How is a pinhole camera different than a regular camera?

How to make a wooden 4x5 pinhole camera?

• my photography teacher at school let me use his old Sinar Norma with a pinhole lens and when i loved the results, he gave me a 4x5 film/paper holder thing and told me that we can make the pinhole in a lesson. i've tried searching the internet for tutorials but can't find any that are quite what i'm looking for. i want to make it out of wood so that it will be long lasting and he's said that i should make it 90mm in length, that's as much information as i have. really hope someone can help! thanks :)

• Answer:

  It is quite simple: You build a box that is closed on 5 sides. The 6th side is where the film holder sits. The film holder determines the size of the front and back of the box, the length of the box should be 90mm. In the front sided (opposite the film holder) you drill a hole and mount the pinhole plate (you find a lot of descriptions on ho to make one on the net). Simplest shutter would be a piece of black tape which you remove and put back over the pinhole. On the backside you have to mount the film holder - simplest would be to use two strong rubber bands to hold the film holder against the box. You can glue thin black felt to the rear side of the box were the filmholder sits to avoid light leaking into it. That's a very basic description but maybe it helps