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
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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.
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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 photographic 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.
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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.
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Taking pictures
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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 film, you only need to open the shutter for a few seconds, while photo 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.
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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.
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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 take photographs before the advent of digital photography. 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 :)
Another master class on creating miniatures for paper dolls. And again I was drawn to retro things. This time the object of imitation was an elegant antique camera made of wood with an accordion and brass finishing elements.
With the arrival of spring, more and more people want to take pictures. In the city you can often see smiling passers-by posing for the camera. And by coincidence, I just read “The Apothecary’s House” Matthews(those who read will understand). Apparently that’s why the idea came to me to make a miniature camera.
As usual, I don’t look for easy ways, so my choice fell not on a modern camera, but on a folding wooden retro camera.
Immediately about the result. Traditionally, to compare photos of the prototype and the finished miniature.
Having assessed the scale of the work, I decided that to make a miniature I would mainly need paper, thin cardboard, wire, a piece of aluminum can, paper glue and super glue.
Master class on creating a miniature camera
Frame
I used thin cardboard 0.3 mm thick, so I had to glue all the parts in two layers.
The first photo is the front and back of the case. The second photo shows the inside of the case.
Loops
How and from what to make miniature loops? If you have ever tried to make a doll closet, you have asked yourself this question. I solved this issue as follows. I took an ordinary aluminum can and cut small pieces. You can take a tin can, such hinges will be stronger. Ideally, brass tape would be suitable for these purposes. I'll definitely buy one for myself if the opportunity arises.
Then I rolled one edge into a tube. Having made three loops in this way, I strung them, alternating directions, onto a piece of 0.5 mm wire.
To make the loops hidden, I glued a layer of paper on top of them.
Furs (accordion)
Since the camera is small, we had to make an accordion out of paper. To do this, I took matte black paper 65 by 120 mm. The result was an accordion with a section of 15 by 15 mm. The length had to be adjusted as the camera was assembled.
Lens
An important part of the camera is the lens. To make it again, black paper was needed. I cut two strips 1 and 2 mm thick. I wound a 2 mm strip onto a 4 mm thick knitting needle, forming a ring 1 mm wide. I wound a millimeter strip over this ring, aligning it along one edge. At first I experimented with sizes, so the photo shows separated rings, but it’s better to immediately glue one ring to another.
Next I glued a small circle to the bottom of the lens. I could have stopped there, but it seemed to me that something was missing. Having rummaged through my reserves of the necessary “junk”, I discovered a wonderful part of the watch mechanism that was ideal for my lens.
And the last detail is the lens. It had to be replaced with regular clear nail polish. Three drops were enough.
Painting
The first stage of painting is priming with white acrylic paint. After complete drying, to get rid of unevenness and roughness, I sanded the surface with sandpaper. Then one of the difficult stages is imitation of the structure of the tree. Each time you have to experiment to understand which painting method is better.
I mixed two shades of brown acrylic paint: very light and very dark. After painting with light brown paint, without waiting for it to dry, I dipped a wet brush into dark brown paint and brushed it several times in one direction. It turned out that the paints mixed a little already on the surface of the part, forming stains similar to the structure of wood.
Retainer
Whatever one may say, it is quite difficult to make a very small and invisible latch that would hold the camera closed. I didn’t bother and just bent a hook out of wire.
I secured it with nails: one for fixation, and on the other I hung the hook itself. Carnations can be replaced with wire by bending it.
Handle and decor
Because Since the camera is portable, you need a handle. To make it more believable, I made it from a light piece of leather. Secured with glue.
To make it more like the original, I drilled holes on the front part and inserted small nails from the clock mechanism.
This is what the camera looks like when folded (first photo), and in the second photo, if the camera is unfolded.
Now I won’t be surprised if the dolls, in my absence, organize retro parties and take pictures of each other with an old camera)).
For lovers of retro things for the doll world, I have.
We have put together several options for you on how to make cute toy cameras for children from cardboard and unnecessary boxes. We have previously written about, among which you will definitely find something suitable for yourself, and now your child will have the best camera, also made with his own hands from paper.
DIY crafts are always a win-win idea for keeping your child occupied. You can make almost anything from everything you can find in the house: from felt, from boxes and paper. Most of all, children like it when they can make a toy model of adult things with their own hands, because kids love to imitate adults. Does your family love music? Do it with your child. Can't imagine life without photography? A camera made from paper, cardboard and an old box will become a child’s favorite toy.
To make such a toy camera, you don’t have to go shopping in search of special materials for the craft - everything you need can be found at home. This is also a great way to do seemingly unnecessary things.
Toy cameras made from paper and cardboard boxes for children
Making such a camera with your own hands from a cardboard box will not take much time, and in just half an hour the child will have his own cardboard camera, with which he will immediately rush to “click” everything around. All that remains is to choose the appropriate camera model and get it.
Toy camera out of the box
Making a camera from an old box is easier than it seems. You will need an empty box, the size of a real DSLR, colored paper, caps from plastic bottles of different diameters, 2 buttons to tie a string, a printed photograph and a piece of sponge.
These toy cameras turn out to be large and bright. The child will definitely enjoy pressing the sponge button to take an imaginary photo and check on the “screen” what happened - and there will be a pre-pasted photo there.
Camera made from a cardboard box and a lens cup
You can make a “retractable” lens for a children’s camera from a cardboard cup that is glued to the front. Make additional parts for the camera from available materials (deodorant caps, beads, spools of thread) or draw with a marker. Don't forget the ribbon so your child can wear the camera around his neck!
Camera made from a box, cardboard and a plastic cap from a hair conditioner
Using caps from shampoos or hair conditioners, a toy camera can easily be equipped with a flash and a lens that must be opened and then closed when taking photographs. Everything is like in a real camera!
Toy camera made of cardboard
This cardboard camera is the easiest way to make a toy camera for a child. All you need is: pieces of cardboard from a box, a cardboard toilet paper roll, glue and a marker. Draw, cut, glue and paint - and the camera is ready!
Making such a camera from a box or cardboard with your child with your own hands will amuse both you and the child. And, which your young photographer will begin to arrange with his camera, will distract him from the TV for a long time. Most importantly, don’t forget to pose!
