There’s a new trend among some hobbyist photographers that involves 3D printing covers for digital cameras that make them resemble the analog cameras of the 35mm age.Some people love it; others love to mock it.People are doing what now? Let’s make our cameras worse together I first caught wind of this trend on Reddit, but it’s not exactly your typical 3D printing photography project.
Normally, people use 3D printers to make adapters for lenses and filters and save money on what is traditionally a fairly expensive hobby to get into.The idea is simple: create a cover that completely blocks the monitor on the back of your camera to the point where you can’t use it to frame or review shots.Now you have to rely on the optical or electronic viewfinder instead.
Perhaps the best example was posted in the Fujifilm X100VI subreddit, with the printable model shared on Thingiverse.But the idea isn’t exactly new, with one Leica user posting their own 3D-printed screen cover a year earlier.Some companies have been producing these screens for a while, like UK camera shop PPP Cameras (which may well have started the trend).
The hardest part is finding a cover for your specific camera, but the basic shape of the 3D print shouldn’t be too hard to imitate if you want to give it a go yourself.Just make sure that you cover any sensors necessary and leave access to buttons that may get in the way.An analog workflow for the digital age Hardly the first example of its kind Close The idea here is pretty simple: some people want an analog shooting experience, and they’re going out of their way to achieve it.
Brands like Fujifilm are already notable for leaning into the 35mm aesthetic.These cameras have physical controls for shutter speed, ISO, an aperture ring, and even exposure compensation.It makes sense that if you bought the X100VI for its film-like workflow, you’d be happy to go a little further to complete the look.
The perception that something was lost in the transition from the days of analog to digital doesn’t resonate with everyone, but if that’s how you feel, then this might appeal to you.Of course, this is nothing new.I’m guilty of downloading “disposable” camera apps on my iPhone that introduce imperfections and require that you fill up a roll (and sometimes wait) before you can see the results.
Romanticizing the limitations of the past is something we’re all guilty of from time to time, even among younger generations who pine for eras they never experienced firsthand.It was only recently that I discovered a drop-dead gorgeous analog film simulation tool that happens to be completely free.The workflow is slow and clumsy, but I’ve had a blast turning my digital RAWs into photos that look like they could have been shot 30 or 40 years ago.
This “developing” process is a large part of the fun, which is why I understand the appeal of a slower or intentionally flawed workflow.Use your camera however you like Anything that gets you out shooting can’t be a bad thing It must be said that the practice hasn’t necessarily been warmly received by some of the snarkier corners of the photography community.When I say I first stumbled across the trend on Reddit, what I should have said was that I stumbled across posts of people deriding the practice on Reddit.
There are two ways of looking at it, I suppose.The addition of a display on the back of a camera shouldn’t detract from the experience of taking photographs, and covering it up probably won’t make your pictures any better.A cynic might argue that the main purpose of these covers is to make your digital camera look like a 35mm model from 30 years ago.
This is punctuated by the fact that some cameras let you turn the display off completely.My Sony mirrorless has a sensor that switches between the electronic viewfinder and the display based on the presence of my face.A bit of tape would do the same job, without the faux-35mm look.
But there’s something to be said about using your camera equipment in a way that makes you happy.The best guitar is the one that you want to pick up and play, and the best bike is the one that begs you to ride it just for fun.If the camera that gets you out in the real world taking photos happens to have a piece of 3D-printed plastic on the back of it, so what? It’s a simple fact that the best analog film experience is found on an old camera, but these aren’t the only retro gadgets that still “just work.”
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