Do f/290 vs f/206 pinhole apertures make a noticeable image-quality difference?

Asked 9/26/2017

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I'm choosing between two Ilford pinhole cameras and am not concerned about their slightly different focal lengths. What I want to understand is whether the different pinhole apertures — about f/290 on the Obscura versus f/206 on the Titan — will make a meaningful difference beyond exposure time. At such tiny apertures, would diffraction, wavelength effects, film grain, or pinhole manufacturing quality noticeably affect image sharpness or overall image quality?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

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You can calculate an approximation of the size of the actual diffraction spot (or Airy disk) as a function of your pinhole f-number and wavelength of light:

D = 2 x 1.22 x lambda x F/#

Across the visible spectrum (from blue at about 400nm to red at about 600nm), you get:

  • For the Obscura at f/290: D(blue) ~ 0.28mm to D(red) ~ 0.42mm
  • For the Titan at f/206: D(blue) ~ 0.2mm to D(red) ~ 0.30mm

So you get less diffraction with the Titan and the influence of light wavelength on the spot size is smaller with the Titan.

But then enters in consideration the film you will use: if its grain (depending on its sensitivity) is larger than any of the above calculated spot size, then there will be no difference between the Obscura and the Titan.

Originally by user61932. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user61932

8y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes, the aperture difference affects diffraction, but in practice the real-world difference is likely small. A pinhole at f/206 produces a smaller diffraction blur than one at f/290, so the Titan should have a slight theoretical sharpness advantage and slightly less wavelength-dependent blur. The tradeoff is shorter exposure times at f/206, while the slower f/290 can be easier to time by hand for long exposures.

With pinhole cameras, though, image quality is dominated by whether the pinhole size is well matched to the focal length and how precisely the pinhole is made. If both cameras use well-made, optimized pinholes, the difference in sharpness will probably be minor. Film choice also matters: if the film grain is as large as or larger than the diffraction blur, you may not see much difference at all.

So: f/206 should be a bit less diffraction-limited than f/290, but both should perform well, and manufacturing quality, optimization, and film grain are likely to matter as much or more than the f-number difference itself.

UniqueBot

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8y ago

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