The Latest and Greatest Analog Photo Tools

Impossible Project I-1
After riding to the rescue of the last, abandoned Polaroid film factory, the Impossible Project has taken the next logical leap and developed an instant film camera of its own. The I-1 accepts Impossible’s 600 and I-type film. It has an autofocusing lens and an LED ring flash that doubles as a film counter, alerting you to the number of exposures you have left. Thanks to Bluetooth, the I-1 can pair with your iPhone and tap a number of creative shooting modes made possible by the Impossible Project’s free app. Using the app, you can light-paint, take long and double exposures, manually control camera settings (flash intensity, shutter speed, focusing distance, etc.) as well as set the camera to fire when your phone detects noise.   

Price: $300
www.us.impossible-project.com

Nikon FM10
While it’s boom times for instant cameras, very few film SLRs endure on the market outside of eBay and other second-hand retailers. Nikon’s FM10 is a rare exception. This 35mm SLR accepts several lenses, including AF-S and AF-D models. It’s a manual camera, so you’ll lose autofocusing if you attach an autofocus lens to this camera. Exposure control and film advancement are also all done manually. The FM10 offers shutter speeds from 1-1/2000 sec. and you’ll get a Nikkor 35-70mm f/3.5-4.8 lens in the box.

Price: $600
www.nikonusa.com

Leica M7
This classic Leica rangefinder takes 35mm film and offers both complete manual control and an aperture priority mode if you want to let the camera do some of the exposure calculating for you. You’ll enjoy flash sync speeds of up to 1/1000 sec. when using select Metz speedlights. You can set the ISO manually or have the camera detect film speed and set ISO automatically. You have +/- two stops of exposure correction available to tweak your photo and the camera can fire at 1/60 or 1/125 shutter speeds even if its battery is dead. 

Price: $4,395
www.leica.us

Fujifilm Instax mini 70
Fujifilm’s Instax mini cameras have been hot sellers, particularly among teenagers, defying the popular wisdom that smartphones have cannibalized our appetite for tangible snapshots. The mini 70 has a selfie mode (naturally) to set autofocus and brightness levels to ideal portrait settings. There’s a built-in mirror on the front of the camera lens to properly compose said selfie and a self timer to give you a moment to strike a pose. The camera has several modes for more creative snapshots, including a hi-key mode to brighten skin tones, a macro mode for tight close-ups from 1 foot away and a landscape mode to accentuate those rolling vistas. Finally, a fill flash delivers a little extra illumination to keep faces properly exposed in backlight environments. The mini 70 is available in your choice of six colors. Instax fans are also getting several new films this year, including a monochrome version and a square (1:1) format film in the spring. 

Price: $140
www.fujifilmusa.com

Lomo Instant Automat
The Kickstarter-infused Automat is one of the newest instant cameras to hit the market. As the name suggests, the Automat can do most of the work for you, automatically adjusting aperture, shutter speed and flash output based on shooting conditions. It uses Fuji’s Instax mini film and sports a 35mm-equivalent fixed lens. You can take an unlimited number of exposures in a single frame. Shutter speeds range from 30 seconds to 1/250 sec., and the camera’s aperture opens up to f/8 and stops down to f/22. There’s a built-in flash, tripod mount and an LED exposure counter. The Automat uses a three-zone focusing system that you adjust by turning a dial on the lens. While the camera does the thinking for you, you can still nudge exposure compensation up or down a stop to cope with changes in lighting. The Automat works with an infrared remote control so you can trigger the camera from a distance of 5 meters indoors or about 1 to 2 meters outside in the sun. Your color choices include black, white and brown leather. 

Price: $149
Info: www.lomography.com

Leica Sofort
Leica is typically known for its highly engineered, top-of-the-line digital cameras, so the Sofort came as something of a pleasant Photokina surprise. This instant camera offers several photo modes including Automatic, Self-Portrait, Self-Timer, Sports, Party & People and a Macro mode. There’s a tiny mirror on the front of the camera to help you compose your selfie. The camera features a 60mm f/12.7 lens (34mm in 35mm equivalence) with a 1/400 sec. max shutter speed, optical viewfinder and a 100-exposure battery life. If you want more manual control, you’ll be able to change focusing distance, turn the flash on or off, or increase/decrease image brightness. The Sofort works with both color and black-and-white film, and the film will be sold in packs of 10 with a double pack of 20 available for color film. Leica is selling its own branded film packs but the Sofort also accepts Instax mini film. The camera is available in orange, mint or white.  

Price: $300
www.us.leica.com

Mint InstantFlex TL70
This self-consciously retro camera boasts a large viewfinder with an anti-glare glass pane. Its five-bladed leaf shutter lens gives you more control over the aperture than your typical instant camera with a range of f/5.6-22. If you’re fond of surprises, each model has a unique “f=aperture” mode where the aperture blade forms a different non-circular shape for a unique bokeh—you won’t know what shape your camera will make until you shoot it. You can focus on objects as close as 48cm from the front of the lens. You can control exposure valuation by +/- a stop and there’s a built-in flash, ambient light meter and a slow shutter mode for light painting. The front of the lens uses fluoride coating to make it easier to clean off dirt and smudges. The InstantFlex takes Fuji’s Instax mini film.

Price: $389
www.mint-camera.com

Epson V850 Pro
When it’s time to digitize your analog works, Epson’s V850 Pro offers an optical resolution of 4800 x 6400 dpi and a Dmax of 4.0 to coax out all the subtle tonal details. You can scan everything from 35mm slides and film strips to medium format 6 x 20 centimeters and 4 x 5. There’s built-in Digital ICE technology to automatically remove dust, scratches and creases from any scanned image. You’ll get two sets of film holders so you can efficiently prep the next batch of scans while the first batch is scanning. Included X-Rite i1 Profiler software lets you create custom profiles for color-calibrating your device.    

Price: $949
www.epson.com

Plustek OpticFilm 135
Front-panel buttons allow you to start film, slide or custom batch scans without having to first navigate PC software. Press one of the buttons and the motorized film transport mechanism is activated. The included QuickScan Plus software processes the images and offers tools for automatic image enhancements, preset filters and image effects. It also supports non-destructive edits with side-by-side comparisons to evaluate your changes. The OpticFilm has a resolution of 3,600 DPI with a Dmax of 3.4. Batch-scan six 35mm films or four slides at once.  

Price: $399    
www.plustek.com

PacificImage ImageBox MF
This compact film scanner delivers up to 2,400 dpi files from 35mm film and slides, and up to 560 dpi files from 4 x 6-inch prints. You’ll navigate your way through the scanner via a 2.7-inch LCD and 
can save scanned files directly to a computer or to an SD memory card. 

Price: $120
www.scanace.com 

Kodak Super 8mm
Kodak stunned the world last year when it announced it would produce a Super 8mm film camera. Now expected to launch in May, Kodak’s Super 8mm movie camera offers several frame rates include 18, 24, 25 and 36 fps. It has a 6mm lens with manual focusing and manual iris control. You’ll be able to preview your scene through a 3.5-inch display and record audio to an SD card via a built-in mic. Kodak will include developing, processing and a digital transfer in the price of the film, so everything is taken care of up front. You’ll mail in your used film and receive a digital file and film strip back in the mail. 

Price: TBD
www.kodak.com

Wolverine Data Super 8 MovieMaker
If you want to digitize your own Super 8 films, Wolverine’s Super 8 MovieMaker can convert 8mm film to MP4 format video at 720p resolution at 30 fps. Film is scanned to an SD memory card and there’s a 2.4-inch color display to navigate the scanner’s controls. The unit accepts 3- and 5-inch reels and includes a cable to connect to a TV for video playback. 

Price: $300
www.wolverinedata.com

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