Someone once called it the ‘big brother’ of the Diana camera, the Bioflex faux TLR is the type of camera that makes me go ‘ooooh~’ when I hold it. It feels super ultra plasticky … it is mega plastic! It looks pretty similar to other old black TLR cameras but the moment you hold it … it’s like holding a Diana camera in your hands! It comes from the same ‘hometown’ as the Diana … Hong Kong. It’s one of the cameras listed by the Toycam Handbook which I guess makes it a ‘certified toy camera’. Perhaps it’s not that ‘famous’ as the other toy cameras, so I was able to grab it at a pretty low price in eBay.
The camera uses 120 roll film, has 3 shutter speed settings (1/25, 1/50 and Bulb mode) and 4 aperture values (f8, f11, f16 and f22). It uses range focusing and unlike most TLRs … you can’t actually judge focus based on the viewfinder. Like the Blackbird, Fly camera, the viewfinder is just for composition. Looking into the viewfinder makes me dizzy … it’s like one curved piece of mirror in it and is only visible from certain angles. *faint*
The shutter release button is placed in front near the bottom lens and that caused me some big time screw up. Why? On the right side of the lens are the aperture and speed setting knobs that look pretty similar to the shutter release button. Few times, when I wanted to adjust the focusing distance … I used that shutter release button instead! Argh! The focusing is actually adjusted by turning a dial around the taking lens! Damn! I was worried that the photos from the test roll will have some images of my face in a state of shock. 😀
Picked this Bioflex up some time ago and loaded it with a roll of Superia 100 but only managed to finish that test roll today. Phew! Finally! I was actually wondering if anything decent (or at least half decent) will turn out from it but I must say I was very surprised most of the shots turned out fine. A couple of them went to heaven because I screwed up and the rest … I couldn’t believe my eyes! This darn plastic thingie can produce pretty good photos. I think like all other toy cameras, the Bioflex performs best out in the bright sunlight. It has now moved up a couple of ranks in my list of favourite cams. 😀
