A database of analog cameras that can be 3D printed
printed.analogcamera.space86 points by thomasjb 5 days ago
86 points by thomasjb 5 days ago
Interesting. So in the case of larger medium format like the RB67 they print the body and then attach original film cassettes. I still own my full RB67 set, but if I'd revive it, I would mostly be interested in creating a digital cassette with a digital sensor. That would probably be so expensive that it can't be done as a fun side project, though.
I have an abomination that I printed years ago that adapts an Instax SQ1 to Hasselblad lenses (and has an RB67 focusing screen on a viewfinder next to the Instax for composing and focusing).
It's sooooo impractical but the results are so fun.
The process is to compose, focus, put ND filter on, swap from finder to film body, half-fire the shutter, pull out the dark slide, fully fire the shutter, push in the dark slide, eject the film, rewind the shutter, and go back to the finder.
I’ve been wanting to build one of these for awhile. Did you follow a plan/blog or design your own? I already have donor instax and Polaroid bodies not sure what to put it as a back on
I had no ideas this was a thing and now I can almost endlessly scroll through possibilities. Another reason for a 3d printer.
Film cameras should require metal parts and high precision shutter mechanism. How about those? I doubt it can be printed.
Many of the film cameras that people 3D print essentially outsource that stuff to off-the-shelf focusing helicoids which are readily available, along with medium or large format lenses which are traditionally mounted in a leaf shutter anyway. So the hard parts (lens, aperture, focusing mechanism, shutter) are not part of the 3D print itself. You're right that 3D printing a serious shutter mechanism for anything other than a pinhole camera isn't really feasible (yet?). It's the light tight box and the film transport that are completely reasonable to print.
Pinhole cameras can be nothing but a soda can and a hole in it. Large format and some medium format folding camera shutter lens units just need a round hole to slip into and all the controls are external and built in
Ever heard of a Holga? The only metal parts in one of those are a single spring and some clips to hold it together.