There are many creative pursuits that can benefit from a 3D printer, and photography is no exception. From simple replacements to lost or broken parts, creative tools, and organizational systems, it’s amazing what you can do with a few rolls of filament.
Lens and body caps
Lenses come with a single set of front and rear caps. Front caps protect your lens from scratches, while rear caps do the same and act as dust covers for storage. Front caps often break since they’re constantly being put on and taken off, while rear caps are easy to lose.
There are all manner of replacement caps available for print, including universal and parametric front caps, the latter of which should be scaled on the X and Y axis to size (but leave the Z axis alone). These are just two examples. I’d recommend searching your favorite model repository for the size of cap you need.
The same is true of body caps, which protect the camera sensor in storage when no lens is attached. These are mount-specific, so you can find specific examples like Sony E-Mount body caps, Canon EF body caps, or Nikon F mount body caps.
Bokeh filters
Bokeh filters sit in front of the lens, controlling the shape of the light that enters the lens. By doing so, you can influence the shape of the bokeh, the out of focus orbs in the background of a shot. You can print a whole set of bokeh filters with adapters that range from 49mm to 82mm.
Just remember that you’ll need to shoot with a wide aperture, ideally f/2.8 or greater. The effect works best with the lens at its “sweet spot” to adequately separate the subject from the background, with the background bokeh being brighter than the rest of the scene (like lights).
Step up and step down rings
My most impressive 3D print to date has been a step-up ring adapter, which allows me to use a 52mm filter on a 49mm lens. MakerWorld user M3 Makes has released a huge number of these adapters for adapting all manner of sizes across lenses. Buy a single filter and use it everywhere, with each print costing a few cents in filament.
Lens hoods
A lens hood prevents washed-out shots by blocking out the sun and other lights. Most of the lenses I’ve purchased have come with a lens hood, but that’s not always the case when buying second-hand. I’ve also broken a fair few hoods over the years, and lens manufacturers always want an arm and a leg to replace them.
Thankfully, there is a dizzying range of lens hoods out there that you can download and print. This includes short hoods for longer focal lengths, square hoods for specific lenses, and hoods for very expensive vintage lenses that cost a fraction of the price of buying something new.
Rigs and attachments
I bought a Smallrig for my Sony a6500 with the intent of doing a lot more video work than I currently do. Then things changed, and now I mostly use the camera for stills. Even so, I still have the Smallrig on the camera since the large wooden grip fits my hands better and I appreciate the added protection.
There are whole rigs available for print now, like two-handed stabilizers, Smallrig equivalents, and full rigs with grips and handles. Alternatively, you can just print a side handle or augment an existing rig system with a grip that fits common thread sizes. If you’re going for the full cage, you might want to use PETG or something a little sturdier than PLA.
Camera clips
I once toyed with the idea of a camera clip, but my mirrorless is small enough that I don’t mind shooting handheld most of the time. If you use multiple cameras or have a much larger setup, a clip allows you to attach your camera to your person for safe storage. These clips typically use existing mounts, with the Arca-Swiss baseplate being a common choice.
You can print Arca-Swiss backpack clips or a belt mounting system that uses the same plate. There are also a huge number of clip systems for action cameras if you carry a GoPro everywhere you go. Like anything that is designed for strength, harder filaments and proper print orientation are essential for print strength.
Lens and gear storage systems
Storing your lenses properly means doing so in a manner that both protects them and makes them easy to access. As you might have guessed, Gridfinity is usually the best starting place for this sort of thing.
CLASS, or the Camera Lens and Accessory Storage System is one such project that uses Gridfinity baseplates to build a modular storage system for lenses. There are other generic Gridfinity bins for upright storage, and projects that focus on storing vintage lenses with Gridfinity too. There are even all-in-one projects that use Gridfinity to store all photo and video gear.
You could also use a tool like Tooltrace.ai to trace and print custom-fit bins for your specific collection.
SD card storage
A simple Gridfinity SD card holder can keep your cards organized at home, or you can print a rugged snaplock box or slimline SD card holder for on the go. These sure beat a pocket full of those weak holders you get with your SD card in the packet.
Lo-fi lenses
If you’re suffering from gear acquisition syndrome, then nothing is going to stop you from investing in more lenses, even flawed ones. If you’re specifically looking for a lo-fi or Lomography lens and you want a project, consider repurposing a plastic lens from a disposable camera and printing your own lens.
Tripod mounting plates
You can never have enough tripod mounting plates since they always seem to disappear. Each tripod comes with a single plate, but you might have two or three (or more) cameras you want to use with it. Things get even more complicated when you want to use your tripod to hold smartphones, lights, reflectors, microphones, and more.
Start with quick release plates or plates for specific tripods like those made by Manfrotto. You can also print Arca-Swiss plates and longer plates designed for specific cameras and mounting systems. Don’t buy a plate, just print one. You’ll need to add your own 1/4-inch tripod mounting screw, which you can get for a few cents each online.
Again, a good plate is a durable plate, and that might mean using PETG or ABS for best results.
Still shooting with a smartphone? One of the best ways to up your photography game is to get a “proper” camera. You don’t have to buy the latest and greatest either, an old mirrorless or digital SLR can still give you great results.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
