Finally!! The instant camera we want!

[RichC]

I'm really disappointed with the Mint, judging by all the results I've seen so far. Full focus and exposure control for almost $1000? Awesome, and for that price that means that it would be super high quality. But the lens is frankly terrible. So 'glowy' at wide apoertures it looks like it is out of focus. Not great stopped down.
Not for me.

Terrible pincushion distortion too... Nope!

 

[Skiff]

Per Fuji, the Instax film is specified as having a resolving power of 10 lines/mm.

It are about 12 linepairs per millimeter. Which is quite a lot concerning the size of the final picture.

I can't speak for the MiNT camera, but I have a pair of 300's - one as sold by Fuji, the other with a 100mm Rodenstock Sironar-N transplanted in place of the stock plastic lens. Although Instax obviously can't record anywhere near the information that standard roll film or sheet film can, the Rodenstock lens does deliver distinctly better image quality on Instax than the standard Fuji plastic lens does, so in that sense the film is not the limiting factor when evaluating the stock Fuji cameras. Part of that is the ability to focus more precisely compared to the Fuji's crude zone focus, part of it is the inherently better quality of the lens.

+1.
I've seen pictures from 4x5" cameras with an attached / hacked Belair instax back. The results with the LF lenses (Rodenstock and Schneider) were excellent. And much better than the results from the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 camera.
The film can indeed deliver better image quality with better lenses (and more precise focussing).

Anyway, thanks to those who have a MiNT camera for sharing your impressions and results - I'll be interested to see more!

+1.

 

[RLG]

I've just been looking at samples from the Fuji 500AF - an Instax Wide with auto focus.
They blow the Mint away. For a fraction of the price.
I wonder why Fuji :
1/ did not import it to the US
and
b/ discontinued it after only a few years?

From what I've read online or books:

a)In those years Polaroid had an agreement with Fujifilm that resulted in the fact that the Fuji Instant products were not allowed to be distributed in the USA.
b)That's a question I also continue to have. Probable the production of the 500AF was not profitable enough?

Earlier Fuji Instax cameras like the 500AF, mini 20 & 30 had a 3- element lens, later Fuji switched to 2- element lens system. Probable cheaper in production.

 

[Oren Grad]

It are about 12 linepairs per millimeter. Which is quite a lot concerning the size of the final picture.

Yes. That's not enough to look razor-sharp on close inspection, but not every picture needs to look razor-sharp on close inspection. Used effectively, it's plenty enough to make pictures that work beautifully.

 

[taemo]

After a week of use I'm really happy with it now. The two shots below were metered with my Sekonic L308s.

Yeah, I rarely use A mode because I find that I'm shooting the camera with the ND4 most of the time so I might have to start bringing my L-508.
I might break the ND2 filter so that I can attach a threaded filter, the glass on the filter seems to be 36mm, inner diameter of the filter is 40mm so I'm hoping a 39-49mm step-up ring should do (I plan on using ND64, ND1000 and CPL).

Shot some instax earlier today and did a f/5.6 vs f/8 comparison.
RF70 + Instax Wide by Earl Dieta, on Flickr
RF70 + Instax Wide by Earl Dieta, on Flickr

 

[Huss]

Yeah, I rarely use A mode because I find that I'm shooting the camera with the ND4 most of the time so I might have to start bringing my L-508.
I might break the ND2 filter so that I can attach a threaded filter, the glass on the filter seems to be 36mm, inner diameter of the filter is 40mm so I'm hoping a 39-49mm step-up ring should do (I plan on using ND64, ND1000 and CPL).

Shot some instax earlier today and did a f/5.6 vs f/8 comparison.
RF70 + Instax Wide by Earl Dieta, on Flickr
RF70 + Instax Wide by Earl Dieta, on Flickr

Are you sure those are labelled correctly? The F8 image should have more in focus/greater DOF than the F5.6 one

 

[taemo]

Are you sure those are labelled correctly? The F8 image should have more in focus/greater DOF than the F5.6 one

yup positive, I took another shot at f/8 and shutter speed, same look

 

[brbo]

So you are saying that with the same distance to the subject, f8 dof is narrower (and contrast lower) than f5,6?

Mint should get a proper lens for the RF70 mkII.

 

[Huss]

yup positive, I took another shot at f/8 and shutter speed, same look

That is bizarre. Unless the lens peaks at 5.6 then falls apart.

Can you make a visual check to see if 5.6 is bigger than 8?

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

The background of the f/8 photo is not blurrier than the background of the 5.6. The overexposure just makes it look that way overall. Look closely at the bottom part of the tree trunk—5.6 is a little smoother as you’d expect.

 

[taemo]

here's a different branch shot at 1/250 and f/8 that same day
rf70-3 by e Dieta, on Flickr

Winter came early this year in Calgary
rf70-4 by e Dieta, on Flickr

 

[taemo]

came back from Hawaii with over 60 exposed sheets, never had much fun shooting with a camera since the GF670 and the Xpan.
learned quite a few from this trip, particularly how the camera goes through batteries quickly (maybe 10-15 packs per 2x AA) and how small the dynamic range is of instax wide (3-4 stops).
B&W is definitely sharper and better for long exposure.

instax-018 by e Dieta, on Flickr

instax-017 by e Dieta, on Flickr

instax-016 by e Dieta, on Flickr

instax-015 by e Dieta, on Flickr

 

[analoged]

Nice set! Looks like you had fun over here!

 

[ptpdprinter]

The objective quality of Instax looks terrible, but in the right hands I can see how it could have its own aesthetic.

 

[B-9]

I have to agree,

Although it was always going to be an expensive niche item, some of us had hoped for a better lens.

In the right hands, like our members above, I look forward to seeing more interesting shots.

 

[Godfrey]

My InstaKon RF70-S arrived yesterday, just had time to open it up and test it today. Neat camera overall.

Only negative so far is that the rangefinder has a bit of slop: It sets focus at a different point if you focus from infinity or from closest focus on the same target. It seems more accurate if I rack it to the closest focus setting and pull out to the focus point.

Otherwise, it seems nicely made if a little lightly built ... about what you can expect for the money on a very low production camera, I guess. Exposure and the controls all work well. The lens at f/8 to f/16 seems to be quite sharp (given that the target is a 3 3/8 by 4 1/4 inch print ...).

I did my usual round of light testing and a self portrait:

MiNT InstaKon RF70
Manual exposure, 0.9m focus, f/8, 1/2 second​

It'll be fun.

G

 

[CMur12]

Godfrey, what I want to know is the first letter of the word on that T-shirt!

If it goes with the hair, maybe a C. If it goes with the facial expression, definitely an S.

- Murray

My InstaKon RF70-S arrived yesterday, just had time to open it up and test it today. Neat camera overall.

Only negative so far is that the rangefinder has a bit of slop: It sets focus at a different point if you focus from infinity or from closest focus on the same target. It seems more accurate if I rack it to the closest focus setting and pull out to the focus point.

Otherwise, it seems nicely made if a little lightly built ... about what you can expect for the money on a very low production camera, I guess. Exposure and the controls all work well. The lens at f/8 to f/16 seems to be quite sharp (given that the target is a 3 3/8 by 4 1/4 inch print ...).

I did my usual round of light testing and a self portrait:

MiNT InstaKon RF70
Manual exposure, 0.9m focus, f/8, 1/2 second​

It'll be fun.

G

 

[taemo]

congrats on getting your copy Godfrey.

here's some more photos taken with the camera

Long exposure shot


Long exposure with B&W


Flare from the sun


Very soft and flares easily wide-open at f/5.6


If shooting directly to the sun, no way to avoid a black dot.

 

[Godfrey]

Godfrey, what I want to know is the first letter of the word on that T-shirt!

If it goes with the hair, maybe a C. If it goes with the facial expression, definitely an S.

- Murray

Could be a "B" too: I'm not a small guy.

G

 

[Godfrey]

...
Only negative so far is that the rangefinder has a bit of slop: It sets focus at a different point if you focus from infinity or from closest focus on the same target. It seems more accurate if I rack it to the closest focus setting and pull out to the focus point. ...

I spoke with the folks at MiNT about the rangefinder slop and have assessed that it is normal.

For the low price point on what is essentially a very niche product camera, they're not trying to compete with something like a Leica M on precision and accuracy, nor is it really warranted since the output is by definition a small print with limited resolution.

The folks at MiNT suggested that for best results I stop down to f/8 or f/11, which is about what I figured; it works well.

I've done more testing and found that the rangefinder is quite accurate if I start focusing from the closest distance setting and 'pull out' until the target lines up. And the sharpness is really quite good if I do that, at close distances and infinity, and even wide open. The lens does perform best between f/8 and f/16 anyway.

I've got a bunch of errands to do today and I'll have the camera with me to put it through its paces...

G