My eyes widened with disbelief when I was this Fujifilm Instax SQ6.
I think we can agree that the cool thing about vintage camera lust is the thrill of the hunt. You’re on the lookout for something cool and unique that no one else has. When you find it, you’re thrilled. And that’s the case right now with this unique Modified Fujifilm Instax SQ6. It’s available on eBay for the bargain price of only around $450. Most importantly, it does what so many of us want: manual exposure with an Instax camera using good glass!
The camera is listed by seller jonabalagta0. We’re not sure if they modified it themselves, but we’re very sure of the results. Their listing claims sharp images, and that’s very true! They cite that everything is manual. Of course, that means the focus, the aperture, the shutter speeds, etc. Instax film is set to a flat ISO 800, so that’s not going to change. The lens has the shutter and aperture built into it. I’m not exactly sure how you’d use it. That’s because the Instax SQ6 had an electronically coupled shutter. Still, it’s surely capable.
The Fujifilm SQ6 is popular since it uses the square format. But it’s also just the right size for most users. Here’s what we said in our review:
“For only a bit less than $130, you’re getting a solid camera. I like it. It’s plain. It’s everything most people will need. I really wish there was an option with full manual controls, but there isn’t. However if you just want something for fun, the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 is the way to go.“
– A quote from our review
Indeed, the Modified Fujifilm Instax SQ6 seems like a fine camera. My biggest problem was the soft, plastic lens. Of course, some would love that. It’s very hard for someone to look bad with Instax film cameras because of the plastic lenses. Plus, the Instax Square format is a bit larger than 6×6 medium format. Together, they’re great for portraits. If you put a glass lens on there, the sharpness is going to come out. In that case, don’t stop down a whole lot. Let the beautiful bokeh and out of focus areas do their thing!
If you’re shooting landscapes, then this is going to be fantastic. Stop the lens down, focus out, and have fun!
So, why would you want this? Well, there’s a ton of reasons. There aren’t many manual Instax options on the market. MiNT makes the only ones. Lomo has an Instax back for large format cameras. And you’ll have something completely different than what most people have. Better yet, this is affordable. Shooting with this lens and camera lets you do so much that you can’t with standard Instax cameras. Most of all, you’ll have new creative options. Have you ever asked someone for their portrait? If you want to, it’s nice to offer them an Instax print as a thank you. Plus, they remember you better that way. Of course, there’s no real reason to do that in a pandemic. But you can do some gorgeous early morning landscapes!
We encourage you to check this out. And the price is low enough where it’s easy for you to go grab it without any hesitation. If you don’t like it, you can probably flip it for more money.
All images are from the listing by jonabalagta0