I have often heard people say that digital photography does not have the magic that film once did. In some ways I would have to agree. However, I think that you can still have fun, experiment with light and get similar results as film with digital photography by using the right tools. For example, there are great little gadgets available called Pinhole ‘Lens’ Rising Obscura Adapters that allow you to capture pinhole photos with a DSLR camera.
The Wide Pinhole Adapter
The latest adapters in this series are made to fit Nikon, Canon, Sony NEX or Micro 4/3s systems. They look like camera body caps but with a metal plate in the middle that contains a pinhole. One of these new Rising Obscura adapters is called the recessed Wide Pinhole Adapter. This recessed adapter has great scope, infinite depth of field and a wide field of view. With this style of pinhole adapter it is possible to create images that have an interesting near/far effect which is not feasible with a regular lens. There is also a Vignetting Wide Angle Pinhole Adapter which adds a soft, dreamy frame around the captured image.
Unfortunately, I quickly discovered there are a few esthetic differences that are evident when shooting with a DSLR compared to pinhole photography with film. The biggest difference is digital noise, which often occurs when shooting long exposures. The good news is that it usually can be minimized by activating specific camera settings. On most recent DSLR cameras, you can turn on a feature to eliminate much of the digital noise when taking long exposures. On my Canon 5D Mark II, it is simply called Long Exposure Noise Reduction. This makes the photo look much smoother and less like a digital photograph. If you like that film grain look, you can always add an artificial grain filter when you edit the image afterwards.
In my opinion, Pinhole ‘Lens’ Rising Obscura Adapters give you the magic of pinhole photography, with the ease and control that we have become accustomed to with digital photography. I highly recommend this gadget to anyone who enjoys experimenting or who feels a bit of nostalgia for the days of film and pinhole coffee canisters. For more information about all of the Rising Obscura Pinhole Adapters available visit: thecamerastore.com or redravenphoto.com.
One can easily make one of these by drilling a small hole in an extra body cap.
You could always dill a small hole in a body cap, tape a small piece of aluminium foil to it and pierce the foil with a small needle. Works for me.
I wonder though if the “recessed” design makes a difference from the lens cap and foil option?? Also, can you change the pin hole size with this?
The recessed cap allows for the ultra wide equivalent. I suppose you could carefully construct something similar with a cap and foil. (It is essentially a recessed cone with the pinhole at the end) That being said, the foil would allow you to adjust the pinhole size to anything you want. I personally prefer the actual pinhole caps for the sake of convenience and precision but can appreciate the DIY method.