All you need to create your own Sitina-1 open-source camera is a 3D printer, an electronics lab, and to become a whiz at coding…
There's no denying that the Sinita-1 looks pretty cool for something created by an enthusiast in his spare time, and its maker is telling you all you need to know to make your own(Image credit: Wenting Zhang)
Is there any such thing as the perfect camera? There's always some feature or other missing from the specs list that you wish your own camera had. So if you're not satisfied, why not build your own?
The Sitina-1 is an open-source camera project currently being developed by electronics enthusiast Wenting Zhang. Hand-built from the ground up, it comprises a 3D-printed chassis, custom-made circuit boards and a bunch of readily available components (sensor, LCD screen, lens mount), made to work together with thousands of lines of computer code.
Wenting's video of his labor of love shows him painstakingly hand-assembling circuit boards, screwing the custom-made body parts together and even welding his own battery packs. It makes for a fascinating watch:
Building an open-source full-frame CCD camera PART II - YouTube
The camera is equipped with a full-frame sensor, and uses the Sony Active E-Mount, so it can use lenses intended for the Sony Alpha cameras. But otherwise, the tech specs in the current incarnation are unlikely to have Nikon, Canon or Sony losing any sleep: 10Mp images, 5fps max shooting rate, 100-6400 ISO range, no EVF and no video. But it's a work-in-progress, subject to continuous improvement over time.
As an open-source project, Wenting shares all the technical info on this Sinita-1 project page; including the files you'll need to instruct a 3D printer, circuit diagrams and his computer code. And the results aren't half-bad: scroll through his sample shots below.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Wenting Zhang)
(Image credit: Wenting Zhang)
(Image credit: Wenting Zhang)
But why bother? It's a question that Wenting asks himself: "This is the most time-consuming project I've ever done and at the same time it's really hard to mass-produce or profit from. It just sounds like a bad deal, so why did I do this project? The reason is mostly just for fun. I've been into photography and electronics DIY for a while so I just thought it would be fun if I could make my own camera. Don't get me wrong, I don't have any problem with my existing camera, and there is really no need to build my own, it's just for fun."
So perhaps you're better off with an off-the-shelf camera after all. Here's our guide to the best mirrorless cameras
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Prior to joining digitalcameraworld.com as News Editor, Adam was the editor of N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine for seven years, and as such is one of Digital Camera World's leading experts when it comes to all things Nikon-related.
Whether it’s reviews and hands-on tests of the latest Nikon cameras and lenses, sharing his skills using filters, tripods, lighting, L brackets and other photography equipment, or trading tips and techniques on shooting landscapes, wildlife and almost any genre of photography, Adam is always on hand to provide his insights.
Prior to his tenure on N-Photo, Adam was also a veteran of publications such as PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, so his wealth of photographic knowledge isn’t solely limited to the Big N.
