Fuji teases the idea of interchangeable-lens Instax

[zuiko85]

How about they build a interchangeable lens mirrorless, small and compact, that will communicate with a portable printer worn bandolier style across the shoulder. Print what pictures you like and as many copies as you need or are willing to pay for.

 

[Huss]

Yup I agree. That's why I got myself a converted MUP!

Mamiya Universal Press w/ Fuji Instax wide by Richard Tran, on Flickr

very cool indeed.

 

[Abbazz]

How about they build a interchangeable lens mirrorless, small and compact, that will communicate with a portable printer worn bandolier style across the shoulder. Print what pictures you like and as many copies as you need or are willing to pay for.

You can do that with a Fuji interchangeable lens APS-C mirrorless connected by wifi to an Instax printer. But most of the character of an instant picture comes from the long lens delivering a big image on the large format instant film. If you shoot with a small C-MOS sensor, you lose this particular look, even though you print your picture on instant film...

Cheers!

Abbazz

 

[aizan]

i'm down for that! especially instax square with a portrait lens on a long cone. something like the polaroid big shot.

 

[Abbazz]

Yup I agree. That's why I got myself a converted MUP!

Mamiya Universal Press w/ Fuji Instax wide by Richard Tran, on Flickr

Nice picture!

If you can cope with the vignetting, there's one for sale on eBay for what seems a reasonable amount of money, considering the Belair Instax back alone goes for a small fortune nowadays...

Cheers!

Abbazz

 

[Skiff]

Fujifilm sold 6.6 million Instax cameras last year and they expect to do even better this year.
Cheers, Robert

The 6.6 million was already a year before, in their fiscal year 2016 / 2017.
In their last fiscal year 2017 / 2018 (ended in March 2018) they even sold 7.7 million instax cameras!
That is even more than DSLR sales in the same period!
For the current fiscal year they plan to sell 10 million instax cameras.
If they reach their new sales target instax cameras will be the most successful camera type, surpassing digital compact cameras, DSLRs and DSLMs.

 

[Filter Factor]

The 6.6 million was already a year before, in their fiscal year 2016 / 2017.
In their last fiscal year 2017 / 2018 (ended in March 2018) they even sold 7.7 million instax cameras!

Right you are, Skiff! Hard to believe its almost 2019 already!


Cheers, Robert

 

[Eric T]

Instax large format?

Instax large format?

I hope that Fujifilm considers an Instax large format camera - at least 4x5.
That would be very unique.
I enjoy the Instax cameras. I have lots of digital cameras but the photos that end up on our fridge are those from the Instax Wide, Square, and Mini. And everyone enjoys these cameras. No wonder they sell so well.

As this is Rangefinder forum, I should say that I also have the MINT RF70. It does a good job if you get the exposure right. It seems to underexpose indoors and overexpose outdoors. Get it right and it's fine.

 

[RLG]

I hope that Fujifilm considers an Instax large format camera - at least 4x5.
That would be very unique.
I enjoy the Instax cameras. I have lots of digital cameras but the photos that end up on our fridge are those from the Instax Wide, Square, and Mini. And everyone enjoys these cameras. No wonder they sell so well.

As this is Rangefinder forum, I should say that I also have the MINT RF70. It does a good job if you get the exposure right. It seems to underexpose indoors and overexpose outdoors. Get it right and it's fine.

I also have the MiNT InstantKon RF70. Have not yet used it much but today I shot 4 packs. Indoor (museum) without flash I found the exposures reasonable right. Outdoors, it was very sunny with blue sky, hard light, too much contrast in some cases. Used the camera in aperture priority (f 22). I found my camera to give wrong indications if the red led appeared. When the window showed "4" my picture was underexposed when using ND4. If I used the ND2 filter instead the exposure was good. Same when "2" appeared. If I used the ND2 it was underexposed, without ND filter exposure was good. Arrived at home I took two pictures, one after using a light meter and one in aperture priority (both at f22). There was not much difference between the two pictures. Think there are sample variations that need to be corrected in production I also would like that the frame lines in the viewfinder must be better visible.
Perhaps half f- setting could improve usability.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

There are so many working Instax cameras available at thrift stores, can't someone just take one, rip the lens out and put a decent lens that has a focusing helicoid into the camera?
Phil Forrest

 

[RLG]

Found "Instant Options".
Best

 

[Eric T]

I also have the MiNT InstantKon RF70. Have not yet used it much but today I shot 4 packs. Indoor (museum) without flash I found the exposures reasonable right. Outdoors, it was very sunny with blue sky, hard light, too much contrast in some cases. Used the camera in aperture priority (f 22). I found my camera to give wrong indications if the red led appeared. When the window showed "4" my picture was underexposed when using ND4. If I used the ND2 filter instead the exposure was good. Same when "2" appeared. If I used the ND2 it was underexposed, without ND filter exposure was good. Arrived at home I took two pictures, one after using a light meter and one in aperture priority (both at f22). There was not much difference between the two pictures. Think there are sample variations that need to be corrected in production I also would like that the frame lines in the viewfinder must be better visible.
Perhaps half f- setting could improve usability.

Agreed. The light meter doesn't seem to be accurate. Since it has full manual settings, I am going to try the sunny f/16 rule and see how it behaves to auto exposure.
I agree also on the framelines - hard to see and I am not certain they are accurate. I need to test this.
And it is hard to get focusing just right with the rangefinder. Good thing the widest f stop is 5.6.
Nevertheless, I applaud MINT for making this camera. It is great fun and with more practice I will learn how to get the best out of it in a variety of situations.

 

[RLG]

Agreed. The light meter doesn't seem to be accurate. Since it has full manual settings, I am going to try the sunny f/16 rule and see how it behaves to auto exposure.
I agree also on the framelines - hard to see and I am not certain they are accurate. I need to test this.
And it is hard to get focusing just right with the rangefinder. Good thing the widest f stop is 5.6.
Nevertheless, I applaud MINT for making this camera. It is great fun and with more practice I will learn how to get the best out of it in a variety of situations.

Yes, I also applaud MiNT for the development and making the RF70 from scratch and agree that it will take some learning curve to master the camera.

 

[Godfrey]

I've been having a lot of fun learning and shooting with the MiNT RF70. It produces some lovely results once you get the hang of how to use it. This one was from early in my learning curve, but I like it a lot:

​

I'm a bigger fan of MiNT's efforts with the Polaroid SX-70, however, and my crown jewel of instant cameras is a Polaroid SLR670x Ming Edition.

​

I use Polaroid 1.5x and MiNT 0.7x tele and wide converters with it occasionally in lieu of interchangeable lenses. The above was with the MiNT wide converter.

In the meanwhile, I'm building an interchangeable lens Instax SQ camera, based on the film processing unit that came with the Instant Magny 35 I pledged for on Kickstarter. That in itself makes my Leica M4-2 into an interchangeable lens Instax camera ...

Leica M4-2 + Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5​

...but the assembled camera proves a bit bulky and clumsy in use. However, the film processing unit is a self-contained camera back with an approximately 6x6cm format. I'm in the process of adapting a Mamiya Press 23 lens mount to an adapter tube, allowing me to use Press 23 lens/shutter/focusing mount optics, and my first lens for it will be a Sekor 50mm f/6.4. That should prove a kick, and a relatively compact and handy camera in use.

Stay tuned. 😀

G

 

[RLG]

Thanks, very good picture with the InstantKon. Although I have my second RF70 since end October last year, the flash of the first did not work, I only took a few test shots to see if everything worked like it should and in spring this year I shot one pack also in aperture priority but the lighting conditions were better (softer) and I got good results that are impossible to obtain with the Lomo'Instant Wide. Really should use the RF70 more to get to know the camera better, I have to free up time...

I'll stay tuned to follow your work adapting the Mamiya Press.

 

[zuiko85]

Whatever happens I think Instax Mini is just too small. Like to see more options in Instax Wide or at a minimum Instax Square, but preferably the wide format. The good thing about the Square format is that lenses that cover 6x6 would probably cover that format with just a wee bit more fall off in the corner.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks, very good picture with the InstantKon. Although I have my second RF70 since end October last year, the flash of the first did not work, I only took a few test shots to see if everything worked like it should and in spring this year I shot one pack also in aperture priority but the lighting conditions were better (softer) and I got good results that are impossible to obtain with the Lomo'Instant Wide. Really should use the RF70 more to get to know the camera better, I have to free up time...

I'll stay tuned to follow your work adapting the Mamiya Press.

It takes time and use to get the most out of any camera, so please pull out your RF70 and make photographs with it! 🙂

The Sekor 50mm lens arrived, as did the junk bare body Mamiya 23 Press to scavenge the lens mount flange from. It's such cool stuff! I*am considering actually buying a Mamiya 23 Press Super body in exc condition to shoot with the lens on 6x9 format as well ... !! ... But that would run counter to my notion of reducing the amount of equipment in the closet, eh? LOL! It never ends.

Anyway, it's here. Now I just have to set up the junk body and the lens to measure the mount register I need and get the lens mounting adapter designed and made. It will be a very simple adapter, but even that I know will take some work. Then rip the mount flange off the body, fit it to the adapter, and I have a camera to play with...

😀

So much fun.

G

 

[Godfrey]

Whatever happens I think Instax Mini is just too small. Like to see more options in Instax Wide or at a minimum Instax Square, but preferably the wide format. The good thing about the Square format is that lenses that cover 6x6 would probably cover that format with just a wee bit more fall off in the corner.

All depends how you consider it. The film is good and can record nice fine detail if you fit the right lens in front of it. Considered as a positive capture film camera and embedded with a copy technique to allow digital enhancement and enlargement/printing, it's just a medium format camera that makes small photo master captures as prints.

G

 

[Godfrey]

Okay, you'll all laugh at me, but GAS hit. This is the Sekor 50mm lens fitted the the junked Mamiya Press 23 Universal body that I'm scavenging the lens mount from:

It's a cool old beastie. I was thinking about getting a Sekor 100mm lens as well, and happened on an EXC** condition, complete Mamiya Press 23 Super body with the three-format roll film back for only $130. And that got me thinking of shooting some 6x9 ultra wide on film ... Sigh.

So it goes... LOL!

G

 

[james.liam]

There was some chatter whether an expected update to the Leica Sofort will be a direct knock-off of an Instax or something completely different....