This afternoon, I popped out with the Frankenstein camera and a pack of Instax Wide film. My trusty magnifying glass came with me, and I'm glad it was in my pocket.
I ventured to a village on the Somerset Levels and found a church I'd not visited before.
The camera came out and, after taking a meter reading, I made a tentative exposure. That first attempt was a touch dark, so I opted for a slower shutter speed.
This photograph of some carved stone chain links, made in remembrance of a matlow who had died, came out beautifully. A colour photograph, perfectly exposed and focused.
The technique isn't without its challenges. Holding the magnifying glass at just the right distance, keeping the camera steady and finding a way to operate the shutter would be considerably easier with an extra pair of hands. Unfortunately, I hadn't brought an assistant with me.
Still, the magnifying glass did its job, and I managed to wrestle the camera and magnifying glass into position.
Yesterday, I recounted my inadvisable expenditure on the world's most expensive Instax system camera. A Frankenstein's monster built from a LomoGraflok and a large-format lens.
I thought it might be helpful to show the results that can be obtained using the camera.
This frame was taken using an anglepoise lamp fitted with an incandescent bulb, hence the warm tone of the exposure. Metering was carried out using a smartphone app called Light Meter. Who'd have thought?
The lens was used wide open, with a +4 dioptre attached, hence the shallow depth of field.
Despite the limitations of Instax Wide film's dynamic range, I think this photograph makes the most of the medium.
This week, YouTube creator Kyle McDougall published a vlog about using his Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 camera with some Instax Wide Monochrome film.
The camera is fairly limited in its functions. It's an automatic camera, with no real exposure control beyond a lighter-darker slider. But Kyle has demonstrated what can be achieved with such a camera.
In the video, he shows some really quite lovely photographs. Each is a unique capture, and the results are better than you might think a camera like this could manage.
I have a bit of a Frankenstein's monster of a camera that also uses Instax Wide film. Mine uses a Chroma Camera Snapshot Instant Edition, which acts as a dock for the LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back. The camera has a lens cone that allows me to use a Schneider-Kreuznach Super-Angulon 90mm lens.
It's a ridiculous rig. It also cost a fortune.
The lens was £250, the Chroma Camera body came in at just shy of £300, and the LomoGraflok back cost £150. Oh, and I added a Voigtländer 28mm viewfinder for another £100.
Those of you doing the maths, please don't judge me. Yes, £750 for an instant camera is a bit spendy, and I agree that most people can't afford to spend that kind of money on one.
In my defence, I already owned the lens and the LomoGraflok back.
Unlike the Fujifilm camera, I have full control over aperture and shutter speed, allowing me to dial in the exposure and get results that are more closely aligned with my expectations.
Of course, that control comes with a responsibility. If I get the exposure wrong, I can't blame the camera. There's no automatic exposure system to point the finger at. I made the decision, I got it wrong, and that's entirely on me.
But that's part of the appeal. I have control over the process, and when everything comes together, the resulting photograph is much closer to the image I had in mind.
That's not to say you need to spend £750 to enjoy Instax Wide. As Kyle has demonstrated, you can get some compelling photographs with the Fujifilm camera and a bit of thought about what you're photographing.
And that's really the point. You don't necessarily need an expensive camera with a multitude of controls to make an interesting photograph. Sometimes, working within the limitations of a camera is part of the fun.
Just be aware that if the bug bites, it bites hard.
I am pleased to report that my consignment of six packs of Polaroid i-Type Black and White film has been delivered by DHL.
These are factory-fresh packs, ordered directly from the Polaroid factory in the Netherlands.
I discovered that I had 200 Polaroid points sitting in my account, which I was able to convert into a €20 discount. This brought the cost down to £13.82 per pack, compared with the usual price of £17.99.
A decent discount, then, and a welcome bonus in the form of cheaper film.
As Tesco are wont to remind us, “Every little helps”.
In this, the fifth and last Polaroid photo in this little series, I present a view of Wells Cathedral, as seen from across the green.
This is about the only time I've managed to achieve a good balance when using i-Type black and white film. This time, I've made notes so I can have another go, just as soon as I take delivery of the six packs of film I've ordered from Polaroid.
