We recently got our hands on a modified Instant Wide film back made for Mamiya Universal Press (MUP) lens! Using a Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 camera, the camera modifier had hacked out the lens and replaced it with a 3D-printed adapter for MUP lenses. We had a somewhat unpleasant experience with a previous camera modifier who was unable to replicate the same setup without encountering issues such as light leaks, and naturally, we were cautiously optimistic about this modified camera.
Damian holding the modified Instax Wide 300 camera, mounted with the Mamiya Press 65mm f/6.3 lens. Wide-angle photos galore!
Needless to say, we haven’t had much complaints about it since we started using it! Our first photos with the modified camera were taken with a mounted flash trigger. The light leaks were due to us changing film in a darkroom bag previously:
Rather interesting unintentional double exposure!
After this, we were sooooo excited to test the modified cameras outdoor; and it did not disappoint!
Using the MUP wide-angle lens, we were able to capture the facade of the church despite standing just over 15 metres away!
Tried to capture the cloudy skies, resulting in the darker facades of the housing blocks in front.Along Bugis Street; a lone trishaw rides along the road in the sun.At night, we were walking along the recently renovated Raffles Hotel when we spotted this corridor lit up with different lighting!At Marina One, a mix of office and residential buildings; the wavy steel structures were in stark contrast to the typical boxy office skyscrapers in the Singapore business district.
However, we felt the MUP lens would really bring the Instax monochrome film to life, and when we started using the said film with the modified camera, we were thoroughly impressed with the outcome:
A portrait view of Marina One, whereby the space between the office and residential buildings revealed more office buildings beyond its premises.In a well-known antique bookshop at Bras Basah Center, where tourists also made their way, exploring the wares.
The strong contrast produced with the MUP lens is pleasing and not jarring to one’s eyes.During the golden hour before sunset, we love taking monochrome/black & white shots. Here, the mid-afternoon sunlight falling on the chair epitomised our fascination with the golden hour!We love watching the shadows fall over the side of the building. At different times of the day, you would see the shadows form in various manners!When we looked up, we immediately whipped out the modified camera to take this shot. Without a usable viewfinder for the modified camera, we were thankful to have composed this somewhat accurately. The rectangular perspectives continue to rise up into the sky.
Overall, we were pretty pleased with the modified camera; we were happy to see that not only did the 3D-printed adapter fit well with our MUP lenses, but it did not have any light leak issues! Technology has really progressed quite far in this field, and there have been cameras which are completely 3D-printed. Perhaps we should give them a shot in the near future!
We definitely hope to utilise this modified camera more and to be able to share more photos with our readers in the near future.
Damian with Sandra 