Guillermo, in the course of explaining optimum pinhole formulas to Tom Harvey, said "Since pinhole is not about "sharpness", use any pinhole size for a particular distance pinhole-film, but I suggest you use what I call the "scientific formulation" as the starting point from which deviate."
With considerable respect to the Guillermo, to whom I owe a vast debt of personal gratitude, I beg to differ. Perhaps the majority of pinhole is not at all concerned with sharpness. There are many, many of what I consider Pictorial shooters, achieving great soft images, some very dreamlike. Very nice stuff! (eg: Davison's The Onion Field, etc, etc). The WWPD gallery is full of great, soft pinhole images. HOWEVER, there are among us certain high-res knuckleheads who explore pinhole not [exclusively] for painterly effect, but also for maximum sharpness and depth of focus, especially for very close objects, and for this sort of stuff, pinhole is very definitely about sharpness. Consider it the "f.64: Seeing Straight" counterpoint to the soft-focus Pictorialists. If pinhole is not about "sharpness" then why are there so many formulas for optimum resolution, a Holy Grail of lensless? Why do I ponder so deeply the differences between Petval, Rayleigh, Renner, Young, Patton, Bullis, Fratkin, and even Penate himself? The Sharpness Formula God is apparently something we must each discover on our own. In the context of Harvey's query, it's right to provide beginning guidance (so as to not start with nail holes and fail to get good image formation on a 35mm format) so that one has a starting point. Then wander off into larger and smaller holes. Admittedly, much here is about experimentation. And, image type and quality is a highly personal thing. But, you can't dismiss sharpness as an ojbective. Pinhole can be about sharpness, as well as softness... it's also about time, and light, perspective, art, science, chance and fun! Michael Georgoff San Jose, CA (PS: Once again, the WWPD gallery is great: I look forward to seeing new images, there are many, many great and inspiring images up there! Huge thanks to all who worked to make it so!)
