InsTLR Project

It was my fault really. I'm still quite new to drawing up models in Sketchup for 3D printing. Whereas they look fine as a 3D render, once they go into the slicing software for the printer, any slight errors where the sides don't join fully or aren't completely flat on an axis will lead to holes in the mesh and a failed print. I'd drawn the parts as I went along, adding details and shapes but they hadn't all closed properly and it was a nightmare trying to go back over the parts to correct them. By starting again I could draw the main body in 3 sections (2 sides and base) which were closed up individually and checked as I went along then finally grouped to make a single piece.
 
It was my fault really. I'm still quite new to drawing up models in Sketchup for 3D printing. Whereas they look fine as a 3D render, once they go into the slicing software for the printer, any slight errors where the sides don't join fully or aren't completely flat on an axis will lead to holes in the mesh and a failed print. I'd drawn the parts as I went along, adding details and shapes but they hadn't all closed properly and it was a nightmare trying to go back over the parts to correct them. By starting again I could draw the main body in 3 sections (2 sides and base) which were closed up individually and checked as I went along then finally grouped to make a single piece.

Well here is subject to talk about at the meet as 3d printing is all new to me from start to finish (y)
 
Why do people take such awful pictures when they're trying to sell a camera and also not even bothering to clean the crud off it!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Instax-Mi...384042?hash=item2a698b9dea:g:16sAAOSwnNBXU0ss

I've sent them a question asking to see example pictures from it and also asking how they've fitted the back as I reckon the focus will be well out but they seem to be skipping around that..

I wonder if the buyer will ask for some of his money back now there are more than one!
 
Thanks. I suspect there are quality checkers for that. But I also suspect you'll want to tweak it as you go along from now on.

Edit: This looks interesting https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/solid-inspector

That's the plugin I use :0) It can find/fix some errors but it only highlights others like mesh errors where there are internal faces that aren't closed. As a result, I still need to manually try to close off the shapes and then make sure that Sketchup doesn't reverse the face meaning that some pieces are actually inside-out when it comes to printing which also fails! I also use NetFabb which has a free version which will analyse/repair an exported STL.
 
Right, after what feels like 47 more revisions, I've got the roller mechanism ready to print so all of the parts are now good to go. I'm hoping to have the parts back early next week so I can test out version 2 of the InsTLR back :0)
 
Ok, my parts were all printed yesterday but the finish of the PETG filament wasn't up to scratch for the guy doing it so he wasn't happy sending them out. He thinks it may be a bad batch of the filament so is going to do some more test prints over the weekend before redoing mine.
 
Just to add to my frustrations with with 44, I've been in touch with the printer today and he's had issues with the main body part again :0(. Looks like one side still isn't slicing properly which is really doing my head in!
 
Well, I re-drew the patchy side of the main body again and looks like it should print ok now. The part is being printed now so will hopefully be shipped out tomorrow. Exciting times now.
 
My parts arrived today so I've done a brief first assembly of the main body. I haven't rounded out the holes for the rollers yet so they're not in place but it gives me an idea of the fit.

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First issue is one of the brackets on the main body is too low by about 5mm. This will be a result of me re-drawing the part at least 47 times but will be simple to rectify. Second issue is the the curve of the main body is also off by a few mm on the right side which is stopping it sitting flush to the camera. Again, this will be the result of the re-draws and was what I was worried about. I'll need to take some measurements before adjusting the curve slightly.

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The biggest issue is that the eject lever isn't particularly strong as its only running in shallow rails either side of the film caddy. I can't make it any thicker as there's not enough space in the camera so I think I'll have to look at making a slider bar on the side of the caddy like in the original Instax camera. It will mean a slight redesign of the internals but shouldn't be too much.

I'll fit the rollers later and make sure they're meshing properly with the camera and ejecting the film. Other than a couple of niggles I'm pretty happy with the result overall.
 
Maybe you could make a lever out of metal. Manually. Based on the printed one. Repurpose some piece of scrap metal from something.
 
I finally had some time to finish the assembly. All of the parts fit nicely and the PETG is much stronger than PLA and more flexible than ABS. I still need to redesign the eject mechanism but the rest of the body fits well. The gears are linking like they should do and the rollers are pretty smooth.

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The rear door is hinged using a 2mm diameter stainless steel rod and I've embedded 4 neodymium magnets to keep it closed. I've also fitted a stainless steel bar across the top to hold the back in place which is stronger than the original pins I printed on the first version.

And a bit of artistic license...

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Result. I've been trying to work out how the correction lens for the Lomo Diana+ works to move the focal plane backwards to account for the Instax back but didn't find anything online. I sent a hopeful email to their customer service this morning to see if I could buy just the lens (for my own Diana of course..) and they've just replied to ask for my address so they can send me one for free :0)

I'm hoping that the lens will do the same job on the tlr without degrading the quality so I'll wait and see.
 
This might just work;

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I've just got the adaptor lens from Lomo in the post and tried it in my 635. The clip holds in quite tightly above the lens and is central to it as well. I've put a piece of ground glass across the back and spaced it up by a few mm to match the Instax cartridge and my quick tests show that the image appears to be pretty sharp and matches the wlf which is awesome :0)
 
Thanks Baz and Trevor. I'm going to grab my mk1 version back from Moomike tomorrow so I can test it out using the proven part. Assuming that works, I can get the mk2 printed version finished and test the rollers out.
 
The project has been on the back-burner for a while with me building a few other customs as well as having to work (annoyingly). I spent a bit of time today building the eject bar and spring mechanism so I can get it completed. I'll take some pictures later but, apart from fitting the external bracket and a bit of final shaping, the bar's fitted and moving nicely. I've got a small return spring fitted so it's ready to eject the next shot.
 
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The slot for the handle was very roughly cut (with a soldering iron..) but I can now measure up to update my drawing for the next print.

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I've made some other modifications to the main body so I'll add all those to the model before the next print.
 
Your next project Steve is to go into LF
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@stevelmx5 I just got my first TLR, a yashica 635 that I found on CL! I loved how you were integrate two ideas as I love the idea of instant photography. I have a huge favor to ask, I just found out my school has a 3D printer I can use. Do you think you can send me the blueprints you used? I promise not to exploit them!
 
@sand3050

Hi, thanks for the compliment and interest. However, at the moment I'm not planning to open source the build files so couldn't share them with you. I look forward to seeing some 120/135 results from your 635 though. Good to see you in the F&C section, make sure you share some shots of your new kit. Cheers
 
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Rather than start a new thread, I thought I'd use the F&C shoehorn and put it in here. Thought some of you might be interested in a new Kickstarter for a folding, meniscus-lensed, carboard Instax camera;

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...st-cardboard-vintage-instant-came/description

I'm not sure how robust it will be and I'm not 100% convinced that Instax plays nicely with pinhole due to its' terrible reciprocity but it looks like it could be a fun little camera anyway. The cheapest backing level is $29 which includes the camera and box of 10 Instax mini sheets. The campaign has already surpassed its' funding level on day 2 so it's pretty much certain to be made.
 
I'm still working on this although I reckon it's going to see me through to retirement before I'm 100% happy! I spent a bit of time last night modifying original Instax cartridges to get the film to sit lower and more flush with the original film plane. While I could space out the back of the pressure plate inside the cartridge ok, this then made the ends of the film bend away from the face meaning that the eject bar didn't always catch the film properly.

As a result, I've given up on trying to make an existing cartridge work with the additional 4-5mm spacing needed to match the TLR film plane and have gone back to look at the compromise of moving the WLF up by the same 4-5mm to account for it. While this aligns the view within the WLF and the actual location of the Instax film, it screws up the focus range of the lens as restricts it to around 1' at the closest focus and 8' at 'infinity. This was the first issue I came across with the build and led me to spend hours and hours trying to correct the lens to move the focal plane back. I'm now wondering if I should just embrace the new focus range and use the InsTLR as a portrait shooter. I'm not entirely convinced I'd shoot many landscapes in Instax anyway!

Anyway, this is an example I've just taken. Shot at 1/500th, F11 (metered as iso 1000 to underexpose slightly);

More adjustments to the InsTLR setup and testing. by Steve Lloyd, on Flickr

One difficulty I have with Instax is that I find that I'm a bit too critical with the final sharpness. I've looked at this image using a macro lens as a magnifier and the sharpness is actually pretty good so maybe I just need to stop trying to compare it to Portra!

Edit - The bar across the top that looks like a light leak is actually a light reflection off the original chrome film roller in the 635. I did have a piece of black tape covering it but it appears to have gone walkabout!
 
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... around 1' at the closest focus and 8' at 'infinity.
The infinity symbol () looks like an 8 on its side so you could say it's working as intended. :whistle:

BTW, did you know that symbol is called a lemniscate? And there you were thinking this post was a waste of time; my nonsense is educational!




Just spent some time catching up on this thread, Steve. Blummin' marvellous stuff, it's great seeing it develop and the results are excellent. (y)
 
Hi, Stevelmx5, you did such a good job on the conversion, i am trying to replicate that as well since i love the design of the TLR so much. But i have this question in mind that it confuses the heck out of me despite hard facts on the internet.
http://www.thephoblographer.com/2016/05/27/hacking-bronica-etrs-shoot-fujifilm-instax-film/
The instax pictures in the above link doesn't contain black edge as big as yours although being a 6x4,5 camera, the image it can cover is supposed to be smaller than your TLR a 6x6 ? or is it not?
According to this link,
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/format.htm#120
6x4,5 will cover 56 x 42 mm image whereas 6x6 will cover 56x56 mm. So the black bar in your instax image will be 4 mm in total? since instax mini is 62mm long.
How on earth can a hacked TLR sold on internet cover full frame instax image when it's maximum image cover is 56 mm? unless they change the lens?

Thanks
regards
 
Hi, Stevelmx5, you did such a good job on the conversion, i am trying to replicate that as well since i love the design of the TLR so much. But i have this question in mind that it confuses the heck out of me despite hard facts on the internet.
http://www.thephoblographer.com/2016/05/27/hacking-bronica-etrs-shoot-fujifilm-instax-film/
The instax pictures in the above link doesn't contain black edge as big as yours although being a 6x4,5 camera, the image it can cover is supposed to be smaller than your TLR a 6x6 ? or is it not?
According to this link,
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/format.htm#120
6x4,5 will cover 56 x 42 mm image whereas 6x6 will cover 56x56 mm. So the black bar in your instax image will be 4 mm in total? since instax mini is 62mm long.
How on earth can a hacked TLR sold on internet cover full frame instax image when it's maximum image cover is 56 mm? unless they change the lens?

Thanks
regards


Hi @paperme. Couple of things really, firstly, the results in the Phoblographer article do have black bars on them (across the bottom of every image in the article). Secondly, the Bronica used is an ETRS but the Instax back is rotated so that the longest edge matches the longest edge of the film plane on the body.

Also, there's no way that a 6x6 TLR can fully cover an Instax image. If you move the film plane backwards (to give a larger image circle) you will not get a sharp image.

Cheers
Steve
 
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Quick question. Has anyone here got a TLR with a removable insert for holding the 120 film? I'm looking for something like a Halina A1 or a Ricohflex with the intention of printing a replacement insert which mounts an Instax cartridge/rollers around 4mm closer than the standard film plane to retain proper focus. I wouldn't make any changes to the body or original film insert but need to borrow them to take measurements and test the fit.

Cheers
 
This is wonderful, great stuff!

Thanks. It's a bit of an ongoing project. I now have the WLF spaced to match the Instax film plane but that means I've lost infinity focus (max focus distance now is around 10'). I'm planning on building a 2nd version using a TLR with a removable insert so I can mount the Instax holder at the same depth as the original film plane.

I've just listed my shiny blue Instax Mini 70 in the classifieds so would also be interested in a swap for a TLR.
 
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