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Pinhole Camera is the simplest type of camera present without any lens. Cameras can be found in mobile phones, tablets, laptops, satellites launched into space, and so on. In today's world, we are all equipped with cameras and we use them on a daily basis. The human eye, in fact, functions similarly to a camera. There is one thing that all of these cameras have in common: lenses. A camera's lens aids picture generation, but without the lens of a camera - we can still take a picture. A pinhole camera is the most basic type of camera that is not equipped with a lens. It simply uses a tiny opening (the size of a pinhole) to focus all light rays into the smallest feasible region in order to create a clear image. A pinhole camera produces a picture that is always inverted. In this article, we will have a look at the working principle of the pinhole camera, its construction, and its applications.
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Keyterms: Camera, lens, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, satellites, space, human eye, Camera obscura
What is Pinhole Camera?
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A pinhole camera is a light-proof box with a tiny hole in one side that doesn't have a lens but does have a small aperture. The camera obscura effect occurs when light from an item travels through the aperture and projects an inverted picture on the opposite side of the box.
The notion of Camera Obscura is used to create a pinhole camera. "Camera obscura" is a Latin phrase that means "darkened room." It refers to a box-shaped or room-shaped device that lets light in through a small opening on one side and projects it on the other. In this method, the picture of an object outside of the box is created inside the box upside-down.
Pinhole Camera Model
Ibn al-Haytham, an Arab philosopher, was the first to demonstrate our way of seeing by inventing the camera obscura, which was the forerunner to the pinhole camera. He showed how light may be used to project a picture onto a flat surface. In 1850, Scottish scientist Sir David Brewster used a pinhole camera to take the first photograph.
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Working Principle of Pinhole Camera
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The notion of rectilinear mobility of light underpins pinhole cameras due to the fact that light travels in a straight line. A pinhole camera produces an inverted image due to the straight-line travel of the light.
We can take an image of the same quality as a digital SLR camera by employing the right dimensions of a pinhole camera and the size of a tiny hole through which light enters. The lack of a lens distinguishes pinhole cameras from other types of cameras. A pinhole camera can never be a camera with a lens.
Working of a Pinhole Camera
Construction of Pinhole Camera
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The photographer can create a one-of-a-kind pinhole camera based on how he intends to utilize it. A photographic pinhole camera's basic design consists of a light-tight box with a pin-sized hole opening on one end and a piece of film or photographic paper wedged or taped on the other end. A shutter can be made out of a cardboard flap and a tape hinge. A sewing needle can be used to punch or drill a pinhole in tin foil, thin aluminium, or brass sheet.
Construction of Pinhole Camera
Behind a hole cut through the box, this portion is taped to the inside of the lightbox. A pinhole camera can be created out of either a cylindrical cornflakes container or a shoebox. Many pinhole photographers are inspired by the art of making their cameras; for them, discovering new materials or a perfect box is akin to discovering a hidden gem.
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Image Formation of a Pinhole Camera
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Imagine being inside a dark room with no light coming in. This is how a pinhole camera works. Consider making a small gap in the wall you're facing. You might see the light creep into your chamber if someone held a torchlight from the outside. You could see the light seeping in, varying in direction and intensity as the individual holding the torch moved around the light source.
Imagine a little box that has been light proofed save for a small pin-sized opening on the box, instead of a room. Instead of you, there's a film that traps light rays within. The film within the box records the image of light rays hitting the opposite side of the wall, rather than you gazing at it. Because the tiny opening limits the amount of light that may enter, the exposure to the light must be prolonged.
A convex lens is used in a conventional camera to admit more light while simultaneously concentrating it on a narrow area. This cuts down on the amount of time spent in front of the camera.
Image Formation of a Pinhole Camera
When the hole in a pinhole camera is the size of a green gram, the visual sharpness suffers. The image becomes thicker and more blurry. More light enters a pinhole camera as the hole size grows larger, disrupting the development of the image.
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DIY Pinhole Camera
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You may create a simple pinhole camera with materials that are most likely already in your home. The step-by-step technique for making a pinhole camera is outlined below.
- Take a tiny box, such as a shoebox or a coffee can.
- To make the box light-proof, paint it completely black.
- Determine the proper distance between the film and the light source, then cut a circular pinhole in the bottom of the box.
- Make a shutter out of a sheet of thick black chart paper of 2 x 2 inches.
- To keep the shutter in place, use strong duct tape.
- Control the shutter flap and light entering the box with a light adhesive.
- Create a cardboard viewfinder.
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Image Characteristics of a Pinhole Camera
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- As the image is displayed on the screen, a real image is obtained.
- The obtained image is significantly lower in size than the actual object.
- On the x-axis as well as the y-axis, the image is reversed.
- The image can be used to study light propagation in a rectilinear path.
- The size of the image created by a pinhole camera is determined by the distance between the pinhole and the screen or film behind it.
- Making numerous pinholes will result in multiple pictures on the screen.
- A larger pinhole allows more light to pass through, allowing light from one place on the item to reach multiple points on the screen. As a result, the image will be brighter but fuzzier.
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Pinhole Camera Uses and Applications
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- The image obtained by a pinhole camera can be projected on a translucent screen in real-time to safely witness a solar eclipse.
- Pinhole photography is frequently used to record the sun's movement over time.
- Pinhole cameras are composed of materials that are impervious to electric and magnetic fields. Because they are difficult to notice, they are frequently used for surveillance.
- Because of their low cost of manufacture and small weight, they are an excellent choice for scientific photography in schools.
- A pinhole camera may take 360° images by drilling holes on each side of the camera box and mounting the film in the center with a cylindrical roll.
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Things to Remember
- A pinhole camera is a camera that produces a true, upside-down, and reduced image of an object without the use of a lens.
- A pinhole camera does not require a lens.
- This camera features a "pinhole" sized opening that allows light beams to focus into a small space and provide a clean image.
- A pinhole camera produces a true and inverted image that is small in comparison to the object.
- The pinhole camera operates on the rectilinear motion of light principle, which stipulates that light moves in a straight path.
- To safely witness a solar eclipse and capture the sun's movement over time, we use pinhole cameras.
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Sample Questions
Ques. What is the purpose of the pinhole camera? (3 marks)
Ans. To make a very accurate replica of the scene, a pinhole camera can trace the image on a sheet of paper or on film. The clarity of the image generated on the scene is determined by the size of the hole. If we expand the size of the hole, more light will enter it, disrupting the development of the image, resulting in a hazy image. It is preferable to make a small hole. As a result, the smaller the aperture, the sharper the image on the screen.
Ques. What are some of the benefits of using a pinhole camera? (3 marks)
Ans. The following are some of the benefits of using a pinhole camera:
- They are easy to assemble.
- They’re simple to use.
- They are endless in depth.
Ques. Describe the functions of the pinhole camera. (3 marks)
Ans. For real-time viewing or safe observation of the solar eclipse, the image captured by a pinhole camera can be projected onto a translucent screen. The movement of the sun over a lengthy period of time is a popular use of pinhole photography. Because they are difficult to detect, pinhole cameras are occasionally employed for surveillance.
Ques. Why is the image inverted in a pinhole camera? (3 marks)
Ans. Because the light rays from the top and bottom of the object collide at the pinhole and converge to pass through a tiny hole, the image produced by a pinhole camera is inverted. As a result of the recti-linear or straight propagation of light through the hole of the pinhole camera, we receive an upside-down image.
Ques. How does a pinhole camera look like? (2 marks)
Ans. In its simplest form, a photographic pinhole camera consists of a light-tight box with a pinhole in one end and a piece of film or photographic paper jammed or taped into the other end. A cardboard flap hinged with tape can be used as a shutter.
Ques. What happens if you increase the size of the hole in a pinhole camera? (2 marks)
Ans. The sharpness of the image obtained reduces when the size of the hole in a pinhole camera is increased. In addition, the image thickens and blurs. This is because as the size of the hole grows larger, the amount of light entering the box grows larger, disrupting the picture formation.
Ques. Is there a difference between a pinhole camera and a camera obscura? (2 marks)
Ans. A pinhole camera is a type of camera obscura, which means "darkroom" in Latin. A pinhole camera is a light-tight box or can with a tiny opening that allows light rays to pass through and affect the light-sensitive material at the back of the container.
Ques. Write down the advantages and disadvantages of the pinhole camera. (5 marks)
Ans. Advantages-
- No focus is required.
- Because the pinhole camera does not have a lens, the image is devoid of spherical and chromatic distortions.
Disadvantages-
- There are no details in the image that has been created. It is usually very faint.
- The image is obtained on the screen, and there is no permanent record of the image.
- Moving things cannot be studied with a pinhole camera.
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