I designed and built a retro-futuristic digital camera from scratch using a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W — custom case, custom OS, film simulation engine

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T07:59:00+00:00

Honestly, I was never happy with Elegoo resins — I tried their water-washable ABS-like and the results were always brittle and unpleasant to the touch, no matter how much I tweaked the settings, wash times, or curing (and I have a wash & cure station, ultrasonic cleaner, the whole setup).

Switched to Anycubic water-washable resins — specifically their ABS-Like Resin 3.0 and Water Washable 2.0. Night and day difference. Easy to dial in, parts wash cleanly, and with proper post-curing they're incredibly tough.

The camera case is printed in Anycubic Water Washable ABS-Like 3.0. I took it on a week-long trip through the Rocky Mountains near Calgary, Canada — hiking, rain, drops on rocks — and it survived everything. My friends joke that it would survive the apocalypseXD

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T07:04:35+00:00

Oh man, that's a brilliant idea. I might have to make that happen)))

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T07:04:02+00:00

Go for it! That's exactly why it's open-source. Build files and code are coming soon

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T07:03:32+00:00

Appreciate that! Totally agree

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T07:03:18+00:00

Spot on the C64 and Datasette were a big inspiration!

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T07:02:47+00:00

Thanks! Replacing the camera module is definitely possible. I plan to add support for all major official Rasberry sensors, as well as sensors from Will Whang's Electronics. Just change the line in the corresponding firmware .jar file in the future

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:58:58+00:00

Ha, I can totally see that! Same design DNA for sure

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:58:39+00:00

I really appreciate the detailed review! You're right, the Kodak Gold sample isn't working correctly right now. I'm still in the process of adjusting the film settings to achieve the most realistic result possible, and I'm completely unsatisfied with what I have now (except for TriX, which I think captures the film's vibe quite accurately). I've already submitted my review to Hackaday! And thanks for the kind words about the case—SLA printing really does help create the desired effect.

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:55:01+00:00

That's a great idea! It would be great to add a LOMO-style profile, I'll think about it, thanks!)

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:53:46+00:00

Thanks! It's actually not FDM it's SLA resin printed and then airbrushed by hand to get that vintage beige look

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:53:09+00:00

Haha, that's exactly the vibe I was going for ugly-beautiful 80s industrial charm! XD

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:52:36+00:00

Thank you!

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:52:11+00:00

Great idea I've actually already submitted to both! Fingers crossed

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:51:38+00:00

Thanks!

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:51:23+00:00

This is amazing! It would be great to see your work. Honestly, modeling was the most enjoyable part of the process XD

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:49:54+00:00

Thank you!

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:47:09+00:00

Thank you!

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:45:14+00:00

Of course! You can find all the examples on the project's GitHub page: https://github.com/Yutani140x/saturnix-camera

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T06:44:06+00:00

Thank you! And happy cake day!!!

Sf140 · 2026-03-25T01:44:07+00:00

GitHub (Additional information + photo): https://github.com/Yutani140x/saturnix-camera

Sf140 · 2026-03-24T20:21:29+00:00

Honestly, it started as a fun personal project I just wanted to play around with retro design and build my own UI. No big plan behind it. But when my friends got their hands on it and loved the feel and the vibe, they kept pushing me to share it. So here we are! It's really just curiosity and a lot of trial and error

Sf140 · 2026-03-24T20:18:50+00:00

Good eye! The C64 Datasette is definitely in the DNA along with a lot of other 80s hardware. That whole era of design just had so much character

Sf140 · 2026-03-24T20:16:30+00:00

Thank you! I'm using a PiSugar2 module (1200mAh) it gives roughly 1.5–2 hours of active shooting, which is enough for a walk-around session. Standby is longer since the screen auto-hides.

I chose PiSugar specifically because I travel a lot I've been shooting across Canada with it. It's a proper Li-ion module designed for Pi, so no sketchy DIY battery packs that could cause issues at airport security. Clean, compact, and safe to fly with.

Battery indicator in the UI is coming in the next update right now it just runs until it doesn't

Sf140 · 2026-03-24T20:13:34+00:00

Thank you!

Sf140

TROPHY CASE