MiNT is Developing a Brand-New Premium Compact 35mm Film Camera

[armadsen]

most of what mint has done has been converting old stock cameras to modern technology.. or to the new instant film packs...

I own a Mint SF70. It is not a converted old stock camera. It’s a brand new Instax film camera with a coupled rangefinder and manual aperture and shutter speed (along with an aperture priority mode). It’s actually quite impressive to me. They’re a small company building brand new film cameras, when others have said it’s too hard, shutters are impossible to source, etc.

 

[Agulliver]

Mint do also sell properly refurbished old Polaroid SX70 cameras, but the price isn't at all unrealistic. $350 for a camera that's been taken apart, parts replaced and updated, fully cleaned and tested. Given that a "sold as seen" SX-70 can go for $200 on eBay that's hardly bad.

$400 seems to get you a TLR with manual focus, manual shutter and a built in electronic flash built for the Instax format. It probably wouldn't be unrealistic for them to modify some of their cameras to take 35mm or 120 film. the specs on the TLR aren't stellar but they're good enough, f5.6-f22, shutter "B" plus 1s to 1/500s. Definitely good enough for most situations. As far as I can make out from the website this is something they are manufacturing, and not some NOS or modded existing product.

 

[Huss]

If you get their emails, Mint did say this is a "bet the company" project. If they go ahead with this 35mm camera, and it flops, Mint is out of business.

Jim B.

Translation - their current business is not long for this world, so they need this new project to succeed for them to survive.

I genuinely wish them luck.

 

[redbandit]

Translation - their current business is not long for this world, so they need this new project to succeed for them to survive.

I genuinely wish them luck.

ive felt that way about Mint for as long as i first ran across them. Its a very very narrow market segment, and the people who occupy the spending slots, once they make a purchase... fail to purchase anything else.

Its like a photographic equipment version of 20,000$ funeral urns for your cremated gold fish or bird... the few who CAN afford them, only buy one.

 

[armadsen]

I don't really see why that's more true of Mint than other companies. I own *plenty* of things that are the only one I've bought from a particular company, and I suspect the same is true for most people.

Also, I own a Mint camera, and will very much be in line to purchase this new camera they're working on if it's any good. I've also seriously considered buying their instant TLR, and still probably will at some point.

 

[Agulliver]

Companies alter their products/services to suit changing markets all the time.

Ergo Canon is no longer making film cameras. Yamaha is no longer making cassette decks. Nobody is making CRT TVs.

Mint does have what looks like quite a good product line in the Instax cameras they make, but it's true that once someone has bought one they aren't likely to buy another. So they look at making something different, but which is nevertheless something feasible for them to make.

Much like the traditional camera firms that survived made successful digital cameras and changed what they did.

Would I buy the proposed Mint 35mm camera? Probably not. But then I already have something like 25 35mm cameras including P&S from Olympus & Konica, Yashica rangefinders, NIkon, Richo and Praktica SLRs plus gazillions of lenses for them....and so on. So it's not something I really need. But there's a market for it, and Mint appear to be in a position to bring something to market fairly soon.*

*fairly soon meaning quicker than three years in this context.

 

[Mackinaw]

Another update from MINT on their new 35mm camera. Looks a lot like a Rollei 35.

MiNT Camera shows new images of prototype 35mm camera

MiNT Camera has released an update about its proposed 35mm film camera, which was announced last year.

kosmofoto.com

 

[ic-racer]

I own a Mint SF70. It is not a converted old stock camera. It’s a brand new Instax film camera with a coupled rangefinder and manual aperture and shutter speed (along with an aperture priority mode). It’s actually quite impressive to me. They’re a small company building brand new film cameras, when others have said it’s too hard, shutters are impossible to source, etc.

The site is horrible. The camera may be impressive, but many unanswered questions. What is in the viewfinder? How is the rangefinder? How does one meter or does it even have a meter? It must take batteries? What kind, where do they go? How do you do multi exposures? Over $800 and no owner's manual? What kind of film does it take? How to set film sensitivity? Is the shutter mechanically or electronically timed? If I knew the answer to these questions I might be interested in getting one too.

 

[armadsen]

The SF70 manual is here: https://mint-camera.com/manual/InstantKon-SF70-Instruction-Manual.pdf

 

[Huss]

The problem here is you can get a gen-you-whine Rollei 35 in great shape for $250.

Or a Mint knock off for $800-$1000?

I honestly don't know who the market would be. Kids want p&s cameras, this is not that. Experienced shooters who do use stuff like a Rollei 35, would use a Rollei 35. For a fraction of the cost of the Mint.
I know the final product isn't out yet, but right now it is looking awfully clear as to what it will look like. And it looks like the copy of a product for much more than what the original product costs.

This is why Light Lens Lab is smart. They make replicas of much more expensive and hard to find lenses. Not much cheaper and easier to find lenses! Who would buy a LLL if it was three times the cost of the Leica lens it copies? But it seems that this is Mint's business model.

 

[ic-racer]

The SF70 manual is here: https://mint-camera.com/manual/InstantKon-SF70-Instruction-Manual.pdf

Thank you!! I'll check it out!

 

[armadsen]

They’ve at least mentioned the possibility of auto focus, and their other cameras have auto exposure. Both of those would make this more attractive than a Rollei 35 to many people.

 

[Huss]

They’ve at least mentioned the possibility of auto focus, and their other cameras have auto exposure. Both of those would make this more attractive than a Rollei 35 to many people.

You’re right, it does look like there are lenses to determine af in the bits and pieces shown.

 

[Richard Man]

So much negativities. First, if you are that concerned about your email, I hope you don't have a phone. Second, I use business gmail. Any spam is just training data for the google AI.

Third, "oh, we like to shoot film, but we won't support a new camera because we are cheap and want to buy an old camera, and then complain that it needs an expensive CLA, and why doesn't anyone make a $10 rangefinder, wah wah wah"

 

[ic-racer]

OK, so I'm convinced, that SF70 might indeed be better than my beloved Polaroid 250. Even though the 250 is all aluminum construction with Zeiss rangefinder, it has a goofy auto exposure shutter that spoils the whole thing. And, of course, no film available for the 250 either.

 

[Huss]

So much negativities. First, if you are that concerned about your email, I hope you don't have a phone. Second, I use business gmail. Any spam is just training data for the google AI.

Third, "oh, we like to shoot film, but we won't support a new camera because we are cheap and want to buy an old camera, and then complain that it needs an expensive CLA, and why doesn't anyone make a $10 rangefinder, wah wah wah"

You can buy a Leica M for $10.

 

[Helge]

It would seem they would be wise in offering some extra features not often seen in other cameras.
Like half frame and full frame mixed, simu-flashing, double exposure with no fuss or cartridge to cartridge uptake with a build in cutter.

 

[Huss]

I think an AF p&S in the Rollei 35 'shape' would be very cool.

At the moment there are zero new AF p&s cameras on the market. A new high end one would differentiate it from the millions of $20 used 'plastic' ones (no matter that those often are very good), and should still offer something that the used high end ones do not - new production.

 

[Richard Man]

There are new product efforts that make no sense to me, e.g. the Lightfield camera that came out of a Stanford PhD thesis, the "OMG, we must back them", interchangeable lens mount camera (yea, right....), but this one looks good. They are not aiming for the sky. The most difficult part is the shutter which they have some experience on. Lens quality is now no longer an issue. So instead of spending $1000 on Contax T1, we should support new products like this.

 

[faberryman]

Lens quality is now no longer an issue.

I have not seen any discussion on the lens for this camera. Focal length? Aperture? Fixed focus? Zone focus? Manual focus? Auto focus? Have I just overlooked it?

 

[Huss]

.So instead of spending $1000 on Contax T1, we should support new products like this.

Agreed. Let us know how you like it.

 

[Huss]

.. Lens quality is now no longer an issue. ..

I signed up for the blog - and nowhere in it is lens quality, or what the lens will be, mentioned.

 

[Richard Man]

Chinese optic companies like 7Artisans TTArtisan and others are cranking out lens from under $100 to $300-$400 that have excellent image quality. With the modern lens designing software, and the low cost of manufacturing in China, lens is no longer an issue, per se.

 

[Mackinaw]

Does anybody want to test this camera? Get on the MINT site, and sign up for their blog. That's where they're going to find their testers.

Jim B.

 

[Huss]

Chinese optic companies like 7Artisans TTArtisan and others are cranking out lens from under $100 to $300-$400 that have excellent image quality. With the modern lens designing software, and the low cost of manufacturing in China, lens is no longer an issue, per se.

Nowhere does it say they are using a 7A lens. Or what the lens is. So you are just saying companies now make great lenses for not much money, so this camera will have a great lens?

I am not saying it will not, but we have no idea. Because they haven't mentioned anything yet.