Edelkrone, a manufacturer of film equipment has launched a 3D printed tabletop dolly Skater 3D for DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Compatible with all tripod head and magic arms, the 3D printed dolly is designed to make the set up of curved and linear camera motion easier. As part of its co-manufacturing program Ortak, Edelkrone delivers the critical components to the consumers who will later 3D print and assemble their Skater 3D. This approach to manufacturing camera accessories offers greater customizability at a lower price.
Co-manufacturing camera accessories
3D printing is increasing delivering custom solutions for photography. In the last few years, we have seen Kickstarters for universal cameras, tiny 3D printed cameras that can fit in syringes and 100% 3D printed analog cameras.
Edelkrone is taking a step further to incorporate 3D printing in film equipment. Through its new co-manufacturing approach Ortak, the company aims to “[…] allow anyone to own fully-functional, high-tech products at greatly reduced prices”. Edelkrone products are manufactured by both the company and the consumer. To ensure the end product’s functionality, Edelkrone will manufacture the critical parts such as CNC machined aluminum joints and in the future, electronic components. While Edelkrone ship the critical parts, users must 3D print the rest of the product. This gives consumers the ability to customize the design, form, and color according to their needs.
The first product in Edelkrone’s Ortak range is the FlexTILT Head 3D, a versatile and flexible tripod head. Using the FlexTILT Head 3D on top of a slider, photographers can turn their cameras in various directions with ease. It is particularly helpful for bird-eye view, pan, and tilt shots.
Skater 3D tabletop dolly
Now, Edelkrone has expanded the Ortak range with a second product, the Skater 3D. Skater 3D is an easy-to-use, 3D printable, tabletop dolly for DSLR and mirrorless cameras. It is a 3D printable version of their now-discontinued PocketSkater 2 tabletop dolly. The recommended camera load is 2.5 kg or less.
Edelkrone provides the CNC machined aluminum parts that are hard to replicate at a cost of £27 (+VAT). Then the company will offer an STL file containing the model, which customers will manufacture and assemble using their own 3D printer. The 3D printers tested and approved by Edelkrone are Ultimaker, Prusa i3MK3S and Zaxe.
The two front wheels of Skater 3D are bound and rotate together. By adjusting the two front wheels of Skater 3D, the parallax effect can be easily achieved for product shots and interviews. Setting motion curves can now be done in seconds without having to adjust separate wheels. For a slider-like linear camera motion and dolly in/out shots, users simply need to rotate the wheels by aligning the indents.
Skater3D is compatible with all tripod heads, magic arms, and the FlexTILT Head 3D. When used in combination with FlexTILT Head 3D, camera angle, height, rotation and center of gravity can be easily adjusted to achieve perfect balance and stability.
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Featured image shows the FlexTILT Head 3D tripod head used with the Skater 3D dolly (left) and the Skater 3D dolly. Photo via Edelkrone.
