How to make a pinhole camera with his hands: detailed instructions

What is pinhole photography?

Despite the complexity of the apparatus of modern cameras, the camera has only two required element: a light-tight housing with means controllable light transmitting and light-sensitive carrier.

The main difference between a pinhole camera from conventional digital cameras - use a pinhole lens instead.

More in the X century Arab mathematician and scientist Alhazenom it was discovered that light passing through a tiny hole in the wall of a dark room, is projected on the opposite surface. Before the advent of light-sensitive media this optical effect used by artists. Projecting an image on the wall opposite the light source by allowing you to quickly and easily play back pictures with photographic accuracy.

The simplest device to transfer the image on the opposite surface - a pinhole camera. They helped not only artists, but also to astronomers. The first documented use of this optical effect during the observation of the solar eclipse is dated 1544 year.

Pinhole camera uses optical effect realized by a pinhole camera. In front of the camera body bore holes penetrating through which the image projected on the film.

What is needed to make the camera with his hands?

• A large piece of foam board 5 mm thick. It can be found in art supply stores and baguette workshops.
• thin metal piece 2 × 2 cm (can be cut from tin).
• Three reels of film of 35 mm (can be removed from the illuminated and back films).
• Ballpoint Pen cylindrical shape.
• Black acrylic paint.
• Universal adhesive for creativity.
• A sharp knife for cutting foam board.
• Line.
• Thin needle. It is better to take a needle for airbrush or intradermal injection. The diameter of the resulting holes must not be more than 0.4 mm.
• The fine-grained sandpaper.
• Lantern.

How to make a pinhole camera?

Assemble the outer shell

Camera body will consist of two parts: the outer shell and the part with the hole. Start with the outer sheath assembly. Cut foam board of the necessary elements: a rear surface, the top, bottom, two side portions and a slot for rewinding the head.

Lock cut portions with an adhesive. The outer shell is ready.

Collect rewind knob

You will need to connect the tube of a ballpoint pen with a coil portion of the film. Remember that the rewind knob should not be glued. It is fixed only at the outer shell and the connecting side with the opening.

Assemble the side with a hole

Cut front part with a hole in the middle, with two upper openings, a lower portion, two side faces, two spacer gasket for receiving coils and two blocker for film.

Combine all parts obtained by using glue. With one hole is ready.

Set the receiving coil

Membrane Glue two coils, one of them having passed through the opening in the upper portion of the housing to the right. Please note that the mating of the coils must be sanded so that the gap between the discs is 11 mm. Do not overdo it with the adhesive, the coil must be rotated.

Make a hole in a piece of metal

Use the needle for airbrush or intradermal injection. If there is only a sewing needle, select the thinnest and make a hole with the tip of it. Enclose something under the metal and use a hammer to make a hole. Many advise another way: put the needle into the eraser of a pencil and screw it into the metal.

Treat the edge of the opening sandpaper. The resulting plate to affix the inside face of the camera between the spacers. The hole in the foam board must be completely covered with metal.

Fabricate and install the bolt

Cut the foam board from two curved gasket ring and bolt. Valve and gaskets can be cut from a circle coinciding with the ring size.

Glue the gasket and ring to the housing. When the glue is dry, try to insert the bolt. If there is a too tight, cut the edges with sandpaper.

Complete pinhole camera

Go into a dark room and check with a flashlight to see if cracks through which light can pass left. Use black ink to fill the gaps.

The film - a rather sensitive medium that is easily scratched even in serious cameras. If you want to avoid defects in the frame, then glue the strips of soft cloth on the parts of the camera, which are in contact with the film.

Now remove the spool of film and get ready to take pictures for his first pinhole.

How to fill the film?

To fill the film, place the pinhole aperture down to the bottom part of themselves. Insert the film so that the coil portion bulging stood between the gaskets and the flat side of the tape facing up. Pull the foil to the receiving coil and secure with scotch tape. Do not forget about the tape when you wind the tape back into the cassette.

Check if everything works, the receiving coil squandered a couple of turns. Film rewind knob in this case must be rotated. Connect the front panel with the outer shell of the camera. Pinhole ready for shooting.

And how to rewind the tape?

Pinhole devoid frame counter and latch that allows unwind frame, based on its dimensions. Considered the limit of exposures remaining will have to manually rewind and carry on the eye. Fast-frame is approximately equal to a half revolutions the receiving coil. For convenience, you can put a label on it.

How to determine the exposure?

Anyone familiar with photography, knows that the aperture size has a direct impact on the exposure time of the shooting. The smaller the hole, the longer exposure. When dealing with a pinhole, should be prepared for a long wait: the exposure time will be much more familiar. Also at the time of exposure he influences the sensitivity of the film.

Be prepared for the fact that the first film will go on the dimension of the ideal exposure time. You will need a light meter (you can use a light meter built into another camera, or app on your phone), film (ISO 200 or ISO 100), visual landscape for experimentation and patience.

You can install one of these applications:

• PinholeMeter. Light meter designed to work with the pinhole. Select the film light sensitivity and aperture value and aim the camera at what you want to photograph. The app will count the amount of time required to create high-quality images.

• LightMeter. Simple and easy to use light meter. the exposure value for the pinhole will not consider, but it will help to draw analogies.

If you follow the instructions and you were able to observe all the dimensions (the distance from the front wall to film and the diameter of the hole), the aperture value of your pinhole camera will be f / 75-f / 80. Knowing this, you can use pinhole calculator to calculate the time delay. Use a light meter, and the online table to find matches.

If the calculated exposure time was wrong, then re-check all inputs and recalculate the aperture value. The aperture (F_stop) - the distance from the hole to the film (Focal Length), Divided by the bore diameter (pinhole Diameter). The unit of measurement for all values ​​- millimeters.

How to get clear shots?

Countable minutes exposure time assumes that the camera will have to be put on a hard surface or attach it to a tripod. Note that camera shake when opening the shutter lubricate your frame. Therefore, opening arm close to the camera fixing on the selected surface.