Best techniques for making pinhole

Hannah Radcliff · Feb 11, 2017

Hi! I'm new to the forum, so please go easy on me I looked to see if this has been discussed on here yet but ended up in the weeds.

I'm making a 5x7 pinhole camera and have been using it with Ilford Harman direct positive paper. It's been working very well for me so far! I've built 4 camera variations, making improvements along the way. https://500px.com/hannahradcliff

My question has to do with the pinhole itself. I've got my math down and know the size is .014in. I'm doing them by hand using a needle (more on this below) and am looking for a method that's easy to reproduce as I make more cameras; I've just begun selling them on Etsy.

I've read a lot about different techniques and am weighing the different possibilities. Right now I'm using a copper film. I place the film over a piece of mat board and gently twist in a needle that's held by a collet holder. I then flip it over and sand it with a fine emery board to remove any tags. I repeat as necessary to get to the correct diameter, careful not to turn it into a potato. The result is nice and round, and the images are pretty sharp. It can be slightly tricky and I have to try sometimes up to 3 times to get it right.

Some others have recommend using a dremel with the correct size micro bit. Another technique I found in an earlier thread from this forum refers to the dimple and sand technique. I have a magnifier and decent caliper, and so far my hole sizes have been dead on using the needle, so I'm not sure this one is for me. I'm also looking into having them laser cut.

I'm also weighing using brass (copper oxidizes) and wondering if there's any benefit to one material over another.

If anyone's had experience with different methods and/or materials, I'd love to hear about what's worked best for you.

Thanks guys!
Hannah

480sparky · Feb 11, 2017

You can buy commercially available pinholes for just a few bucks. Many are made with industrial lasers. That would be the route I'd go.

Hannah Radcliff · Feb 11, 2017

480sparky said:
You can buy commercially available pinholes for just a few bucks. Many are made with industrial lasers. That would be the route I'd go.

Thanks! Do you (or anyone else reading this) have experience with these and can recommend a supplier?

480sparky · Feb 11, 2017

Hannah Radcliff said:
Thanks! Do you (or anyone else reading this) have experience with these and can recommend a supplier?

I bought mine from an ebay seller. Don't remember the username.

What is important is to get the correct size for the format you're shooting. The formula is mm= SqRt(0.0016 * pinhole-to-Focal Plane)

Jim Jones · Feb 11, 2017

The perfect pinhole diameter has been debated for well over a hundred years. A number 79 or 80 drill bit (diameter .0145 or .0135") is about the right size for a focal length of 4 inches, a good length for a 5x7 camera. These are the smallest readily available drill bits in America. They are tiny and easy to break. If the bit is sharp and you drill through a tightly packed stack of blanks, you will likely get clean holes. My favorite material is .002" brass shim stock. Thinner shim stock is more difficult to work with. My usual technique is similar to the dimple and grind. The dimple is made by a needle ground to a moderately sharp point. A tiny dimple suffices. Be sure to center the needle used as a drill in the dimple. A very fine whetstone lasts forever and leaves little "fuzz" around the hole.

Hannah Radcliff · Feb 11, 2017

Jim Jones said:
The perfect pinhole diameter has been debated for well over a hundred years. A number 79 or 80 drill bit (diameter .0145 or .0135") is about the right size for a focal length of 4 inches, a good length for a 5x7 camera. These are the smallest readily available drill bits in America. They are tiny and easy to break. If the bit is sharp and you drill through a tightly packed stack of blanks, you will likely get clean holes. My favorite material is .002" brass shim stock. Thinner shim stock is more difficult to work with. My usual technique is similar to the dimple and grind. The dimple is made by a needle ground to a moderately sharp point. A tiny dimple suffices. Be sure to center the needle used as a drill in the dimple. A very fine whetstone lasts forever and leaves little "fuzz" around the hole.

This is great! I was looking at a 79, maybe I should test both. My concern was that it wouldn't produce a clean hole, so drilling through a stack of blanks makes a lot of sense. The copper stock I'm using is .003 and it's pretty easy to crease/dimple. I can see why going with less than .002 might be treacherous!

revdoc · Feb 12, 2017

I've bought a few pinholes from an eBay seller called Eastern Camera and Optical Supply. The products have been good and delivery has always been quick.

A good quality pinhole will give sharper images than one that's a bit more 'home made'. However, pinholing being what it is, that might be good or bad!

Leigh B · Feb 12, 2017

Hi Hannah,

I would suggest getting a few different sized drill bits from McMaster-Carr Supply Co.
http://www.mcmaster.com
They're one of the oldest industrial suppliers in the US. Most of their products are made in the USA.

Enter drill bits in the search box at upper left and hit Return.

You'll find a selection box with a list of diameters. I suggest the 0.0135" (#80), and 0.0145" (#79) sizes.
In packs of 12 these are less than $3 each.
These want to be run at high speed. Your Dremel tool is appropriate.

For maximum efficiency I suggest making up a fixture with a drill bushing to hold the bit straight.
Such an item is probably not familiar to you. It's a plate with the bushing that sits on top of a stack of work.
The presence of top and bottom support plates makes it possible to work very thin material.

If you want one, send me an email: ATS at smart dot net

- Leigh

Hannah Radcliff · Feb 12, 2017

Leigh B said:
Hi Hannah,

I would suggest getting a few different sized drill bits from McMaster-Carr Supply Co.
http://www.mcmaster.com
They're one of the oldest industrial suppliers in the US. Most of their products are made in the USA.

Enter drill bits in the search box at upper left and hit Return.

You'll find a selection box with a list of diameters. I suggest the 0.0135" (#80), and 0.0145" (#79) sizes.
In packs of 12 these are less than $3 each.
These want to be run at high speed. Your Dremel tool is appropriate.

For maximum efficiency I suggest making up a fixture with a drill bushing to hold the bit straight.
Such an item is probably not familiar to you. It's a plate with the bushing that sits on top of a stack of work.
The presence of top and bottom support plates makes it possible to work very thin material.

If you want one, send me an email: ATS at smart dot net

- Leigh

Thank you this is gold!

dasBlute · Feb 12, 2017

Starting out, I often stuck a pushpin through aluminum foil.
Later, for 5x7, I used a 0.4 mm pinhole from Lenox, high tech.

the aberrations from selfmade pinholes can be interesting,
especially looking into the sun where the sides, and burrs, etc
matter a bit...

the newer images here were done with laser-cut pinholes,
the older with aluminum shimstock, drilled and sanded,
no way to tell the difference...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stormiticus/albums/72157623990844212

gtyler5 · Feb 13, 2017

Eastern Camera's ebay is fireseller66 you can just search for pinhole, I have bought from them many times, they are great.

RalphLambrecht · Feb 13, 2017

Hannah Radcliff said:
Hi! I'm new to the forum, so please go easy on me I looked to see if this has been discussed on here yet but ended up in the weeds.

I'm making a 5x7 pinhole camera and have been using it with Ilford Harman direct positive paper. It's been working very well for me so far! I've built 4 camera variations, making improvements along the way. https://500px.com/hannahradcliff

My question has to do with the pinhole itself. I've got my math down and know the size is .014in. I'm doing them by hand using a needle (more on this below) and am looking for a method that's easy to reproduce as I make more cameras; I've just begun selling them on Etsy.

I've read a lot about different techniques and am weighing the different possibilities. Right now I'm using a copper film. I place the film over a piece of mat board and gently twist in a needle that's held by a collet holder. I then flip it over and sand it with a fine emery board to remove any tags. I repeat as necessary to get to the correct diameter, careful not to turn it into a potato. The result is nice and round, and the images are pretty sharp. It can be slightly tricky and I have to try sometimes up to 3 times to get it right.

Some others have recommend using a dremel with the correct size micro bit. Another technique I found in an earlier thread from this forum refers to the dimple and sand technique. I have a magnifier and decent caliper, and so far my hole sizes have been dead on using the needle, so I'm not sure this one is for me. I'm also looking into having them laser cut.

I'm also weighing using brass (copper oxidizes) and wondering if there's any benefit to one material over another.

If anyone's had experience with different methods and/or materials, I'd love to hear about what's worked best for you.

Thanks guys!
Hannah

I had all my pinholes laser cut by Paul Koza from the university in Munich Grmany and they are very reasonable even with shipping and perfectly round and flat.

removed account4 · Feb 13, 2017

Hannah Radcliff said:
Thanks! Do you (or anyone else reading this) have experience with these and can recommend a supplier?

YES !

William Christiansen aka pinholebilly on ebay/etsy
or direct >>> http://www.pinholeedun.com/Welcome.html

he's a great person.

Hannah Radcliff · Feb 14, 2017

Thanks so much everyone for the recommendations! This is great!

Mainecoonmaniac · Feb 14, 2017

480sparky said:
You can buy commercially available pinholes for just a few bucks. Many are made with industrial lasers. That would be the route I'd go.

Yes. http://daystarlaser.com/product/photographic-pinhole/

I have a Lenox laser pinhole lens. The pinhole is precise and clean.

ransel · Feb 19, 2017

Hannah, I have been making mine just like you do yours, thin copper sheet and a needle, gently spin until I just poke through then sand with very fine, like 600 or 800 sand paper, then check size several times during the slow process. And, of course, I have had to start over a few times. I am perfectly satisfied with the results I get - have been for many years.

Patrick Robert James · Feb 19, 2017

I put a new pinhole in the Holga pano camera I have and it improved the camera. Pretty cheap for a laser cut pinhole. I don't see any real point in making one yourself these days.

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DWThomas · Feb 20, 2017

Patrick Robert James said:
I don't see any real point in making one yourself these days.

Ah -- but it's the journey, not the destination .... (I make my own)

Patrick Robert James · Feb 20, 2017

DWThomas said:
Ah -- but it's the journey, not the destination .... (I make my own)

Ha! I knew someone was going to say that Dave. Totally understand....

M Carter · Feb 21, 2017

Myself, I want a thicker pinhole for the soft edges. Experimenting, right now my agfa isolette is stripped down and waiting to be converted. Will be my fist pinhole (since high school photo class anyway!)

Best techniques for making pinhole

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