How to make a pin hole cap?

[AmpedPhoto]

Has or does anyone know how to make a pinhole lens cap? I have a spare cap and wanna turn it into a pin whole, just wondering what size whole I should put in it

[lostdoggy]

Start small and test and enlarge as needed!!!

[Chandler.]

Here (http://anttila.ca/michael/pinholelens/) is an okay tutorial.

I've never done it, but I've read that since the aperture is almost microscopic, it's important that it is circular and thin. Merely poking a hole in the dust cap won't be that good. Use aluminum foil or some other metal with a tiny hole in it placed over the hole in the dust cap.

[Choderboy]

I heard the best method is:

You have no chance of poking a needle through your sheet of aluminium/brass whatever and making a clean hole. The way to get an good hole is to dent the sheet first. A fine ballpoint pen can work (probably ruin the pen)
So now you have a small dimple. Using some fine wet n dry sandpaper start sanding the side with the dimple. The idea is that when you manage to wear away the dimple , the small hole that results will be close to perfectly round.
Make sense?

[S-S]

time to resurrect this thread! ;-)

i just did it today, using the notches around the edge of the cap (theres 48 in case you were wondering) as a guide to find the exact centre of the cap (located near the inside top of the upright on the first "n")

then i used a small drill bit to make a hole, and smoothed the edges down so it wouldn't tear the tinfoil

i then taped a square of foil over the inside of the hole and poked it very slightly in the centre with the very tip of a very fine beading needle (don't put the needle all the way through or it will be too blurry)

i am using a spare lens end-cap to screw into the body-cap to protect my tinfoil assembly from being punctured or torn - making it the shortest cheapest "lens" now in my camera bag LOL!

took a photo in my lounge which was moderately passable, about 1min exp at ISO 800 with 2 flourescent bulbs lighting the room. will do some outdoor shooting tomorrow, interested to see how it comes out.

has anyone else made their DSLR into a pinhole? if so, post your shots here? keen to see what results everyone gets.

here's my test shot (just resized, straight from camera complete with sensor dust)

[S-S]

i just redid my pinhole (beauty of using tinfoil, only takes seconds) and i seem to have gained a slightly sharper result, which is nice.

[Chandler.]

I just made one and the results were terrible. Blurry. SS, how did you get such sharp resuts?

[S-S]

the hole in my cap is really tiny and round, i used a beading needle which are very fine and only pushed in the tip
it seems thats the main thing you have to get right

i actually tried a smaller hole after the one i posted, but because it wasnt properly round it made a worse job of the photos, so i enlarged it back to the size of the first one by poking the needle in slightly further and now its slightly sharper than the one i already showed
i also tried putting the cap at the end of an extension tube - was too dark and fuzzy so i went back to screwing it on the body

the one i posted was my 3rd try at a proper pinhole - but its easy to remove the foil and do another if youre not happy with the first

[Perry Ge]

Post pics of the pinhole too! :D

[ben_r_]

I dont understand... Whats the point of doing this? Why are you guys interested in taking really crappy blurry photos with very expensive modern digital slr cameras? Someone fill me in on what Im missing here.

[Canon Soldier]

ditto. Whats the point of poking a hole in your lens cap?

[kito109654]

I dont understand... Whats the point of doing this? Why are you guys interested in taking really crappy blurry photos with very expensive modern digital slr cameras? Someone fill me in on what Im missing here.

Clearly you have a life and your time is valuable; what a bummer. ;)

[S-S]

this is about life size for the cap (at least on my monitor's resolution) and thats how big the hole needs to be to make it sharp (ish)
edit: more info

the hole i drilled in the plastic is about 3mm across - doesn't matter how big it is, you could drill out the entire front of the cap if you want, but it would make it hard to attach & support the tinfoil

i just chose that smaller size so it was easier to estimate the centre of the foil when i pricked it with the needle, and so the foil is less likely to get damaged through the front when being stored

a hole in the plastic cap prolly wont work properly because the hole will be too big and the cap plastic is too thick (i think)

[S-S]

ditto. Whats the point of poking a hole in your lens cap?

just to clarify, its not the lens cap, its the body cap. with pinhole photography, you dont use a lens.

and, why not? it doesn't affect any of the "really expensive" gear that i have, and it is fun to try, and will probably benefit my understanding of photography in some small way, and give me a rewarding/challenging project, all at no extra cost.

but no one is holding a gun to your head - if you dont want to join in - dont :)

[WMS]

The easy way to get a photographic pinhole is to buy one, They are also far more precise than one can punch out of tin foil.

http://www.lenoxlaser.com/pinholephotography/pinhole_photography_laser_drilled_lenses.html

This company also makes lens cap pinhole lenses for many makes of camera.

http://www.lenoxlaser.com/pinholephotos/SLR_Pinhole_Camera_Kits.html

Wayne

[DDCSD]

The easy way to get a photographic pinhole is to buy one, They are also far more precise than one can punch out of tin foil.

http://www.lenoxlaser.com/pinholephotography/pinhole_photography_laser_drilled_lenses.html

This company also makes lens cap pinhole lenses for many makes of camera.

http://www.lenoxlaser.com/pinholephotos/SLR_Pinhole_Camera_Kits.html

Wayne

Sure, spoil the fun! :lol:

What about heating up a pin and using that to make the hole in the cap? That should get you pretty round, and then use bigger pins until it is pretty sharp.

[digitalh3lix]

whats the point of doing this?

[DDCSD]

Creative expression. Photography isn't always about $1000 lenses and razor sharp photos.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinhole_camera

EDIT: I just re-read this post and it sounds a bit rude, but it isn't meant to be.

[S-S]

well buying a machined pinhole is one way around it - but it costs $33 USD plus shipping (to NZ that's prolly not cheap) and to me it feels a little bit like just buying more gear

the reason this idea seemed fun to me was because i didnt have to buy anything, and if i get a result then it's quite satisfying to know that i made it myself

image below: 40D + pinhole, ISO 800, 1sec exp, top is straight from camera and bottom has been photoshopped a little to give it a dreamy effect which i think suits the unsharp nature of the image

(hard to compose a shot when its too dark to see thru the viewfinder!)

[S-S]

Sure, spoil the fun! :lol:

What about heating up a pin and using that to make the hole in the cap? That should get you pretty round, and then use bigger pins until it is pretty sharp.

i think the cap is too thick for it to work properly - it would act like a dark tube and absorb a lot of the light coming from side angles?

i initially tried hammering a very fine needle into the cap but the tip broke off in there so i drilled it out and used the foil - i hardly touched the foil the first time i made it but the needle went through and the hole was too big, everything was really fuzzy

[lance v]

Is this the effect your going for?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/2466497576_b206986127_o.jpg

[Perry Ge]

^ No, I don't think so. It's not an 'effect', just a very simple camera.

Dude, do people not make pinhole cameras for fun anymore? I thought everyone did it at some point in their life, at least when they were still in school...it's how kids are taught how cameras work.

[DDCSD]

Well, I tried it, pretty fuzzy, I think I made the hole too big. I used a safety pin. That and didn't have much light to work with, the sun was set and I underexposed quite a bit.

The hole is not quite as large as it looks in this photo, the raised part is the melted plastic.
http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/289743866_7Xdsr-XL-0.jpg

2s ISO 800
http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/289743573_6hG3N-L.jpg

2s ISO 800
http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/289743590_ePanS-L.jpg

3/10s ISO 800
http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/289743259_fEMdE-L.jpg

[lance v]

^ No, I don't think so. It's not an 'effect', just a very simple camera.

Dude, do people not make pinhole cameras for fun anymore? I thought everyone did it at some point in their life, at least when they were still in school...it's how kids are taught how cameras work.

O. well in that case i dont get it. lol they just look like fuzzy pictures? which i can do without a 'cap' all i have to do is squint

[Perry Ge]

Well it's cool because, and you have to remember this, there is no lens on the camera when these shots are taken.

[lance v]

Well it's cool because, and you have to remember this, there is no lens on the camera when these shots are taken.

ooooooooo now it makes more sence.i probibly should have read somewhere about the no lens part lol

[dbdors]

^ No, I don't think so. It's not an 'effect', just a very simple camera.

Dude, do people not make pinhole cameras for fun anymore? I thought everyone did it at some point in their life, at least when they were still in school...it's how kids are taught how cameras work.
A pinhole camera :shock:, are you kidding, sometimes after reading this board you wonder if people have even heard of film. :rolleyes:

Those store bought pinholes look nice, but they sure are expensive. It think I'd give the old tinfoil method a try first.

[dbdors]

O. well in that case i dont get it. lol they just look like fuzzy pictures? which i can do without a 'cap' all i have to do is squint

If done properly you don't have to get just "fuzzy" pictures. http://www.pinhole.org/gallery/index.cfm

A Pinhole kind of takes you back to the first primitive cameras. Some guy with a large format, removing the cap on the lens for the shutter and courting for a couple of seconds and replacing the cap. Then going to a darkroom to see what you would get.

Never thought about doing it with digital, but you do all kinds of experiments and try different times and focus distances. I have to give it a try.

P.s., "L" glass they ain't, but when was the last time you took a picture with a lens you built yourself??? Not too many people can say that.

[S-S]

i just love the fact that my digital body means it doesn't cost me any money or time to play with this kind of photography. having to use film and then get it developed, and the amount of time involved was far too offputting for me. but this is fun, and quite challenging too.

by the way that image of the house was quite interesting, even tho it was so blurred. sort of like an old fuzzy memory.

[datadump]

Well, I tried it, pretty fuzzy, I think I made the hole too big. I used a safety pin. That and didn't have much light to work with, the sun was set and I underexposed quite a bit.

The hole is not quite as large as it looks in this photo, the raised part is the melted plastic.



this is a fun thread --- but man your sensor is dirty or something

[DDCSD]

i just love the fact that my digital body means it doesn't cost me any money or time to play with this kind of photography. having to use film and then get it developed, and the amount of time involved was far too offputting for me. but this is fun, and quite challenging too.

by the way that image of the house was quite interesting, even tho it was so blurred. sort of like an old fuzzy memory.


I think it has potential , I'll have to try some when I can get out with some decent light.

Does the hole I made look big to you, compared to yours? I know it is tough to tell from the picture, but just wondering.

[DDCSD]

this is a fun thread --- but man your sensor is dirty or something

Yeah, never noticed it that much, but then again I never shoot at infinite aperture either. :lol:

[S-S]

yeh it will show every single speck on your sensor

just to be ultra clear for those who have never heard of it before, this is my pinhole camera 'lens' (see white arrow)

[S-S]

I think it has potential , I'll have to try some when I can get out with some decent light.

Does the hole I made look big to you, compared to yours? I know it is tough to tell from the picture, but just wondering.

yeh it looks huge compared
scroll back there is a life size pic of the hole i made in my foil
its literally pinprick size, if you push the whole needle through youve made it too big - and i was using a really fine needle too

[DDCSD]

yeh it looks huge compared
scroll back there is a life size pic of the hole i made in my foil
its literally pinprick size, if you push the whole needle through youve made it too big - and i was using a really fine needle too

Oops. :cry:

[lance v]

THATS IT! UV DESTRACTED ME COMPLETELY FROM DOING MY ASSIGNMENT!!!!!

now im going to go try this:D

[DDCSD]

Well, I have repaired my pinhole camera. I just stuck some gaffer's tape over the hole and stuck a very small pin though it. Had it working great untiI tried to fix my vignetting. Gaffer's tape is better than duct tape! I used flash on these also. That looks strange typed out like that. Using a $250 flash unit and a $2 lens cap.... ;)

1
http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/289802665_pkjTt-XL.jpg

2
http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/289802994_Aad6H-XL.jpg

[S-S]

thats a sharp pinhole! nice job :)
what is gaffers tape, is it electrical tape? i was looking for that last night but my roll has gone west
i might need to buy a few spare body caps so i can make different 'lenses' lol

and LOL @ lance - look forward to seeing your results :D

[DDCSD]

Ummm..... gaffers tape is gaffers tape. ;) Its not plasticky like electrical tape, more cloth like. I may try electrical tape though on my next try. It think it would work better.

Here is what I have:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/354356-REG/Permacel__Gaffer_Tape_Professional_.html

[lance v]

Well, I have repaired my pinhole camera. I just stuck some gaffer's tape over the hole and stuck a very small pin though it. Had it working great untiI tried to fix my vignetting. Gaffer's tape is better than duct tape! I used flash on these also. That looks strange typed out like that. Using a $250 flash unit and a $2 lens cap.... ;)



Wow those are sharp

O the things we do for boredom- extreemly por light conditions may i add

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/2465969791_4e03589a31_o.jpg

[DDCSD]

I think I've got it as good as it'll get. Here is a another test shot and a "P-HS-P" (Pin-Hole Self-Portrait). My wife thinks I'm freaking nuts. ;)

1
http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/289816526_Q7ZVP-L.jpg

2 Sweaty, greasy me.
http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/289827859_iKXsk-L.jpg

[S-S]

lance try longer exposure
in electrical light i had to use 1min for last nights pic

those are pretty sharp - now get creative with your subjects

[DDCSD]

lance try longer exposure
in electrical light i had to use 1min for last nights pic

those are pretty sharp - now get creative with your subjects

Yes, enough tests!!!

I'll have to use this on my trip this week, could be fun at the beach.

[zeva]

Lol i think this is the first post in the EF-s/EF lenses where you dont have to buy anything! :)

[S-S]

:D sweet LOL

ironic that the sig of the OP says "beauty is in the eye of the chequebook holder"

LOL

[zeva]

lol does it really? hes european i think! cheque!??! Check!! :)

Rather NON american~!

[S-S]

actually he wrote check - im the non-american ;)

[Chandler.]

I had a lot of fun today. This was a perfect Sunday afternoon activity. It took me three tries with tinfoil to get something acceptably sharp. Without the tinfoil, it is hideously blurry. A metal aperture is a must.

Luckily, today was a beautiful sunny day (much needed for us Seattleites) and I could kind of use this thing handheld.

Here's a very boring test shot: tripod, mirror lockup, remote release.

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4541/img3373qp4.jpg

Here is one of my best handheld shots of the day, 1/20th at ISO 1600.

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4064/img3380ed4.jpg

and here is a self portrait, shot with a tripod. I was just guessing on the Tv, so this one was underexposed. I liked it the best though. I pushed this 4 stops in LR, and converted to greyscale.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2369/img3360po7.jpg

[Chandler.]

And to all those who are critical of this, you have to understand this: when you are trying out this type of photography, you transcend the arguments of sharpness, CA, backfocusing, and all the other junk that is really unimportant.

For me, this is primarily for fun. Behind that lies the goal of creating something out of nothing. It's all about the process; the experience. I had a great time, and when I switched back to my 135L, I could more fully appreciate the engineering behind it that allowed me to produce such wonderfully sharp images at such large apertures.

[tonylong]

:D sweet LOL

ironic that the sig of the OP says "beauty is in the eye of the chequebook holder"

LOL

Heh! This is fun stuff, gets you thinking "what could we do with this?".

It reminds me of when the Lensbaby first came out -- I started scratching my head and saying "Why the heck would I want to put this on a DSLR?" But then the more I looked and the more intrigued I became at the possibilities of being so...whatever:)!

[S-S]

I had a lot of fun today. This was a perfect Sunday afternoon activity. It took me three tries with tinfoil to get something acceptably sharp. Without the tinfoil, it is hideously blurry. A metal aperture is a must.
Luckily, today was a beautiful sunny day (much needed for us Seattleites) and I could kind of use this thing handheld...

and here is a self portrait, shot with a tripod. I was just guessing on the Tv, so this one was underexposed. I liked it the best though. I pushed this 4 stops in LR, and converted to greyscale.


chandler i think that self portrait looks fantastic, really nice job
glad you had fun with it! thanks for sharing your results :D

Heh! This is fun stuff, gets you thinking "what could we do with this?".

It reminds me of when the Lensbaby first came out -- I started scratching my head and saying "Why the heck would I want to put this on a DSLR?" But then the more I looked and the more intrigued I became at the possibilities of being so...whatever:)!

oooh a lensbaby, yeah i w00t too - for special-effect wedding shots and such

theres apparently a worldwide pinhole photo day which we have all neatly just missed - its the last sunday every april. if you google the phrase you can see the collection of images ppl all over the world have submitted each year from pinhole cameras made in all different ways, everything from the cardboard box + photopaper, to converted dslr and in between

really interesting to browse through

so, come on everyone else, lets see what you got! ;)

[tonylong]

so, come on everyone else, lets see what you got! ;)

Any damage to my camera equipment has thus far been in the line of duty but not intentionally caused:)!

[S-S]

dude - its a $5 dust cap... go on, live a little! ;-)

[Chandler.]

chandler i think that self portrait looks fantastic, really nice job
glad you had fun with it! thanks for sharing your results :D


Thanks. :)


oooh a lensbaby, yeah i w00t too - for special-effect wedding shots and such

Oh yeah, love my lensbaby, especially for weddings. :)

[TeamSpeed]

Just an FYI, if you don't want to drill holes in your OE canon body cap, you can buy cheapie versions from dealextreme.com for under $3 and you get a spare cheapie rear lens cap with it. So if you are missing a lens cap, here is a chance to get one, and then make your pinhole as well.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8681

I have to try this again. I did it a long time ago and I never got the results I see here. I will have to work on my hole making experience with foil. Has anyone tried to take a copper strand out of a wire to see if you can use that to make a hole? I would think it would be smaller than a needle. Dimple with a needle, but then finish the job with the strand?

[S-S]

try it and show us :)

[msowsun]

A pin hole lens has a very, very small aperture. This small aperture will give you incredible depth of field.

Some Model Railroad photograpers will modify a conventional lens with a brass disc pin-hole mounted inside the lens. They focus and compose with the lens wide open. Light passes around the disc so they can see the image. Then they stop down to capture the image.

http://simonet.club.fr/Phot7_us.htm

http://simonet.club.fr/Phot13.jpg

[DDCSD]

^^ Very interesting, nice link, thank you!

[donaldjl]

Very cool link, Mike. :)

Some people are missing the point that pinhole photography is simply another way of photographic expression. Some people want lots of digital post-processing, some prefer using Holgas and Lomos, others enjoy the texture and look of Polaroids when scanned at higher/larger resolutions. For those who enjoy pinhole, it's an incredibly inexpensive way to experiment with a different look and feel of photography.

My understanding is that the "thicker" the pinhole surface is, the more focus and exposure problems you may have. Subsequently, dimpling the pinhole surface with a pin and then polishing the dimple down to provide the hole has the advantage of maintaining a rounder hole, and reducing any edge effect or diffraction induced by the thickness, or depth, of the material at the very edge of the hole.

http://www.photostuff.co.uk/pinhole.htm

http://www.physics.utoledo.edu/~lsa/_color/07_shadows.htm

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Photo_p005.shtml

www.umiacs.umd.edu/~ramani/cmsc828d/lecture3.pdf

[mcmadkat]

Some great pictures here! my first B&W film camera was a pinhole one I made. Nothing beats rushing to the darkroom with the camera to carefully extract the paper and stick it in the dev and wait to see if it turned out ok!

[TeamSpeed]

Okay, I tried this again. Foil is not the greatest. I actually got much better results cutting out small pieces of a soda can, then using a safety pin to punch a very small hole. I made two different sizes, and the larger of the two yielded sharper results.

Here are a couple of shots, the one being an attempt at a creative shot. I really need to clean my sensor, this pinhole method shows you the dirt on the sensor very, very easily.

[TeamSpeed]

Here is where I got my daughter to stay very still...

Also another one using the sharper of the two. The seat above and the tree below are taken with the better of my "aperture plates".

[Ook]

Those are some great results, TeamSpeed!

[DDCSD]

That is great TS, good thinking. I really like the way they look. That last tree one almost looks like you put the tree in there with a bad PS job. :)

[V8Rumble]

Very nice. I'd hold on to the sharper one.

[hughps]

Very impressive stuff. I'll have to give this a try.

[S-S]

Okay, I tried this again. Foil is not the greatest. I actually got much better results cutting out small pieces of a soda can, then using a safety pin to punch a very small hole. I made two different sizes, and the larger of the two yielded sharper results.

Here are a couple of shots, the one being an attempt at a creative shot. I really need to clean my sensor, this pinhole method shows you the dirt on the sensor very, very easily.

soda can - thats a great idea and you've got the sharpest results of us all so far - well done!

please post a photo of your sharp 'aperture' with a ruler for size comparison? im curious to see how small the hole is

[DreDaze]

cool shots teamspeed...i'm going to have to look into getting a spare body cap

[The Fox]

I have a body cap that has a number 80 hole drilled in it. It is .0135" in diameter, bored with a lathe in the exact center and works very well.

[tonylong]

If you guys keep this up, we'll have to start a new Archive: Show Us Your Best Pinhole Shots! And then even I might feel compelled to join in!

[derky82]

Hmmm... I make my living as a machinist.... with access to several lathes and all kinds of metals and tooling. You all just got my brain working overtime! Any idea what an "ideal" hole diameter and material thickness would be?? Or at least a rough estimate?

Thanks in advance,

- Derek

[Lars Finkelstein]

Cool stuff guys!

[S-S]

actually my dad has a full machine shop in his garage...

[TeamSpeed]

If you guys keep this up, we'll have to start a new Archive: Show Us Your Best Pinhole Shots! And then even I might feel compelled to join in!

Okay twist my arm...

POTN's Pinhole Lens Archive Thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=498584)

[Daniel2000]

that's it... just ordered a spare body cap on DealExtreme
can't wait to try this out :D

[S-S]

you dont have to wait
now your spare cap is ordered, go ahead and butcher up the one you have :D

[DDCSD]

that's it... just ordered a spare body cap on DealExtreme
can't wait to try this out

Spare? I only have one cap between my film rebel and 20D...... I mean I only have one, with a hole in it now. Oh well, my 24-60 makes a nice body cap. :lol:

[S-S]

i have 2 caps but one is on my 350D as its my second body
the other is my pinhole... but i use my glass as a body cap too so im not fussed

[Chandler.]

I forgot to post these. Here is my pinhole cap:

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9154/img3464tn6.jpg

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/3846/img3465ry8.jpg

[Daniel2000]

ok my first try, worth showing, with my newly made pinhole lens

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh26/Daniel2000/pin%20hole%20lens/_MG_7883.jpg

quite an efficient way to see if the sensor is dirty... :confused: