terraPin ACME 6X6 (6x9, 6X4.5) Pinhole Cameras - 120 film

thingiverse

The instructions for assembling and using the terraPin ACME pinhole camera are quite detailed. Here's a summary of the steps: **Assembling the Camera** 1. Insert the end of the paper into the empty spool, turn twice to capture the free end. 2. Pull the spools apart by a couple of inches. 3. Place the film clip loosely around the TAKE UP spool on the right side, facing forward. 4. Insert the SUPPLY spool (left side) into the camera, pulling more paper from the spool if needed to get the TAKE UP spool and film clip into place. 5. Gently slide the film, spools, and film clip into the camera body. **Loading the Film** 1. Put the cap on the camera body, being careful not to allow either spool to move much. 2. Lift the flap of tape on the back and wind the knob on the right side to advance the film. 3. Look through the red window to see a series of arrows, circles, or starbursts until you see a number "1". 4. Pay attention to the pattern of shapes that precedes the "1" - this pattern will repeat itself for every frame of film. **Shooting with the Camera** 1. Use an f-number calculated from a spot halfway between the center and edge of the frame due to the shallow focal length. 2. Take your time, and use the shutter mech's detent to open the shutter without jostling the camera. 3. If needed, use your finger as the shutter for relatively short exposures. **Additional Tips** * Be careful not to allow either spool to move much when loading the film or putting the cap on the camera body. * Use a portion of the paper tape that wrapped the new roll of film under the cap before sliding it closed to remind you what film you have loaded. * Double-check your frame indexing when making an exposure if your camera has not been shot in a while or if it has been jostled since last shot. **Design and Resources** The camera was designed almost entirely in Tinkercad, with the 3D printed 1/4-20 tripod threads modeled in OpenSCAD. The design is robust enough for repeated use, and the Basket-weave texture is a native Tinkercad BETA shape generator. For more information on pinhole photography, refer to the User's Guide written for the P6*6 3D printed pinhole camera. There are also several resources listed at the end of the instructions, including tutorials, calculators, and links to other pinhole photography websites.