Yes, the brass fits under the latch, but I've found that the rings which surround the pinholes hold the plate tightly enough to the camera that the latch isn't needed. The rings were created by taking 1/32" basswood strips, soaking them in water and using the lens mount on the body and/or a metal pipe as a form in/on which to dry them. Two such rings were then glued together to create a seamless 1/16" thick wood ring that fits the camera perfectly. There may (must?) be an easier way to do this... Also, I've found that it is easier to make a bunch of these plates all at once, given the excessive labor my approach involves.
The rise works like rise in a large format camera, to help limit converging verticals. The large format people could probably explain the benefits in more detail.
The pinholes came from the manufacturer (see
http://www.pinholeresource.com) with a chart of the optimum focal length for each one and the exposure require. This info appears on a legend on the back of the lens.
Generally I just point the camera at the target, see if anything appears on the viewing screen and shoot. I don't use these as much as I should, so REAL pinhole photographers can probably provide more information on technique.
mdohoney said:
Wow!
This is so much easier than what I've planned. Why does the plate on the left have 10 mm of rise? How does that make the picture different?
Did you figure out optimal focal lengths, how far to extend the bellows, when you chose the pinhole size?
How do you visualize what you're recording, a template on the ground glass? There should be a formula here, maybe the pinhole designer site can help me think this through.
Did you decide on the size of the viewing pinhole by-guess-and-by-gosh? Do you know how big they are?
The plate fits under the latch, right? I can't bear the thought of putting tape right on my camera!
Thank you for your patience!