Digital Home Thoughts: DSLR Pinhole Adapter Goes for $50; Veteran Photographers /facepalm

"Cameras have gotten pretty darn complex these days what with their deluxe panoramic stitching functions and all. But before we even start trying to figure out the inner-workings of such technologically advanced picture-makers, we remind ourselves that all we really need is one simple equation. Hole + box = photo. Sure, oatmeal boxes make great pinhole cameras, but there's another way!: the SLR Pinhole Body Cap, the most simple yet revolutionary way to get that beautifully lo-fi pinhole look."

Sigh. The main reasons to do this is either as a demonstration of geometric optics, or as an exercise for a photo art student. Either way, this really defeats the purpose of mucking around with a pinhole camera. $50 is a fair amount of money to throw at something which is best done by oneself (also, the images are going to be crap, technically speaking). So here're two suggestions from me on how to get the same thing and have fun doing it. Read on after the break!

Both methods involve buying some body caps for your DSLR; since we're going to drill a hole right in them go get some cheap third-party Made in China ones from places like ebay or Dealextreme.com. Get a drill (or borrow one), use the finest drill bit, and start drilling slowly at the centre of the body cap. Once you're nearly through, stop. Take a pin and poke through the drilled area, creating the pinhole. You might need to pick up the drill and try to thin out the area more before the pin gets through.

The second method is if you want to do it more like the old school way; drill a bigger hole, and then use opaque tape to seal up the hole. Poke a hole through the tape using a pin. The advantage of this method is that it lets you experiment with different sized pinholes, without going through camera body caps like some plastic munching monster.

Whatever method you choose, go out, take photos, experiment, and have fun!

Extra tip: To recreate the authentic feel of a pinhole camera, use a 8-16 MB card, and allow yourself to delete the photo only after you downloaded it to your computer!