NONS CAMERA, a startup from Hong Kong/Shenzhen known for its Instax film cameras with high-quality lenses, is teasing the release of a new Hasselblad Instax Square back. youtube.com/shorts/3YK6AJM…
You may’ve noticed in the above video that the photographer mounts a filter on top of the lens and one more on top of the viewfinder. Here’s why it’s important:
The challenge of using the Instax Square format with Hasselblad is that the actual 6x6 frame of a medium format camera is 56mm × 56mm, which is smaller than Instax Square’s 62cm × 62cm by 3mm on each side, producing a black border.
NONS modified the projection focus via an additional lens element further back, which made it larger. This allowed them to “enlarge” Hasselblad photos to snuggly fit in an Instax Square.
NONS’ earlier Hasselblad back (reg: $279) produced a thin black border inside Instax Square exposures. The new version does not.
The new back is expected to launch in Q1 2025, according to their Instagram announcement: instagram.com/p/DDeO1-iS0c…. NONS also confirmed (in the link above) that they do not intend to discontinue their earlier back (one that produces borders), and the new version will have film ejection and darkslide operation similar to that of the classic Hasselblad backs (i.e., “less awkward,” according to some commenters’ implied feedback).
Dmitri Dec 13, ‘24 edit
Dmitri Dec 13, ‘24