Topic: Instax mini film back for Rolleiflex SL66 - INP and I'm stuck!!!

[aikoman]

Hi film lovers,

As I promised, I've started to make a 'proper' Instax mini film back for Rollei SL66...
Started with simple, mock up version... I've realised that this one with thick hardboard much harder than carving wooden piece...

Please see the photo I've done so far...
Well... it's not even INP... I'm totally screwed up with it!
The main problem is, there should be a tongue thingy at the bottom of the film back to push the Instax film towards the hole to touch the roller so that it can be rolled out to developing chemical spread through whole medium.

However, I'm not a mechanic or engineering to make things like that...

Luckily enough, I've measured the distance between the film medium to the film back surface to enable better focusing... (professionals say it's flange distance... lol)

If anyone who has idea what to do with this, please comment. Any comment will be valuable and it could be a future reference to make another film backs such as Hassy, Mamiya, or even Bronica.

This project will give us beautiful, almost full-frame 6x4.5 instant image with full manual operations which is awesome!!!!

I will look around any construction sites to get some rigid wooden pieces for next step

[aikoman]

Here are more samples before I've decided to make the Instax mini film back.

IMG_0001.jpg has done @ f22 15s and IMG-2.jpg has done @ f16 2mins
Compared to the light meter reading @ ISO 800, I can see that the film requires 3~4 stops longer to get a proper shot for night photography.

However, this gave me a very good opportunity & nice, beautiful shot so I will continue this project until I get a good result.

[LT]

what does INP mean?

[aikoman]

what does INP mean?

INP means 'in progress'
Well... those photos I shot was with the conventional SL66 film back with Instax film loaded in the dark bag...
Suppose that confused you understanding this thread lol

[LT]

ok - good luck with it.  It's all beyond me, but seems an interesting thing to do.

[aikoman]

Thanks Leon.
If I were an engineer or someone with very good at making things, I could finish this with no worries.
Well... I should draw up another plan after dinner, very good one
Keep on watching this thread and I will update as soon as something comes up!
Cheers. John

[Francois]

Sometimes, starting from scratch is not the best way to go...
Lomo makes a nice Instax Mini back for their Diana F.

But if you want to go all hand made, there are a lot of things to be done for this to work.
For the metal list strip, you could either use the metal part inside an old windshield wiper blade. Or even simpler would be to make a button that you manually push to move the print into the rollers.

For driving the rollers, look at cheap toys you can take apart. or even simpler, a string that gets wound around the roller that you just pull on. On the other side of the roller, you could have a fabric rubber band that would wind the pull string back into position.

Just a few ideas to get you started...

[stefancoisson]

I was about to say the exact same thing as Francois.

I'd look at either the Diana F Instax back or even trying to find a broken instax mini somewhere and taking that apart.

[moominsean]

yeah makes more sense to modify a lomo mini instax back. i've done it a couple times.

[aikoman]

Sometimes, starting from scratch is not the best way to go...
Lomo makes a nice Instax Mini back for their Diana F.

Yeah, you're right. I'd better draw some more specific parts and sizes to cope with that action...
Lomo already makes their own Instax back but it seems like taking pictures on pinhole camera.
I would like to get some more clear & better images (although Instax films are not very sharp anyway)
Photo I shot with SL66 at f2,8 was awesome. Blurry background and shallow focused object made me 'wow'
Too concerned about taking parts from my existing Instax camera, I will do some search on ebay

@stefancoisson: Thanks I've already had a look at the Instax camera mechanism and it seems very simple.
push lever to extract the exposed film, and 2 rollers on the top to extract the film out of camera (as well as spread developing chemical throughout to the whole medium) I would like to make this film back by myself, with a specific function - 'interchangeable at any occasion'

@moominsean: thanks for your comment. I will count on that as well.

[stefancoisson]

Any news or updates on this? I'm looking for a broken Instax Wide and Mini to play around with on making some backs and would love to see what you've tried so far.