They say that anything can become a camera if we try. To be more precise, it's enough to have a dark space and a small slit that lets light through. The MVC project (Minimum Viable Camera) does nothing more than prove this with a simple, homemade design that any enthusiast can reproduce using basic tools.
These days, photography is no more than an extra feature on mobile devices… at least, that's the average user's conclusion. While I understand the associated advantages and the virtual disappearance of its difficulty curve, personally I think it's a shame.
There's a lot to learn from traditional photography, including building homemade cameras Anyone who has closely studied a disposable camera knows that there isn't much hardware inside, and with that in mind we come to the Minimum Viable Camera project by "ChickenCrimpy" on Thingiverse, which takes the camera to one of its most basic profiles.
Minimum Viable Camera: Build your own DIY camera
The original files have been prepared for use with a laser cutter, but that's not even a required step. ChickenCrimpy recommends fiberboard three millimeters thick; however, any material that blocks light should suffice. The key to the design is the "double roll": MVC accepts 35mm like a common camera, but needs a second container for the film to be stored inside without risk.
As for the lens and shutter, we can say that the former doesn't exist, and the latter is just a piece of fiberboard that covers the light entrance. The rest is a matter of pointing, exposing for a couple of seconds, and closing. Obviously, MVC needs a darkroom to load and remove the roll once finished, but that can also be improvised. ChickenCrimpy has a small YouTube channel where he explains how to assemble the camera, and his first photographs were already published on Imgur. Links below!
Minimum Viable Camera on Thingiverse: Click here
ChickenCrimpy on YouTube: Click here
