pinhole camera
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The photos you (probably) won't find on Instagram
Photography reached the mainstream early on; Kodak's Brownie made daily snapshots accessible and Polaroid's pioneering cameras provided instant gratification. Now we can capture and share moments on a whim with smartphones packing high-resolution optics. Over the years, though, we've been treated to some incredible imaging hacks that've allowed our eyes to travel into the exotic -- far beyond what you had for dinner last night. Technological leaps in the field have been spurred by bets, accidents and imagination, providing both scientific insight and artistic experimentation. Our eyes have been opened wider than ever before and we've collected just a few moments in imaging's history to help grasp the bigger picture. [Image: Google Research]
Pinhole camera selfies are way cooler than whatever the hell you're doing
Sure, you can do a regular digital selfie, add an old-timey Instagram filter and call it a day. But photographer Ignas Kutavicius was having none of that, and decided to create a head-mountable pinhole camera -- where a small opening acts as a lens to create an inverted image. He told PetaPixel that he fabricated it from an old energy drink can, with the images captured on on black & white photo paper. The long exposure (typically several seconds) results in a blurred background, while the fixed head perspective keeps the subject's face sharp. Kutavicius said the images present "a fun reflection on what selfies could have looked like" during the early days of photography. Though according to the actual first known selfie, not really.
DIY pinhole camera goes automatic with Lego Mindstorms (video)
As you may be aware, you can build a pinhole camera out of just about anything and, as we've seen, you can build just about anything with Lego Mindstorms -- so it makes sense the two should finally meet, right? Thanks to DIY-er Basil Shikin, they now have. He didn't just settle for a simple pinhole camera, though -- he created a fully automatic camera that's able to wind the film and control the shutter (and look good while doing so). Head on past the break to check it out in action, and hit up the link below for the complete details to build your own.
Thanko's Spy Button video camera becomes slightly less ridiculous with high-def video mode
It still won't fool your mark if you pin it to a stained T-shirt, but if you're rocking the plaid button-down look you'll be happy to know Thanko's Spy Camera has received an incremental update. For ¥4,980 (about $58), the third revision of the button-hole camera will shoot 8 megapixel stills and record in 1280 x 960 HD for up to 50 minutes on a charge, which sets the household espionage device just this side of crapgadget territory. Bring your own dignity... and microSD card.
Keepin' it real fake: Likea Leica, only not
Of all the KIRFs in all the world, this might be one of the laziest. Sure, aesthetically it does a fine job of aping the Leica rangefinder it takes as its "inspiration," but the Likea camera goes downhill very quickly when you move in a little closer. The first thing you'll notice is that, instead of the finely engineered Leica body, this thing is made out of, well, cardboard. Then you find out that the pinhole element isn't provided in the box and you're faced with the impossible judgment of deciding whether the need for a pinhole element or its omission is the worse offense. Ah well, what do you expect for 20 bucks? Just go buy some film and let your imagination fill the (vast) gap between the Likea and the real stuff.
Thanko's Spy Button video camera, because you've already failed
So what if Thanko's ¥5,980 (about $62) Spy Button Camera doesn't look exactly like the other buttons on your shirt. Anyone inclined to wear such a device to covertly record VGA video at 15fps (or 1280x1024 stills) to 4GB of internal memory isn't likely to get noticed in a crowd anyway. At least the magnetic on/off switch gives renewed purpose to your wedding ring while offering evidence of your continued poor decision making skills. Just be sure to bring your inhaler to keep your breathless excitement in check.[Via Akihabara News]
Video: OTAS camera watch for tardy office pervs
We're not saying that this ¥9,980 ($100) OTAS watch with built-in pinhole-sized video camera and 8GB of flash memory can't be used for constructive endeavors. Hell, maybe you'll use it to ferret out corruption at the highest levels of government. Maybe the 80 minute, 352 x 288 pixel video you shoot provides the irrefutable evidence needed to put away a hardened criminal. We're just saying we doubt it. Video sample and more pics after the break.[Via Impress]
Third Eye pinhole camera exposes the dead, mocks the living
Here you have latest pinhole camera by artist, Wayne Martin Belger -- a good boy raised on a steady diet of crucifixion imagery and the scorched-earth wrath of divinity. This work entitled Third Eye, a study of "the beauty of decay," uses precious metals like titanium and silver to expose the memory of time onto film, sheering the 150 year old skull of a 13 year old girl. Sample image posted after the break for those who dare.[Via Make: and Art Diabolique]
