It was suggested on the "What was your last photography related purchase?" thread that my acquisition of a 3D printer with intent to print (among other things) cameras and camera parts warranted the creation of an ongoing thread specific to this activity.
Seems like a sensible idea.
I've been wanting a 3D printer since they cost tens of thousands of dollars. Now you can get a pretty decent one (FDM, Fusion Deposited Material, aka filament type, user upgradable in many ways) for under $200 up front, plus filament. I happened into a sale on Amazon, and got my Creality Ender 3 for $165 with free shipping (they're normally right at $200, or upgraded versions -- newer computer hardware, mostly -- for up to $300+). I added $90+ for five one kilogram spools of various colors of filament, and was "out the door" for well under $300.
There's a learning curve to operating these machines, of course -- starting with the fact they come packed in a box only about six inches deep, for a machine that stands close to two feet tall when fully assembled (including the stock top mounting for the spool holder -- if you have a low workspace, you can change that location with user-printed parts, an ongoing theme in 3D printing). I knew this was coming, however (tax refund), so I'd gone ahead and installed a (free) 3D CAD program and a slicer (software that converts a 3D solid model into a tool path for the printer to deposit melted filament).
Assembly is supposed to take about two hours, and mine ran just about that -- nothing complicated, just a matter of screwing parts together and getting/keeping them correctly aligned, and adjusting a few parts for correct clearances. All the needed tools come in the box with the printer, and there are several excellent videos on YouTube showing and explaining the process for folks who need a little more visual help. A bunch more that cover necessary in-use adjustments and work-arounds for the limitations of the device.
In the end, though, it's a tool -- a tool for making plastic parts (in a number of different materials) to a computer model. I don't think it's a "digital" item, however, because cameras you can make with it will necessarily use film. Rather, it's a tool in the same category as a small lathe or milling machine: a device for making or modifying parts (some of which might be for cameras).
One of my long-term intentions with this is to design and build a proper frame counter for 3D printed 35mm cameras (pinhole or otherwise). The Brancopan has one, so I know it's possible. There will surely be other camera-related items as well -- a frame mask for 35mm film in a 6x7 film back (to help keep the film flat against the 220 pressure plate), along with a drop-in viewfinder mask for my RB67, viewfinder frames for this and that, and on and on...
Seems like a sensible idea.
I've been wanting a 3D printer since they cost tens of thousands of dollars. Now you can get a pretty decent one (FDM, Fusion Deposited Material, aka filament type, user upgradable in many ways) for under $200 up front, plus filament. I happened into a sale on Amazon, and got my Creality Ender 3 for $165 with free shipping (they're normally right at $200, or upgraded versions -- newer computer hardware, mostly -- for up to $300+). I added $90+ for five one kilogram spools of various colors of filament, and was "out the door" for well under $300.
There's a learning curve to operating these machines, of course -- starting with the fact they come packed in a box only about six inches deep, for a machine that stands close to two feet tall when fully assembled (including the stock top mounting for the spool holder -- if you have a low workspace, you can change that location with user-printed parts, an ongoing theme in 3D printing). I knew this was coming, however (tax refund), so I'd gone ahead and installed a (free) 3D CAD program and a slicer (software that converts a 3D solid model into a tool path for the printer to deposit melted filament).
Assembly is supposed to take about two hours, and mine ran just about that -- nothing complicated, just a matter of screwing parts together and getting/keeping them correctly aligned, and adjusting a few parts for correct clearances. All the needed tools come in the box with the printer, and there are several excellent videos on YouTube showing and explaining the process for folks who need a little more visual help. A bunch more that cover necessary in-use adjustments and work-arounds for the limitations of the device.
In the end, though, it's a tool -- a tool for making plastic parts (in a number of different materials) to a computer model. I don't think it's a "digital" item, however, because cameras you can make with it will necessarily use film. Rather, it's a tool in the same category as a small lathe or milling machine: a device for making or modifying parts (some of which might be for cameras).
One of my long-term intentions with this is to design and build a proper frame counter for 3D printed 35mm cameras (pinhole or otherwise). The Brancopan has one, so I know it's possible. There will surely be other camera-related items as well -- a frame mask for 35mm film in a 6x7 film back (to help keep the film flat against the 220 pressure plate), along with a drop-in viewfinder mask for my RB67, viewfinder frames for this and that, and on and on...