YouTuber Toast has developed a fully 3D printable Polaroid camera that requires no electronics, lenses or special tools. The entire construction can be produced with a standard 3D printer and used directly. The camera is based on the pinhole camera principle and makes it possible to take real Polaroid photos.
The camera uses a pinhole-based system in which light passes through a tiny opening and projects the image directly onto the film. Since it is nearly impossible to achieve a precise 0.26 mm aperture with an FDM printer, Toast uses an alternative solution: an aluminum foil with a tiny pinhole that provides a sharper projection.
Another problem was the development of the film. Commercial instant cameras use metal rollers to spread a chemical solution evenly over the film emulsion and develop the image. Toast initially tried to replicate this mechanism with 3D-printed rollers, but failed due to a lack of precision. Only the use of stainless steel rods as rollers led to a working solution. The gearwheel device transports the film evenly and develops it.
In initial tests, Toast was able to take usable pictures with the camera. However, the exposure times had to be adjusted depending on the lighting conditions. While half a second was sufficient in bright daylight, up to 30 seconds were required for indoor shots with artificial lighting. The resulting images show a characteristic soft focus that is typical of pinhole cameras.
The finished model is available for download as a 3D print file. Users can print out their own analog camera and experiment with it.
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