Pinhole, Printed - a 3D printed pinhole camera

Pinhole - a 3D printed camera. Get one or print your own - either way, take magical photographs from a new, yet old perspective.

Stretch Goals !!!

Funded in 13.5 hours - that is awesome for a photography project! So now, I am adding stretch goals. Stretch goals benefit both the backer and the creator - they are an additional reward for your help in spreading the news about my project. If we hit these goals, they are included free with the relevant reward levels. So please, continue to spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, and any other means you have.

What is Pinhole Photography?

“Pinhole, Printed” is a modern take on an old photographic technique. I have a passion for pinhole cameras. Like most other photographers, I have switched to digital cameras and never looked back – except for pinhole photography. 

Pinholes offer a unique perspective on the world that I can't get with lenses or digital cameras. I have been taking pinhole photographs for many years, almost always with cameras I have made myself. In some cases, I have taken existing camera bodies and radically modified those to take various film backs.

Flyer 6x6

Flyer 6x6 Exploded Assembly

Flyer is my first 3D printed pinhole camera.  It is printed in ABS and designed to be robust and light.  It takes a 6cm x 6cm square image, 12 exposures to a roll of 120 film, just like a Hasselblad.  It can be mounted to a tripod and it has a flip shutter that is really easy to use. The field of view is 70 degrees with an f/stop of 133.

The camera is incredibly simple to use.  It can be loaded and used in less than 30 seconds out of the box.

Wind

Flip up

Flip down 

* Picture taken *

Rewards

The reward levels are chosen and carefully limited to ensure I can print the cameras on schedule.  All the Flyers have a "K" on the top plate, base, and shutter lid. After the Kickstarter program ends, the "K" will be removed from the cameras.  Only backers will have the Kickstarter edition.

$10 is not a lot - but it means a great deal to me!  It means you are backing my efforts and enabling me not only to take more pictures, but also to develop more camera designs - one of which might interest you later!  For this, I will choose among my best pinhole photographs and reproduce 3 frameable 5" x 7" photos with my thank you letter.

Printing your own?  You can get just the STL files and printing instructions ($20).  However,be sure to consider getting the kit ($29) - there are parts in there that are hard to find in single quantities - pinhole, O-rings, red window, screws.  For these parts, you have to order 100 at a time or entire sheets of gel.  The pinholes are precisely manufactured and harder to get.  I'm ordering in bulk if this project is funded, so the kit saves you time, money, and makes it easy.

The STL files will not have the "K" designation, so the only way to get a Kickstarter camera is to get one of the following rewards.

The Limited Kickstarter Edition camera ($39) puts you at the front of the line to get your photos on Flickr and out for the world to see, and to show others what can be done with Flyer.  The complete assembled Limited Edition cameras are limited to 15, sure to be collector's items with the accompanying certificate.

Miss the Limited Edition?  Not to worry, the Kickstarter Edition Flyers ($49, $400) are available, and you get the complete assembled camera.

What's been done...

Over 35 iterations of CAD design, printing, and tweaking.  I've gone through 4 spools of filament and several major changes, and I'm getting close.Why I am asking for your backing

Basket of Test Cameras (c) 2013 Clint O'Connor

Finalize design and printability of Flyer

Film & processing for exposure tables and reference photos

Development of additional cameras

I still need to produce a number of cameras for testing - not just to take pictures but also to ensure the designs are fine-tuned for printability.  This will take several spools of filament.  One spool produces about 9 Flyer cameras.  I've already gone through 4 spools and I feel I'm very close.  I have other designs too and I will be applying what I learn on this one to those designs and would like to bring those to you at a later date, especially the panoramic version, which is my favorite.

I also need to develop the exposure tables you will need for taking pictures.  For example, you will need to open the shutter this long for this ASA film under this lighting condition, etc.  It is not like using a normal light meter - film has a logarithmic response and reciprocity failure, and the f/stop of a pinhole is generally too high for any light meter.  I want to get the exposure tables close enough that you can expect to get reasonable pictures out of your first two rolls.  To do this, I need to go through about 40-50 rolls of fresh film and processing at around $15-18/roll.

There are a few items I need to buy in quantity, such as film and pinholes.  And lots of filament.  My printer will be running full time to make your cameras.  And, of course, you can print your own - you can get rewards with just the STL files, or get the STL files along with a camera.  Even if you have a 3D printer, you might want to get started with a camera to post your pictures early while printing more for your children and friends as a Christmas present.

Help me get there!  Pass the word, tell everyone you know to come look at my project.  Support my goals to bring you Flyer and future printable camera designs!