DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Foil is easy and readily available. The real trick is getting the hole small enough. A fine sewing needle is probably the best bet, but you have to be very careful to just make the hole with the tip of the needle. I suspect placing the foil on a flat surface like a piece of cardboard would be best. That will help control how far you are putting the needle in. Then stretch the foil over whatever you are using to hold it on the camera. An extender would probably be a good choice. A body cap would need you to drill a hole in it and center the pinhole over the cap hole.

The "focal" length is just the distance of the hole from the sensor, so if you're using a body cap, it would be like using a wide angle lens.

I made a pinhole lens with foil on a toilet paper roll, which I attached to the camera with gaffer's tape. Not real steady but it worked.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

I have played with that. I used the cap for the camera when you don't have lens on the camera. I drilled about 1/4 inch hole and played with hole size and timing by taping aluminum foil and punching different size holes. Save the foil each time so you can go back to that size hole. Scotch tape the foil so it is removable and reusable. Never was impressed with my $3,500.00 pinhole camera. Have fun

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

Just curious, any problem getting the shutter to click? My assumption is the camera is set on full manual.

wingclui44 Loc: CT USA

The picture I post here taken with pin hole was set on "aperture" priority at ISO 200, 1/15 sec. in ambient light on tripod. I forgot entering the "Original" while posted.

wingclui44 Loc: CT USA

Correction on my own post above, it should be 15 sec, not 1/15 sec. very sorry!

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

Tks. Have lots of time, so may try this.

jwreed50 Loc: Manassas, VA

Back when Life magazine was still around, every few years they would publish a magazine (or was it just a feature within a magazine?) where their photographers used only pinhole cameras. Guess they just wanted to prove that it was the Indian, not the arrow, that made all the difference. Some of the images were pretty impressive, as I recall.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Set the camera to manual focus. You won't be doing any focusing with the pinhole, but on autofocus the camera has to try to focus something and if it can't it won't take the picture.

Some cameras have various settings that control what has to be done to take the picture. Autofocus is the simplest one to change.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

My guess is for the same reason some woodworkers prefer manual hand tools over power stuff, the artistry involved.

newtoyou Loc: Eastport

The last place where I would expect to here a question like why do you want to do this is here, on a photography site.
Oh well ( great song, by the way).
I am suggesting an easily obtained book. Find it on Ebay, $5 or so.
Pinhole Photography, by Eric Renner. A must read for an artist and/or photographer.
All the info you need.
Use brass shim stock. Ask at an auto repair shop. Various thicknesses are available.
Punch out a few pieces with a paper punch.
Tap them flat with a hammer on a flat piece of metal.
Using a sewing needle with a roll of tape around the eye to spin the needle you will make a 'pinhole'.
Put a punchout on a piece of smooth wood, center the needle by eye and drill a hole. Practice makes perfect. The eye can "autocenter", the smaller the better. One of the reasons for a small punchout.
Clean and smooth both surfaces with FINE wet or dry paper. Blacken both sides with a magic marker. Set aside.
Get a tight fitting proper body cap for your camera.
With a drill press, using a .25 inch SPUR POINT BIT drill a centered hole from the back TILL THE SPUR BARELY PROTRUDES. Too deep you ruin the cap. I drill on a piece of metal. Positive stop.
Drill the tiny hole to 1/16th and beburr.
Glue the set aside pinhole into the .25 inch hole. I sparingly use super glue. A total seal is wanted.
I produced a half dozen this way.
Figured a way (with a Dremmel collet to hold the needle) to effectively reproduce these quickly and accurately.
A commercial made one has a clear glass protective cover, seals camera from dust. It is also LASER drilled.
Sold mine to patrons (I buy and sell cameras and gear) for $5, face to face.
Get the book, you will be rewarded many times over.
Bill

newtoyou Loc: Eastport

What you may learn is better understanding of photographic principles.
This goes back 2000 years before photography.
It effects ALL of the visual arts.
Not an order,, but get Pinhole Photography.
It did not make my photos clearer, but it DID make my understanding clearer.
Bill

Sentinel4

Thanks.

Sentinel4

BebuLamar

So you shouldn't do something that is "went out"??????????? I have no problem of your question why do we use pin hole as it's not very sharp. Very slow. But you question why do we do something that "went out" bother me.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Why not? It's a photographic process. I still shoot film and recently coupled digital and a 4x5. My end goal is to produce a 4x5 color "negative" from digital captures. That will then be processed in Capture One/Photoshop. It's the process I find as intriguing as viewing the final results, framed and hanging on a wall.
--Bob