Nostalgic and fun? Yes, please! Fujifilm is back with another instant film printer, and it’s sure to be a hit. The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide printer is lightweight and ultra-portable. Its iOS app is simple to use and offers a lot of personalization. As a photographer, I’m most excited about how this will allow me to offer an even better experience for my clients. Keep reading to find out why.
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I’ve shot a lot of film on behalf of The Phoblographer. And we’ve reviewed a ton of film emulsions over the years. When it comes to black and white film, I don’t think I’ve ever fallen for something this hard. KONO is a brand I’ve believed in for years. They were among the first to really try new things. Double exposed film? Dyed film? Along with Lomography, KONO has been an innovator of sorts. With KONO Monolit 100, we’re astounded at the results. And trust us, you will be too.
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Earlier this year, KONO! launched the KONO! Delight Art 100 in 120, then later in 35mm. This isn’t a typical film emulsion. We’re told it’s tinted Kodak Ektar 100. Ektar was my least favorite Kodak film, and KONO! added some flavor. There’s a bit of orange and a bit of blue raspberry thrown onto the film. Well, not really! But I could totally see why someone would think that. With KONO! Delight Art 100, I basically threw everything away that I knew about film. Overexposing it will lessen the effects. Underexposing it will amplify the orange and teal tones everyone loves. That means it’s best for many of us to put our cameras in aperture priority and underexposing by a stop of light. That’s precisely what I did using a Mamiya 6.
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A few years ago, we took a very hard stance on SLR gear. We told manufacturers we wouldn’t review them. We also said we probably wouldn’t report on new news about DSLRs. That’s one of the factors that’s put a strain on a few manufacturer relationships we have. But the industry itself also decided to pivot. The DSLR, in 2021, is for the Luddite. And depending on what side of the table you’re on, the NONS SL42 Mk2 is totally new. It’s the successor to the first SLR-style camera to specifically shoot Instax Mini film. The Mk2 gets a few upgrades from the original. And if you really want full control over your Instax shooting, this is the best chance you’ll have.
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The Contax NX is a camera that could arguably be called the lil’ Contax 645.
Though the Contax N is really the lil’ Contax 645, the Contax NX isn’t much different aside from the build quality and a few other things. Photographers will adore this camera if they’re the type to shoot portraits in a studio. Even if you shoot weddings the way photographers did with the Contax 645, the Contax NX will do a great job. But no matter what, just remember that it’s all about the lenses. And this system has some awesome lenses.
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I’m on a mission to summer like it’s 1990. But, there was something missing amid the Disney classics, scrunchies, and sending my kids in the backyard for a few minutes of quiet. That something missing was childhood photos like the ones in a plastic tote at my parent’s house. You know, the ones with lots of grain, cheesy smiles, and colors that can’t be imitated in an Instagram filter. I found exactly that in the Fujifilm Quicksnap 800 Waterproof.
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No piece of photography equipment (new cameras aside) has gotten me this excited lately. Negative Supply reached out to us last month about their Basic Kit for 35mm Film Scanning. I jumped at the opportunity to try it out. This kit is a fantastic piece of equipment for amateurs and hobbyists who have many negatives in their collection that need digitization. There’s a copy stand, light source, and a film strip holder included. Keeping the film perfectly flat is a key feature of this unit, and it makes scanning quick and accurate.
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I’m not even sure this should be called a review. I’ll admit to a few things. I’m breaking a review format that I’ve hammered into our team for over a decade. Also, I’m incredibly furious with my purchase of the Yashica MF-2 Super DX camera. It’s easy to get hyped up for something that you’ve wanted for a while. That hype sometimes leads to anger and fury. Before I purchased it, I read some reviews online. Unfortunately, there weren’t any that were objective. Long-time readers of this site know that I believe no one is making bad cameras these days. However, they also know that I sometimes rightfully bring out the sledgehammer. In this case, I feel like the sledgehammer isn’t enough.
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Sometimes I really scratch my head at Fujifilm’s cameras. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 is a great example of this. Granted, they made one of the most stylish Instax cameras I’ve ever seen. However, the Instax lineup feels a lot like what Canon used to do. Years ago, Canon used to recycle the same parts over and over again. Some of their cameras felt like they were just phoning it in. (The Rebel series is a great example.) And for Fujifilm, Instax very much feels like that. Fujifilm, by all means, could surely do more! They could give it glass lenses and manual controls, but choose not to. What I’m about to say may sound harsh, but using the Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 felt like eating durian with ice cream on top. I hate durian.
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With digital photography, it’s become more accessible for folks to make their images look like film. Presets are great for this. But it gets a lot more complicated with black and white. I’ve rarely heard someone say, “Dem tones,” to a black and white photograph. So that’s why I’m so curious about output from the Leica M10 Monochrom. It’s a fantastic camera that has a black and white sensor. And even better, when shooting at a higher ISO setting, the noise will look perfectly like film. There’s a lot of advantages to it. And photographers should appreciate this. But lots also adore the look of black and white film. So we’re taking a closer look at film and the Monochrom. Can you tell which is which?
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Everyone complaining about Leica prices probably hasn’t used the Leica R6, and they know nothing about R mount glass.
If I were to track the popularity of the R series vs the M series, then I’d say the R6 is probably the most popular in the R lineup, but it’s nowhere near as popular as M mount options. However, while the R series cameras aren’t that raved out, their lenses are. Years ago, the cinema industry discovered those lenses and started buying and reformatting a ton of them. When that happened, the their prices began to skyrocket. And for that reason, owning and using a camera like the Leica R6 is a great honor. You get native access to a number of lenses that the cinema world goes crazy for. On top of that, the Leica R6 is the closest thing to the coveted Leica M6 in my opinion.
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Fujifilm truly showed how they’ve got guts and amazed me. How often does a company discontinue a film, listen to their fans, and then bring it back? I mean, would you ever expect Apple to say that they were wrong? Or Canon? Fujifilm basically did that, and they deserve lots of praise for it. Fujifilm Acros 100 II is the company’s new emulsion. It’s a beautiful one with inky blacks, sharp details, and a gorgeous look to it. If you shoot with Fujifilm X series cameras, I strongly suggest you give Acros 100 II a shot. But it’s also great if you’re looking or a sharp, low ISO film. And when it’s paired with the right lenses, it’s going to give you all those tones you rave about. Alongside Kodak T-Max 400, this is now my favorite black and white film.
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Someone was bound to say it, but it seems Fujifilm isn’t really trying with the Instax format. They’re just releasing cameras that spit the film out in various sizes. Some have Bluetooth connectivity, which is very cool. Some are just printers. But lots of them do the same thing: take a photo and spit it out. With the Fujifilm SQ1, I feel that Fujifilm is still not doing anything different. For years, I’ve asked for a higher-end Instax camera. I keep hearing the same things from them: people don’t want it. And I don’t believe that. With Lomography releasing an Instant film back for large format cameras, I have to believe that folks want a higher-end Instax camera. The Fujifilm SQ1 isn’t that camera. In fact, it barely does anything at all.
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The SuperSense One Instant Peel Apart Film is a product that good ol’ Doc made to try to keep Peel Apart film alive. A few years ago, Fujifilm announced that they’d be killing that format. After that, Doc took to Kickstarter with SuperSense to create the One Instant Film pack. Like many who read this site, I bought it on Kickstarter. Mine arrived in September of 2019, and I only got time to test it this June when the conditions were right: it was warm, there was lots of light, and the industry isn’t erupting with one announcement after another. Unfortunately, my heart is broken by the two packs I bought–each with three shots. Supersense can save this by creating a low ISO black and white film. And if they do that, it would be pretty unique. But from my first experience with it, I’m not sure how I feel.
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Whether you’ve yet to receive your Jollylook Instant Camera — the first model — or are thinking of getting one, here are some of the things you can expect.
The new Jollylook Auto was recently released and already fully funded on Kickstarter. However, some of the backers of the first campaign yet to receive theirs must be wondering what the original Jollylook Instant Camera has in store for them. Those familiar with it already know it looks fancy but built simply, so this review will have more quick insights into the shooting experience instead of a rundown of features.
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SILBERSALZ35’s 35mm cine film makes authentic Kodak cinefilm for analog photographers looking to give their work a cinematic look.
We first learned about Silbersalz35 during 2018’s Photokina, and it was one of the most exciting developments we’ve seen in the analog photography space. While CineStill has made cinefilm accessible to stills shooters for some time, what Silbersalz35 is offering with their various cine film emulsions are fundamentally different. Although CineStill and Silbersalz emulsions are cut from the same Kodak Vision3 motion picture film stock, one fundamental difference separates the two. The Silbersalz35 emulsions are unmodified Kodak Vision3 film stock that retain the remjet layer and are cut down to 35mm, while CineStill has the remjet layer native to the Vision3 film stock removed in order to make it possible to develop the film using the popular C-41 process. Traditionally, Kodak Vision3 required the use of the expensive ECN2 development process that was not readily available to still photographers.
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Ilford ORTHO Plus is a fine grain film that can get a whole lot of detail and treats reds/oranges like darks.
When Ilford ORTHO Plus launched last year, we were very curious about it. It’s a low grain, high detail film that needs a lot of light. But most interesting is its lack of sensitivity to reds and oranges. What this means is that the red leaves of trees during the autumn will come out looking dark. Red and orange sand will be very dark. Red cars and lipstick will be nearly pitch black. So when it comes to creativity, Ilford ORTHO Plus allows a photographer to have a more playful mind.
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The Leica M6 TTL has everything that a photographer could possibly want in a Leica camera.
There was a time when I believed the Leica M4-P to be the best camera that Leica ever made–and in some ways I believe it to still be superior over the Leica M6 TTL. The Leica M6 TTL is just easier. But if you’re a photographer that is a true master of the Sunny 16 method, then the Leica M4-P could be all that you need. With the Leica M6 TTL the ability to shoot at events with a flash becomes much easier due to the TTL flash capabilities. And for that reason alone, most photographers will probably stick with the original Leica M6.
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The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is the successor to the company’s most affordable Instax camera, and it’s better in every single way.
There was a time where I wouldn’t be caught dead with the Fujifilm Instax Mini series of cameras, but the Fujifilm INSTAX Mini 11 is part of what’s winning me over fully through the line. Though the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay is still my favorite camera in the lineup, the Fujifilm INSTAX Mini 11 isn’t at all far behind. This is the company’s most basic Instax camera. There is no digital component. There aren’t a lot of fancy switches and knobs. It just gets turned on and off and shoots Instax film. There’s a selfie mode on the lens for photos of your beautiful mug. But perhaps best of all is the glass lens that’s on the front. Instax has been doing this for a few models now and it’s great that it’s coming to the Fujifilm INSTAX Mini 11.
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The Ars Imago Lab Box is how the new film photographer can get into the analog world much easier.
When the Lab Box arrived in the mail, I’ll admit to being apprehensive about the contents of the anonymous mailing box. Having backed many Kickstarter projects over the years, I was well aware that the products can run the gamut from barely cobbled together homebrew items to well-polished products ready for any store’s shelves. Often you’re unlikely to know which you’ve backed until the product arrives months (or sometimes years) later. However, my initial wariness was thankfully unfounded. The packaging was not only polished and professional but had the air of a higher-end item.
With Ars Imago 320, a photographer can expect super sharp images with fine grain at a usable ISO.
Ten years ago, no one would have predicted there would be a market for Ars Imago 320. But in the past few years, we’ve see a revival of film photography unlike any other. Around the world, younger photographers are picking up film cameras in an effort to get something different. The tangible process film photography allots the modern shooter is much more about the interpersonal connection than what digital offers. And with Ars Imago 320, photographers are getting a whole lot of versatility. While they state it’s good enough to be pushed to ISO 800, this fine grain film is also incredibly sharp. It’s for moments when you don’t need ISO 400 but also need more than ISO 100. Best of all, it’s in black and white. Load it up in a camera like the Fujifilm Natura S and you’re bound to have a lot of fun. We sure did. And while it was a limited edition, we hope it will come back.
