The formula of a Raspberry Pi camera is such that it’s almost a self-assembly kit of parts. Over the years we’ve seen a lot of attempts to make one that’s more impressive, usually due to a different take on a case design. It’s not often we see something genuinely out of the ordinary, and perhaps [Strange Inventions] has made one. He’s produced an instant camera where the “film” is a removable cartridge containing a color e-paper display.
It’s a straightforward enough idea: the camera writes the image to the display, and since these displays are persistent, there it stays. The displays connect via headers, and the cartridge slips in in a similar manner to a console game cartridge. They’re not cheap, but at least unlike a Polaroid or Instax cartridge, they are reusable.
You’ll have to pay up if you want to download the files, but it’s not outrageously expensive if you really want to build one. But perhaps the key here is that it’s not something beyond the abilities of the average Hackaday reader to make their own. We’re sure this idea will be expanded upon by others in due course.
Meanwhile, if it’s simpler instant photography you crave, you can always print the real thing.