 |
Ethan Moses, creator of the Homonculus 69 camera introduced last summer, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for CAMERADACTYL Brancopan, a 3D-printed panoramic camera that supports Mamiya Press lenses and 35mm film. Specifically, Moses is seeking funds to cover the costs of releasing the STL files for the camera, enabling 3D printer owners to print and assemble their own cameras.
In his Kickstarter campaign, Moses explains that increased demand for his cameras has resulted in considerable time spent printing, assembling and shipping the units. This has taken up time that would otherwise be spent researching and developing additional cameras.
 |
According to Moses, if the Kickstarter campaign reaches its $ 12,000 initial goal, he will release the STL files for the Brancopan camera to Kickstarter backers first, then, later on, he will release them to the general public on May 1, 2020. As well, the files will be joined by videos that teach DIYers how to print the components, assemble the camera, calibrate it and then use it.
Moses explains on Kickstarter:
This Kickstarter is my shot in the dark, my test to see if people will pay for the R&D on an open-source project in a specific way. I am not sure that this will work, or how people will feel about it, but I do know that if the Kickstarter should fail, nobody gets charged anything and I can always go back to selling cameras through the mail, but if it does work it could change the way I work and the projects that I get to tackle, and the types of cameras and photographic tools available to the public now, and in the future.
The released files, assuming the campaign progresses to that point, will be licensed for personal use only. The estimated delivery date for Kickstarter backers is January 2020. Some Kickstarter pledge options include laser cut film counter dials, video chat troubleshooting and more.
Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)