3D Printer Layer Cam (Nozzle Cam) - Prusa Mini

I have always looked after a good camera setup for my 3D printer, and one of the challenges was finding a good camera angle. With a traditional setup, it was hard for me to see the first layers when printing, and checking small prints. Most of the time the hotend was blocking the camera view. Then, I saw someone put a camera ON the hotend. Genius! This way, you can always see the layers when printing!

I used an Endoscope, because of the small size and relatively close focus distance. The focus distance is not that big of a problem for me, because I wanted to position the camera a little further back to see the whole layer being printed. If you want even closer focus distance for a real nozzle cam, you can use an otoscope camera (ear camera). These cameras can be a bit bigger though.

Supplies

- Endoscope (AliExpress or Amazon) (Soft cable)

WARNING: The Otoscope WILL NOT fit the Prusa Mini Mount I desgined, so you will need to find your own way to mount it. It is also a lot bigger, so you might have to disassemble it.

- Otoscope (AliExpress or Amazon)

Step 1: Watch the Video!

Watch the video!

Step 2: Mounting

The printer I wanted to mount the endoscope to is a Prusa Mini. I wanted it to be simple to attach and remove, therefore I designed it to pressure fit onto the fan. You can secure it with a M4 bolt and nut, but in my case the pressure fit was secure enough. I used some Zip-ties to fix the wire to the wire loop.

You can the file here:

PrusaPrinters.org

Step 3: Connect the Camera

The camera is a USB camera, so you can plug it into the USB port of your Raspberry Pi if you use octoprint or similar. You can also plug it into a computer to record, livestream, or to display it on a monitor. I found the camera surprisingly useful for troubleshooting failed prints, because now I could see exactly what happened with the print.

Octoprint setup:

Follow this great video by Teaching Tech on how to set up Octoprint with an Endoscope.