Making a pinhole camera

MrDrizz

MrDrizz

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So I'm contemplating making a pinhole camera but what I don't know is the distance from the pinhole to the film plain. Does that matter or it it just going to be in focus after a certain distance?

I fancy trying to make an Xpan pinhole.
 
The further away from the film that you have the pinhole, the longer the effective focal length of the pinhole (they don't really have a focal anything) or the narrower the angle of view. Also, the further away, the dimmer the image circle and the longer the exposure.
 
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The f stop is so high that there is pretty much infinite DoF and so everything is approximately in focus - this https://www.mrpinhole.com/calcpinh.php gives you the optimum pinhole diameter for a given focal length, it also gives angle of view and image circle for focal distance.
 
MrDrizz said:
Thanks guess. Have either of you made a pinhole?
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Yes. I used a body cap to convert my Canon 350D to a pinhole camera. It worked quite well but the sensor was too small for decent pictures. I am in the process of adapting Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 to a pinhole camera - the negative is 6 by 9 cm which is more useful.
 
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I've made several pinhole cameras and I second what sirch says. Quality is better if you make sure the hole is the right size. You also need to know hole size and distance to make exposure calculations. I make a larger hole in my container, then stick on a hole made in very thin brass sheet with a micro drill bit. Those I buy inexpensively from Drillservice.com

This is was the first image I made with my syrup tin camera, the exposure pretty much spot on simply using calculations. I'm also a fan of making cameras with a non flat film surface because that adds to their uniqueness.2020-12-16_09-27-17.jpg
 
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I had a go at making a digital pinhole camera, with a 12mm extension tube covered at the front with aluminium foil. I would estimate that the angle of view was about the same as a 40 or 50mm optic (full frame camera). I made a hole with a small needle. As you can see from the result below, I failed to get a sharp image; perhaps the hole was too large, or perhaps the edges were ragged. Sorry, but I didn't try to have a second attempt, Covid struck and everything went pear-shaped.
02 Pinhole 2.JPG
 
sirch said:
Do you have a good way of removing the burr after drilling or avoiding creating one in the first place?
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I rub the sheet on fine 3m abrasive paper both to thin it further in the region of the hole and to remove burrs. I'll then examine it under a microscope as I happen to have one. If you don't have brass sheet, the aluminium from a drinks can is a good start but also benefits from thinning. If you want to minimise a burr, try drilling through a stack of metal sheets.
 
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Boots said:
I had a go at making a digital pinhole camera, with a 12mm extension tube covered at the front with aluminium foil. I would estimate that the angle of view was about the same as a 40 or 50mm optic (full frame camera). I made a hole with a small needle. As you can see from the result below, I failed to get a sharp image; perhaps the hole was too large, or perhaps the edges were ragged. Sorry, but I didn't try to have a second attempt, Covid struck and everything went pear-shaped.
View attachment 302171
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I have tried pinhole photography with my crop sensor dSLR and frankly it's pretty disappointing. With such a small recording surface, the softness of the image is going to be magnified to what I considered to be an unacceptable level. My favourite is 5x4 film which is the largest format I've tried. It really does make a difference.
 
I made one! 2nd half of this post, with a subsequent pic to prove it!

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/ians-contact-sheets-for-2020.705747/#post-8609954

All it did was convince me that pinhole isn't for me. For which I'm glad because I had my eye on an Ondu and they 'aint cheap.
I started by trying to squeeze it all into a 2oz tobacco tin, as 120 reels fit perfectly and give a 645 sized image. However it requires a degree of competence at making things which sadly I lack in spades.

Good luck with your endeavour though!
 
I'm not sure why anybody would actually buy a pinhole camera, it seems to me to be missing the point completely. The joy for me is that they are made from scratch out of unlikely things and making images that couldn't be made in any other camera. Even the most expensive pinhole camera has worse sharpness than a good box brownie.
 
Stegosaurus said:
I rub the sheet on fine 3m abrasive paper both to thin it further in the region of the hole and to remove burrs. I'll then examine it under a microscope as I happen to have one. If you don't have brass sheet, the aluminium from a drinks can is a good start but also benefits from thinning. If you want to minimise a burr, try drilling through a stack of metal sheets.
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I have tried that along with other techniques but I have found that it can push the burr into the hole leaving an odd shaped hole, perhaps I am not gentle enough. I've also tried drilling through a stack but it seemed to be a recipe for drill bit breakage. I have been pondering chemical etching and/or grinding as a way of getting a better hole but as may be seen from other threads I bit the bullet and bought an adjustable pinhole with shutter. Doesn't mean I'll stop making them but the adjustable pinhole on the 4x5 view camera is nicely adjustable.
 
sirch said:
I have tried that along with other techniques but I have found that it can push the burr into the hole leaving an odd shaped hole, perhaps I am not gentle enough. I've also tried drilling through a stack but it seemed to be a recipe for drill bit breakage. I have been pondering chemical etching and/or grinding as a way of getting a better hole but as may be seen from other threads I bit the bullet and bought an adjustable pinhole with shutter. Doesn't mean I'll stop making them but the adjustable pinhole on the 4x5 view camera is nicely adjustable.
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Drilling small holes is a bit of an art. The burr will fall off if you abrade long enough. I then work through the grades til I get a polish. Just push the drill bit through the hole again to clear it out and clean it thoroughly. Sheet materials can be a swine to drill through I agree. The drawing process hardens them massively. I have a couple of scrap brass blocks I can use to sandwich bits of sheet. Also make sure you are using a brand new, sharp drill bit and keep it as short as possible. Use steel bits, not carbide which is brittle as hell.
 
Awesome.

I think if I go ahead I might as well go big of go home. So 120 and up. 120 appeals more as I can get one than one shot before having to reload.

As for drilling the hole. If you have something backing the metal, wood block, then you shouldn't get blow out and the hole will be clean.
 
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john.margetts said:
Yes. I used a body cap to convert my Canon 350D to a pinhole camera. It worked quite well but the sensor was too small for decent pictures. I am in the process of adapting Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 to a pinhole camera - the negative is 6 by 9 cm which is more useful.
Click to expand...
Now I really like that idea is it a technical challenge to do?
 
I'm fairly sure, some years ago, I found a supplier who made laser cut pinholes. I totally forget how much they were, but this might be a solution to the mechanical drilling and burring issue.

I think, looking through my emails, it was pinholesolutions.co.uk :)
 
FWIW I made a pinhole "lens" using a cheap body cap off ebay for my M4/3rds camera.
I drilled a small hole as centrally as I could by eye then use a cardboard disc to cover that poking a pin through to create the pinhole.
An advantage of digital was I was able to adjust the cardboard using live view then tape it in place.

It worked, it was a fun project but I don't think I'd have the patience or skill to do it with paper or film
Results here...
flic.kr

Digital Pinhole Photography

A 99p M43 bodycap from ebay, a 3mm drill bit and bit of bog roll cardboard stuck with a pin. Retrotastic pinhole fun!
flic.kr flic.kr
 
Stegosaurus said:
Drilling small holes is a bit of an art. The burr will fall off if you abrade long enough. I then work through the grades til I get a polish. Just push the drill bit through the hole again to clear it out and clean it thoroughly. Sheet materials can be a swine to drill through I agree. The drawing process hardens them massively. I have a couple of scrap brass blocks I can use to sandwich bits of sheet. Also make sure you are using a brand new, sharp drill bit and keep it as short as possible. Use steel bits, not carbide which is brittle as hell.
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If you are using a drill to make the "pinhole" then it will be too large - a 3mm hole is massive..
I've never tried to make one but from what I gather, the best pinholes are made with a needle.
 
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Brian G said:
If you are using a drill to make the "pinhole" then it will be too large - a 3mm hole is massive..
I've never tried to make one but from what I gather, the best pinholes are made with a needle.
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Er, no. I have drill bits going down to 0.1mm. I am aware of the needle method though and I'm sure it's perfectly good, but I feel I have more control over hole size with a drill.
 
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Woodsy said:
I'm fairly sure, some years ago, I found a supplier who made laser cut pinholes. I totally forget how much they were, but this might be a solution to the mechanical drilling and burring issue.

I think, looking through my emails, it was pinholesolutions.co.uk :)
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This. I found my pinholes online too. Very cheap and easy to post. If you know the depth of your device, you can order the correct sized pinhole. It was the single most accurate thing about my camera.

I think I had 0.2mm ones. I'd send you my "spares" (I ordered 5) but I knackered them all on pre-production version, and dropped one in the garage and never found it. This is why I stay away from making stuff.
 
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MrDrizz said:
Now I really like that idea is it a technical challenge to do?
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No. I drilled a 4mm hole centrally in the body cap, sellotaped a piece of aluminium foil over the hole and pierced it with a pin.
 
Harlequin565 said:
This. I found my pinholes online too. Very cheap and easy to post. If you know the depth of your device, you can order the correct sized pinhole. It was the single most accurate thing about my camera.

I think I had 0.2mm ones. I'd send you my "spares" (I ordered 5) but I knackered them all on pre-production version, and dropped one in the garage and never found it. This is why I stay away from making stuff.
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Did you buy them from a "wholesaler?"
 
I have a deburring tool (a couple of different ones actually) for doing holes for riveting sheet aluminium for aircraft construction. They deal with holes to 3/16th or even maybe 3/32 (all the measurements are imperial, ironically, for USA-sourced aircraft kits and components), but may work at smaller sizes; or the principle - use a slightly bigger drill bit and just swizzle it by hand in each direction once only on each side of the sheet.
LAS Aerospace
 
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