Resource guide

Official websites

Camera building guides

Building videos:

Community

Notable pinhole photographers:

  • Carlos Jurado (1927–2019) — Mexican photographer, painter and alchemist, pinhole pioneer in Mexico. Author of El arte de la aprehensión de las imágenes y el unicornio.

  • Ilan Wolff (b. 1955) — French-Israeli photographer specialized in camera obscura since 1981. Creator of pinograms, lunagrams and naturograms. Uses a van as a giant camera.

  • Abelardo Morell (b. 1948) — A key figure in contemporary camera obscura use. His rooms turned into cameras are contemporary photography history.

  • Edward Levinson — One of the most respected names in Japan within contemporary pinhole photography. Works both landscape and portrait.

  • Marja Pirilä (b. 1958) — A major specialist in camera obscura installations and hybrid works between architectural space and photography.

  • Maria G. Essig — Well known for handcrafted pinhole cameras and experiments with multiple pinholes.

Pinhole photography associations

Books & essays

Online articles and essays:

Major brands

Zero Image — Probably the most prestigious brand in the sector. They have been manufacturing high-quality wooden cameras since 1999, in formats 35 mm, 6x6, 6x9, 6x12, 6x18, 4x5 and 8x10.

  • Zero Image
  • Notable models: Zero 2000 (35 mm), Zero 69, Zero 612, Zero 618, Zero 45, Zero 810

ONDU — Slovenian manufacturer that launched via Kickstarter. Their wooden cameras are among the best finished on the current market.

  • ONDU Pinhole
  • Notable models: ONDU 35 mm, ONDU 6×6, ONDU 6×9, ONDU 6×12, ONDU 4×5, ONDU 8×10

Harman Technology / Walker Cameras — The TiTAN series is arguably the most popular commercial large-format pinhole camera in recent years. Developed by Walker and marketed by Harman/Ilford.

  • Ilford Harman Titan 4×5
  • Also available in: 4×5, 4×10, 8×10

Holga — They incorporated several pinhole models into their “toy” camera catalogue. They have been an entry point for many enthusiasts.

  • Holga 120PC, Holga 135PC, Holga 120WPC, Holga 135 Pan with pinhole accessory

Reality So Subtle — Small US manufacturer highly respected among advanced users. Often appears as a premium alternative to Zero Image and ONDU.

Pinsta — A modern proposal combining pinhole photography with instant development on photographic paper. Popular in educational settings.

Historic or lesser-known brands: Lensless (Australia), Sharan, Vermeer, Nopo Cameras, Thingyfy (pinhole optics for digital cameras)

Influence ranking: 1. Zero Image, 2. ONDU, 3. Harman Technology / Walker Cameras, 4. Holga, 5. Reality So Subtle

Light meters

In pinhole photography there are three main families of light meters: physical meters, mechanical or printed calculators, and mobile apps. Many veteran pinhole photographers still use paper calculation wheels because they incorporate reciprocity and don’t depend on batteries.

Pinhole-specific apps

  • Pinhole Assist (iPhone/iPad) — The most complete pinhole app available. Includes built-in light meter, direct calculation for pinhole cameras, reciprocity failure correction, film and paper database, long exposure timer, and profiles for hundreds of pinhole cameras. Widely considered the current reference in the community.
  • Light Meter & Logbook (Android) — Allows very small apertures (f/200, f/256…), reciprocity compensation, custom profiles, and long exposure timer.
  • Pinhole Exposure Meter (Android) — Recent project specifically for pinhole: EV metering with phone camera, automatic reciprocity correction, and built-in timer.

Paper discs and calculators

  • Ilford Pinhole Exposure Calculator — The classic printable rotary disc. Versions for photographic paper and film. No batteries needed. Widely used in schools and workshops.
  • Mr Pinhole Exposure Calculator — Online calculator, printable tables, and formulas to calculate the actual f-number of your camera.
  • Reality So Subtle Exposure Wheel — EV → exposure time calculator with reciprocity correction. PDFs and reproductions available online.

Classic physical light meters

  • Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III — No batteries, selenium cell, very convenient EV scales. Ideal to pair with a calculation wheel.
  • Gossen Sixtomat F2 — Compact, accurate, direct EV reading.
  • Gossen Digisix 2 — Very small, pocket-friendly, direct EV reading.
  • Sekonic L-308S Flashmate — Digital, lightweight, widely used in contemporary analog photography.

Ultra-analog option

For workshops or outreach activities you can print a reference card like this:

ConditionISO 100 f/180
Bright sun1 s
Lightly overcast2 s
Cloudy4 s
Open shade8-15 s
Bright interior30 s - 2 min

then apply the film’s reciprocity correction. This is very close to what pinhole photographers did before the digital age.

Personal pick: Pinhole Assist (precision), Ilford printable disc (concepts), Sekonic L-398A (analog), and a custom reference card with exposure times for each workshop camera.

Materials & references

Software

Applications developed by LinuxBCN.com for pinhole and analog photography.

  • Positivador WebApp — WebApp for positive printing on your phone: open the camera, point at the negative (paper or film) and see the positive image in real time. Also inverts, rotates and freezes the image for inspection. PRO version allows saving, adjusting exposure and gamma. Ideal for workshops.

  • Estenop — Pinhole Calculator — Light meter specifically for pinhole cameras. Reads ambient light with your phone’s camera, select aperture (f/64, f/128, f/180…) and film stock, get exposure time with built-in reciprocity correction. Includes timer. Beta version in development.