuffer last Christmas. While it may be a nice little camera for my collection, I can’t say it is a great performer. Here are some of my criticism of the keychain camera…

(more…)

I have gotten plenty of recognition for my Lego camera nerdery, so it is nice to get noticed for one of my first pinhole camera experiments. The digital pinhole camera I built almost exactly a year ago caught the eye of PC Magazine. I knew that they were thinking about running a story about it, but didn’t know it made it to print. Apparently it was published back in November, and I thank the PC mag crew for their recognition. You can read the online version of their story at www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1892668,00.asp. If have any interest in my digital pinhole camera, stay tuned. I plan on doing a follow-up on it soon that describes how to make a pinhole box that folds down.

If you are interested in pinhole photography, Ebay might be a good place to find a starter pinhole camera. Here are the pinhole camera auctions going on right now:

CORDLESS NANNY PINHOLE CAMERA SPY CAM SURVEILLANCE

US $21.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:09:16 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $24.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pinhole Camera Kit - New - Everything Included

US $34.95 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 22:14:01 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $34.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

4.5mm 4.5 mm pinhole CCTV Camera Button board Lens New

US $18.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 22:58:59 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $18.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Wired Mini Spy Pinhole Color security Camera CCTV Cam

US $14.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:14:42 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

New Mini Wired Pinhole Color Security CCTV SPY Camera

US $14.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:15:18 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Astak CM-A815 Color Pinhole Spy Camera

US $66.13 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:46:28 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $66.13 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pinhole Camera

US $12.12 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:46:45 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $12.12 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pinhole Camera Kit STD35

US $76.72 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:47:32 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $76.72 Buy it now | Add to watch list

4GB Mini 720*480 Pinhole Cam car key chain Camera DVR Video Surv

US $13.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:10:50 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

8GB Mini 720*480 Pinhole Cam car key chain Camera DVR Video Surv

US $17.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:12:58 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Soon after I built my 35mm Lego pinhole camera, it struck me that there wasn’t any reason why I couldn’t just make the camera longer and create a panoramic version of the Lego camera. While I prefer a more square format, I couldn’t help but build this camera. The result was a camera that produced a 78mm x 24mm negative. Since the Lego pinhole camera doesn’t have a mask, the entire negative is esposed including the sprocket holes, which looks something like this:

If you are interested in pinhole photography, Ebay might be a good place to find a starter pinhole camera. Here are the pinhole camera auctions going on right now:

CORDLESS NANNY PINHOLE CAMERA SPY CAM SURVEILLANCE

US $21.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 21:09:16 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $24.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pinhole Camera Kit - New - Everything Included

US $34.95 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 22:14:01 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $34.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

4.5mm 4.5 mm pinhole CCTV Camera Button board Lens New

US $18.99 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 22:58:59 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $18.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Wired Mini Spy Pinhole Color security Camera CCTV Cam

US $14.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:14:42 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

New Mini Wired Pinhole Color Security CCTV SPY Camera

US $14.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:15:18 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Astak CM-A815 Color Pinhole Spy Camera

US $66.13 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:46:28 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $66.13 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pinhole Camera

US $12.12 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:46:45 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $12.12 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Pinhole Camera Kit STD35

US $76.72 End Date: Wednesday May-16-2012 23:47:32 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $76.72 Buy it now | Add to watch list

4GB Mini 720*480 Pinhole Cam car key chain Camera DVR Video Surv

US $13.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:10:50 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

8GB Mini 720*480 Pinhole Cam car key chain Camera DVR Video Surv

US $17.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday May-17-2012 0:12:58 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list