Pinhole camera kits

The missus went on a n excellent photography course ran by Nigel Goldsmith, and was struck by the pinhole photos he's created - the subject of one of his other courses which we've not quite managed to line up.

I'd quite like to get the missus a pinhole camera kit, seeing as we've got a shedload of old photographic paper and all the it needed to develop it.

Has anyone used any of the plethora of its that are out there? If so, are there any pratfalls, good examples or bad, or advice of any form they could offer? Better off buying the pinhole and building the camera separately, or just going for all-in-one kit?

I would say I'm a bit concerned by some of the cardboard cheapies, as I'd hope to leave the camera outdoors for a while so I'm not sure building it from something not exactly impervious to rain would be ideal!

Ilford do a pretty tidy kit, but it's not the cheapest:
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/product.asp?n=75

An all-in kit:
http://www.theimagingwarehouse.com/Products/Cameras-Accessories/APINHOLE1


(I realise there's a fair few pinhole photography fora out there, but keen to see what fellow 'pentaxians' make of it!)

Why not 'go digital' with one of these ?

Or get a body cap and put a small hole in the centre

I made one from scratch using mounting board, basically two open ended boxes one fitting snugly over the other. The lens was a piece of thin aluminium with a hole drilled in it and it took 6" x 4" paper. I made a plywood base with a tripod bush. The results were pretty good and totally unpredictable! I must have worked out the sensitivity of the paper and the f stop but I can't remember just exactly how. It also had a wire frame viewfinder fashioned from a coat hanger

My son made one at primary school from a shoe box and aluminium kitchen foil. They had a couple of days of taking photos with their cameras and developing the results. I went along as a volunteer. It was great fun, and the kids took some interesting photos with their shoe boxes.

I can't help with a kit, but maybe you could start with a homemade one first, just to see if you/she enjoy it enough to fork out on a kit. If an 8 year old can make one anyone can.

I've done it a few times on Digital using an old body cap with a 5mm hole and foil or drinks can aluminium with a pin hole. Use very fine wet and dry to polish the hole. I think the smaller, rounder, and thinner the hole, the better.
I also used two tubes like a telescope to create a telephoto of sorts. The results were predictable and interesting.
Didn't feel the need to do it for anything other than curiosity

Try this
http://www.lomography.com/magazine/lifestyle/2012/08/13/how-to-make-a-6-month-pi...
I've got a couple on the go should be good to see the results

Just bought her this:

http://www.crafts4kids.co.uk/flights-of-fancy-pinhole-photography/p1311

Looks a bit rudimentary, but should be fun!

If you get it done in time then you could join in with "World Pinhole Day" http://www.pinholeday.org/participate/

I had a go last year using a Kx




The hole was made with a single strand from a stiff electric cable. Silver foil wrapped round extension tube. Different tubes for different focal length.




This was the result. Maybe could do better but at least with digital you can practice on what exposure is needed and see instant results which could save lots of false processing.

Pat