ptpdprinter
Veteran
The lens may be better, but the limitation is the format and film. I'm not sure I get what else the camera brings to the table.
mich rassena
Well-known
I'd like to see the work of a professional using this camera and film. If this truly is aimed at professionals, then they should be able to use it to great effect. What I've seen so far are more in the realm of snapshots, which is a look already obtainable on the cheapest Instax bodies.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
That depends on what you consider "serious", the reason to use the camera. I don't know what "serious" results are. For sure, it's not a professional camera going to be used to do assignments... unless they are very unusual assignments.
G
taemo
eat sleep shoot
Can't really blame Fuji alone for killing instant film, as over a decade ago the demand for instant cameras and Polaroid was dying due to digital cameras.
From what I read, Instax Wide was available either late 90s or early 2000s but couldnt sell them outside of Japan due to legal restriction from Polaroid.
Polaroid going bankrupt may have opened the way for Fuji to make Instax Wide and Instax available to the rest.
On a YT interviews with Gary Ho (found of Mint), he was asked why he decided to go with Fujifilm Instax Wide and the reason was because he felt Fuji Instax had more longevity than Polaroid/Impossible Project.
Take note that MINT also made a Instax TLR and Polaroid P&S
Average price in CAD$ seems to be as follow
Fuji FP-100c (10 prints) - $39.99
Polaroid 600 B&W (8 prints) - $27.99
Fuji Instax Wide (20 prints) - $19.99
Fuji Instax (10 prints) - $9.99
Main reason I never got into Instant Film was because they are really expensive.
I currently have a Instax Neo Classic that I use to document our little one and long-exposure landscape, great little camera but I find the print to be small hence why I want an Instax Wide camera with manual controls (shutter speed and aperture changeable, Bulb mode).
A roll of Ektar 100 120 is $10 here, then another $10 to get it developed will yield me 12 6x6 shots.
A box of Instax Wide is $20 and will yield me 20 prints.
So shooting instax wide will be cheaper than 120 in the long run
I get what you are saying, but the price tag is very steep for a camera with toy camera results. We are wondering if there is a true improvement vs. other cameras. I would think so...
That said, of course the original consumer polaroids were used by artists and if those artworks sell, then they are serious. Who knows...
Huss
Veteran
Fuji's Instax products a by far and away their most profitable. It is what is keeping their digital camera division afloat.
Far more likely for them to pull the plug (!) on their digital division and it is not making money.
But... I'm talking about the Instax Mini. Not sure how much of a seller the wide is, especially seeing how incredibly ugly Fuji's Wide camera offering is. The Minis are cute, in many colours and include the retro one that Leica uses as a basis for the Sofort.
Huss
Veteran
taemo
eat sleep shoot
This was my main issue with Instax Wide too as there was no advanced Wide camera unlike the Neo Classic which could do Bulb mode or double exposure.
I even tried using Instax Wide on 4x5 but there;s no easy way on doing it nor a company interested on creating a holder (although Rezivot tried but it was just vaporware)
So really, I'm hoping that the RF70 will give this film some exposure as it is twice the size of the Instax mini
RLG
Established
There is one, the Lomo'Instant Wide has advanced features but the main issue with that camera is exposure. You do not have control, the camera decides itself between f8 or f22 and that leads many times to overexposure in certain situations and the EV compensation does not always help. The use of ND filter(s) also does not give the required result. With the MiNT InstantkonRF70 you can shoot in automatic mode or in fully manual control over f-stop and shutter speed.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
The Lomo Instant Square seems similar to the Instant Wide model and has the same issues ... exposure control is limited. At least you have B mode for time exposures, and focus control.
The most manually controllable instant film camera currently available is MiNT's own SLR670s model, which is built on a refurbished SX-70: Manually settable shutter times from 1s to 1/2000s plus B and T, as well as auto modes for both 600 and 100 (SX-70) speed films. When in manual setting mode, it locks the aperture to f/8. (I have the SLR670m model, which lacks the auto mode for ISO 600 film.)
My testing with the PO B&W 600 film lead me to believe it has another half a stop or so worth of latitude compared to the older Impossible emulsion. This will make it more capable of being used with the SLR670m successfully ... I found in the past that that high contrast of the 600 film was a problem with the manual settings since the shutter speed settings are at 1 stop intervals and the film had only about half to three-quarter stop worth of latitude at best.
Lots more testing ... and some pictures! ... to come.
G
The most manually controllable instant film camera currently available is MiNT's own SLR670s model, which is built on a refurbished SX-70: Manually settable shutter times from 1s to 1/2000s plus B and T, as well as auto modes for both 600 and 100 (SX-70) speed films. When in manual setting mode, it locks the aperture to f/8. (I have the SLR670m model, which lacks the auto mode for ISO 600 film.)
My testing with the PO B&W 600 film lead me to believe it has another half a stop or so worth of latitude compared to the older Impossible emulsion. This will make it more capable of being used with the SLR670m successfully ... I found in the past that that high contrast of the 600 film was a problem with the manual settings since the shutter speed settings are at 1 stop intervals and the film had only about half to three-quarter stop worth of latitude at best.
Lots more testing ... and some pictures! ... to come.
G
RLG
Established
I also have the Lomo’Instant Square. Upto now used 4 packs of film. Have to say the exposure is much more consistent when compared to the Wide version. Out of approx 40 photos 1 was underexposed and 1 overexposed. With the wide only 50-60% is a keeper. The Fuji mini 90 neo classic however does a better job with exposures outdoors during day.
The MiNT SLR 670m is from what I’ve seen and read fabulous with the Time Machine. I’m was a pioneer at Impossible and since the film became Polaroid Originals I only used two packs of color 600 in my SLR 680. I obtained mixed results and contacted Polaroid Originals. They gave good advise, further testing to be continued. Still find the SX-70 or SLR 680 a joy to use and if I compare a photo of the same subject taken with the Lomo Square and the SLR680, color fidelity of the Instax is better but the picture looks small next to the Polaroid.
The MiNT SLR 670m is from what I’ve seen and read fabulous with the Time Machine. I’m was a pioneer at Impossible and since the film became Polaroid Originals I only used two packs of color 600 in my SLR 680. I obtained mixed results and contacted Polaroid Originals. They gave good advise, further testing to be continued. Still find the SX-70 or SLR 680 a joy to use and if I compare a photo of the same subject taken with the Lomo Square and the SLR680, color fidelity of the Instax is better but the picture looks small next to the Polaroid.
BillBingham2
Registered User
I have to agree that $900 is a small boat load o cash, sadly well out side of any thing I can think about for several moons.
BUT, if you can afford the outlay, longer term you can get free film is you share 4 of your shots from the pack via Instagram. My guess is they want rights to use them. So keep your GREAT stuff and share the OK stuff.
I have to say, I need to find a rich father to adopt me and give me a small loan of $1M USD........
B2 (;->
BUT, if you can afford the outlay, longer term you can get free film is you share 4 of your shots from the pack via Instagram. My guess is they want rights to use them. So keep your GREAT stuff and share the OK stuff.
I have to say, I need to find a rich father to adopt me and give me a small loan of $1M USD........
B2 (;->
Fjäll
■̷̛̈́̉̓́̽&
In case anyone manage to resist the GAS - here is another 75 available:
https://mint-camera.com/about-instantkon-rf70/8/3419/b0ad219d331f50ecdd592f72a5c2496e
https://mint-camera.com/about-instantkon-rf70/8/3419/b0ad219d331f50ecdd592f72a5c2496e
brbo
Well-known
How to get the free films:
...
3. As a token of appreciation, we will send you a pack of free film for every 4 qualifying photos.
...
mich rassena
Well-known
Can't really blame Fuji alone for killing instant film, as over a decade ago the demand for instant cameras and Polaroid was dying due to digital cameras.
From what I read, Instax Wide was available either late 90s or early 2000s but couldnt sell them outside of Japan due to legal restriction from Polaroid.
Polaroid going bankrupt may have opened the way for Fuji to make Instax Wide and Instax available to the rest.
On a YT interviews with Gary Ho (found of Mint), he was asked why he decided to go with Fujifilm Instax Wide and the reason was because he felt Fuji Instax had more longevity than Polaroid/Impossible Project.
Take note that MINT also made a Instax TLR and Polaroid P&S
Average price in CAD$ seems to be as follow
Fuji FP-100c (10 prints) - $39.99
Polaroid 600 B&W (8 prints) - $27.99
Fuji Instax Wide (20 prints) - $19.99
Fuji Instax (10 prints) - $9.99
Main reason I never got into Instant Film was because they are really expensive.
I currently have a Instax Neo Classic that I use to document our little one and long-exposure landscape, great little camera but I find the print to be small hence why I want an Instax Wide camera with manual controls (shutter speed and aperture changeable, Bulb mode).
A roll of Ektar 100 120 is $10 here, then another $10 to get it developed will yield me 12 6x6 shots.
A box of Instax Wide is $20 and will yield me 20 prints.
So shooting instax wide will be cheaper than 120 in the long run
I don't think FP-100C belongs on this list. It's discontinued, so quite a bit more expensive than when it was in production, almost 2x. It would definitely be foolish to build a new camera system on this format.
Instax wide is in my opinion a very reasonable platform to build on versus Polaroid/Impossible. But it's still at the mercy of a single manufacturer and thus a single point of failure. Relying on proprietary film in a $900 camera makes me nervous.
Steve M.
Veteran
I think it's technically possible to make very good instant film. Once had a little bitty i-Zone instant camera that took beautiful photos. But they were also very small.
RLG
Established
Fujifilm released the Instax Wide and the mini in Europe somewhere in 1999-2000. At that time in the wide format there was the Instax 100 and the 500AF. The latter can now be found online, second hand at a premium price. Compared to the current Instax wide 300 the 500AF has a 3 element lens, flash off mode and is autofocus from 60 cm. Max. shutter speed is 1/125 but it handles bright light good. I suppose the aperture changes.
Instax cameras and film were that time not available in the USA. From 1999 unto now there has been Instax film, recently also the Instax Square film was released.
For Fujifilm Instax is a big cashcow. I don't think it will disappear quickly. When other manufacturers also make cameras (Lomography, MiNT, etc) it means they sell even more Instax film. Just my two cents.
taemo
eat sleep shoot
Bumping this as I finally received an email from MINT stating that my RF70 is on its way.
Has anyone received theirs? How long did the shipping take, I'm hoping to receive mine by end of the week but most likely not until next week.
Very excited, I bought 5 packages of Instax Wide in preparation.
Has anyone received theirs? How long did the shipping take, I'm hoping to receive mine by end of the week but most likely not until next week.
Very excited, I bought 5 packages of Instax Wide in preparation.
Steve M.
Veteran
I wonder why they didn't make a version of the RF70 that shot 120 roll film? I might have bought something like that. In fact, I suspect a lot of people would buy it if it was priced right. Imagine, a brand new folder that shot 120 and was reasonably priced! The plastic wouldn't have bothered me a bit.
brbo
Well-known
I can imagine liking a Seagull folder (or something similar) just as much as something new with plastic lens. And I can buy 10 of them for the price and still have money left for film.
Not to mention that once you are in the $1000 price range you can start looking for a 120 rangefinder folder that is in an entirely different class than RF70.
RF70 (as it is) makes perfect sense for instant film only, IMHO.