3D Printable Photopistol Upgrades Your Camera With ‘Literal Point-And-Shoot’ Capability

The Photopistol is a 3D printable mod that has been making the rounds online this week, with STLs available on Prusa Research’s model repository, Printables.

Its design is a shot (no pun intended) at recreating the Soviet-era Photosniper lens kit, with a semi-modular pistol grip and two-stage trigger release that “turns any lightweight camera that supports a wired shutter release into a literal point-and-shoot-camera.”

Overall, the Photopistol seems to be a fun, relatively simple print, if not something of a novelty. The downside? Those with larger, heavier cameras might want to sit this one out for now – although they seemingly won’t have long to wait. The heavier-duty “Photorifle” is set for an estimated Christmastime launch, according to a recent Reddit post.

“The goal is to have a compact Photopistol for smaller cameras and lenses, a modular Photorifle with replaceable sections to support heavier telephoto lenses, and an over-the-top Photozooka … for massive lenses,” wrote Reddit user TH1813254617, the designer behind the Photopistol.

Also on the horizon are a grip plug, “magazines” for battery and SD card storage, and insets in various colors. A build guide for the Photopistol is bundled with the STL files, as is a list of extra materials needed for its assembly – such as M3 nuts and bolts, two JL012-13.5-2 microswitches, and some soldering skills, according to the Printables page.