Travel Centric Instant Film Cameras You’ll Want on Your Next Trip

Instant cameras will bring a new dimension to your travel work through a deeper connection to the craft of photography.

At first glance, looking at a print from an instant camera will stir judgements about the crummy colors, lack of sharpness, and the fact that the print is a one-off. But that would be far off base when thinking about instant photography. Creating with instant cameras is far deeper when you look below the surface. When creating with instant cameras you’ll experience a closer human connection, a genuine photographic print and way to connect with another human being that’s not social media. Creating with an instant camera is less an ego play and more an act of pure photography. Free yourself from the distractions of social media, the desire to spend hours in post, and practice your craft. You’ll become a better photographer by shooting with an instant. Here’s some solid choices when looking for instant cameras.

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Kodak Adds New KODAK Mini Shot Instant Camera to its Instant Print Product Line

The new KODAK Mini Shot Instant Camera doesn’t spit out Polaroids…

Expanding its lineup of instant photography products, Kodak recently introduced its new KODAK Mini Shot Instant Print Camera, a point-and-shoot camera that merges digital conveniences with instant color printing. The camera joins the exciting roster of products that have made this year a colorful one for the instant photography industry.

The New KODAK Mini Shot Camera boasts digital functionalities such as color controls, filter effects, card templates, and Bluetooth connectivity combined with high-quality image processing and printing. It makes use of 4Pass printing or dye-sublimation technology in the smallest 4Pass all-in-one cartridge to create vibrant and handy instant prints.

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Hacking a 90 Year Old Zeiss Camera Using Legos to Shoot Fujifilm Instax

This is probably the oldest Lego Camera in the world. This is my latest attempt to revive a 90 years old camera using Lego bricks together with instant films. Not too many people would have experience to use a camera with 90 years old. Most of these cameras are put on display shelves or in basement. I hope this project can bring them back to the real world and make them relevant again.

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The Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide Gets a Legitimate Modification

All images by Albertino. Used courtesy of his website and blog post.

In many ways, the Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide an almost perfect Instant film camera except for the fact that it doesn’t have manual exposure abilities. But Albertino, the same man that designed the Lego Instax camera, finally has his own hack. The hack involves taking the lens off the camera and using a third party one mounted to it.

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The Digital Photographer’s Introduction to Lo-Fi Cameras

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Instant film cameras 2015 (1 of 8)ISO 1001-125 sec at f - 4.0

LoFi cameras remove all the crazy, super technical things about pixel peeping and dynamic range to instead have the user focus on just creating an image that they’re really happy with. It often isn’t about much more than documenting a moment of fun. In some ways, these cameras give you limitations that will really appeal to only two major schools of photographers: complete beginners and complete masters. Those in between may become frustrated; but once you master what these cameras are capable of, you’ll be seriously surprised.

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Five Reminders for the Instant Film Noob

Chris Gampat Gear Patrol Polaroid 210 Patina Post Photos (6 of 11)

Fun: it’s what many of us millennials think about when we think about instant film. Scenes of parties and some truly wild times in the summer that we wish that we’d forget often come to mind. But you should know something–in fact you should know a bunch of things you knowitall! Specifically though, we’re talking about how instant film is really a lot more than just what you take photos of with your iDevice and put onto Instagram for all your friends to check out.

Oh no–the sweet lady known as Instant film has quite a bit more about it that you should become acquainted with.

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Lomography Announces Their New Diana F+ Instant Camera

DianaF+_with_instan_back_front

The Diana F+ used to need an instax camera back if you wanted to shoot instant photo with it. But today, Lomography is announcing that that is no more. Introducing the Lomography Diana F+ Instant. The primary back is an instax camera back that uses Fujifilm Instax, but it comes with a secondary medium format film back if you want to shoot with regular 120 film again. The cool thing about this is all the creativity that you get: bulb mode, pinhole lenses, a couple of focal lengths to experiment with, etc.

Now, does this all sound familiar to you? It should; the camera seems to essentially be what’s called a Holgaroid–which are Holga cameras with instant film backs.

No official word on price yet or when it will hit the US, but let’s hope that it’s within the reach and justification of mere mortals.


The Impossible Project Releases New 8×10 Instant Film

(Top: Photo by Bill Phelps. Bottom: Photo by Chloe Aftel)

The Impossible Project’s story is one that is really inspirational in the photography world. With the death of Polaroid’s film, they tried to reverse engineer the process to continue the production of the film. Today, the company has announced that they are finally ready to release their PQ 8×10 instant film for large format cameras. As we stated before, we really need to keep medium format and large format film alive, and for the cool price of $189 US, you can score 10 sheets of this new film.

As is typical with Impossible Film though, we can probably expect the first batches to be nowhere as good as the improved formula they come up with in their, “cool” branding. Keep checking the Project’s shop for availability.

Also: not big enough for you? Take a look at the tour of the Polaroid 20 x 24 camera we did last year.

WestLicht Museum of Photography Purchases the International Polaroid Collection

Photo by Ansel Adams (Found on Westlicht’s site)

Nostalgia buffs rejoice! The International Polaroid Collection, which apparently was lost for years, has been found and purchased by the owner of the WestLicht Museum in Vienna (the same place as Lomography’s headquarter’s). The future of the unique Polaroid collection was apparently uncertain, though the press release doesn’t exactly say why.

So what does this mean to us? As photographers, whether we care to acknowledge it or not, Polaroid is a part of us and our history. Our roots are critical and this is something that is important to our history. With that said, it affects us in different degrees. Whether we’re using some really cool apps on our phone, shooting with Impossible film or some stored Polaroid, or not even embracing it at all: instant photography is now ingrained in us. Press release after the jump.

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Cheap Photo: Canon 7D/5D MK II Instant Rebates Available Through April 3rd

Canon is offering special instant rebates on purchases of the 7D, 5D Mk II and other items. For those of you that don’t know the 7D is Canon’s flagship APS-C sensor camera. Hit the jump to figure out which combo is best for you. Those of you actually interested in purchasing, please make your purchases by clicking the links on my site as they help to keep ThePhoblographer running.

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