3D Printed Panoramic Camera build + results.

[theAngryMarmot]

Finally found the motivation to start working on the 3D Printed panoramic camera I have been wanting to build.

This person designed / supplies the files :

https://www.printables.com/model/99364-open-6x12-6x17-and-6x24-panoramic-camera

and there are several remixes of updates / useful parts.

I had been wanting to do this since I noticed that I could barely squeeze the 6x12 onto the print bed of my Creatlity Halot Mage 8K resin printer.
The 6x12 looks awesome resin printed. It still seems like "Star Trek" tech - even though I have been 3D printing for ~15 years.
I ordered a lens (Schneider Super-Angulon 90mm) since there are lens cones designed for the cameras (and as I bonus I can use it on my large format Toyo.)
I still need to print the lens cone - I am going to try/test with the smaller camera first and if it works well enough - I will build the 6x17. I also think I will design a mask to snap in the 6x12 to use the 35mm -> medium format adapters I have.
Once all the parts are printed for the 6x12 I will paint the inside with some light absorbent paint and perhaps paint/leatherwrap the exterior.


6x12 resin print so far:

 

[theAngryMarmot]

Lens cone printed well :

Painted the cone and the interior of the body with matte black paint :

 

[theAngryMarmot]

Press fit / glued in my threaded inserts (and upgraded them from the M3 of the design to M4.)

Added the black felt to the inside of the lens cone and part of the body :

I haven't seen anyone resin print one of these yet (I chose this due to the more accurate / solid / smoother finish over FDM printing) and havent seen anyone put as much effort in (I don't want to have to re-make this for a long while...)

My lens arrived yesterday and is basically in new condition - so I should be ready to test soon. Just waiting on some paint to arrive (accent color!) and then I need to wrap the body in leather

 

[theAngryMarmot]

I wrapped the body in a couple layers of the finest imitation leather Amazon had to offer. Mounted the lens, and assembled.

I then fired up yet another machine... my Laser cutter / engraver. Since I "built" the camera - might as well design up a simple box to hold it right?

I then downloaded some hinges, fancy latch, and some corner supports for the outside of the box to class it up a bit.

 

[theAngryMarmot]

To help make it more durable and stay square - I cut some inserts :

Applied some paint :

New corner hardware and some strap attachment points :

And all "done." Not by any means perfect - but I don't want to spend a ton of time on it and hopefully the rudimentary construction will accelerate a nice worn finish. Or it will fall apart. I remade the name plate as well, it occurred to me to engrave the name into the wood - and then cut the letters separately - and glue the cut "positive" letters into the "negative" engraved letters yielding accurate spacing and a cleaner look.

 

[theAngryMarmot]

Ran a roll of HP5 through it this afternoon. Nothing special, just from the top of the parking garage at my work. However - it certainly looks like the camera is working. I need to adjust the vertical spacing of the frame a bit - but other than that I think it will be good to go.

 

[theAngryMarmot]

I had 4 "keepers" out of the six. Not bad for the first roll through the camera - and I forgot my light meter and grabbed the wrong tripod (incompatible plates.)

With a bit of sun flare

The ol' Camry

 

[Terry McDaniel]

That's really cool. Some really nice photos too.

 

[ShipleyNW]

That is awesome.

 

[Joeseph]

Superbness!

 

[joayne]

Amazing!!

 

[theAngryMarmot]

Thanks for the compliments - I am now working on the 6x17 version.

 

[theAngryMarmot]

Since the 6x12 turned out to work just fine - I decided to start printing / building the 6x17. This one is too big to resin print on my machine so I had to print it on my Anycubic Kobra Max FDM machine. This is a pretty large printer, so it was easy. I chose some green filament - inspired by the Leica "Reporter" series cameras that I will never be able to justify the price to own (lol.)

If any of you guys have a printer - I highly recommend PolyMaker filaments. It is about all I use and is the best printing stuff I have experienced in the last ten years or so of printing.

Here are the main components, they printed very nicely although apparently I need to work on my support settings as evidenced by the tabs on the sides of the lens cones and roof of the body interior - but that is easy to fix in "post" :

And a size comparison to the 6x12

I have started sanding / filing / painting the interior parts of the camera using lessons I learned from the 6x12. I modded the lens cone file to use the same lens as well and I may print a secondary one for some of my other large format lenses.

I think I am going to resin print the knobs and what not as that will require less finishing work due to the smoother surfaces.

I am going to make some small changes to the resin printed 6x12 to improve it's usability and if the 6x17 works out well I am going to gift the 6x12 sans lens to a friend who has been extremely excited about all this.

 

[Joeseph]

look forwards to seeing more result images

 

[Kenny]

Cool.