Zero 2000 Pinhole Fixed (Mostly)
Towards sun, arc of flare in upper left possible residual fault. 2 seconds, small lightweight tripod allowed camera shake.
I think I have largely corrected the main problems with my Zero Image 2000 pinhole camera which I documented in a post (link) a couple of days ago. I blackened the brass fitting that holds the pinhole, both inside and outside, with a felt pen. The surface is still shiny and this may explain on some photos a strange arc of flare in the upper left. I suspect blackening the brass is what eliminated the circular flare I was getting before. Eventually it would be worth applying a flat black paint to the brass fitting.
I also attached felt to the underside of the shutter, and that is most likely what eliminated the horizontal beaded flare which probably was light leaking under the shutter. There is still flare when shooting into the sun, but it is mostly the kind of flare common to pinhole cameras and thus expected and acceptable.
Into sun, mostly expected flare but arc of flare in upper left possible residual fault. 2 seconds.
The only bit not working well enough for my liking is the shutter which, though it slides much more smoothly, still does not open smoothly and sometimes sticks partly open, or opens in stages leaving vertical banding where the right side has a shorter exposure. I put some slippery baking paper underneath the brass plate on top of the shutter and that helped it slide more smoothly, but the problem persists. I will have to get some proper low-friction tape for this surface. Making sure the shutter is open results in a lot of unnecessary camera motion and blurring of the image.
Towards sun, arc of flare in upper left may be expected. shutter did not open all the way, 2 seconds.
I see why Zero Image developed a shutter that can be fired with a cable release. If it was not so pricey, I would buy and install one. I guess I will have to experiment with some other solutions. For instance, if I pull the shutter from exactly in the centre of the ridge designed for that purpose, then it slides much more reliably than if I am a touch off centre- perhaps it needs a notch of knob so I can feel the centre.
Towards sun, vertical bands from sticky shutter. 2 seconds.
Anyway, it is much better now, and I look forward to giving it another try soon.
Towards sun, vertical bands from sticky shutter. 2.5 seconds, windy.
Towards sunny sky, 10 seconds, windy.
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Zero Image 2000 pinhole camera, Kodak Ektar, expired 09/2014, metered at 100ISO for F128 (pinhole is F138), commercial processing and low res scan
burnt embers 
I admire the patience you have to work with all these unusual or old camera and extract meaningful images from them. I particularly like the fourth one down, same as Lynn.
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Thanks Andy! Sometimes a camera proves quite tiresome. But, I have learned a great deal about the fundamentals of photography from some of them so it has not wasted much time. And, there is a lot of satisfaction in getting a decent image out of a problematic camera.
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In spite of the problems, you’re getting some really interesting shots. I particularly like the fourth one – the way the figure is blurred, the angle you used, and how it shows the rocks and skews the scale, the effectiveness of the pinhole, and the color (on all of them).
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Thanks Lynn. I am much closer to where I want to be with this camera. I like that shot the best too. I did not even realise the kid had jumped into my picture until I was closing the shutter – s/he had run up there while I was doing the final preparations for using the shutter.
The camera is an inch or two above the pebbles – the seemingly limitless depth of field is the great thing about pinhole.
Ektar is not a film I shoot much. It can be a bit tricky to get the right exposure, and can be awful for skin tones. But it is wonderful for landscapes and flowers and things like that. I should use it more often but it is twice as expensive as most kinds of Fuji Superia so I tend not to. I think the Superia 200 is every bit as good, with different but pleasing colour rendering and similar fine grain.
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