0
0
Who hasn’t been intrigued by pinhole photography? Particularly those images balanced with sharpness of place and ghostly action moving through it. But, like most people who use a camera regularly, whether for paycheck or hobby, I never took the plunge into that particular pool.
I finally did, and swimming around in it prompted me to think more about what I’m doing and what might suit my perpetually evolving process with whatever camera I use.
How did I decide on a MIA? Like many pseudo-impulse camera buys: scrolling on the damn smartphone. This time on Instagram, which snagged my fleeting attention with an interesting pinhole photograph. The poster noted the image was taken with a MIA Pinhole camera. I clicked on the hashtag (as one does) and I soon found myself at the MIA website.
Like many of the other manufacturers out there, MIA has an assortment of formats (35, 120, 4×5) and frame dimensions within those formats (the 120, for example, 6×6, 6×9 and 6×12). Other novelty formats offer intrigue—in particular, for me, the 6×12 anamorphic. I zeroed in on 120, but shot an email to Andrea, the founder, designer and manufacturer at his home-based company. I informed him I work with 6×9 often enough with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 530/2. He also said 6×9 is his preferred format, but suggested the 6×12 for something different, after admitting he was skeptical of that wide format when he was contemplating adding one to his catalog. “But, when I started testing it, I discovered that it is a nice format indeed!” he wrote. “Because you know already the 6×9, I think it is worth to change a little bit. But it is you that have to use it.”
The camera
I appreciated the feedback, which was swift, and ordered a 6X12 (branded officially the MIA 612). Andrea then emailed to ask if I had any color preferences (how’s that for service?) for the camera knobs, filter attachment and pinhole cover. I left that up to him, and he did not disappoint. It arrived well-packed and within a week, coming from the UK. The camera and its parts are 3D printed, and held snugly together with magnets—including the hinged pinhole cover, which snaps firmly closed. He also stuck a small holder on the back for a film tab torn from a 120 box; a nice touch. Included with the camera are dividers to switch the format to 6X9 or 6×6, if one desires. Self-explanatory framing guides are indent-printed on the top and sides of the camera for each format. A bubble level is attached to the top of the camera; tripod mount (standard size) on the bottom. While not “pocket size,” it is conveniently sized—and relatively lightweight—and can fit easily into a small bag to sling over one’s shoulder.
Loading film is easy; the roll is slipped into camera’s left chamber (along with an empty reel on the right and locked into place with the knob. Tension is maintained with cut sponge glued to the interior of the film chambers (Holga users will recognize this feature, but, ultimately that sponge isn’t necessary. How do I know this? Details after the review.*)
Like other 120 cameras able to shoot multiple sizes, there are two windows to read the film numbers: 6×9 and, in this camera’s case, 6X6 and 6×12 (one scrolls the film to the even numbers for 6×12).
Also included with the camera was a Cokin filter holder that can accommodate size A (62mm) or P (82mm). The holder is a simple clip held in place magnetically. I purchased yellow, red and ND4 filters.
Usage
The pinhole cover, as mentioned above, is on a swing “hinge,” not unlike the design on other pinhole cameras. While it snaps firmly into place, I learned to use a rubber band to keep it closed while I have it in a bag. It’s easy to jar it open when pulling it from a camera bag—an issue not uncommon with any pinhole camera with this design.
The 0.2mm pinhole in this camera translates into a 35mm focal length at f175. With it set for 6×12, the angle of view is 124 degrees—definitely wide. Which means one can get closer than you think (and you should do that) to include what you want in a scene.
To give an idea, here’s a couple shots of an old, 20-foot tall stone oven in a public park near my home, recently restored to be used for community outreach baking classes. On above, I set the camera (on a tripod) about 10 feet from the oven. The second (below), about five feet.
Here’s another. Possibly my first shot, as I thought I would best learn the scope of this camera with two oak trees near our house, which look like one they are so intertwined, and appear to have endured much in their two centuries of life, completely unmanaged until becoming part of a small park in recent decades. Limbs reach high, as one would expect, but also low and long, and spread wide from ground-level up. Its canopy doesn’t just rise above, it surrounds.
The top photo was taken probably 30 feet or so from the trunk. The bottom, taken from almost within a low-slung branch (circled area in the above photo).
Advancing the film to the next number (for 6×12, one scrolls to 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) can be difficult, as the window is some distance from the backing paper. Depending on the printing on the film’s backing paper, it can be a challenge to read in low light. I also found that I should scroll backward slightly from the number—using Ilford film as an example, there are three circles leading to the number on the backing paper. I scrolled back to that last circle, otherwise my last image on that first and a second roll were cropped with the end of the film.
Taking the photo
I won’t spend more than a paragraph, as that warrants a post in itself, and isn’t MIA-specific. Andrea provides on the MIA website PDF downloads that list the exposure adjustments for his cameras’ apertures, as the smallest any light meter will read it f64. (You can find this information, and infinitely more, at mrpinhole.com) One also needs to search out reciprocity failure adjustments for their particular film for exposures more than one second. And with that, it’s practice. Even when I think I know what I’m doing, I’ll forget to factor in reciprocity failure, or recently, distracted by the scene I was attempting to capture, exposed the film off my meter reading (f64).
Evaluation
While all cameras, fundamentally, are a box with a hole in it, pinhole cameras are precisely that. They’re not complicated, and shouldn’t be. The MIA cameras exemplify this: well-built, simple to use and easy on the wallet. I recommend MIAs for anyone looking to break into the pinhole genre. Experienced pinholers will also be pleased with the build quality. Visit the website and check out the various formats. Andrea has many photo examples taken with the cameras, and there are a growing number of reviews out there.
As I’ve used the camera more (I will post more shots), I’ve used the filters as needed. I am getting the itch to try some different formats, and cameras with multiple pinholes to adjust the horizon line.
——
*The sponge: With the first roll, I advanced the film to its first-exposure placement, and noticed the back of the camera began to lift off. I kept pressure on it, and advanced the film carefully, and the back snapped back in place. I thought, perhaps, there was an issue with the film where it was attached to the backing paper that might have caused the lift. The film advanced mostly without issue (some occasional resistance) for the rest of the roll.
As I loaded the film onto a reel in the dark bag for development, however, the film was stuck to the backing paper towards the front of the roll. I managed to peel off the item causing the problem: it was the piece of sponge from film chamber of the camera. It had come off, stuck to the film’s backing paper and caused to camera back to lift off as it travelled the length of the camera. Then the piece caught on the sponge on the take-up spool, and ripped off a chunk of that. I checked the camera, and pulled out the remaining pieces.
The film developed fine; only one image was mildly impacted—a chunk of emulsion got lifted off by the piece of sponge. I let Andrea know of this, not as a complaint, but because I like his efforts with these cameras and wanted him to know. He responded immediately—again, excellent customer service!
