How to make a camera out of cardboard in a few hours? How to make a dummy CCTV camera with your own hands, a paper camera for children

We make a simple homemade camera without lenses, where the role of the lens is assigned to a small hole.

We need
A scanner, black cardboard, a stationery knife, a ruler, black electrical tape, double-sided tape, glue, a needle, two paper clips, a black permanent marker, two rolls of 35 mm film - new and used, a small piece of tin or foil.

Camera assembly

In our case, assembly took an hour and a half. At the same time, we spent most of the time understanding the pinhole design and drawing our own scanning diagram. In the process, it is better to use a metal ruler - unlike a wooden or plastic one, it cannot be cut. It is better to cut cardboard on a wooden or glass surface.

Scan
Glue the template to the cardboard with double-sided tape. Important: the box must be black, without gloss. Black absorbs light and does not reflect it onto the film. We used black cardstock, which is sold in art supply stores. You can also use regular cardboard, after painting it with black acrylic.

Details
You can cut out the parts with scissors, but it is better to use a stationery knife and a ruler - the cut lines are smooth, and the process itself takes noticeably less time.

Folds
We applied the method used in prototyping. We made neat punctures on the fold lines. Then they applied a ruler to these lines and carefully drew along them stationery knife without cutting the cardboard - the resulting groove (creasing) made it possible to bend it easily and evenly.

Round and square holes
It is necessary to cut several holes - round, for film reels, and several square. To make them as neat as possible, we again used a needle. We made punctures on the lines and ran a utility knife along them.

"Lens"
You can use foil, but it is more convenient to work with tin. We take the standard one tin can and cut out a 2x2 cm square from it. Color the inside with a black permanent marker or acrylic paint. We make a small hole in the center of the square with a needle - through it light will enter the film. The diameter of the hole essentially determines the size of the aperture and ultimately affects the sharpness of your photos. The wider the hole, the more light there is and the more blur the picture becomes. The optimal diameter for this camera is 0.3 mm.

Using black electrical tape, glue the “lens” to the square hole in the front side of the body - with the black side inward (remember that there should be no reflective surfaces in the camera).

Gluing parts
We glue the body elements together so that the result is two parts of the camera, front and back (as in the photo). We used PVA, but any other glue will do.

Film rewinding structure
You need to take two reels - with new and already used films. Trim the ends, then glue the films together with tape. Difficulties may arise when removing film from an old reel. You can get it out either with tweezers or by opening the box slightly. The resulting structure is placed in the chamber.

Light insulation
We fold the camera, placing one box inside another. To ensure complete light insulation, the pinhole must be wrapped with black electrical tape. Special attention should be given to joints through which light can penetrate. At this stage, you can insert paper clips into the spools for rewinding.

Shutter and viewfinder
We place the part with the viewfinder and secure it with electrical tape or rubber bands. Between this part and the body we insert a tongue that will act as a shutter.

Filming
The first question that arises for anyone who decides to shoot with a pinhole is what should be the shutter speed (that is, how long should the shutter be opened to take a picture). There are many calculators available to calculate exposure. Convenient to use mobile application type Pinhole Calc. You can do the math online at Mrpinhole.com.
Any of the shutter speed calculators will ask you for the focal length. In this case, this is the distance from the “lens” to the film, that is, the thickness of the body.

The viewfinder in a pinhole camera is very limited. It is difficult to accurately determine the boundaries of the frame using it. However, during shooting, it allows you to control the position of the frame - see horizontal, vertical lines and the approximate center of the frame.
Some people install frame counters on pinhole cameras. We did not do this, estimating that one frame is two turns of a paperclip attached to a reel. In the case of a pinhole, it is advisable to shoot the film as quickly as possible, so that you will not be able to forget what the last frame was.

Did you know that you can make a camera from items you can easily find on hand? Cameras, although they appear to be complex devices, are basically just light-proof boxes with a small hole to allow light from outside to hit the photosensitive material. Follow these instructions and you can make a simple camera!

Steps

Making the base of the camera

Choose a rectangular or cylindrical jar or box. The item you select should be roughly the size of the actual camera and be clean. It could be anything: a shoebox, an old paint can, or coffee. Make sure this container has a lid that can be used to seal it tightly.

Take black paint and paint your chosen container inside and out. You can also use foil for this purpose, but be careful not to leave any uncovered areas. This step is necessary to ensure that the light does not reflect inside the camera.

Make sure you don't forget to paint the lid.
Let the paint dry before moving on to the next step.
If the paint is damaged in any place, repaint it.

Determine the size of the hole. The quality of your photos will be affected by the distance between the film and the hole. The film will be on the opposite side of the hole. If you are making a camera from a can, it will be more convenient to place the film on the inside of the lid.

The size of the hole plays a big role because it determines how clear your photos will be.
If you have a box with a distance of 8-16 cm between the walls, then a regular sewing needle with a diameter of about 1 mm, threaded halfway through, is quite suitable.
Try to make the hole as round as possible. When you pierce a hole, rotate the needle, this will help make the hole cleaner.

Make a hole in the bottom of the box. You can do this in two ways: pierce it with a needle or cut out a square with a side of 12 mm, in its place then place a piece of paper or tin with a hole already made. The second method is preferable because it produces a hole with smoother edges. Also, if the hole doesn’t work out the first time, you can always redo it.

If you choose the second method, then select a suitable piece of black cardboard or tin. Using a needle, pierce it exactly in the center. Using adhesive tape, secure the resulting square to the cutout in the box.
Thick aluminum foil, flexible metal, and cardboard work well for this method.
Look through the resulting hole at the place where the film will be and make sure that it is round. Make sure you can clearly see what's behind the hole. Printed text is great for determining clarity.

Making the shutter and video finder

Cut out a shutter from a sheet of dark paper. Matte, light-opaque cardboard is best suited for this purpose. Make sure the bolt is firm enough to not dent when used.

Cut out a 5 x 5 cm square from dark cardboard. Make sure the resulting square is large enough to cover the hole you cut in the bottom of the box.
Using a strip of duct tape, attach the top of the resulting shutter to the bottom of the box. This strip allows you to raise and lower the shutter as you take a photo.
Any adhesive tape will do, be it duct tape or regular tape.

Place a piece of electrical tape on the bottom of the shutter. To do this, use less sticky tape (duct tape will work, but duct tape won't) and stick it to the bottom of the bolt. Do this when you are not using the camera to prevent light from entering the camera.

Make a video finder out of cardboard. The viewfinder will allow you to see the position of the hole in relation to the film and imagine what the resulting photograph will look like.

The front video finder should follow the shape of the film and be located exactly above the hole. Secure it with tape or glue.
The rear viewfinder should be on top of the camera and act as a sort of peephole that allows you to visualize the future photo. You can make this peephole from a metal washer or cut a circle out of cardboard and place it on the rear video finder. Secure it with tape or glue.
To shoot subjects closer than five feet, place subjects at the bottom of the viewfinder to compensate for the difference between your viewing angle and the hole.

Insert the film

Take some film or photo paper. If you choose photo paper, you will have to insert it into the camera under special lighting conditions.
- Photo paper should be loaded under red light or under the light of an ordinary lamp passed through three layers of red cellophane.
- When using a regular lamp, it should be located no closer than 1-1.5 meters. By placing it near the ceiling and working under it, you will almost certainly maintain the required distance.
- Unlike photographic paper, photographic film must be loaded in complete darkness. Practice inserting plain paper into the camera. After that, close your eyes and do the same to remember what you will do. Only after this can you start working with real film.
Determine the size of film or paper you need. You will have to cut the film into smaller pieces. The size of these fragments will depend on the length of your camera body.
- For most homemade cameras, lengths of 7 - 9 cm are suitable. For a camera made from a four-liter can of paint - from 10 to 13 cm. For a kilogram can of coffee, 6-8 cm are suitable. The same measurements can be used for photo paper.
- If possible, use flat format film, which is much more convenient.
- Cut film and photo paper only in complete darkness to avoid exposing it to light. A room without natural light, such as a bathroom or toilet, is suitable for these purposes.
- If you are still unsure about the size of the film, it is better to cut more than less. You can always trim the protruding edges.
We insert the film. Place photo paper or film inside the camera, on the opposite side of the opening.
- In complete darkness, secure the edges of the film or paper with electrical tape to prevent it from curling. Do not stick anything to the back of the film - this may damage it or ruin the image.
- Make sure the light sensitive side of the film is facing towards the hole. The photosensitive side of photo paper always looks shiny. For photographic film, this side is the inner part of the spiral into which the film is rolled.
- If you don't know which side you need, just wet your finger and touch both sides somewhere in the corner. The side that is sticky to the touch will be photosensitive.
Taking pictures
1. Place the camera on a flat surface. Just place it on a table or any other fairly flat surface. Alternatively, use adhesive tape to secure the camera to a tripod. Since the camera shutter is very sensitive, the camera location must be very stable and not wobble.
  
  Let's find out the holding time. With photographic film you only need to open the shutter for a few seconds, while photographic paper may take minutes.
  
  Point the camera at your subject. Consider the distance between the video finder and the hole in the camera and aim it slightly lower.
  
  Open the camera shutter. Pull the strip of adhesive tape that raises the shutter and allow light to pass through the hole in the camera. Do this very carefully so as not to accidentally shake the camera.
  - If the exposure time is several minutes or hours, then use tape to carefully secure the shutter so that you do not have to hold it yourself.
  - If you are photographing in windy conditions, placing a pebble or something similar on the camera will help increase its stability.
2. Close the shutter. When the set exposure time is up, close the shutter by releasing the tape that holds it. During the time that the shutter was raised, an image appeared on the film or paper. All that remains to be done is to develop the photo.

On this day, October 14, 1884, American George Eastman patented photographic film. He spent 7 years inventing roll photosensitive film, which was practically no different from the one we used to photograph before the advent of digital photos. He also invented a new type of Kodak camera that could be loaded with film for one hundred frames.
It seems to me that this is a great opportunity to tell children, most of whom have never seen film cameras, but are good at taking pictures on their parent’s phone, about how pictures were taken in the past. And it’s even more interesting if you can assemble a film camera with your own hands!

About five years ago we got a cardboard camera, which we assembled ourselves from a ready-made kit. We bought the set on Amazon for $20, here it is: http://www.amazon.com/Noted-STD-35e-Pinhole-Camera-STD35/dp/B000Q8Z83U/ref=pd_cp_p_2

There was nothing in it except cardboard and a rubber band to secure the cap to the lens. You need to insert the film inside and you can start taking pictures. You point at what you want to shoot, lift a small piece of cardboard up above the lens - and you're done! Now you need to remember to rewind the film.
The main thing is to shake it as little as possible during shooting and shoot during daylight hours and preferably not at home.

How does he work? Light penetrates through a pinhole, which in this camera plays the role of a lens. Back in the 13th century, Roger Bacon built the first pinhole chamber, which looked like a room with a hole in the wall. And Leonardo Da Vinci described this phenomenon this way: “When the images of illuminated objects pass through a small round hole into a very dark room, you will see on paper all those objects in their natural shapes and colors.” And he came up with the idea that the pinhole could be used for sketching.

Here are our photos that I especially liked:

our ocean

I'm sitting on the sand

our home in LA

area in front of the house

Here are a few more pictures that I found on the Internet:

You don’t even have to buy a kit, but simply download the camera blank and make it yourself according to the instructions (pictures are links):

And you will get this camera:

Thanks Francesco Capponi

But, for example, there is a video on how to make a camera yourself from a matchbox:

And for very little ones you can make a cardboard toy :)

Cardboard camera obscura.

Obscura camera means dark room! In this instructable, we'll create a small dark room using cardboard, a cereal box, masking tape, and a cheap plastic hand lens. You can use this little gizmo to look at the world upside down, turn it into a camera obscura, or use it as a projector for mobile phone! This is a great tool for teaching children about how the eye works, how we perceive light, and transparent and opaque materials.

You will need …
Cardboard
Box, chipboard, or file folder (something stiffer than paper but softer than cardboard)
White paper or parchment
Plastic hand lens
Masking tape
Scissors
Box cutter or blade in precise form Cutting
mat (not shown)

Step 2: Cut out the cardboard pieces

Using the template provided, cut out all of your cardboard pieces. You can do this with a box cutter, blade, or laser cutter if you have access to one. Try to keep the edges as straight as possible, this will make joining the pieces much easier.

Step 3: Glue the Cardboard Pieces

Lay out the pieces of cardboard as shown in the picture. Place one piece of tape on each side at the front, overlapping each side.

Step 4: Pinhole Camera Lens

Stick the lens onto the front hole. If you tilt the handle, the lens should fit without having to cut anything.

Step 5: Finish Assembly

Arrange all the pieces so that your box looks like a box. Tape all the outer edges, trying to cover any light gaps. The darker the inside of your box, the sharper your image will be. You can also cover the outside with dark paper if you like.

Step 6: Cut out the screen holder

Using the template provided, cut out the screen holder. If you use a file folder like I do, cutting two pieces and gluing them together will make it a little more durable. Make sure you add your ratings. This will be where you fold the holder into the frame.

Step 7: Fold the Frame and Glue It Together

This is the only difficult part of a pinhole camera. Fold the frame along the score line so that the corners are tucked into a small V. See the picture for details. Wrap the V and secure all four corners. When you're done, your frame should look like a photograph!

Step 8: Ribbon on Your Screen

Cut a piece of paper or parchment slightly larger than the hole in the frame. Tape along the inside of the chamber structure.

The prototype of a camera has been known to mankind for several hundred years. In this article, we will not only take a closer look at its history and principle of operation, but we will also look at how to make a camera obscura with your own hands from scrap materials in several ways.

What is a camera obscura

Camera obscura (lat. camera - " room", obscura - " darkened, dark") - the simplest optical device, the prototype of a camera. It can be either a box or chest, on one of the walls of which a small peephole is cut out, and instead of the other there is a screen made of translucent material, or a dark room with the same small peephole and screen.

Another name for this device is a pinhole camera. pinhole camera"chamber having an opening").

Operating principle of a camera obscura

Before you make a camera obscura with your own hands, you need to understand how it works. Her work is based on the law of rectilinear propagation of light rays, known from school. Many narrow beams of light pass through the camera's peephole. Each of them leaves a light spot on the screen of the opposite wall, equal in size to a peephole. Such spots from many rays overlap each other on the surface of the pinhole camera screen, thereby creating on it an optical reflection - a copy of the object or panorama located in front of this unique device.

Human eye and pinhole camera

A camera obscura, by the way, resembles the principle of its operation of the human eye - the image also appears on its screen through a small hole and upside down. This happens because the light enters both the eye and the apparatus at an angle - the rays reflected from the top of objects are directed downward, and the rays reflecting objects close to the ground are directed upward. They intersect inside the camera, so the image on the camera screen is upside down. In our body, the picture is returned to the correct position by the brain, and in the camera - by a mirror.

History of the pinhole camera

Our distant ancestors also wondered how to make a camera obscura with their own hands - Aristotle first noticed this phenomenon back in the 4th century. BC.

The legendary Leonardo da Vinci was the first to describe the algorithm and mechanism of its operation. His invention was used by artists in the Middle Ages - a camera obscura helped them make paintings-copies of certain objects.

Scientists also thought about how to make a camera obscura with their own hands in a more “advanced” version. In 1568, the principle of operation of the pinhole camera was improved - the Venetian inventor De Barbaro replaced the screen with a plano-convex lens. This innovation significantly improved the clarity and saturation of the image. The device was called a steno-camera. It became a stepping stone to the modern camera.

How to make a camera obscura with your own hands from a box

To make your own pinhole camera you will need:

cardboard box for tea or juice;
thin translucent paper - tracing paper or parchment are perfect;
scissors;
glue;
scotch.

So, how to make a camera obscura with your own hands from a box of tea, juice, etc.:

Cut a small window on one of the walls of the box.
Using glue or tape, cover the hole with a suitable piece of paper, turning it into the screen of your future camera.
In the middle of the opposite wall, make a hole with a diameter of no more than 1 mm. Use a needle, pin, or pushpin for this.

That's all the instructions telling you how to make a camera obscura with your own hands from a box. Use your invention in a darkened room - point it at a bright and contrasting light source - for example, a burning candle. Its inverted image will have to be reflected on the paper screen.

How to make a camera obscura with your own hands: camera

In this life hack, we will look at creating a more complex, but also more interesting pinhole camera, with which you can take real photographs. To get started, gather the necessary materials:

aluminum jar;
a piece of plastic;
Matchbox;
2 “barrels” for film;
the film itself is 35 mm;
black paint, brush;
stationery knife;
insulating tape;
needle;
scissors;
ruler;
pencil.

How to make a camera obscura with your own hands, read on:

So we’ve looked at two methods that show you how to make a camera obscura with your own hands. In the latter, it is better to use a tripod for shooting, and open the shutter for a strictly defined time - in sunny weather for 6 seconds, in cloudy weather - for 7-8 seconds.