shawn
Veteran
I received this yesterday from Greece. This was a Fuji Instax Wide 210 but it was converted with the Industar 23 11cm f4.5 lens and rangefinder from a Moskva camera. I do not know who did the original conversion but am looking for that info as it is apparently someone that has built multiples of these.
The conversion itself is pretty complete. The new lens board is metal and is attached to a new body extension that is well integrated with the original body. It is covered with a vinyl skin on the outside (and the foam grip) and inside it is also covered to limit light reflections.
The really interesting part is that the rangefinder from the Moskva was also integrated into the body.
The hole right below the viewfinder and the extra hole on the bottom of the body are the rangefinder. You view from the bottom. It is easiest to use if you turn the camera into a portrait orientation with right hand on top so that the left hand can turn the focus wheel without blocking the RF windows. Eye placement is important or the second image can be a little tricky to see. Seems pretty accurate though except at infinity the images don't line up.
The shutter isn't working quite right though. It appears to have only 3 speeds, B, the 100ish speed and the 250ish speed. Anything below 100 shoots at 100 so I am not sure what is going on there.
Put a pack of expired (2012) but refrigerated film through it this morning.
Focus on the bracelets sign at MFD
Focus was on the New potatoes sign at MFD..
The speckles are dirt on my flatbed, an Epson v500 I bought for $5 at Savers. I need to open it up and clean it.
The power switch were the flash was is great. I haven't screwed it up yet but have almost hit the 210s shutter release several times when taking the image. Being able to shut that off is a great safe guard to wasting film. To take a shot I use the shutter release on the lens, turn on the camera, press the 210 shutter release (to eject the film) and then shut off the body again.
Still not sure what to do about the shutter at this point. The camera was $250 so was a pretty good deal but not having the slower speeds is limiting.
Shawn
The conversion itself is pretty complete. The new lens board is metal and is attached to a new body extension that is well integrated with the original body. It is covered with a vinyl skin on the outside (and the foam grip) and inside it is also covered to limit light reflections.
The really interesting part is that the rangefinder from the Moskva was also integrated into the body.
The hole right below the viewfinder and the extra hole on the bottom of the body are the rangefinder. You view from the bottom. It is easiest to use if you turn the camera into a portrait orientation with right hand on top so that the left hand can turn the focus wheel without blocking the RF windows. Eye placement is important or the second image can be a little tricky to see. Seems pretty accurate though except at infinity the images don't line up.
The shutter isn't working quite right though. It appears to have only 3 speeds, B, the 100ish speed and the 250ish speed. Anything below 100 shoots at 100 so I am not sure what is going on there.
Put a pack of expired (2012) but refrigerated film through it this morning.
Focus on the bracelets sign at MFD
Focus was on the New potatoes sign at MFD..
The speckles are dirt on my flatbed, an Epson v500 I bought for $5 at Savers. I need to open it up and clean it.
The power switch were the flash was is great. I haven't screwed it up yet but have almost hit the 210s shutter release several times when taking the image. Being able to shut that off is a great safe guard to wasting film. To take a shot I use the shutter release on the lens, turn on the camera, press the 210 shutter release (to eject the film) and then shut off the body again.
Still not sure what to do about the shutter at this point. The camera was $250 so was a pretty good deal but not having the slower speeds is limiting.
Shawn
Huss
Veteran
Better results than the $1000 Mint instant cameras!
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
That is a cool conversion. Get that shutter CLA'd and you're good to go. It's a Compur shutter copy so you could look at one of the online tutorials about servicing it yourself or send it out to any decent camera repair shop. While I don't condone it, even a naptha flush will probably bring that old dirty shutter back to life unless the little spring that engages the slow speed escapement is too weak or broken. Once that shutter is really clean and adjusted properly, you should have a great shooter for as long as Instax is around.
Phil Forrest
Phil Forrest
shawn
Veteran
I don't think it is dirty as it is firing fine and snaps open/close just like it should. It actually almost feels like there might not be an escapement in there. With other Compur shutters when cocked at 1 second I can hear the escapement wind up. That isn't happening with this one.
I may open it an see as I've worked on a couple of them before. Doesn't want to mess up the prisms though so I might bring it to a local camera repair place.
Thanks,
Shawn
taemo
eat sleep shoot
at f/22 or f/32 it better be sharp.
the mint still wins for compactness and already sharp at f8 - f11.
my only complaint with the mint is that it cant handle flare at all
shawn
Veteran
at f/22 or f/32 it better be sharp.
the mint still wins for compactness and already sharp at f8 - f11.
my only complaint with the mint is that it cant handle flare at all
They were shot at f22 and f32 due to full sun, ISO 800 a 1/100 of a second shutter speed, not for sharpness reasons.
Lens at f8.
And wide open at f4.5. Looks like it might be front focusing a little. I will have to adjust the RF and retry.
I tried a couple into the setting sun and they were very washed out too. Wonder if the film just can't handle flare well.
Scanned by iPhone on this one....
Shawn
shawn
Veteran
Looking into shutter repair sites I'm not sure if this shutter is going to be able to be opened up easily.
On this site:
http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/Moskva5.html
It looks like you have to be able to remove the gearing for the prisms from the backside of the lens assembly to be able to rotate the front base plate off the shutter. Due to the way the builder locked the prism assembly in place (epoxy) I can't work on it from the rear and may not be able to get the front plate off unless the gearing can be pulled out the front side.
Hummm......
Shawn
On this site:
http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/Moskva5.html
It looks like you have to be able to remove the gearing for the prisms from the backside of the lens assembly to be able to rotate the front base plate off the shutter. Due to the way the builder locked the prism assembly in place (epoxy) I can't work on it from the rear and may not be able to get the front plate off unless the gearing can be pulled out the front side.
Hummm......
Shawn