How to Make a Pinhole Lens for a Digital SLR Camera

Drill a hole about the diameter of a pencil into the center of your SLR's body cap. The body cap is the piece you put over the lens housing when you don't have a lens on the camera. Drill from the inside of the cap so the logo imprinted on the cap doesn't throw off the drill bit.

Sand down the rough edges created by the drill with fine sandpaper.

Cut a strip of aluminum from a soda can with tin snips. A strip about half the length of a stick of gum works fine.

Gently push a sewing needle through the center of the strip of aluminum. If you have trouble puncturing the metal, tap it lightly with the heel of a dress shoe or book. Stop as soon as the tip of the needle penetrates the aluminum. You want the tiniest possible hole.

Sand both sides of the aluminum strip with fine sandpaper until you've smoothed the lip created where the needle pushed through.

Tape the sheet of aluminum to the inside of the camera body cover with duct tape or electrical tape. Create a good seal on all four sides of the aluminum so light gets in only through the pinhole. Make sure the pinhole is in the center of the hole you drilled in the camera body cover. Attach the pinhole lens to your camera's body to start taking photos.