Panasonic has recently collaborated with German design firm WertelOberfell to combine their marvelously tiny Lumix DMC-GM1 interchangeable lens camera with 3D-printed custom parts. Unveiled at Photokina 2014 in Cologne, Germany, the project was inspired by different design epochs such as art nouveau, modernism and digitalism, and pushes the boundaries of additive manufacturing in terms of detailing and material thicknesses.
“Our aim was to really push the boundaries of how thin and miniscule we can go with 3D printing, and how to add strength, durability and more value by coating the parts with real metals like copper and nickel.” say the designers. “The result are really thin structures (partly around 0.5mm), that are strong enough to be used on the camera in an everyday situation. We also wanted to make the ergonomics better of the camera by adding a grip feature.”
all images courtesy of WERTELOBERFELL