Cheap Macro and pinhole lenses for DSLR:s

Macro lenses for DSLR cameras often cost a small fortune, but their close-up shots are hard to resist. Luckily there's other alternatives. Using some clever tricks, you can transform basic kit lenses (that usually come with the camera) into incredible macro-shot lenses. Crafting carefully, you get an added bonus of a pinhole camera lens at the same time.

Crisp microscope-like macro shots and dreamy pinhole shots are sure to impress others with your artistic talent. Also crafting something useful from items that are usually considered trash is both eco-friendly and fun.

Materials required:
-Body Cap for the camera
-A Can, either a tin can or a Pringles one, slightly larger diameter than the lens of the camera.
-A Sock, an expendable one.

Tools required:
-Compass for drawing circles of certain radius
-Ruler or caliper
-Adhesive tape, a kind on which you can draw thin lines on
-Blu-tack
-A needle, for making a tiny hole in sheet metal
-Drill, or some other way of cutting plastic and metal
-File, sanding paper or a grinding tip for the drill, for smoothing out rough cut surfaces
-Pair of scissors
-Protective eyewear, pictures are more fun if you still have your eyes
-Protective gloves and/or hearing protection, depending on your method of cutting/finishing the can and body cap

Step 1 Drawing where to cut

First thing to do is to measure the inner diameter of the camera-side of the body cap. This determines the size of hole that is to be cut to bottom of the can. My Canon cap measured 48mm, you might want to check the measure yourself. Then draw a similar sized circle in a piece of paper and cut precisely along the circle to create a paper disk that fits on the inner side of the body cap nicely.

Place the paper disk in middle of the bottom of the can and draw a circle at its perimeter. Fold the paper circle in half, and while keeping the round part of the D-shaped paper along the drawn circle, draw a straight line at the center of the can, using the straight part of paper fold as a ruler. Turn the piece of paper a few times to draw a few lines that cross, to mark the center of that can. If your pen doesn't draw on the tin, try putting some adhesive tape on bottom of the tin so you can draw on it. I used a piece of tape for the center part.

Repeat the center-of-circle drawing method on the body cap camera side.

Set the compass so that you can draw a circle which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the body cap. Draw a circle inside the body cap, so that it marks a small ledge, around 5mm wide, on the cap. Depending on your method of cutting the cap, you might want to make that similar sized circle on the outside of body cap, too. Use the previously mentioned half-circle-paper method to determine center of the cap.

Comments

[Ozgul]

I added a few more photos, mostly on the last page. I could add a few more when I figure out something to take pictures of.

[Ghost Wolf]

I would post a least two more photo results. Other than that great job!