Design of the Week: P6*6 120 Pinhole Camera

 This week’s selection is the the P6*6 120 Pinhole Camera by Todd Schlemmer. It definitely looks like a camera and indeed if you print the parts and assemble them you can actually capture real images using standard 120 analog film.  

The camera design includes around twenty parts that must be printed and assembled. Using the pinhole technique, this camera requires no lens. In other words, you can print a complete, working camera on your 3D printer. 

But how well does it work? Schlemmer says:

I have shot a dozen rolls of film through this camera now (10-15-13). I find this camera is a delight to shoot. I am very happy with the frame indexing. Like any camera, excessive movement during exposures will blur your image. This makes very short exposures (1-2 seconds) impractical for best results unless you can absolutely immobilize the camera. A remote shutter release mechanism will address this limitation and is the next improvement I plan to make. Alternately, for “quick” exposures, you can cover the pinhole with your finger, open the shutter and (literally) manually time your exposure with your finger, then close the shutter – another old-time pinhole trick.

We like this design for one good reason: 3D prints that “do something” are better. 

Via Thingiverse