This Clever, Customizable Pinhole Camera System Can Do Just About Anything

Dec 30, 2024

Jeremy Gray

Wooden pinhole camera mounted on a tripod. The camera has a rectangular shape with three pinholes on the front, using a combination of light and dark wood finishes.

Photographer Ralph Man developed a highly versatile new pinhole camera system, the Mania MFZ, which stands for “Multiformat Zoom.”

The German creator has been a photographer for 27 years and has extensive carpentry experience. The Mania MFZ combines these various skills into one versatile camera system.

Debuting on Kickstarter, the Mania MFZ is a pinhole camera system that promises to “expand the boundaries of pinhole camera capabilities many times over.” In view of this ambitious goal, the Mania MFZ is compatible with a wide range of negative film formats, such as 6×6, 6×12, 6×17, 4×5, and more, and users can change the effective focal length in 20mm increments from 35mm up to 135mm and beyond. “This makes it possible to change the angle of view and the perspective effect of the different ‘focal lengths’ in combination with all negative formats,” Man says.

Six wooden pinhole cameras are displayed in two rows, showcasing different formats: universal, 6x6 TSP, 4x5in shift, 6x12 TSP, 4x5in TSP, and 6x6 shift. Each camera has a unique design with varying numbers of knobs and sliding mechanisms.

Alongside these features, the Mania MFZ works with various front panels, including ones that enable horizontal or vertical shifting, a panel for twin-shot panoramas (TSPs), and more. Further, the pinhole size itself can be changed by tweaking the front panel. The different frames and panels are held in place using magnets, enabling swift and simple swapping.

“In addition, the 4×5 inch back has the option of screwing in screws (included in delivery) through threaded sleeves on the side of the housing, over which many different cassettes can then be attached using rubber bands (also included), such as old, thicker sheet film cassettes and the Lomo Graflock 4×5 Instant Back, in order to take Fuji Instax instant photos with the Mania MFZ or to use old Polaroid cassettes in combination with old Polaroid material,” Man explains.

A wooden pinhole camera with three knobs is shown above two black and white photos of a pier extending into the sea under a cloudy sky. Text reads "6x6 TSP.

A wooden pinhole camera is shown at the top, labeled "universal." Below, two black-and-white photos: one of a driftwood piece on a beach labeled "4x5in," and another of a seaside structure labeled "6x17.

There are many ways to mix and match different front panels, focal lengths, and film formats, although, as Man notes, not all of them make sense. For example, a 6×17 photo with a 35mm focal length and 0.2mm pinhole would have excessive vignetting. Further, all the front panels are compatible with filters, like neutral density (ND) filters.

The Mania MFZ kits are available in various configurations and with a range of different pieces. While many pre-built configurations are available, the system itself is flexible, and users can tweak them as they see fit. Each kit comes with a “calculation stick” that includes essential exposure values for focal lengths from 35mm to 135mm.

Four images of a wooden pinhole camera with different film formats: 6x17, 6x12, 6x6, and 4x5 inches. Each image shows the camera from above, displaying the interior and the film slot dimensions.

Complete details — including various notes on different kits, focal lengths, panels, and formats — are available on Kickstarter. The most affordable kit starts at around $530, with additional options ranging up to $1,300. Man expects the first Mania MFZ kits to ship to backers in May 2025. So far, Man is quite far from his funding goal, so the usual disclaimers for crowdfunding projects apply here.

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Image credits: Ralph Man