If you like going the DIY route and make your own cameras and accessories, Brancopan, the latest CAMERADACTYL contraption, will let you 3D print your own.
After years of making and selling the CAMERADACTYL cameras, Ethan Moses recently decided to let everyone in on the fun of building their own. Brancopan, the latest of these quirky cameras, is a 35mm panoramic camera that takes Mamiya Press lenses and you can 3D print yourself. If you’re looking for a new project that you can do over the weekend or a little longer, Moses suggests taking a shot at his new design and grabbing it through Kickstarter.
According to Moses, the CAMERADACTYL Brancopan will only take about $40 worth of materials to build with a $200 3D printer. It shoots cinema anamorphic 1:2.4 aspect ratio photos, takes Mamiya Press lenses from 50mm to 250mm, and promises to be a durable plastic camera that takes great pictures. The camera also features a ratchet film advance with a frame counter, a lockout mechanism that stops the film at every frame for even frame spacing, a spring-loaded film door latch, a tripod mount, two cold shoe mounts for finders and accessories, and strap lugs for a neck strap.
To build the camera, you’ll only need a 3D printer, a hex key (M2.5 for M3 bolts), some coarse and fine sandpaper, and an Exacto knife or cutter. The same goes for the repairs, since you can just print out the parts you need. “As its getting harder and harder to find parts for classic cameras, should I give out the files for the Brancopan, making replacement and repair parts in the future will only get easier and higher quality as printers evolve,” Moses added.
While selling physical objects was how Moses paid for his R&D in the past, he believes it’s starting to get in the way of doing more R&D that he hopes to do for other cameras and items. “I think that my skills and talents are probably best used developing new products, and teaching people how to build them on simple machinery, rather than spending 5 hours out of everyday printing, assembling and shipping already tested and proven designs.”
Moses is eyeing to raise $12,000 on Kickstarter not only to release all of the Brancopan files but also so he could make three videos showing how to print the files, how to assemble and calibrate the camera, and how to use the camera. His goal is to release the STL files first to the Kickstarter backers at the end of the campaign, then to the general public on May 1, 2020.
If this sounds like a project you’re keen to support, head to the CAMERADACTYL Brancopan Kickstarter page to make your pledge.
All images from the Brancopan Kickstarter page