Instax Mini 645 camera mod

siguii · Sep 17, 2014

Fuji Instax Mini film is undoubtedly the cheapest instant film currently available, but the Instax cameras (although I've never used one myself) seem to be rather limited in their capabilities. So I was thinking about the possibility of converting a 645 medium format camera to take Fuji Instax film. Interestingly, the size of Instax Mini film is roughly the same as a 6x4.5cm negative, so lenses designed for 645 seem like a perfect match to the format. It seems like one could take the rear half of an Instax Mini camera and somehow combine it with the front half of a medium format SLR or rangefinder camera to end up with a very versatile instant camera that is also economical to shoot.

Any thoughts as to whether such a conversion is feasible? What cameras would make good candidates for this kind of mod? I have a couple extra Mamiya M645 bodies, but given the way the film chamber is constructed on these, they seem to be less than ideal.

ruby.monkey · Sep 17, 2014

Sounds like a good project for a 645 Super or Pro, or an E-series Bronica - then all you'd have to worry about is modifying a film back.

zanxion72 · Sep 17, 2014

I think that for most medium format cameras there are polaroid backs. For Mamiya cameras there are plenty of them and the film packs they take are somewhat more expensive than those of the instax cameras. I have the HP402 for my 645AF, but I don't use it much as the price of the film packs is killing my budget.

AgX · Sep 17, 2014

I considered similar myself. But so far I have not come across Mini cameras on fleamarkets, only the Wide ones...

Fixcinater · Sep 17, 2014

The Diana Instax back has a separate eject button, might be helpful in your conversion.

If you're not planning on shooting a lot of it, you could use a camera with a cut film back setup and insert the Instax into the cut film holder in a changing bag, shoot it like normal film (800ASA for the Wide, I don't know about the Mini) and then back into a film pack for "processing" through the original camera. I've done that with Pola 600, SX70, Instax Wide. All of the films are much sharper/better than what their instant camera lenses show off.

Daire Quinlan · Sep 17, 2014

I've done the same with a Mamya 23 & 6x9 platefilm back. Sadly I don't have an instax camera so I had to put it through the rollers of another polaroid camera

siguii · Sep 17, 2014

My other thought was to modify an old folding camera like a Zeiss Ikonta, but I don't know very much about them. They seem to go on ebay for anywhere from $20 to $200...

ciniframe · Sep 17, 2014

I would think with a reflex camera you would have trouble getting it close enough to the film plane. Are you thinking about a camera like the Mamiya 645 models?

siguii · Sep 17, 2014

I'm only thinking of using an M645 because the bodies are relatively cheap and plentiful and I have too many of them. I realize it would probably be a significant undertaking though, quite possibly beyond my skillset. I would also need to find a broken Instax camera and some film to familiarize myself with it.

According to this diagram, the M645 body actually consists of two different parts, which from the looks of it could function independent of each other with some modification.

It would be REALLY cool if it could work in such a way that cranking the advance lever both cocked the shutter/mirror, and ejected the film through the rollers, by way of some kind of bevel gear.

noyart · Sep 18, 2014

Do instax work as polaroid? That rollers press out the chems over the picture to develop it?

AgX · Sep 18, 2014

Yes.
But the process taking place inside the sheet is different.

noyart · Sep 18, 2014

AgX said:
Yes.
But the process taking place inside the sheet is different.

Thank you for the fast answer

siguii · Sep 18, 2014

I think the main difference is that instax film is exposed through the back, while Polaroid film is exposed through the front and therefore creates a reversed image, which is why Polaroid cameras contain mirrors.

pagonzales · Sep 24, 2014

I've successfully shot instax with a tlr and polaroid rollers. I have a mamiya 1000s but figured it won't work on the first generation m645 bodies since the instax sheet is bigger than the whole body. Instax film has an image area similar to 645 but the actual sheet is more like 6x9. I've been thinking you can use a system similar to how polaroid packfilms are loaded-with film and paper "sandwhiches". You'll need at least a mamiya super or pro (the ones with removable back) and a polaroid back. I imagine you can load the instax sheet individually in the dark, and tape it to some backing paper, then thread the backing paper thru the rollers. Close the back, load, shoot, then pull the backing paper to get the sheet through the rollers.

darkosaric · Sep 24, 2014

There was a project to make single use paper camera with 2 fuji instax mini films - with 2x pinholes instead of the lens. I can not find the video now, but that is a nice example how to expose instax film (from a back, not front) and how to roll over a instax film with a pen to eject a chemistry and black ink. I think project was for poor kids or something - to get 2 pictures, one stays with kid and one goes back to project founders.

siguii · Sep 28, 2014

So, I just got a broken Instax Mini 25. The issue with it appears to have something to do with the cam that pushes the film into the rollers. Whether it's fixable or not doesn't really matter yet, but how on earth do I disassemble this thing?

EDIT: Nevermind. That was relatively easy. Took me about five minutes to get it open. I simply pryed the sides off and undid the four screws holding the face plate to the back plate.
Also, yikes, that is one scary capacitor.

siguii · Sep 28, 2014

Well, I was able to disassemble it and find the culprit. A small spur gear (~10mm) connecting the cam gear to the other gears is missing a couple teeth. Is it possible to source a replacement part, or am I out of luck?

siguii · Oct 4, 2014

Update: I was able to find an almost-matching spur gear on Surplus Shed, of all places, and so I was able to fudge a repair for this particular Mini. Now that it's a perfectly functional camera, I'm not so sure I want to take it apart again. But I still want to tinker with one. So if anyone has a seriously broken Instax mini they can send me, please let me know!

Cupcakeg2 · Sep 24, 2016

siguii said:
Fuji Instax Mini film is undoubtedly the cheapest instant film currently available, but the Instax cameras (although I've never used one myself) seem to be rather limited in their capabilities. So I was thinking about the possibility of converting a 645 medium format camera to take Fuji Instax film. Interestingly, the size of Instax Mini film is roughly the same as a 6x4.5cm negative, so lenses designed for 645 seem like a perfect match to the format. It seems like one could take the rear half of an Instax Mini camera and somehow combine it with the front half of a medium format SLR or rangefinder camera to end up with a very versatile instant camera that is also economical to shoot.

Any thoughts as to whether such a conversion is feasible? What cameras would make good candidates for this kind of mod? I have a couple extra Mamiya M645 bodies, but given the way the film chamber is constructed on these, they seem to be less than ideal.

It is feasible. Please see my modification of Instax Mini with a Yashica lens.

Please refer to my blog for more details:
http://instaxmagic.wordpress.com

JamesNixon · Sep 25, 2016

Check out the Instax mini backs for the Holga. I bought one and built an instant pinhole camera from using it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Fuji-F...534798?hash=item1a086d5d8e:g:pgsAAOSw14xWM7Pv

Instax Mini 645 camera mod

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Instax Mini 645 camera mod

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