Marquardt International Pinhole
design by Jürgen Suhr
» news
» Click here for more pictures taken with the MIP
This is the prototype of the Marquardt International Pinhole, a camera that is designed to fit international backs, such as 4x5" sheet film holders, Polaroid backs or even roll film holders. It is compatible with 4x5 graflok backs.
Development by Chris Marquardt, design by Jürgen Suhr.
Interested? Send a mail to chris@internationalpinhole.com
Development by Chris Marquardt, design by Jürgen Suhr.
Interested? Send a mail to chris@internationalpinhole.com
Only the best!
14/06/11 16:15
After the not so happy post from last week, here’s another one to make up for it.
I just returned from a metal shop. Let’s just say this: BINGO!!
Or in short: this is probably the best possible metal shop I could wish for. Actually the term “metal shop” doesn’t do them justice. They are specialized in photographic equipment. They are very experienced in their field. In fact most of them used to work for one of Germany’s most important photographic equipment manufacturers, and they love doing what they do, which is to build custom parts for cameras.
I’m a happy camper today. The MIP has just moved one big step closer to reality!
I just returned from a metal shop. Let’s just say this: BINGO!!
Or in short: this is probably the best possible metal shop I could wish for. Actually the term “metal shop” doesn’t do them justice. They are specialized in photographic equipment. They are very experienced in their field. In fact most of them used to work for one of Germany’s most important photographic equipment manufacturers, and they love doing what they do, which is to build custom parts for cameras.
I’m a happy camper today. The MIP has just moved one big step closer to reality!
*sigh*
07/06/11 14:11
I’ve been back from the Himalayan Workshop for several weeks, I held two workshops since, I spent time with @seanphotos and @michellevivar from Canada who are traveling Germany right now, I participated in the European No Metering Shootout (more about that on Tips from the Top Floor), and I spent time going foward with the MIP.
Which do you want first, the good news or the not quite so good news?
Okay, the good news first then: I’m seeing some interest in the MIP from a party that - if it turns into something tangible - will make the MIP project bigger than I had thought. This makes
The not so good news is that this morning I finally received the long awaited call from the second metal shop who had a go at the MIP parts. After spending a few weeks experimenting and thinking, they got to the conclusion that it’s too complex for them.
[insert very @#$^! sounds coming from Chris here]
*sigh*
Back one step, but you know me. I won’t let that stop the MIP. I’m already in talks with two other metal shops, hoping to turn this around quickly. If all fails, in the end I still have the option to go with the cheaper parts from eBay, but .. let’s face it, that wouldn’t be quite in line with my goal to make this camera into the pure and simple object that I want it to be.
Which do you want first, the good news or the not quite so good news?
Okay, the good news first then: I’m seeing some interest in the MIP from a party that - if it turns into something tangible - will make the MIP project bigger than I had thought. This makes
The not so good news is that this morning I finally received the long awaited call from the second metal shop who had a go at the MIP parts. After spending a few weeks experimenting and thinking, they got to the conclusion that it’s too complex for them.
[insert very @#$^! sounds coming from Chris here]
*sigh*
Back one step, but you know me. I won’t let that stop the MIP. I’m already in talks with two other metal shops, hoping to turn this around quickly. If all fails, in the end I still have the option to go with the cheaper parts from eBay, but .. let’s face it, that wouldn’t be quite in line with my goal to make this camera into the pure and simple object that I want it to be.
... they take no prisoners
06/04/11 00:23
I know you’ve all been eagerly waiting for MIP news, and apart from telling the world about an invisible camera around April 1st, I have been on and off the phone with the metal shop in order to bring you the real camera as soon as possible. I don’t want to bore you with all the details, but here’s the condensed version: their machine kept breaking to the point where replacing parts would only delay the inevitable next breakdown for a couple of days. Unfortunately that delay was never long enough for the MIP parts to get their turn.
(ahem, was that an involuntary pun just there?)
Unfortunately getting another metal shop on board won’t be as simple as handing them the plans and telling them how many pieces we need. The MIP parts aren’t as simple as that and for at least one part we’ll even need them to help us come up with a creative solution based on their knowledge of material and tools.
So while we have the wood side of the camera figured out and ready to go, the metal side will take a bit more time. I am going to talk to a different metal shop tomorrow, one that has been highly recommended to me.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
PS: did you notice that the Invisible Camera was completely based on the MIP?
(ahem, was that an involuntary pun just there?)
Unfortunately getting another metal shop on board won’t be as simple as handing them the plans and telling them how many pieces we need. The MIP parts aren’t as simple as that and for at least one part we’ll even need them to help us come up with a creative solution based on their knowledge of material and tools.
So while we have the wood side of the camera figured out and ready to go, the metal side will take a bit more time. I am going to talk to a different metal shop tomorrow, one that has been highly recommended to me.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
PS: did you notice that the Invisible Camera was completely based on the MIP?
When things break...
15/03/11 16:50
Sometimes I’m really glad that I didn’t commit to an official release date for the Marquardt International Pinhole. Now is one of those times. Had everything worked out as anticipated, I would by now hold the custom built metal parts of the camera in hand. But that hasn’t happened. The metal shop that makes those parts for me, just had an important CNC machine break down. Repairs will probably take a few days, then they will first have to catch up on the backlog that this caused. And let’s face it, I am not really a big customer for them, they make parts in the ten thousands, not in the tens. Chances are this will set the Marquardt International Pinhole back by a week or two.
In the meanwhile, have a look at another camera project that is in the making. I started it long before the MIP and it will soon be revealed: www.theinvisiblecamera.com
In the meanwhile, have a look at another camera project that is in the making. I started it long before the MIP and it will soon be revealed: www.theinvisiblecamera.com
There will be Leather
02/03/11 22:16
Do you know what a saddler does? Yes, they make saddles. And other things with leather. No, not the naugthy stuff, I’m talking about beautiful things that could come in useful in conjunction with a beautiful camera. Why do I know that? Because I visited a saddler today and discussed something that’s related to the MIP.
I’m such a tease...
I’m such a tease...
Change in Plan
02/03/11 01:15
Quick update on a few things:
The camera is looking beautiful! I had it with me on an analog workshop that we held in Braunschweig (the home of Voigtländer and Rollei) where I tested it thoroughly. One thing that came out of this is a slight change in plan. I had originally planned to buy the pinhole holder from a third party, so the test camera (Model #001) that I’m using has been built with that. During my tests I found that I wasn’t entirely happy with it, so I’ve gone to design my own. I’m going to meet with the owner of a small metal shop tomorrow and discuss what it takes to lathe the various parts that are required for it.
I have also made progress with the mechanism to attach the international backs of various thicknesses. We discussed a few different details on design choices and we have finally come to one that feels pretty much right. Simplicity and purity rule every detail of the Marquardt International Pinhole. I will have a test batch of the mechanisms produced and fit them to model #001, then test them in a real-world scenario.
We have also discussed the packaging of the camera. It needs a case of some sort. Something to transport it, that has a lot more style than a cardboard box. We had a few really fun ideas and one of them was particularly good, as it doesn’t just involve style, it also is very very useful in a pretty specific way. A bit more testing on that and I’ll be able to talk about it.
That’s all for today, stay tuned!
The camera is looking beautiful! I had it with me on an analog workshop that we held in Braunschweig (the home of Voigtländer and Rollei) where I tested it thoroughly. One thing that came out of this is a slight change in plan. I had originally planned to buy the pinhole holder from a third party, so the test camera (Model #001) that I’m using has been built with that. During my tests I found that I wasn’t entirely happy with it, so I’ve gone to design my own. I’m going to meet with the owner of a small metal shop tomorrow and discuss what it takes to lathe the various parts that are required for it.
I have also made progress with the mechanism to attach the international backs of various thicknesses. We discussed a few different details on design choices and we have finally come to one that feels pretty much right. Simplicity and purity rule every detail of the Marquardt International Pinhole. I will have a test batch of the mechanisms produced and fit them to model #001, then test them in a real-world scenario.
We have also discussed the packaging of the camera. It needs a case of some sort. Something to transport it, that has a lot more style than a cardboard box. We had a few really fun ideas and one of them was particularly good, as it doesn’t just involve style, it also is very very useful in a pretty specific way. A bit more testing on that and I’ll be able to talk about it.
That’s all for today, stay tuned!
Production
16/02/11 21:20
Not yet ready for prime time, but here’s a little teaser shot: http://twitpic.com/40id3s
No Feature Creep
15/02/11 22:11
There was some discussion during the design phase that included what to add to the MIP. But the point is not adding things, leaving things out is what it’s about. We wanted to come up with a work of beauty, something that was simple, straight-forward, and that didn’t have any unnecessary ballast. Like a shutter. The fact that we’re dealing with f/200 and a 4x5” format means that a) as long as you don’t shoot, there’s always a dark slide in front of the film and b) exposure times will easily be in the range of seconds, in case of lower light even minutes. Any shake that might be introduced during pulling the dark slide will simply not matter in comparison with the length of the exposure. And as soon as you go into shorter realms, there’s a simple technique for that. More about that soon.
Q&A
15/02/11 17:17
Wow, we didn’t anticipate the level of interest, thanks all for the questions. Let me try to answer some of them here:
Q: Will you ship international?
A: Yep
Q: What is it going to cost?
A: (quoting from a mail I just sent out) I can't say anything about the price because I just don't know yet. My friend Jürgen (he's a furniture designer) will finish the first batch of cases, some of them with exotic woods, and I've just today spent time at a metal shop that will create some custom fittings for the camera.
We're going to make this initial run of 10 without looking at the cost, and we are probably in for a bit of a shock once we are finished an sum everything up, which is when we determine the price and hope that people will be crazy enough to buy them from us :)
Having that said, the first run will therefore be without compromise. If we get more interest and go for a next production run of 50 or 100 (which I doubt, but you never know) we'll probably have to cut some corners.
You can also expect different price levels depending on what materials and work goes into the individual cameras.
Q: When will the first run be finished?
A: We have a few dependencies, and I don’t expect the cameras to be finished before the end of February.
Q: Will you ship international?
A: Yep
Q: What is it going to cost?
A: (quoting from a mail I just sent out) I can't say anything about the price because I just don't know yet. My friend Jürgen (he's a furniture designer) will finish the first batch of cases, some of them with exotic woods, and I've just today spent time at a metal shop that will create some custom fittings for the camera.
We're going to make this initial run of 10 without looking at the cost, and we are probably in for a bit of a shock once we are finished an sum everything up, which is when we determine the price and hope that people will be crazy enough to buy them from us :)
Having that said, the first run will therefore be without compromise. If we get more interest and go for a next production run of 50 or 100 (which I doubt, but you never know) we'll probably have to cut some corners.
You can also expect different price levels depending on what materials and work goes into the individual cameras.
Q: When will the first run be finished?
A: We have a few dependencies, and I don’t expect the cameras to be finished before the end of February.
Metal shop
15/02/11 15:35
The mechanism to fasten the different film backs to the camera is starting to come together. I just found a small metal shop that will custom make the fittings. Still not saying how exactly it will work, as that will probably be one of the major design elements, but it’s probably going to be different from what you expect.
Decision made, we're building it!
14/02/11 20:52
The proof-of-concept is finished and works, the final product will be hand-made with highest-quality surfaces and finish, each camera will be a one-of-a-kind and feature its own unique personality. We had a meeting today and decided that in order to gauge interest, the Marquardt International Pinhole will initially be produced in a small run of ten cameras.
Interested? Send a mail to chris@internationalpinhole.com
Interested? Send a mail to chris@internationalpinhole.com
Test run
12/02/11 16:48
I've been out testing the camera in the real world. The weight leads itself to ground-level placement, it is very stable and handling is simple enough. The fastening mechanism is still temporary, we have ideas but we will first have to test them before we commit.
» first test (video)
The picture at the top of this page is one of the results of today's testing.
» first test (video)
The picture at the top of this page is one of the results of today's testing.
It all starts here
31/01/11 19:47
We had our first design meeting and the initial rough sketches were quickly transformed into a plan of action that resulted in the first prototype.
» building the first prototype
» building the first prototype