All Comments☝️ SearchDmitri Jan 31, ‘25ONDU Pinhole ceases production of pinhole cameras to concentrate on large format and "other projects."
For knowledgeable film photographers, ONDU has been a name associated with high-quality pinhole cameras for over a decade. Sadly, for those who cherished their lensless products, the Slovenian camera manufacturer is stepping away from their flagship specialty.
In a recent email (thanks, Kari), Elvis Halilović revealed that ONDU Pinhole will halt the production of pinhole cameras to focus on large format and "other projects."
Understandably, this announcement saddened fans of some of the finest lensless cameras available. Nonetheless, ONDU is not the only manufacturer of pinhole cameras, and their exit may pave the way for other ambitious initiatives, such as Mania MFZ (analog.cafe/comments/r336).
I reached out to ONDU earlier for a statement, but I have yet to receive a reply (I will update this post if they respond).
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On Instagram (instagram.com/p/DFf3jkusN56), Elvis expressed his desire to explore creativity in new directions. No one wants to feel stagnant. Best wishes to ONDU, and I look forward to new products from them.
ONDU's latest large format camera was announced last year on Analog.Cafe. You can read about it here: analog.cafe/r/film-photogr…
#editorial🔥 Dmitri Feb 12, ‘25Update:
Elvis (the founder of ONDU) responded to my inquiry for clarification regarding the discontinuation of his pinhole cameras a few days ago, but I only now had the opportunity to share his response. In any case, it reiterates what he had previously stated publicly —
“…I want to concentrate on large format cameras and other projects moving forward. There’s a stockpile available for the next few months, depending on how many people want to purchase them. However, I feel inclined to pursue other projects. If I discover a solution for outsourcing (which, given my experience, seems unlikely), I might continue, but regardless, this variety and volume will not occur again. It proved to be too much work for me, and after 12 years in this business, I sense it's time for a change. I will devote some attention to large format cameras and wet plate / dry plate gear, but that’s all for now.”
For knowledgeable film photographers, ONDU has been a name associated with premium pinhole cameras for more than ten years. Regrettably, for those who appreciated their lensless creations, the Slovenian camera manufacturer is discontinuing this signature practice. #editorial.