Introduction
A pinhole camera is effectively a light-proof box with a very small hole in one side. The smaller the hole, the sharper the image produced.
As the aperture of the camera is so small,the exposure times are much longer than those of conventional cameras. Typical exposure times can range from several seconds to several hours depending on the lighting conditions. (Grepstad, 2003)
How to make a pinhole camera
You will need:
1 Ready-Made Film Camera
1 Drink Can
Electrician's Tape
Screwdriver
Ruler (not needed but useful)
Scissors
Pin
Nail File/Fine Sandpaper
Photographic Film
Scanner (not needed but useful)
To create my pinhole camera I used a screwdriver to carefully take the facade of an existing camera I owned (I got this one from a charity shop for £1.50). I removed the lens and disconnected the mechanism that links the shutter release to the shutter - this should be a very thin sheet of metal which covers the lens and retracts back when the shutter released is pressed.
I then cut a small square of aluminum from the drinking can and pressed it flat, it should be large enough to cover the space where the lens once was. Using the pin, press VERY GENTLY against the aluminum until the point just pricks through the surface, the hole should be as small as possible. A nail file or fine sandpaper should be used to smooth over the hole - any protruding metal around the prick may distort the image. At this point it is possible to scan the aluminum square into a computer and use a program with a ruler tool such as photoshop to determine the true size of the hole. Electrician's tape should be used to safely secure the metal in the space where the lens was - ensure that no light can penetrate except through the pinhole. Use a ruler to measure the distance between the pinhole and the place where the film sits at the back of the camera - this is the focal length and is needed to determine the aperture of the camera. Use electrician's tape to ensure the camera is completely light proof - previous use of this camera showed that it was prone to light leaks therefore I covered it's exterior extensively in tape. Finally place a small piece of electrician's tape over the pinhole - this will be a manual shutter and should be peeled back when taking a photograph.
The camera may then be loaded with a dilm as normal - the wind on mechanism shall still work to advance the film as normal.
(Measured in millimeters)
An example aperture for my camera: 25/0.4 = f/60
Knowing the aperture is f/60 allows me to determine exposure times, either by using an external light meter (such as a ready-made light meter or an iPhone app), or by using a general knowledge of exposure times to guesstimate the correct exposure time under the light conditions.
I have changed the size of my pinhole with every use, making the hole smaller every time to measure it's variants.
A pinhole camera is effectively a light-proof box with a very small hole in one side. The smaller the hole, the sharper the image produced.
As the aperture of the camera is so small,the exposure times are much longer than those of conventional cameras. Typical exposure times can range from several seconds to several hours depending on the lighting conditions. (Grepstad, 2003)
How to make a pinhole camera
You will need:
1 Ready-Made Film Camera
1 Drink Can
Electrician's Tape
Screwdriver
Ruler (not needed but useful)
Scissors
Pin
Nail File/Fine Sandpaper
Photographic Film
Scanner (not needed but useful)
To create my pinhole camera I used a screwdriver to carefully take the facade of an existing camera I owned (I got this one from a charity shop for £1.50). I removed the lens and disconnected the mechanism that links the shutter release to the shutter - this should be a very thin sheet of metal which covers the lens and retracts back when the shutter released is pressed.
I then cut a small square of aluminum from the drinking can and pressed it flat, it should be large enough to cover the space where the lens once was. Using the pin, press VERY GENTLY against the aluminum until the point just pricks through the surface, the hole should be as small as possible. A nail file or fine sandpaper should be used to smooth over the hole - any protruding metal around the prick may distort the image. At this point it is possible to scan the aluminum square into a computer and use a program with a ruler tool such as photoshop to determine the true size of the hole. Electrician's tape should be used to safely secure the metal in the space where the lens was - ensure that no light can penetrate except through the pinhole. Use a ruler to measure the distance between the pinhole and the place where the film sits at the back of the camera - this is the focal length and is needed to determine the aperture of the camera. Use electrician's tape to ensure the camera is completely light proof - previous use of this camera showed that it was prone to light leaks therefore I covered it's exterior extensively in tape. Finally place a small piece of electrician's tape over the pinhole - this will be a manual shutter and should be peeled back when taking a photograph.
The camera may then be loaded with a dilm as normal - the wind on mechanism shall still work to advance the film as normal.
If you wish to know the aperture value of the camera, the following formula can be used:
FL/D
FL = Focal Length (distance between pinhole and film)
D = Diameter of pinhole
(Measured in millimeters)
An example aperture for my camera: 25/0.4 = f/60
Knowing the aperture is f/60 allows me to determine exposure times, either by using an external light meter (such as a ready-made light meter or an iPhone app), or by using a general knowledge of exposure times to guesstimate the correct exposure time under the light conditions.
I have changed the size of my pinhole with every use, making the hole smaller every time to measure it's variants.
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