I have been trying a few experiments with taking photographs through the viewfinder of an old camera. I have had some success but there are limitations to the technique. Using my DSLR didn’t give very good results even with using a macro lens. The best results were with my compact camera. Here is the final image:
This I have sepia toned. Here is how I got to this stage:
1) Original view from the compact camera:
2) The viewfinder cropped and inverted:
3) Covering up the cameras to reduce reflections:
4) the viewfinder image cropped and inverted
5) A little more cropping and contrast adjustment:
6) which leads to the final sepia image shown at the top.
With this technique, you are not going to get a high resolution image. The optics of the viewfinder forces the camera to be at least 5 inches or more away. A worthwhile start but the technique needs some refining…