Manufacturing camera lenses usually involves years of research, a great deal of capital, and a team of engineers to piece everything together. Not anymore, though.
Photographer Mathieu Stern has created his very own camera lens with the help of a 3D printer.
Motivated by a lifelong dream to create his own lens, Stern got to work. Rather than jumping straight into the 3D modeling phase of the project, though, Stern built the initial prototype out of cardboard. The lens used the basic components from an 1890 lens Stern had as part of his growing collection.
“It was ugly” says Stern, but it focused and was able to be used for measurements.
Stern didn’t have any experience using computer-aided design (CAD) software, so he reached out to a handful of 3D printers to see if they’d be able to make a model out of his measurements. After a handful of turn downs, Stern came across Arnault Coulet, the CEO of a French 3D printing agency called Fabulous.
The measurements were put in, the model was printed, and Stern received the final creation in the mail. The lenses were put in place and the homemade 135mm f/1.8 lens was ready to be mounted onto his Sony A7 II mirrorless camera.
As shown in the video, the lens was able to produce rather impressive results. It seems to be fairly sharp in the middle, with distortion and sharpness falling off toward the outside of the image circle.
Although it’s clear that Stern’s lens isn’t going to put up a fight with even the most affordable lenses on the market, not many people can say they’re shooting with a camera lens they designed entirely on their own.
Full-frame cameras tend to be chunky beasts, but Sigma wants to prove that big imaging doesn't need a big body. Enter the Sigma FP2, the successor to its tiny, boxy fp mirrorless camera. It keeps the same modular design but packs in some serious upgrades, including a 24.5-megapixel partially stacked full-frame sensor, improved autofocus, 6K video recording, and 70GB of built-in storage. Sigma calls it the world's smallest full-frame camera, and while it might be tiny, the same cannot be said for its price tag.
Sigma FP2 brings faster shooting and 6K video
A phone thermal camera is one of those tools you don’t think you need until the first time it saves you from an expensive problem, and the Thermal Master P3 just got easier to try. For Halloween, it’s discounted with the code THERMCAM10, a 10% cut that works out to $107 off the total. It’s also fresh off a win at the 2026 Tom’s Guide AI Awards for best phone thermal camera, which is the kind of third-party nod that separates a serious tool from the cheap clip-on sensors that flood this category.
We are nearing Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, which officially run October 6 and 7. But there is no need to wait until the sale begins to start looking. Early offers are already live, and camera gear is one category where I found enough worthwhile discounts to put together a proper creator-focused list.
I’ve deliberately gone wider than interchangeable-lens cameras here. There are pocket and action cameras, a 360 camera, an instant camera, two wireless microphone systems, and a pair of webcams covering very different budgets. Prices were checked on October 2, and as always with Amazon, they can move quickly.