Jollylook - Cardboard Instax KS

Prest_400 · Feb 1, 2017

Yesterday I was doing some blog and web roll and stumbled upon this in Petapixel (also published in the Phoblographer and other sites). Did a search around here, and didn't see any discussion about it.

Dead Link Removed

An Instax camera totally made of cardboard, with the concept of a box+folding camera and a pinhole-meniscus lens. I saw it as particularly interesting, and the price tag ($20-30 a camera?). I've not pledged but may get one after it is introduced to market. Just a day of KS and they tripled the goal.

Maybe I'll wait for a FSU Edition without the smiley!

OptiKen · Feb 1, 2017

What Fun!
Where are they being made?

grussmir · Feb 1, 2017

Sigh, can't back it though I wanted... no credit card here.

ciniframe · Feb 1, 2017

Yes, came across that KS project. Thought it interesting but one specification seemed odd, the 110mm focal length is a bit long/narrow angle. It's about the same angle of view as putting a 60mm lens on a 35mm camera, a 'long normal' if you will. I would like to see the same camera but with a 80mm to 90mm lens. I think that would be more useful when you wanted to get more in but cannot back up enough. Good for portraits though.

Vidar · Feb 2, 2017

Build quality seems better than the Fuji Instax cameras!

MattKing · Feb 2, 2017

ciniframe said:
Yes, came across that KS project. Thought it interesting but one specification seemed odd, the 110mm focal length is a bit long/narrow angle. It's about the same angle of view as putting a 60mm lens on a 35mm camera, a 'long normal' if you will. I would like to see the same camera but with a 80mm to 90mm lens. I think that would be more useful when you wanted to get more in but cannot back up enough. Good for portraits though.

I expect that it is easier to make a cardboard box camera with a longer focal length than a shorter one, just because cardboard is easier to work with in larger sizes.

Dinis Figueira · Feb 2, 2017

Vidar said:
Build quality seems better than the Fuji Instax cameras!

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. It's a great idea, yes.
More fun than Fuji instax camera? Seems so.
Better? No... in the end it's a cardboard camera - more fun only to an extent. It's a joyful idea. If they introduce better materials in the future, well then, that's another story.

Prest_400 · Feb 2, 2017

OptiKen said:
What Fun!
Where are they being made?

IIRC the team is from Ukraine, hence my not-so subtle mention about FSU.

Dinis Figueira said:
I'm sorry but I have to disagree. It's a great idea, yes.
More fun than Fuji instax camera? Seems so.
Better? No... in the end it's a cardboard camera - more fun only to an extent. It's a joyful idea. If they introduce better materials in the future, well then, that's another story.

Indeed, just like a box camera is such. Maybe a wood body and a triplet in the front... I recall some comment about wanting to hack it and have a base for an Instax back for another camera.

Vidar · Feb 2, 2017

Dinis Figueira said:
I'm sorry but I have to disagree. It's a great idea, yes.
More fun than Fuji instax camera? Seems so.
Better? No... in the end it's a cardboard camera - more fun only to an extent. It's a joyful idea. If they introduce better materials in the future, well then, that's another story.

It is a camera made of cardboard. I tried to make a joke

Dinis Figueira · Feb 2, 2017

Prest_400 said:
IIRC the team is from Ukraine, hence my not-so subtle mention about FSU.

Indeed, just like a box camera is such. Maybe a wood body and a triplet in the front... I recall some comment about wanting to hack it and have a base for an Instax back for another camera.

Truly, I am 'waiting' to see that. Not that the mini format amazes me but I'm sure there are going to be lots of people "copying" the camera just to make one sturdier and I want to see the final results.
That or they should have a "premium" type of camera regarding this.

David T T · Feb 6, 2017

For some reason I love the idea of this, but it makes me want to make my own. Better yet, since I have done case binding work before, I might snag some buckram and board and make myself an Instax Wide back for my RB67.

Something's gotta give! I have 10 boxes of fp-100c and 2 of the fp-3000b left, and I can't live without instant film for my Little Piggy.

SafakOncu · Feb 6, 2017

Am I mistaken or film is ejected the wrong way around (exposed side at the back) in demonstration film?

ciniframe · Feb 6, 2017

SafakOncu said:
Am I mistaken or film is ejected the wrong way around (exposed side at the back) in demonstration film?

That is because the film is exposed through the back to form an image. Otherwise you would have a mirror reversed image. The Polaroid (now Impossible) type 600 film is exposed on the front and needs a mirror, one 45 degree reflection, in the light path to have a correct, non mirror reversed image. Mirror reversed images are a feature of 'direct positive' photo paper that some folks use in pinhole and other types of cameras.

SafakOncu · Feb 6, 2017

Understood, I just thought it should have been ejected face front because I see like that in polaroid cameras (with Impossible project film). Thanks for information...

Dinis Figueira · Feb 6, 2017

Who have backed it?

ciniframe · Feb 6, 2017

Dinis Figueira said:
Who have backed it?

Guilty!
I was debating whether to or not but the missus saw it and thought it was 'cute'.....so I backed it. I think my 5 year old granddaughter will get a kick out of it

ciniframe · Feb 7, 2017

They have passed 3,000 backers and 4,000 cameras.
Still 24 days to go. wouldn't be surprised to see over 7,000 backers and almost 10,000 cameras!
Fuji must be rubbing their hands in anticipation. This could add 30K extra sales of the Instax mini film world wide.

Dinis Figueira · Feb 7, 2017

I hope they fare well on "mass producing" the camera

UtahFilmPhotography · Feb 7, 2017

Dinis Figueira said:
Who have backed it?

Me!

keenmaster486 · Feb 7, 2017

This is great!!

Wow, they've raised almost $200,000!

ciniframe · Feb 7, 2017

This thing is going crazy! It's almost 6:00 PM here on the west coast and they have 375 left out of the 1500 at the $38 level, I figure that that price will be used up in less than a day. then one camera is $41.

Oh, just in case anyone is curious, when I backed it I found shipping to the US is $10, I backed it anyway but I couldn't find shipping info anywhere on their site.

ciniframe · Mar 3, 2017

Almost finished. Better get on the wagon if this is something you want. Less than 6 hours left.

ciniframe · May 27, 2018

Well, update #20, one year past original estimated delivery and another indefinite delay. Looks like another KS failure, backers might never see any camera. Too bad.

ciniframe · Jun 15, 2018

Update #21 just posted. Not good news. They need to sell cameras to dealers before backers get their rewards so they can pay bills and make more cameras for backers. This is the story now, who knows what it will be next month if the cameras don’t sell and just sit on the shelf. Then I guess we just never get the camera.

Oren Grad · Jun 26, 2018

This morning I received an email from Jollylook with a tracking number.

Jollylook - Cardboard Instax KS

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