Camera Obscura

Camera obscura is a box of varying size with a single hole in one of the walls. The light from the external scene reaches a specific point on the inner opposite wall after passing through the orifice.

Parallel beams of light coming (reflected) from the subject (a wagon) are passing through the hole and then they create an image on the impact point on the screen (paper). With a smaller opening the image is sharper, but it also lowers its brightness. Because it is a real central projection, the pictures have a perfect perspective. Pinhole cameras have an absolute depth of field, which allows one image to capture the very near and very far objects at the same time with very high sharpness.

**Pinhole camera**

The image from a pinhole is real, rays from the object (wagon) actually fall on the matte paper. It is also flipped, meaning that the image is upside down on the screen (the paper on the rear inner wall).

**Construction with a mirror**

Adding mirror causes flipping the image to a normal position.

**Construction with a lens **

The lens allows the use of larger diameter while maintaining the sharpness.