Happy International Lego Day! If you didn't know it was a thing, well, now you do. And to celebrate, here's a look at some brilliant cameras made of Lego – including one that actually "takes" Lego photographs!
• Read more: Best cameras for kids
None of these are official Lego products (yet) but are instead the work of avid fans and in some cases Lego inventors, who create all manner of brick-based reproductions that are submitted to the Danish toy company in the hope of being commercially produced. Well, with the exception of the last entry…
Lego Instax Mini
This brilliant design for a Lego Instax Mini camera by MScarletto07, which actually "takes" Lego Instax Mini film "prints", was featured on the official Lego Ideas website.
The design features a white camera, which is very close to the actual dimensions of a real Instax Mini 11. It can be loaded with a Lego instant photograph, likewise very close to the proper dimensions of Instax Mini film, and features a mechanism that ejects the photo – and even rotates the picture counter indicator as it does so.
You can read more about the Lego Instax Mini here.
Lego Olympus OM-1
Another design that was submitted to the Lego Ideas group – the official Lego community where prospective designers suggest product ideas to the company – is this fantastic camera based on the iconic Olympus OM-1, one of the best film cameras ever made.
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Of course, being so close to an official product could cause potential headaches when it comes to actually marketing a finished product. "To avoid licensing hassles I've called it a generic film camera," said the designer, David Hansel. Though we're sure that OM Digital Solutions would probably love the idea of licensing the OM-1…
Find out more about the Lego Olympus OM-1.
"Lego" Leica M
Okay, this one is a little bit of a cheat as it's an official Leica product, but doesn't seem to be an official Lego one – it was only released as a limited edition on the website of the Leica Miami Store.
It came in both black and brown but, while Leica has done a good job finding bricks to reproduce the various components, one big thing missing is the iconic red dot. Otherwise, though, it's a very nifty collectible.
You can see more images of the Lego Leica M here.
Read more:
Best instant cameras
Best Olympus cameras
Best Leica cameras
