Photography

Affordable kit lets you build your own twin lens reflex camera

Affordable kit lets you build your own twin lens reflex camera
The twin lens kit camera shoots 35mm film (Image: Photojojo)
The twin lens kit camera shoots 35mm film (Image: Photojojo)
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The twin lens kit camera shoots in portrait mode(Image: Photojojo)
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The twin lens kit camera shoots in portrait mode(Image: Photojojo)
The kit camera can easily be customized with stickers or paint (Image: Photojojo)
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The kit camera can easily be customized with stickers or paint (Image: Photojojo)
The viewfinder is at the top of the camera (Image: Photojojo)
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The viewfinder is at the top of the camera (Image: Photojojo)
The plastic lens yields saturated colors and "stylish" lens flares, all at no extra charge (Image: Photojojo)
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The plastic lens yields saturated colors and "stylish" lens flares, all at no extra charge (Image: Photojojo)
(Image: Photojojo)
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(Image: Photojojo)
(Image: Photojojo)
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(Image: Photojojo)
The twin lens kit camera looks right at home with its professional cousins (Image: Photojojo)
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The twin lens kit camera looks right at home with its professional cousins (Image: Photojojo)
The numerous parts that go into each kit camera (Image: Photojojo)
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The numerous parts that go into each kit camera (Image: Photojojo)
The twin lens kit camera shoots 35mm film (Image: Photojojo)
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The twin lens kit camera shoots 35mm film (Image: Photojojo)
Sample images shot with the kit camera- note vignetting in the corners (Image: Photojojo)
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Sample images shot with the kit camera- note vignetting in the corners (Image: Photojojo)
View gallery - 10 images

Back in the days before digital cameras and printers, many do-it-yourselfers liked to develop and print their own photos. While those days of darkrooms, chemicals and papers haven't completely given over to CMOS sensors and printers just yet, nuts and bolts photographers still have to work a bit harder to get their hands dirty, so to speak. Now, camera gadget site Photojojo offers one way to stay "retro," by offering a very affordable build-it-yourself twin lens camera kit that shoots honest to gosh 35mm film. Best of all, even though it looks like a toy, its plastic lens actually captures fairly decent (read "lo-fi dreamy") photos. The small amount of vignetting and lens flare is thrown in for free!

For a cool US$20, you, too, can join the ranks of venerable photogs who built their own gear, albeit from a kit of plastic parts, rather than from scratch, but who's keeping track? When assembled, it measures 3" x 3" x 5" high (7.6 x 7.6 x 12.7cm) and, since the film travels through the camera vertically, shoots in portrait mode. You're limited, or challenged, depending on how you look at it, with a shutter speed of 1/150th of a second and an aperture of f/11. Similar models were launched in Japan some time ago, so the quirky little cameras already have an international following.

(Image: Photojojo)
(Image: Photojojo)

From the looks of it, this little rig could be lots of lo-tech fun, but you'd better hurry. With the digital tsunami growing bigger every day, there's no telling just how long real film will remain available!

Source: Photojojo

View gallery - 10 images
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