3d Printed Lens Gears

[Guillaume Depestele]

After reading this post (Thanks to Sean! You can also look for his lens gears here) and made my own experiment, I think this is worth a thread.

The goal is to make inexpensive lens gears with a 3d printer. I made a test with my Leica-R 28, 50 and 90 :

It was a first iteration and it fits very well, 90 teeths for the whole set and 0.8 mod. Lens gears for the 35 f2 and 135 f2.8 are on their way too.

If you're interested, I can create a website and a database to store all informations (Gears dimensions, links to Shapeways to order the model), and hopefully add more lens gears (I also have several Nikon prime). Models are made with Solidworks.

I honestly don't know standards about diameter of the lens gear (Or number of teeths), so feel free to make special requests.

If you want, you can add dimensions of other lens (Diameter of the focus ring, iris ring, zoom ring, height, etc).

 

[Ron Steinberg]

Following.

 

[Larry McKee]

I am interested in a gear for the 135mm F2.8 when you get that one made.

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Très interressant. Merci

Curious to know do you fix them on the lens.
I would love one day to replace the old adapters I have on my set of zeiss MKI and maybe also create 80mm front ring adapters.

 

[Mathias Erichsen]

Looks great! I'm hopeing to make some for my own lenses.
If I remember correctly I have had 113 teeth (about 92mm diameter) on other gears like this previously..
Hope you make a website so it will be possible to share models (and maybe even find a way to make calculations for new ones?)

 

[Guillaume Depestele]

Curious to know do you fix them on the lens.

I put the gear 30 seconds in my oven at 220°C, thermal expansion make it easy to put on the lens. Very easy to do, in 5 minutes I've made my three lens set. And after that, there is no play! (I was afraid by the eventual play on set)

Maybe some people won't like this (As it's nearly a permenant solution), I'm currently waiting for another batch with several spacing option. Like this, I can offer the " Oven way " (Rock solid) and the other one.

and maybe also create 80mm front ring adapters.

Haha, I think it's a bit tricky with 3d printing

Hope you make a website so it will be possible to share models

The website is comming early 2015 right after Christmas!

 

[Med D]

Sean at followfocusgears.com has been offering this service for a while. I bought gears for all of my lenses from him. His service is incredible, especially for lenses he does not have gears for yet. If you already own a 3D printer you may be able to beat his prices, but if not his pricing is very reasonable. He is known as helicoptersean on eBay I believe, as he sells there in addition to via the followfocusgears site.

 

[Guillaume Depestele]

The database is quite impressive! Well, the cost with shapeways is still two time less (And multicolor materials ? ), but if you have a few more bucks this seems the perfect way

 

[James Gill]

What software are you using for design?

 

[Guillaume Depestele]

What software are you using for design?

I'm using Solid Works.

I don't have time this month to play more with this side projet but here are other tests to complete my Leica set and also my Nikkor primes on the BMPCC (A little useless as it's a travel camera but oh well).

 

[Ben Scott]

Guillaume, if you ever fancy making some more of those Leica ones I'd certainly be interested in buying some off you

 

[Alvise Tedesco]

Moi aussi

 

[Neil Dearman]

Would love to make some for my 24-70 Canon L Series, Sigma 18-35, Sigma 10mm Fish Eye, 50 1.4 Canon. Can you make them I will pay for them or know where I can get them made thanks!!!