Pinhole Camera

A pinhole camera is an extremely basic camera, especially compared to modern digital cameras with all the bells and whistles. In fact, there are documented applications of pinhole cameras dating back to the ancient Greeks and the 4th century BC. Things you can do with a pinhole camera include:

Solar observing. With a kind of paper that takes an exposure of several hours, you can take images of the sun in a way that won't harm your eyes or a more modern camera.

Spying. With a little cleverness, you can find out exactly what your family or friends are up to.

Impress your friends with your DIY skills. You can save yourself several hundreds of dollars by making a cheap camera. Okay, it'll lack all the latest features, but it's great for when you just want to take pictures.

Time exposures. This makes pinhole cameras excellent for experimental photographers. Any time you see a picture where the object was moving, that's a time exposure.

You're not stuck with any particular kind of film. Most of the big camera manufacturers force you to use their brand of film with the camera you buy. The particular kind of film you buy doesn't matter with a pinhole camera you made yourself.

A small can or box can be used as the body for your pinhole camera. The main requirement is a tight-fitting top, bottom and body to keep unwanted light from leaking in. Shoeboxes, clean paint cans and vegetable shortening cans work well. Paint the inside and the lid with black paint or line it with black tape.


The quality of the pictures will depend on the diameter of your pinhole and the distance of the film from the pinhole. You can make the pinhole in the container itself, or you can take a piece of heavy black paper or thin metal like aluminum foil and place it over a larger hole in the container. You can make the pinhole by sticking a Number 10 sewing needle through the paper or metal, which creates a hole about 1/75 of an inch in diameter. This works best for film that is 3 to 6 inches from the hole.

The shutter can be made with an opaque dark piece of paper and some tape to use as a hinge and to hold it closed before and after you take the picture. Attach it on the same side of your container as the pinhole.

The viewfinder isn't a vital part of the camera but is convenient to have. It can be made with some cardboard or wire and should be located above your pinhole. When taking pictures, be sure to allow for parallax, which is basically the difference between what you see through the viewfinder and the picture you actually get. To get the pictures you want, be sure that your subject is located a little lower in the viewfinder.

Load it with film or photographic paper. Film works best for short exposures of about 1 to 2 seconds. Most "fast" photographic paper can require an exposure of about 2 minutes, depending on lighting conditions. The paper is easier to load using a safelight of flashlight, while film is much more sensitive to light and should be handled in as dark an environment as possible. The size of the paper or film will depend on the size of your container. A 2-pound coffee can works with a 2 1/4" by 3 1/4" piece of film or paper. An average-sized paint can works with a 4" by 5" piece of film or paper. Tape the film or paper firmly on the side of your container opposite the pinhole. The emulsion side should be facing the pinhole. With photographic paper, the emulsion side is the shiny side. With film, the emulsion side is the inside of the curl. Close the container, making certain the lid is firmly attached and the shutter is closed.

Your camera must remain very still while you take exposures. Tape or modeling clay can be used to keep your camera in place. Just lift the shutter to take exposures. Remember that, for film, it only takes a few seconds to get a good exposure. After exposing, you can develop the film like normal.