Is a 3D Printed LF camera Possible?

[Michael Cienfuegos]

The best thing about McMaster Carr is every order is important and no order is too small. I use them often, I even used to pick up will call as they are local to me.

They also have a distribution center in Los Angeles, so I get them next day if I order in a timely manner. Great service!

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[Drew Bedo]

Nikonowicz: Very nice job of design and execution!

Have you read anything about the Wanderlust Kickstarter project? They are having trouble with injection moulded parts for a focusing helical. What is the possibility of mking those types of close-rollerance moving parts for a LF point and Shoot?

[Larry Gebhardt]

Saw this thread so I thought I'd post a response. It is most certainly possible - I have done it. http://nikonowicz.tumblr.com/post/10...hs-i-have-been Lens boards are on my radar as well. Most of the different ideas you have mentioned are most certainly possible in my opinion. It would just take the right person with enough patience and know how to do it!

If I've done something wrong here let me know - this is my first post.

That looks great. Thanks for posting. What did you print it on, and of what material? Is it light tight?

[Jac@stafford.net]

Great thread, good stuff made!

One thing about 3D printing is the amount of time to make a part. When making a significant number of things, CNC still rules.

[Nikonowicz]

@Drew Bedo - I am familiar. Did the not test out injection molding before they ran their kickstarter? If not that's disappointing. In terms of 3d printing the parts, it is possible. But I don't know that it would be better than trying to work out injection molding. 3d printing with ABS filament like I am doing is fickle and not always consistent. In my opinion it carries two different levels of precision - one vertically and another along the plane of the printing bed. Due to the way filament is laid down, the parts interact with each other differently based on their relative orientation. If they are parallel, they can lock into each other because the layers can interconnect somewhat. This adds an additional element of difficulty in making parts that work together properly when using 3d printed components. Of course, this is my perspective on the kind of 3d printing I am doing - it might not be applicable to all kinds.

My designs have as many features which allow for them to be made with 3d printing as they have features designed to allow for a photograph to be made. Honestly I can't say that it would be time/cost effective for Wanderlust to massively use 3d printing as a mode of solution. I could be wrong though...

@Larry - I printed it using my Solidoodle SD4 that I bought ~8 months ago. I am using ABS filament - mostly black for aesthetic purposes. It is light tight. I tested it last night. http://nikonowicz.tumblr.com/post/10...3d-printed-4x5

Thanks again for all the kind notes. If you all are interested I can post an update once I run some real film through my camera. If there isn't enough interest though feel free to hop over to my tumblr (link above) and follow me there. I'll be posting updates there for sure.

[David Karp]

Keep posting here!

[Drew Bedo]

From one Drew to another: The arena of 3-D printing has cought my imagination. Unfortunatly, I am somewhat tech challenged and still use a flip-phone, do not text, tweet tumble or much else in that relm (selfie?). I do have a card with a dozen or so commands in the older html code so I can change the text on my web page.

Yet I think about what could be done with higher-end 3-D printing in Large Format.

A file for growing a standard film holder might be a start. Custome sized ULF holders might be next. What about a light weight Grafmatic or even a redesigned Mido type system ? How about a high quality Holga body (OK so that would be MF roll film)

The Wanderlust project is delayed by tolerance problems with moving parts,,,, but any system that marries a LF film back with lens mounting cones to make a LF point and shoot would be welcome.

[eduardtoader]

Hello everyone. It's been a few months since I start looking for a way of fitting a 8x10 film holder to the back of my new project : a wooden box with a helical mount made out of an old bulky medium format Russian lens . Problem ? Well , 8x10 spring backs are not growing on trees and the eBay ones are too pricey for me . So, I thought someone might have tried to play with 3D printers or CNC and get an alternative to a common spring back. I am thinking on rubber held GG frame back (similar to Intrepid Camera style) or something around that. Any link will be very much appreciated. All best


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[RickV]

I have long had the desire to 3D print flanges, retaining rings, and adapters. I haven't found any evidence that this is not a feasible application. Anyone have any experience in this undertaking?

[Pere Casals]

I have long had the desire to 3D print flanges, retaining rings, and adapters. I haven't found any evidence that this is not a feasible application. Anyone have any experience in this undertaking?

Hello Rick,

First to say is that today 3D printing allows for incredible industrial results, even for Direct Metal Printing https://www.3dsystems.com/quickparts...alprinting-dmp

But most of us, we are tied to what cheap 3D printers can do. With that tools better you don't print the thread, but make the inner hole of the ring tight in order you can screew the lens in, as it's plastic.

But ring has to be thick as printed parts are not very strong, and can break in the direction the head was moving, so make ring thick, say exterior 20mm larger than inner diameter. If thread on the lens/barrel is short then provide a safety method to avoid lens fall to the ground (a little cable), specially with a very big lens.




I made a 3D printed lensboard for a LOMO O-2 600mm soviet lens




It was lacking the retaining ring, so I made a thick enough ABS plastic lensboard with hole small enough to screw in the lens. The lens is 1.6Kgs.

As low end printers do not make very strong parts, you have and alternative: Instead printing the part just print a mold of the part (should be PE, polyethilene for the mold), spray demolding silicone and fill that with a good resin. I it is polyester make sure it not contains solvents, because in that case it may modify size/shape when solvents evaporate. Look what contraction will have the resing you are to use, the you can design the mold a bit bigger... or use a low contraction resin.

Resin can also contain cut fiberglass (1/2 or 1/4 inch...) just mix it in, this delivers very reinforced parts.

Another choice is to take a 3D printed part and from it making a silicone mold to make strong resin parts. Just search "silicone molding" in youtube.

BTW I was in Brisbane some 10 years ago (coming from EU), in my path to Emerald... What a trip !!! incredible !!! And nice people everywhere !!!