What you’re looking at is an open source 3D printed SLR camera that is available online for free. The 3D printing space has been getting a lot of attention lately and rightfully so. I recently met with a team who does 3D printing and got to talk about the industry, the possibilities of what can be created and what’s next within the whole realm of 3D printing. It was a really interesting talk and it got me thinking about how 3D printing will be changing the game when it comes to consumers and big companies that put a premium on their products. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely some products that we won’t be able to create due to electronics and complex build procedures, but 3D printing is definitely a game changer. For example, look at the following quote from the project page:
The OpenReflex is an Open-Source analog camera with a mirror Viewfinder and an awesome finger activated mechanic shutter (running ~ 1/60°s). What’s more, it’s compatible with any photographic lens with custom mount ring.
All the pieces easily printable on an recent RepRap-like ABS 3D-printer without using support material! Everything should print in less than 15h and anyone should be able to assemble it within 1h.
What really stands out to me here is that it’s compatible with any lens via a custom mount ring. This means that you no longer need to buy an expensive camera to match the lens. This camera is taking 3D printing to a level where consumers have more options. I don’t want to go into the process too much, but this means that we can make replacement parts for things rather than replacing them through the company or worse yet, buying a whole new product. That’s why I feel like this open-source schematic is revolutionary. The question is, what do you think this camera means to the future of consumer-retailer relationships?
(via Cult of Mac)