Content creator brand Insta360 has announced an exciting team-up with 3D printing manufacturer Bambu Lab, in a co-marketing collaboration to offer official design files for its Luna Ultra camera. There will also be a Luna Ultra Design Challenge, as well as an official Insta360 brand page launching on MakerWorld.
What this means in English – is that consumers who own or purchase Insta360's new flagship gimbal camera will be able to download official STL & 3MF design files for free to 3D print precision-fit accessories for the camera at home.
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For those who already own one of the best 3D printers, this is excellent news. Makers will be able to avoid what is sometimes a lengthy and painstaking process of using 3D modelling software and printing prototypes to create something themselves, since the perfect file for the Luna Ultra will already exist.
Insta360 joins the roster of tech companies gradually getting on board with 3D printing, and it makes history in the process too, as the first camera brand (hopefully of many) to make its own design files public like this, while opening up camera hardware customisation for the creative community.
I think partnering with Bambu Lab is a great move on Insta360's part, and I also applauded Borderlands 4 creators for doing a similar thing last year. GearBox and 2K partnered with Printables to launch official 3D Borderlands helmet files to coincide with the game's release, and it went down a treat with cosplayers.
• See my guide on how to 3D print cosplay props for tips.
Showing support for 3D printing has plenty of benefits. It rewards the fans/consumers with something they can create at home, it takes minimal effort to provide if the design files already exist, all while drawing away from nasty IP disputes (which, in my opinion, will always be inevitable when 3D printing for personal use), and not to mention that it's genius from a promotional and marketing perspective too.
The Luna Ultra Design Challenge is a 3D modelling competition running from now until August 9th. It's hosted on MakerWorld, Bambu Lab's 3D platform, and is open to designers, engineers, and creators. The brief is to think outside of the box and design personalised, practical add-ons or custom creative mods for the Insta360 Luna Ultra.
Creatives without a 3D printer can get involved too, as there's a separate track of the competition that encourages filmmakers and imaging enthusiasts to share original DIY modifications, hand-drawn design concepts, or creative accessory ideas for the Luna Ultra on social media - with the hashtags #PrintForLuna, #BambuLab, and #Insta360LunaUltra.
A total of 40 winners will split a $11,160 prize pool consisting of Luna Ultra bundles and Bambu Lab printers up for grabs. The best submissions will also be developed into real products with Insta360 and Bambu Lab.
I've been saying for a while that brand collaborations such as this need to happen more frequently, as opposed to the usual cycle of companies getting irritated with users creating their own accessories rather than shopping for official gear. The reality is: we are in a cost-of-living crisis, and there's no better time to be creative and resourceful than now.
Would you 3D print your own camera accessories? Let me know in the comments below. I already tried it for my Sony and Canon cameras, and had great results printing a spare lens cap plus battery storage.
