Plenty of people who enjoy taking pictures or photography probably keep a professional camera close at hand, ready to capture everyday life and everything happening around them.
Japanese photographer Kamitaba (@Kamitaba) recently turned a Panasonic front-door intercom into a digital camera. A photo shot with the modified device received an Honorable Mention at the 2026 Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA), and Kamitaba has since shared details about the build. Once the story hit social media, the wildly unconventional setup quickly became a major talking point.
Kamitaba used a Panasonic VL-SVD505KF, an ordinary front-door intercom found in many homes. To make it easier to shoot with, the photographer gave it a substantial overhaul—essentially a full-armor upgrade. Even so, nearly all the original components from both the indoor monitor and outdoor unit were retained, meaning it still looks unmistakably like an intercom.
Kamitaba also stressed that the modification was not built purely as a joke. It was an experiment in pursuing a distinctive visual effect that conventional cameras could not deliver. Having the resulting image recognized as a genuine artwork by an independent jury made the achievement especially meaningful.
The setup used a Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm F2.8 lens, while the award-winning image was titled "After Monet." Kamitaba now hopes to keep developing and sharing this personal visual language, with the goal of getting viewers interested not only in seeing the photographs but also owning physical prints.
▼ Award-winning photograph "After Monet"
After news of the award spread, congratulatory messages poured in, along with plenty of disbelief over the one-of-a-kind camera rig.
Some commenters noted that even if the project had started as a gag, building something this elaborate was far beyond what most people could pull off. Others praised the dreamlike colors produced by a setup unlike anything else in the world, calling it an artistic style that would be nearly impossible to replicate.
Photography enthusiasts were also surprised to see a Carl Zeiss Jena lens paired with the intercom. One commenter joked that international judges might see the Panasonic VL-SVD505KF model number and mistake it for a LUMIX camera. Others wondered whether the jury even knew the device had originally been designed as a household intercom.
Another commenter pointed out that an intercom already has both a screen and a camera lens, yet it had never occurred to them that the device could break free from its everyday household role and become a genuine tool for photographic art.
This is not Kamitaba's first international photography honor earned with an unusual camera. Last year, a photograph shot with an Anpanman kids' camera also received an Honorable Mention in an international competition. Despite offering a resolution of only around 0.3 megapixels, the toy camera still produced an award-winning image that left a lasting impression online.
So when Kamitaba returned with an award-winning camera built from a door intercom, fans were impressed by the apparent evolution from an Anpanman kids' camera to household security hardware. Many argued that these devices are more than novelty props: Kamitaba keeps pushing their photographic limits until their quirks become a distinctive creative strength.
The Panasonic intercom camera was not Kamitaba's only winner. The following day, the photographer announced that another image, shot with Takara Tomy's Onegai AiPri Smartphone children's toy from the anime series Himitsu no AIPRI, had won Bronze at the 2026 Budapest International Foto Awards. Titled "Unbothered," the photograph competed in the Special Categories / Digitally Enhanced category.
▼ Award-winning photograph "Unbothered"
From an Anpanman kids' camera and an idol-anime toy smartphone to a Panasonic door intercom, Kamitaba continues to explore photographic combinations few people would ever imagine. The results prove that creative possibilities are not necessarily limited by a device's specifications. Entering photography competitions with gear like this is one thing—actually winning takes serious skill.
Anyone curious to see more of Kamitaba's work can check out the photographer's X account and YouTube channel.
via： X@かみたば/Kamitaba