3D Printed Double Accessory Shoe

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Steevo

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Dear RFF Community:

As a rangefinder enthusiast, I have collected quite a bit of photographic "do-dads", thing-a-ma-bobs", and miscellaneous camera accessories for my rangefinders. (I love them all.) The one accessory that I have not acquired has been the "double accessory shoe". This is in due in part to their rarity and also due to their price!

So, since I got a 3D printer last week, I thought that I would put the printer through its paces by creating my own double accessory shoe - a good first project. My day job is as a furniture designer and I am very familiar with 3D modeling software, but I have never prepared a 3D design for printing.

To make a long story short....I am very pleased with how the prototype has worked out. It fits perfectly into the cold shoe on my Leica IIIc, my M3, and on my Nikon S3 (See image.) and holds the accessory viewfinders and meter - which is the configuration that I will use the most.

The benefits seem quite obvious:

- Low cost
- Strong / Durable (ABS plastic).
- Allows for greater convenience for using a meter.

I'm thinking that I will explore any other accessories that could be created with the 3D printer.

Thanks! Feedback welcome!

Steve
 

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My god would I love one, could you potentially make one for the canon model 7 simular to the canon accessory coupler. I purhcased and actual one for £100 and lost it the week before finally getting my 28mm lens and finder and dont want to buy another one
 
Black ABS on order!

Black ABS on order!

Jake Mongey said:
My god would I love one, could you potentially make one for the canon model 7 simular to the canon accessory coupler. I purhcased and actual one for £100 and lost it the week before finally getting my 28mm lens and finder and dont want to buy another one
Click to expand...

Jake - I'm not sure about modeling a new version, but I will take a pic with the current model on my Canon VI-T deluxe and let you view. Thanks for the comments. Will keep you posted.

SW
 
Also, please comment on what accessories might be worthwhile printing in 3D. Looking forward to comments / suggestions.

Hoods? / Grips? / Etc.

SW
 
Steevo said:
Jake - I'm not sure about modeling a new version, but I will take a pic with the current model on my Canon VI-T deluxe and let you view. Thanks for the comments. Will keep you posted.

SW
Click to expand...

Depending on how much money I get for Christmas I would be happy to pay for you to make one specific to the canon 7, i feel a lot of canon 7 users would benefit aswell

Hehe Christmas money, The only thing that keeps a camera obsessed 16 year old going
 
This kind of DIY stuff is very exciting. Actually 3D print technology is above the groundfloor DIY level.
How strong is that item? I have the (uninformed) idea that 3d Printed stuff is more delicate than, say, casted items.
 
I would love it if someone produced a combination of a shoe-mounted thumbrest with a shoe mount on top (I'm specifically looking for my X-E1, but I suspect the same fitment would work for other cameras). I want to be able to mount a viewfinder on top so I don't have to rely on the EVF, but still keep the thumbrest. I've been thinking about hacking one together the old fashioned way, but I don't seem to have gotten around to it.
 
daveleo said:
This kind of DIY stuff is very exciting. Actually 3D print technology is above the groundfloor DIY level.
How strong is that item? I have the (uninformed) idea that 3d Printed stuff is more delicate than, say, casted items.
Click to expand...

Dave...The ABS is very strong...I attached it to the hot shoe of my Nikon FT2 SLR (Heavy!) And lifted it by the double accessory shoe. I thought it might be brittle, but it's not. I designed the walls to be strong and yet still be proportioned well for the rangefinders.

SW
 
02Pilot said:
I would love it if someone produced a combination of a shoe-mounted thumbrest with a shoe mount on top (I'm specifically looking for my X-E1, but I suspect the same fitment would work for other cameras). I want to be able to mount a viewfinder on top so I don't have to rely on the EVF, but still keep the thumbrest. I've been thinking about hacking one together the old fashioned way, but I don't seem to have gotten around to it.
Click to expand...

Great idea.....I'll add that to the list!

SW
 
I've found that the female cold shoe will lose its "springiness" over time. I've 3D printed and used some cold shoes. If you leave the male part within it for some time, the plastic gets stretched and loosens. Other than that, no problem 🙂


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Of note - I'm using laser scintering for my cold shoe printing and not extrusion so maybe the ABS plastic is better. But I suspect all of them have this problem.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It might be useful to design a cantilever(spring) structure which deforms when an accessory is fitted into the cold shoe, this is for preserving the elasticity in the plastic.

I did this couple yrs back, a triple cold shoe.
Also took the chance to shift the cold shoe position to be in line with the lens axis.

31650093592_ab34363867_z.jpg
 
"...could you potentially make one for the canon model 7 simular to the canon accessory coupler. I purhcased and actual one for £100 and lost it the week before finally getting my 28mm lens and finder and dont want to buy another one"

"I would love to have one in black."

Please don't post in this thread asking Steve to make you something... that's effectively a wanted ad. Be discreet and PM him instead!

Of course product ideas are welcome!

Thanks
Doug
 
Someone suggested hoods... I came across these 3D printed offerings a couple/few years ago: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/AnalogueRobot?l=36 though it's a limited selection of ZM and Voigtlander specific hoods.

A few years ago I would have asked about a grip extension for the GXR, but I rarely use it now. Might be worthwhile looking into these newfangled printers. 🙂

Is the software difficult to learn?
 
Depends on the software you use. 123d Design is easy and free. I highly recommend it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
weihsuan said:
It might be useful to design a cantilever(spring) structure which deforms when an accessory is fitted into the cold shoe, this is for preserving the elasticity in the plastic.



I did this couple yrs back, a triple cold shoe.

Also took the chance to shift the cold shoe position to be in line with the lens axis.



31650093592_ab34363867_z.jpg
Click to expand...



Interesting idea. Like leaf springs on a 78' Blazer. Anyway I suspect that longer term compression of said springs might deform them as well. Plastic isn't always the best solution. But I'll give that a shot.

I've looked for cheap metal cold shoes that I can simply screw into my plastic designs and have yet to find something worthwhile. I'll post it if I do.


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