Omnar Bertele 50mm 𝒇2 MC FLB is a modern recreation of the classic Jena lens formula from 1934.
The founders, Chris (of Skyllaney Opto-Mechanics) and Hamish (of 35mmc.com), have been making premium machined brass rehousings of classic lenses since 2021. Bertele is their first project to utilize an advanced focus correction mechanism (FLB) with new glass elements crafted using a 91-year-old formula by Dr. Ludwig Bertele. Designed, manufactured, hand-finished, and hand-assembled in the UK.
The Omnar founders’ love for the Bertele formula had originally brought them together. But unlike their other creations (see: analog.cafe/comments/l1rc), the nearly century-old glass is not suitable for rehousing. The original design suffers from degraded coating, easily-scratchable glass, and focus recompilation errors that yield soft images at medium apertures and near focus.
Omnar Bertele 50mm 𝒇2 MC FLB resolves these recompilation errors using the Floating Lens Block design, which mechanically nudges the elements into an optimal position for tack-sharp focus and smooth, classic bokeh, without any changes to the original lens formula. The multi-coated glass elements are made anew, encased in a premium metal chassis for the Leica M-Mount (which helps further resolve the close-focus recompilation).
Bertele 50mm 𝒇2 MC FLB, starting at £2750, will be available at
Jollylook is making affordable mechanical instant film backs for the Mamiya RB67, RZ67, and other MF cameras.
Last month, the company announced the completion of their hand-crankable DIY instant film development units with an Instax Wide back — today, they’re working on adapting the same technology to medium format film cameras.
One of the nicest things about film cameras is that many of them require no batteries or have no electronics at all. But that’s not the case for most instant film cameras, which at least have a motorized film ejection mechanism. The peel-apart film is very hard to come by, so one of the very few options for going instant-batteryless is Jollylook’s system.
Jollylook’s camera design (eg, analog.cafe/r/film-photogr…) relies on intricate cardboard and plywood assembly that may not always give reliable results. However, the plastic+metal film rollers & frame work nicely in DIY projects (like analog.cafe/r/building-the…). We’ll soon find out how well this technology holds up for medium format cameras. If successful, it may become an affordable way to quickly convert your medium format camera into an instant film camera.
RETO PANO is a new film camera with a switchable panoramic mask, an “ultra-wide” 22mm lens, and a built-in flash.
RETO’s line of seemingly simple plastic cameras is more ambitious than they may lead on. RETO PANO is not an exception.
One of RETO’s first entries into the market was RETO 3D, a 2019 Kickstarter project and a fresh take on a cult-classic Nishika N8000. On this blog, I reviewed H35N, a half-frame plastic camera with a glass and an aspherical lens element, which I think made it the sharpest camera in its class: analog.cafe/r/kodak-ektar-…
RETO PANO adds a switchable mask to the full-frame exposures to produce panoramic images, similarly to how Minolta P’s does it: analog.cafe/r/minolta-ps-r… — but in a slightly lighter package, weighing just 93g/3⅓oz.
PANO uses a single AAA battery for flash, although it shouldn’t need it for most shots. Its shutter is fixed at 1/100s and its lens is a fixed focus acrylic 22mm 𝒇9.5.
Jollylook completes its range of hand-cranked instant film development units with an Inxtax Wide back.
Jollylook is a Ukrainian cameramaker known for their instant film cameras made of mostly wood and paper. But the company also has a following of DIY enthusiasts who enjoy Jollylook’s self-assembly camera kits and their film development units, which can be adapted to any camera.
I used one of these hand-crankable devices to make the world’s first functional instant film camera out of gingerbread: analog.cafe/r/building-the…). In fact, the whole camera was built around the Square development unit’s frame. I also have the Instax Mini version that’s been waiting to be used in another camera idea of mine (more on that later).
The Instax Wide version of Jollylook’s development unit is now another thing I want. These units make building film cameras from scratch a lot easier, thanks to the instant (film) feedback and the chassis, which are usually the most difficult part of simple film cameras to get right.
For example, the LEGO camera had to implement a very intricate lockable system to work, which took a lot of parts: analog.cafe/r/hands-on-wit…).
Polaroid Flip is a new film camera that uses classic tech to take better photos.
Those of us who grew up in the ‘90s may remember the old boxy Polaroid cameras like the Polaroid Sun 660. I lived in Moscow then, and we had one too. Polaroid Flip appears to be a modern reincarnation of those 600-series.
The Flip uses sonar and a 4-lens step focus just like my Sun 660. Polaroid’s earlier design, Polaroid Now, does not have that ability (later designs got 2-step autofocus).
I’m fascinated by Polaroid’s choice of sonar for autofocus, despite other tech like Lidar being more popular today. But the Flip also does some new things: film packs with a rechargeable battery, under/over exposure warning, a (presumably) more powerful flash, and Bluetooth connectivity with an app for manual control, double-exposures, etc.
From the release: “The Polaroid Flip will be available for €219 / $199,99 / £199,99 / CNY 1699, with early access for members starting April 15. It launches on polaroid.com on April 29 and in retailers from May 13.”
Like this camera, Polaroid is a reincarnation of the original brand that began with a defunct factory takeover. A brief history of Polaroid: analog.cafe/r/a-brief-hist…
Lomography has updated its DigitaLIZA Scanning Kits.
The new DigitaLIZA+ and DigitaLIZA Max modular scanning setups allow phone or camera scanning for multiple roll formats: 35mm, 120, 110, and 127. Medium format scans can be as large as 6×7.
The new backlight included in both kits features CRI 97, which means it emits 97% of wavelengths compared to incandescent light bulbs. Keeping this number as high as possible is crucial for getting accurate colours out of your negatives. Plus, you can use your own backlight instead if you’d prefer.
Both kits use magnets to keep the film flat, whereas the Max includes a phone stand as an additional component.
Cameradactyl is trading art sales for enormous RA-4 paper cartridge, camera back, and direct positive processor blueprints.
Last week, Ethan Moses of Cameradactyl posted a video about his invention, a new “film” format that uses roll RA-4 paper to make about 100 4x5 exposures in a giant daylight canister. The rolls can be used in Ethan’s enormous TLR-like camera or adapted to 4x5 cameras as a back.
Of course, shooting this huge format is just half the job to get an image. The other part is developing a thick roll of paper. This is why Ethan also built a contained conveyor-like machine that pulls the entire roll through the chemicals to produce a direct positive.
But Ethan isn’t planning on selling these devices as he does with the rest of his cameras. Instead, he’s proposing to trade sales of his photography (prints) in exchange for open-sourcing the entire project, which includes the canisters, camera back, and the film processor. Once Ethan sells $300,000 worth of his art, all files will be available for free (he will be releasing them incrementally as the sales progress).
An unusual proposition for a very cool project. I happen to have a roll of RA-4 paper in my closet and I’d love to use it in a 4x5 camera.
Here’s the video where Ethan explains his project and why he’d like to trade his art sales for 3D files: youtube.com/watch?v=PB0GPY…
You can find and purchase Ethan’s prints on his website: cameradactyl.com
Lomography released a development tank that makes loading film easier.
The fiddliest task of developing film is feeding it onto reels. Reels arrange it so that there’s spacing/no contact across the entire strip. This allows water and chemicals to flow freely across the entire surface, but it has to be done in darkness.
However, loading film onto reels can be difficult. Everything needs to be done by feel. Your hands are confined to a small space that can get warm quickly. As your hands get warm, the sweat makes the job harder. Films with a thin base, like Lomo 800, can be very frustrating to mount in these cases.
Lomography’s solution is a modular film loader and processing box. A core where you place your film roll is inserted into a plastic “doughnut” piece. You then wind the film from your roll into the “doughnut,” which houses the reels, remove the core with your empty canister and pour chems into the “doughnut.”
Lomo Daylight Developing Tank works for single 35mm rolls. The twist agitation looks a little messy in the video (youtube.com/watch?v=XyGh79…), but the inversion lock looks reassuring.
The tank & accessories are $79 at shop.lomography.com/us/day… — all you need is your film chemicals (and tools to mix them) to get started.
Last week, Lomography updated its premium *multi-format* instant film camera designs with Pemberley (pictured) and The Blues.
Lomo’Instant Square Glass works with Instax Square *and* Instax Mini films via an interchangeable film back (compare film dimensions here: analog.cafe/r/instant-film…). It uses a 95mm lens (45mm equivalent — presumably with the square format), and its two apertures: 𝒇10 and 𝒇22 that you’ll need to zone focus (how to zone focus: analog.cafe/r/how-to-zone-…). Its fully automatic shutter can fire between 1/125s and 8s with a 30s max delay in Bulb mode.
With ‘Instant, you get to control flash, multiple exposures, and exposure compensation — but it’s otherwise a fully automatic film camera.
Glass lenses are a relatively new offering for a brand that’s been known for its plastic “toy” cameras, like the Diana Mini (analog.cafe/r/diana-mini-7…). Yet, Lomography is serious about their designs (see my Nour Triplet 2.0 review: analog.cafe/r/nour-triplet…) and a transition to a higher quality and pricepoint products in their lineup (they were the first in a long time to release a glass lens 110 camera: analog.cafe/comments/0jn2).
Myriad is a new multi-format holder for scanning film with digital cameras.
This new design by CUTASUNDA (run by Michael Swift from North East of England) accepts virtually all roll film sizes 110, APS, 126, 135, 127, 120/220, etc. The holder is available from the CUTASUNDA website for £99.95 ($125): cutasunda.com/products.html — or you can try your luck at Pentax Forums, where a Myriad giveaway is running until February 21st: pentaxforums.com/articles/…
Myriad was in development for over two years to ensure safe, scratch-free film transport, reliability, and perfectly flat film scanning.
For it to work, you must supply your own light source — a high-CRI LED light panel (such as the excellent Raleno PLV-S192) is recommended. Of course, you’ll also need your digital camera and a stand.
Myriad will let you scan negatives up to 6x9 in dimensions and keep your film flat with no more than 0.4mm variance (however, it may have trouble with exceptionally curly film). The holder is made from premium plastics that are precision laser-cut, which melts the material in the process, leaving it perfectly smooth. The finely-textured diffuser panel ensures there are no Newton rings. The adjustable film guides let you switch easily from one film size to another. More info: cutasunda.com/resources.ht…
I’ll add a couple more images and scan samples to this thread shortly. 🧵
Reveni Labs launches LUMO, a $140 compact incident/reflective light meter with a full-colour display.
The new meter can take readings for ambient and flash units. It can also provide incident colour temperature readout, flash-to-ambient light ratio, flash duration, and discharge curve analysis. It comes with Cine Incident and Cine Reflective modes with shutter angle/framerate selection.
LUMO uses a user-replaceable NiMH rechargeable battery that can be topped up with the built-in USB-C port. For flash, it uses a high-voltage compatible 3.5mm trigger port. The display is a 1.1” full-colour LCD.
While I don’t personally use external meters frequently (typically, it’s a built-in meter or the Sunny 16 rule: analog.cafe/r/master-the-s…), this device seems very useful for film (movie) production and photography metering when you want to reassurances or calculations involving flash.
This is Matt Bechberger’s (Reveni Labs’ owner) fifth Kickstarter project. It reached 20% of the funding goal in just a few minutes after going live at 9 AM PST. Given it reaches 100% in the next 30 days (it will), LUMO will go into production this March and ship later this year.
Analogue aF-1 is a new, relatively affordable, premium point-and-shoot camera expected to launch this summer.
The project, which has been in development for over two years, came across my radar late last year. Yet, given that the launch page (af1.analogueshop.com/) has only shared renders (i.e., not the actual photos of the product) and team Analogue has admitted that the sample image on that page was not taken with their camera in the comment on Kosmo Foto’s article (kosmofoto.com/2025/01/anal…), I wanted to do a bit more research before publishing this #editorial🔥.
First, the specs: the €399/$412 camera (with pre-launch discount, €339/$349) would feature a six-element 35mm 𝒇2.8 lens with a Lidar autofocus, autoexposure (only), motorized film transport, shutter speed up to 1/1000, flash, and DX-code reader for ISO25-5000.
When I reached out to Analogue, they added that the camera might also feature exposure compensation (+1.5EV) for backlit scenes and a flash override. However, they haven’t yet responded to my request for a chat or an interview (I’ll update this thread if they do).
I did find a video by Analogue Amsterdam, where a short clip featured a physical (dummy model?) of the camera in their customers’ hands: youtube.com/watch?v=SflI-y…
Mania MFZ is a wooden multi-format, multi-focal-length, multi-pinhole camera system.
A new Kickstarter project by a carpenter/photographer, Ralph Man, promises to “expand the boundaries of pinhole camera capabilities many times over.”
Ralph’s wooden pinhole camera system is expensive (as quality woodworking tends to be), and it may not pan out (given that it’s only 10% funded), but there are still 25 days to go. Whatever the case may be, I think you may enjoy learning about the most-featured pinhole camera design, probably ever:
- The camera can expose 6x6, 6x12, and 6x17 medium format frames (presumably panoramic 135 film formats as well with adapters).
- It takes 4x5 film holders and Lomo Graflock 4x5.
- It can take side-by-side exposures for panoramic exposures.
- It can make shift exposures.
- It takes gel filters.
- It can switch focal lengths from 35mm to 135mm in 20mm increments.
Year-end sale on film, lenses, and cameras: 25% off + free shipping.
I’ve tested a lot of gear this year, some of which are listed at the Etsy shop I run alongside Analog.Cafe, FilmBase. Every piece is thoroughly tested, and everything has exhaustive descriptions and product images. Cameras, lenses, film, books, and more.
FilmBase is a tiny seller that consistently receives five-star ratings and great reviews. I try to ship things as fast as possible and package everything in either upcycled or plastic-free materials. US and Canada only, unfortunately.
Smartflex, a lightweight 4x5 SLR, launched and reached its goal on Kickstarter within just a few days.
The camera weighs just over 2kg/4.4lb and uses a segmented mirror system to solve “the major issue of short flange distance lenses while ensuring no light leaks.” It uses a 5x5” horizontal ground-glass viewfinder. It’s also possible to use a mobile device with this camera (to film videos via an enormous LF lens) and Instax Wide film.
Various photos and images of the camera show its creator using it hand-held, which is certainly unique for this format. I wrote about this project earlier this year — see some of that footage here: analog.cafe/comments/kqi9
The Omnar 35mm f/3.5 Pantessa FLB is a premium Yashica T* lens rehousing for Leica M-mount, with an image circle large enough for Fuji GFX 100ii and Hasselblad X2D¹.
“The optical formula has been modified[…] to reposition the glass elements into a continually optimized state[…] we have designed the lens so the position of the optical block subtly moves within the housing as the aperture is adjusted[…] This design feature, which is entirely unique to our rehousing, is the key reason the Pantessa lens maintains such high optical performance and rangefinder accuracy across the entire 0.65m through Infinity RF coupled focus distance.” — Omnar.
The Omnar 35mm f/3.5 Pantessa FLB is available to pre-order off the Omnar Lenses website today for £1950 (~$2,435).
This lens’s first limited production run has just 20 units, which Omnar expects to ship by the end of February 2025.
¹ — With adapter. Some vignetting on Hassy. See samples below.
Rveni Labs made a special holder that adapts a portable laser rangefinder device to film cameras.
Zone focusing isn’t difficult, but if you’d prefer to have *laser focus* with your manual film camera, there’s now an affordable way to do this. Reveni Labs, a Canadian startup that manufactures film camera accessories, made a holder with a mirror that lets you clip a small laser rangefinder tool, AquilaPro, on top of your camera.
AquilaPro, which sells for $30, is very accurate, down to 0.078”. There’s about an inch of discrepancy between the actual and measured distance due to the gap between the rangefinder and the mirror introduced by the holder — which won’t be consequential unless you’re shooting with an extremely narrow depth of field. The rangefinder’s limit is 98’ (30m), which can be assumed as an infinity mark (assuming reasonable DOF).
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).
Filmomat, a German premium lab tool maker, has released the 135 Autocarrier, a $1,500 automatic film scanning rig for digital cameras.
135 Autocarrier can scan and advance film up to three frames per second (!) via an automatic frame detection system. It uses twenty full-spectrum LEDs (5000K) for accurate scanning colour, and it’s compatible with uncut film and precut strips that are as short as three frames. The rig also triggers your camera’s shutter button automatically.
Filmomat sells beautiful, elaborate, and expensive tools for those who like to develop film at home. This rig even seems suitable for a small lab.
Film frame edge detection (built into 135 Autocarrier and attempted by other manufacturers) is tricky as film cameras may have a slight variance in spacing, frames can overlap, and they do not necessarily have edges (if there’s a dark shadow on the side of an image, for example). These are complex problems to solve, which may make the price of this tool understandable (but I am curious how/how well it solves these challenges).
A high-quality scanner can significantly impact the sharpness of your images (see: analog.cafe/r/how-to-make-…) more than a fancy lens. So, if you’re wielding something pricey, this rig may be the next step to improving your scans and cutting your scanning time down.
Lomourette is Lomography’s new half-frame camera with a flash that looks like Diana Mini.
Diana Mini was my second film camera (the first one was Super Sampler). I took that little green plastic box with me on many trips; I loved its look and how light it was. It could switch between a half-frame and a square exposure format mid-roll!
Lomography’s new Lomourette resembles Diana Mini in looks and functionality. While Lomourette can not switch the format mid-roll, it comes with a mountable flash (my Diana Mini did not, although newer versions did, too).
My Diana died after about two years of use (the shutter ceased when I was hiking up Huangshan). It’s possible that the added complexity of switching the frame mask and film advance steps accelerated its demise. Presumably, decades of additional production experience and simplified design make Lomourette a more reliable camera. Lomography sells its new cameras with a two-year limited warranty.
The new Lomourette uses a zone-focused 𝒇8 24mm plastic lens (.6m/2’ closest focus) with a fixed 1/60th shutter (no cable release). It’s available in three colours on Lomography’s website: shop.lomography.com/ca/cat…
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