Digital SLR Pinhole Camera

Digital SLR Pinhole Camera, Part 1

Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Art & Design, Maker

I recently checked out the handbook Hacking Digital Cameras from the Ann Arbor District Library. I was happy to find within this book instructions for building a pinhole lens for a digital camera. I’ve been wanting to build a quality pinhole for quite some time. However, I didn’t think I’d be making a digital pinhole camera.

The project was really quite simple. I ordered two new body caps for my Canon EOS digital camera (the second was in case I screwed up the first!) from B&H Photo. In addition to the body cap, the only other supplies you’ll need for this project are a very small drill bit, a cordless drill and a needle or shirt-pin.

The first step is to measure the body cap to locate the center. Once marked, grab you’re drill and small bit and slowly start creating the hole. Don’t drill all the way through the cap! Go slowly until you have created a small dimple on the opposite side (front) of the cap. Finally, create the pinhole using the needle. Be sure to carefully run the needle through both sides of the cap. I used some 1000 grit sandpaper to gently clean up the hole.

Pretty simple, eh? Below you will find my first pictures taken with the pinhole. Yep, they’re pretty unremarkable. Currently, I’m taking things one step at a time. My next few experiments will focus on varying the size of the pinhole, trying to build a “closed pinhole” and maybe even working with some zone plates.

As a side note, if you’re looking for analog pinhole cameras, check out Eric Renner’s Leonardo cameras or this handmade wooden pinhole camera from Zero Image. Also, here’s instructions to other digital pinhole projects: $0 digital pinhole camera via Make or this one from Instructables.

I think I am going to finish one more project from the book before returning it to the library: hacking an old point-and-shoot digital camera so that it can create infrared pictures!