Drawings of Canon camera bodies?

I am interested in creating (or better yet, downloading) 3D models of the exterior of Canon cameras for use in the design of accessories such as flash brackets. I don't need any of the internal components or circuitry. I only want the outer envelope of the cameras with the location of attachment points, controls, LCD, etc.

Does anyone know if there are somewhat detailed, dimensioned drawings available for the Canon bodies? Or, does anyone know who I might contact at Canon to check into the availability of such models or drawings?

www.dpreview.com

DocFrankenstein wrote in post #2329921
www.dpreview.com

Doc,

Thanks, Doc. But if you are referring to the information in the reviews that dpreview publishes, I am looking for something much, much more detailed than that. For instance, a drawing that has dimensions locating each button, indicates the size of each button, details the precise location of the tripod mount and shows the thread specification, details the precise location of the lens mount, dimensions the contours of the body, etc. If there are more detailed drawings on the dpreview site, please let me know because I haven't been able to find any.

I have never seen the types of drawings for which I am looking published anywhere. But, there are lots of places I haven't been. My hunch is that I will have to get such drawings or models directly from Canon (if they are willing to share that info.). I thought maybe someone here might have a good contact inside the company that could help me out or point me in the right direction.

(FYI, we are nearly always able to get this type of information from equipment manufactures when we are using their products in our plants or when we are designing add-ons to their products. Many times, we can get a 3D model directly from the manufacturer and bypass the need for drawings altogether. I wouldn't think the shape of the camera body and location of controls and attachments would be considered top-secret information.)

http://www.dpreview.co​m …ws/canoneos350d​/page4.asp

I was thinking in terms of these pictures. The screw thread is a standard 4*20 I beleive, which is used on almost all cameras.

I've seen a disassembly manual somewhere, but i don't have a link.

Have you tried to contact Canon?

Your looking for the CAD drawings. I'd be suprised if you can find those.

I seem to recall seeing used cameras for sale on the Really Right Stuff site, with the explanation that they buy new cameras in order to develop their camera brackets. It seems to me that if an outfit like Really Right Stuff is not able to obtain these drawings (or at least samples of the cameras to use in their design process) then it's unlikely that Canon is willing to share these at all... though it can't hurt to ask them directly I guess.

A few simple (but, of course, accurate) measurements for each body type should be all that's necessary to produce clearance detail drawings for designing flash brackets, etc.

Moppie wrote in post #2330379
Have you tried to contact Canon?

Well, I'd like to contact Canon. I'm just not sure where or who to call for this sort of thing. Most likely I'd eventually need to talk to someone in engineering. If I don't get any other leads, I'll probably just call their main office here in the US and see where that takes me. I was hoping that some POTN member might have a contact on the inside that could help me out.

hef wrote in post #2330428
Your looking for the CAD drawings. I'd be suprised if you can find those.

You are right, I am basically looking for CAD drawings. (I'm an engineer and have also been the nationwide CAD systems administrator for 2 large corporations.) I'd also be surprised to find them, but you never know for sure until you try. As I've stated before, what I'd really prefer would be an actual 3D model that I could just load into my software and skip the need for drawings altogether. But, drawings would be better than nothing. In either case, I'd guess that they will have to come directly from Canon.

SkipD wrote in post #2330474
A few simple (but, of course, accurate) measurements for each body type should be all that's necessary to produce clearance detail drawings for designing flash brackets, etc.

I guess being an engineer, I might be considered to be a bit anal in the midst of a community of photographers/artists. However, to me it is about more than simple clearances. It is also about making sure controls, LCD panels, etc. are not blocked and are easily accessible. It is about making sure that the flash stays centered over the axis of the lens as the camera is rotated, controlling the location of the center-of-gravity of the assembly, etc. Can this type of design be done without very accurate camera body information? Sure it can. But it involves more trial-and-error than would be otherwise be necessary with a truly engineered solution. In my experience, more accurate information is always a benefit.

BTBeilke wrote in post #2330589
I guess being an engineer, I might be considered to be a bit anal in the midst of a community of photographers/artists. However, to me it is about more than simple clearances. It is also about making sure controls, LCD panels, etc. are not blocked and are easily accessible. It is about making sure that the flash stays centered over the axis of the lens as the camera is rotated, controlling the location of the center-of-gravity of the assembly, etc. Can this type of design be done without very accurate camera body information? Sure it can. But it involves more trial-and-error than would be otherwise be necessary with a truly engineered solution. In my experience, more accurate information is always a benefit.

I'm an engineering type too - I don't build anything, even in my home shop, without doing CAD drawings of the plan. My thoughts were, though, that the drawings of the cameras would not have to be very detailed for the purposes of designing the brackets. Critical dimensions need to be measured for sure. However, much of the rest could be roughed in. I doubt that a full-blown curve-for-curve drawing of the cameras would be needed. Of course, you'd need additional dimensions for the "grip" accessories for the SLR's that don't have them as part of the body (like the 1-series SLR's).

Personally I would be amazed if Canon would release this type of information. If someone came to me and asked for the detailed structural drawings of a building I had designed, they would be turned down rather quickly.

The suggestion to measure the locations of critical components seems the only recourse there is.

Some manufacturers will release certain details to the aftermarket industry because an increase in after marketproducts for a certain core product can increase that core products sales.
Classic examples are the Sony Playstation and some brands and models of Car. e.g the Mazda MX5.

Good luck and let us know if you find any. and of course what you are designing?

Glenn NK wrote in post #2331620
Personally I would be amazed if Canon would release this type of information. If someone came to me and asked for the detailed structural drawings of a building I had designed, they would be turned down rather quickly.

The suggestion to measure the locations of critical components seems the only recourse there is.

As I stated before, we are able to get this type of information, and many times, actual models directly from manufactures for equipment that we use (and need to design around) in our plants. And the equipment I am talking about may cost several hundred thousand dollars per unit. Some companies do ask us to sign a nondisclousure agreement or a noncompete agreement. But in the end, we normally are able to get the information we need to most efficiently complete our projects. Having said that, I totally understand that a Japanese electronics company may have different policies than the companies with which I normally deal. On the other hand, I can't see how having accessories designed and optimized for their camera bodies can possibly be considered a detriment. It is a win/win situation for both parties IMO.

Also, I would say that I think your analogy to the structural drawings of a building are way off base. IMO, what I am seeking would be more akin to asking for a drawing (or 3D model) of the interior surfaces of a room in the building for which I was doing some sort of design (perhaps a state-of-the-art A/V setup). I am not looking for any information on the proprietary, interior components of the camera such as their IC chip designs or sensor designs. I only want to be able to represent the outer shell of the camera body as accurately as I can. Surely the location of buttons and such is not considered to be a trade secret (or secret of any kind for that matter). I'd be thrilled to just get the actual 3D files for the peices shown in this diagram: http://www.dpreview.co​m …D/Images/constr​uction.gif.

The biggest problem with needing to measure everything myself is that I only have one camera and it is not even a current model. Without physical access to the different camera bodies and grips, it makes is pretty difficult to measure. In that case, I'm left with the dozen or so (or less) dimensions that are shown on some published sketches of various cameras.