About Us

How I Got Into Making Cameras

Boredom might be the greatest motivator for creativity.

A few years ago, I was stuck at home during the pandemic, bored out of my mind, staring at a Pi Zero and a broken camera. I figured, “Maybe I can build a camera?” I had no idea what I was doing. I sucked at soldering, didn’t own a 3D printer, and only knew the basics of Python. The first attempt was literally held together with tape and hope. But it worked… sorta.

That messy experiment led me down a rabbit hole of 3D printing, electronics, coding, and endless trial and error. And honestly? I’ve been hooked ever since.

I’ve always been a DIY kinda person

When I was a kid, I made toys out of pipe cleaners.
As a teenager, I built and welded bicycles.
In my 20s, I started modifying cars.

I’ve always gotten more joy out of making or modifying something than just buying it finished. Cameras became my latest obsession — and easily the deepest one.

The builds got better. And weirder.

A few months after the tape-job camera, I started cutting up old camera bodies, wiring in generic switches from the hardware store, and hot-gluing dollar store phone batteries in place. I eventually scored a cheap 3D printer off Facebook Marketplace for $80 and began refining the design with printed parts and pieces scavenged from a black Yashica Electro 35.

Then something wild happened — my camera build got featured on PetaPixel. Seeing people actually excited about this Frankenstein creation was a huge moment for me. Later on, Hackaday would feature one of my builds too. The momentum kept pushing me further.

Today — I’m three years in and just getting started

I’ve built multiple versions, with better sensors, cleaner bodies, and software that keeps evolving. Each camera teaches me something new. Pushing the limits of what you can do at home with a Raspberry Pi and a 3D printer has been insanely rewarding — and I’m nowhere near done experimenting.

If you can dream it, you can build it.

That’s what this place is about.

Why Camera Hacks exists

This project isn’t about chasing the best specs or competing with giant brands. It’s about giving photographers a camera they can shape, learn from, and make uniquely theirs. A tool that encourages curiosity, not conformity.

Whether you want a full build, a kit to assemble, or just the files to start hacking — I want to make it easier for others to experience the same joy I did when I realized…

“Hey, I actually built a camera.”

Thank you for being here.
Whether you’re buying a camera, modding your own build, or just following along — it means the world.

If you ever have ideas, questions, or wild concepts you want to run past me, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Let’s keep building cool stuff together.

— Malcolm-Jay