Godfrey
somewhat colored
Hasselblad V system 6x6 exposures are 56x56 mm in size, and of course the Hasselblad has interchangeable film magazines. So ... In the now distant past (about 6-8 years ago), a kickstarter came up that married a Fuji Instax SQ processing mechanism with a replacement back (for Leica M, Nikon, and various other 35mm cameras) containing enlarging optics and a mirror to exploit making instant prints with your favorite 35mm film camera.
Of course, I bought in on one. I got the Leica M model and it works well enough: replace the back, use a 35 to 135 mm lens on it, stop down two stops from wide open for best results, and adjust exposure by +2 stops for losses in the enlargement optical system. Turns out pretty nice instant prints.
But... It's a large device and awkward to carry, somewhat fragile due to all the pieces to put together and keep in alignment, and not particularly conducive to wanting to take for a walk. But it does work.
Thinking about it way back when, I said to myself: 'Well, Hasseblad made a back for instant film, but it only put a little image on a big print, the film is out of production (peel apart type Polaroid or Fuji) and very expensive when you can still find some. The Instax SQ format is 62x62 mm so a 56x56 mm Hassy image would fit it pretty tightly, and you wouldn't need a mirror or optics—it would be much more efficient. ...' And so I started mucking around with various ways of putting one of the Instax SQ processing units onto the back of the Hasselblad 500CM. I finally gave up, saying to myself that I could not fit the Instax SQ close enough to the film plane due to the shape of the processing unit and the film cartridge, and maybe I could just make a box to mount a Mamiya 23 type lens/shutter/focusing mount onto the front of the processing unit instead.
So I acquired a lens and a broken body (to get the lens mount) and started hacking it to pieces so I could build a box behind it. And got stuck because I just don't have the expensive tools required to do a precision job and make it work.
Roll forward to about two weeks ago, and I stumble across a YouTube vid talking about the NONS Camera Instax SQ film back for Hasselblad V. "What? It just snaps on like a normal back? and pushes the film out the side rather than up or down? and ... and ... and" Needless to say, I couldn't resist. It arrived yesterday, late, and I had to try it.
1978 Hasselblad 500CM fitted with NONS Camera Instax SQ back and Planar 80mm f/2.8 T* lens
It arrived yesterday. I opened the box, fitted it to the 500CM, put in a pack of B&W film, and did some quick testing.
GDG and Bookcase on Instax SQ
80mm lens, f/8, scale focused, manually timed about 4-5 seconds exposure.
Counter Outlet with Switches
120mm Macro lens, f/16 at 1/4 second
A couple more test exposures on Flickr @ Hasselblad-Instax SQ 2024
I'm pleased with these test shots. I shot the whole pack, but reciprocity failure cost me the other six exposures (underexposure). Instax film isn't really geared to long exposures...
The back is reasonably sized, not overly heavy, and easy to use. It has an on/off switch and a button to eject the print. You can make as many exposures as you want on a frame before ejecting. The dark slide means you can swap other backs on and off partway through a pack of film, and the battery is built-in rechargeable with a USB-C standard port. It has a battery indicator and a frame indicator on the top deck, and a holder for the dark slide.
More info: NONS Camera - Instax SQ Back
Now to take it out for a walk...
G
Of course, I bought in on one. I got the Leica M model and it works well enough: replace the back, use a 35 to 135 mm lens on it, stop down two stops from wide open for best results, and adjust exposure by +2 stops for losses in the enlargement optical system. Turns out pretty nice instant prints.
But... It's a large device and awkward to carry, somewhat fragile due to all the pieces to put together and keep in alignment, and not particularly conducive to wanting to take for a walk. But it does work.
Thinking about it way back when, I said to myself: 'Well, Hasseblad made a back for instant film, but it only put a little image on a big print, the film is out of production (peel apart type Polaroid or Fuji) and very expensive when you can still find some. The Instax SQ format is 62x62 mm so a 56x56 mm Hassy image would fit it pretty tightly, and you wouldn't need a mirror or optics—it would be much more efficient. ...' And so I started mucking around with various ways of putting one of the Instax SQ processing units onto the back of the Hasselblad 500CM. I finally gave up, saying to myself that I could not fit the Instax SQ close enough to the film plane due to the shape of the processing unit and the film cartridge, and maybe I could just make a box to mount a Mamiya 23 type lens/shutter/focusing mount onto the front of the processing unit instead.
So I acquired a lens and a broken body (to get the lens mount) and started hacking it to pieces so I could build a box behind it. And got stuck because I just don't have the expensive tools required to do a precision job and make it work.
Roll forward to about two weeks ago, and I stumble across a YouTube vid talking about the NONS Camera Instax SQ film back for Hasselblad V. "What? It just snaps on like a normal back? and pushes the film out the side rather than up or down? and ... and ... and" Needless to say, I couldn't resist. It arrived yesterday, late, and I had to try it.
1978 Hasselblad 500CM fitted with NONS Camera Instax SQ back and Planar 80mm f/2.8 T* lens
It arrived yesterday. I opened the box, fitted it to the 500CM, put in a pack of B&W film, and did some quick testing.
GDG and Bookcase on Instax SQ
80mm lens, f/8, scale focused, manually timed about 4-5 seconds exposure.
Counter Outlet with Switches
120mm Macro lens, f/16 at 1/4 second
A couple more test exposures on Flickr @ Hasselblad-Instax SQ 2024
I'm pleased with these test shots. I shot the whole pack, but reciprocity failure cost me the other six exposures (underexposure). Instax film isn't really geared to long exposures...
The back is reasonably sized, not overly heavy, and easy to use. It has an on/off switch and a button to eject the print. You can make as many exposures as you want on a frame before ejecting. The dark slide means you can swap other backs on and off partway through a pack of film, and the battery is built-in rechargeable with a USB-C standard port. It has a battery indicator and a frame indicator on the top deck, and a holder for the dark slide.
More info: NONS Camera - Instax SQ Back
Now to take it out for a walk...
G
Retro-Grouch
Well-known
I hold you totally responsible for any consequences of the GAS attack triggered by your post. Evil man!
Godfrey
somewhat colored
I've spent a lifetime gaining appropriate levels of evil-ness.I hold you totally responsible for any consequences of the GAS attack triggered by your post. Evil man!
... Just spent an hour or two trying out the Distagon 50 and Planar 80 with a pack of Instax SQ color film in the camera. Better light in the house during the day ... I made 7 exposures and all are exposed just right. This back really is an almost perfect implementation of what I had been fantasizing about for some years! At $300, it's a bargain ... I have more than double that into my failed attempts to make one myself.
Very, very pleased that someone had the same vision as I and the skills to actually create the back as I'd envisioned it. Bravo!
G
Retro-Grouch
Well-known
I am inevitably going to pull the trigger on one of these... I didn't even know they existed! Some questions: Are you getting good exposures at box speed? Some internet folks indicate that Instax is something quite other than its nominal ISO 800 rating. What about sharpness? The Zeiss lenses are about as sharp as anyone could wish, so do the Instax materials still result in that creamy suppression of fine detail that is characteristic of cheaper consumer cameras? Of course, that look is not a fault, to me, but rather a unique creative tool. And finally, any fogging issues when removing the back? The website has several cautions about that.
I'm eager to hear of, and see, the results of your experiments. Give me that little push over the edge!
I'm eager to hear of, and see, the results of your experiments. Give me that little push over the edge!
shawn
Mentor
Definitely, the PolaStudio backs are at least 2x3 times that. They make backs for a bunch of different MF cameras though. At some point I will likely try adapting one myself for a Bronica.
shawn
Mentor
I think Instax is pretty close to ISO 800. That is what I metered at with my Polaroid 110B conversion and my Fuji 210 Moskva rangefinder converted camera and the images were about right. My film was a bit expired too.
Think the film is the limiting aspect for sharpness.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
I would say that Fuji Instax is about on point, plus or minus 0.5EV depending upon what kind of results you like. Like all instant print materials I've used, it has limited exposure latitude and is contrasty, so you have to pick what effect you want after you understand its responses.
The film is quite sharp and the focus registration seems right on the money ... I tested with the photo of the kitchen outlet (see the album I linked above): I see virtually no focus drift from wide open (f/4) to f/16 with the Makro-Planar 120/4 at 26 inch focus distance. (I do see a small difference in the total exposure between f/4 @ 1/60 and f/16 @ 1/4 sec ... It's probably a little lens shutter drift, with 1/60 being a touch slow and 1/4 being on point.) I've only scanned a couple of prints on the flatbed scanner (for speed) ... it's not the best way to get the most out of them. Using a copy camera technique for scanning is definitely the way to go, and I'll do the whole batch I have made once I've got enough to be worth the set up time.
Regards fogging ... Well, I have so far shot one B&W pack as my first test and shot 7 exposures out of a color pack this morning. I only took the back off after the seventh exposure ... fitted the dark slide and put it in the box. I don't see any fogging issues so far.
The dark slide is very thin and the slot it goes in is very snug ... Much thinner and harder to get into place on the back than the Hasseblad dark slides. I think the slide and slot will loosen up a little with use, but it's easy to see how you could damage the dark slide. And given how thin the slot is, it gives me a clue as to why there might prove to be light fogging issues if you're banging the back around in bright light. I suppose it had to be this way to get the film plane in the right place.
Aside from the dark slide, the back feels pretty robust and solid. It's easy to fit to the camera and "just works" as it ought.
G
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Today, I fitted the Instax SQ back to my 500CM, fitted the CF Makro-Planar 120mm, and went for a walk with it. I had four B&W exposures still in the back, and had a fresh pack of Color to load it with. I shot all of the frames in my 1 hour, 2.5 mile walk.
It's pretty heavy stuff to be carrying about for an hour's walk!
But, aside from two exposures where I forgot to set the exposure correctly, all the prints look very good! The back performs very nicely, the films are pretty close to its rated ISO 800 speed, the camera focuses very nicely on the film, etc. One thing that does surprise me is that the back has held its charge very well ... the charge indicator for what is now four packs of film has not changed appreciably ... Either it's not working at all, or the built-in battery has lots of capacity to spare.
I'll try to set up and digitize (with a quality setup) the entire lot of forty exposures either late tonight or late tomorrow afternoon. I'm pretty happy with what I see so far.
G
It's pretty heavy stuff to be carrying about for an hour's walk!
But, aside from two exposures where I forgot to set the exposure correctly, all the prints look very good! The back performs very nicely, the films are pretty close to its rated ISO 800 speed, the camera focuses very nicely on the film, etc. One thing that does surprise me is that the back has held its charge very well ... the charge indicator for what is now four packs of film has not changed appreciably ... Either it's not working at all, or the built-in battery has lots of capacity to spare.
I'll try to set up and digitize (with a quality setup) the entire lot of forty exposures either late tonight or late tomorrow afternoon. I'm pretty happy with what I see so far.
G
Godfrey
somewhat colored
It's taking me forever to post photos. I did scan all my HasselStax prints so far (about 100 of them) and have a few set to finish and post, but I've been too busy to do the finishing and posting. Sigh. And I'm going out of town for a couple of weeks tomorrow... Double sigh. I did this one about midnight last night:
Bronze Horse at Triton Art Museum - Santa Clara 2024
Hasselblad 500CM, CF Makro-Planar 120mm f/4
NONS Instax SQ back
Fuji InstaxSQ B&W film
ISO 800 @ f/16 @ 1/250
Scan with Hasselblad 907x + XV adapter + 32E extension tube + Planar 80/2.8 T*
Maybe I'll get a chance to do another one or three later today if I can get packed and ready early enough.
G
Bronze Horse at Triton Art Museum - Santa Clara 2024
Hasselblad 500CM, CF Makro-Planar 120mm f/4
NONS Instax SQ back
Fuji InstaxSQ B&W film
ISO 800 @ f/16 @ 1/250
Scan with Hasselblad 907x + XV adapter + 32E extension tube + Planar 80/2.8 T*
Maybe I'll get a chance to do another one or three later today if I can get packed and ready early enough.
G
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Okay, here's a couple more for your entertainment pleasure.
Coffee & Pastry - Santa Clara 2024
Distagon 50mm f/4 T*
Garage Art - Santa Clara 2024
Distagon 50mm f/4 T*
both:
Hasseblad 500CM + NONS Camera InstaxSQ back
Instax SQ Color film
Larger versions available to view on Flickr.com. Click image if interested.
Enjoy! G
Coffee & Pastry - Santa Clara 2024
Distagon 50mm f/4 T*
Garage Art - Santa Clara 2024
Distagon 50mm f/4 T*
both:
Hasseblad 500CM + NONS Camera InstaxSQ back
Instax SQ Color film
Larger versions available to view on Flickr.com. Click image if interested.
Enjoy! G
Godfrey
somewhat colored
And two more ... thanks to RFF not allowing more than four photos in a post.
Vine Art - Santa Clara 2024
CF Makro-Planar 120mm f/4 T*
Snow Man - Santa Clara 2024
CF Makro-Planar 120mm f/4 T*
both:
Hasseblad 500CM + NONS Camera InstaxSQ back
Instax SQ Color film.
Larger versions available to view on Flickr.com
enjoy! G
Vine Art - Santa Clara 2024
CF Makro-Planar 120mm f/4 T*
Snow Man - Santa Clara 2024
CF Makro-Planar 120mm f/4 T*
both:
Hasseblad 500CM + NONS Camera InstaxSQ back
Instax SQ Color film.
Larger versions available to view on Flickr.com
enjoy! G
girdwoodINC
Member
Got my back through yesterday, arrived super quick from Hong Kong. Only taken a couple of shots with it using the 50mm so far, absolutely love it as I’d ran out of pack film end of January 