If you’ve tried using the Blackbird, Fly camera, you probably find that the images ain’t as ‘toy-like’ as you thought/hope they’ll be. Right? Well that’s how I find it and also feedback from some friends. I own a few of them but they have been sitting on my shelf as deco pieces instead of getting put to good use. Duh!
Anyway … recently there is this Japanese magazine that once brought us the Gakken stereo pinhole camera … and now this volume comes with a plastic TLR! Cool! At first I was not very excited about it because I thought it will be just another 35mm TLR that produces normal looking results. I was wrong. Dead wrong!
A friend in Japan bought it and ran a roll through it and according to his feedback … the viewfinder is ‘real’! ‘Real’ as in … you can see what you are actually focusing. Ermm … I am not sure how to put it in words. Hahaha. Okay … it is unlike the BBF where the view in the viewfinder is always the same thing … no matter how you focus. Get it? Ermm … I hate it when I can”t describe things properly. 🙁
Anyway … I saw the photos that my friend took and I was blown away by the results. (Check it out here). The results does give me a feel of photos taken with the good old Dianas (not the Lomo remakes). I was told that the magazine (plus cam) costs about S$50 locally on special order. You have to spend time to assemble the pieces before you get the actual camera though. It is more like a DIY project thingie. It even comes with some stickers for you to ‘dress up’ the naked black camera.
I have a couple units arriving from Japan soon but they have all been snapped up. The local toy camera store ThirtySix (at Sunshine Plaza) will be stocking up on these too … real soon.
If you think the BBF is way over your budget and would love a plastic 35mm TLR … this one is a must!
just sent yours.. youll get it in 2 days
@Mijonju : Thanks. Can’t wait to receive them. Hahaha. Thanks for poisoning me (again). 😀
ohh cant wait to try it out 😀
is thirty six stocking up anytime soon?
@shunzi : Few seconds ago … I was told that this toy just landed in ThirtySix. You better run there to get your copy fast … limited stocks I was told. 😀
Wah!!!! Another drooling factor….
@Jer : Quick go grab one! Must have! Must have!!!!
I WANT!!!!!!!
@irorus : Who doesn’t? 😛
Damn tempting
hey.
anyone create another MO?
which website was it bought from anyway.
omg. damn tempted!
@Mike : Just give in. 😛
@bob : Why not check with ThirtySix? An MO might not be any cheaper anyway and too much hassle to organize one.
@sumlom : Repeat after me : ‘I NEED A GAKKENFLEX! I WANT ONE! I NEED ONE!’
LOVE IT!!!!!!
i want also..
BBF cannot afford ah..
Wer to get uncle..
@noreen : Assembled yours yet?
@Tech : A couple of hours ago, I got news that the stocks arrived in ThirtySix already. Limited quantities. Hahaha. Guess they’ll be bringing in more stocks if the demand is there.
Ndroo, I gave in already!
@mike : That’s the spirit! Hahaha!
the gakken series of magazine seems damn fun. someone should bring them in on a regular basis. *cough cough
darling fix it up already!!! DOPE!!!! yah this one can focus!!!!!!!!! lol
@mike : I’m sure someone here is listening. Your prayers may be answered. 😀
@noreen : That banned word again! Hahaha! Your darling is a genius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KHKra1HmSk
this is me fixing it up
@Mijonju : Nice video! Hahaha. Maybe I should try video-ing my clumsy assembly process when the cams arrive?
wahseh heng took leave at the right time!! *rushing down now…
weee. awesomeness!! with this said i am selling all my bbf for a greater cause. i mean to get my FE2.
@solace : Lomo FE2 or Nikon FE2? 😀
thanks for the share, can you believe that mine has a missing part, and a duplicate of another?!
urgh.
@sam : Really? That’s strange. Which part is that? So can you get the cam assembled?
@mijonju : Thanks! The parcel is here. 😀
@ndroo: its the wheel on the inside for the counter. i can get the cam assembled, just no counter lor. anyway gg to thirtysix tmr to see what we can do. 🙂
@sam : I checked with mijonju … there ain’t no counter in this camera. Just an indicator to show that you have advanced to the next frame. What counter are you looking for? I haven’t got mine assembled … so I can’t really tell. 😀
it has no counter! hhaha but you will notice there is a round thing on the right.. this one tells you how many to must turn to get to next frame
@sam : I just got mine assembled. It’s real fun doing it! Hahaha. I don’t see no counter on it. Maybe you got confused about the wheels?
hi I just got one yesterday, however i’ve been stuck at trying to get the shutter mechanism working. any tips?
@lisle : Did you manage to put all those parts for the shutter mechanism in place? Does it now look like what’s on the instruction manual? Maybe you can take a photo of the setup (shutter mechanism part) and I’ll see what I can help. I’ll be posting some ‘tips’ on parts that I think is tricky soon. You can email me the photo if you want. My email addy is admin*ndroo.com (replace the * with @)
@ndroo thanks, i’ve just emailed u ^^
@lisle : The assembly looks okay. Something must be preventing the thingie from springing back. Replied your email.
@ndroo: aiya.. i am refering to that round thing on the right.. in japanese it says “counter” le. hahaha.. anyway, that indicator/counter/round thing on the right.
has a wheel and axel combination, and i was missing one part, duplicate another part.
anyhow, i went back to jimmy at 36 and he kindly gave me the missing wheel 😀
yay! cdnt wait to go home to fix it, so went to a cafe near by and fixed it on the spot. works perfectly.
oh by the way… did anyone have a problem with the springs? i thought the info was kinda odd, esp since the springs didnt match the description…
@sam : Glad you got your headache solved. Guess the spring & description problem? Not sure. I don’t understand Japanese … so that ain’t a problem to me at all. 😛 What does the description say?
Whoa, that looks totally cool. Is there anyway that I can get it if I’m not in Singapore? I went to the site but I couldn’t find the item. Tried eBay but I couldn’t find it either. I want it so bad! Help!
@Rozy : Hmm. I sent you an email. 😉
@ndroo: You did? I haven’t got any emails from you. Or maybe it’s slow?
@Rozy : Maybe I sent to the wrong email addy. I got it from your blog. Haha. Anyway, I’ve send again using the email you used when replying to this entry.
Looks like a fun toy.
But Ndroo, isnt not being able to see the focusing properly part of the fun? ahhaah. I use my bbf w/o even looking through the viewfinder 🙂
Hi, am so interested in owning one of the DIY GAKKENFLEX Camera. Can I still get it from Sunshine plaza?
@Winson : I’m not sure if the new stocks have arrived because I was told they’ll be here sometime after X’mas. You might wanna call them and reserve one. Hahaha! They’re selling like hotcakes!
Alright, will do just that! And idea on where can one acquire the BBF? Does ThirtySix carry them?
@Winson : BBF? Yeah … ThirtySix has tons of ’em. 😀
I just called Thirtysix, well, for those who are interested in getting the DIY GAKKENFLEX Camera, they have stocks now, but only enough for those who have pre-reserved/ordered them.
@Winson : Hahaha! Yeah I heard the same from them. Guess it’s as good as saying ‘no stocks’. Hehehe.