Thanks for making this video. I really respect the importance and thought you put into instant photography (I feel like most people see it a gimmick or something). I know you don't like making videos bashing products, but I am really grateful that you made this video on this camera.
Wow, listening to the noise from the rollers sent shivers down my spine. It really sounds like you got a bad unit and I hope they replace it or repair it. Best of luck! For a thousand dollars, I would expect much higher quality assurance and consistent functionality. I've gone to the MiNT site many times and thought about it, but I think after your review and a couple others, I'll likely consider other options.
I have this camera and I can tell you mine sounds exactly the same. In fact I feel like his works better than mine. Mine doesn’t even spit out the image most of the time. It’s a real bummer. I just use my 210 most of the time.
I’m sooo glad you made this video & I was able to see it BEFORE I purchased!! Thank you! Your not bashing anyone, you’re just making an honest real world review on the product so thanks again!
Had my RF70 nearly 4 years and maybe 500 photos later…it’s holding up strong. I would say the main limitations are instax film and it’s very limited dynamic range
My RF70 seems to work fine (although after watching this video I have my doubts about how much longer this would be so). An important thing I noted when making exposures with this camera (besides understanding the need for ND filters for pictures in fully sunlit photos) is to meticulously make sure that the green correct exposure indicator light lights up before snapping the picture. Whenever the green light did not go off, the picture would either be too dark or too light until a more appropriate shutter speed for the image is selected. If the pictures were coming out poorly exposed even after the green light goes on then this would definitely mean that the camera is defective - something Mint should have been able to tell you.
Thanks for the video. I’ve been watching your videos for a while and they are always considered and very well presented. Kudos!. I bought an RF70 a while back and I've been on the same journey of discovery that you've had. I still like the camera though. I've found a supplier of lithium rechargeable batteries which work really well. They can provide 3 amps of power at 1.5 volts. They recharge the flash consistently and the photo feed sounds a lot less strained. They also take longer to go flat when left in the camera. And if the batteries go flat the camera loses track of the frame counter (which is very annoying). I found the metering a bit hit and miss, but I discovered you need to wait for the green (or red) light to come on before you press the shutter all the way down. I think if you just press the shutter it doesn't have time to average out the light level and massively underexposes. I now set the camera in manual mode and then half-press the shutter as a “sanity check” before taking the picture. This also tells me which ND filter to use. I point the camera at the ground or the sky when doing the “sanity check” so that I can nudge the exposure the way I want it to go. The camera is a lot harder to use than anything I've ever used before. And I was taking and developing black and white films in the seventies….. I see it as a bit of a supercar. Expensive to buy, expensive to keep going but providing an experience you can't get anywhere else. If you’ve not tried it with external flash you really should. I got a second hand flash gun from ebay, made up a lead and got some of my favourite pictures that way. The internal flash is a bit low powered, but you can use it to isolate subjects from the background and to trigger slave flashes. The RF70 has taught me a lot about photography (or at least forced me to remember things I’d forgotten). I really wanted to have a go with it because I decided that phones are so good that we all get perfectly exposed and focused results all the time, and that is a bit boring. I don’t find the RF70 boring….. You can find my Mint RF70 journey here: www.robmiles.com/journal/category/Mint+RF70
Ooooo man, I think imma stick with my lomo square lol. Going off everything you said I REALLY think you got a dud, or a return, or something is off man. I’m sorry man that must have been so frustrating! For that much money I would definitely call and light someone up!
Chris, excellent review as always. I've had great success with Lithium batteries in finicky products. Sounds like you got a lemon with the unsealed box. Mint should exchange for a new sealed one. (Worth a try). I thought Mint advertised a film for life program ??
Dude thanks for this video, I was looking at buying this, but not now! You included some info that all the other videos I found did not. Its so weird to me that these cameras can't do what the SX-70 and SLR 680 do. They always get the focus right, exposed is dead on or very close, are built like tanks, and are 40-50 years. WTF is so hard about getting this right.
Man this really reminds me that it’s important to the experience that you have a nice sounding camera, that’s a genuinely important piece of its user experience. Goddamn the RF70 is annoying.
Free film program makes the cost easier to take, and the camera is finicky for sure, but I do love shooting with my RF70 especally on a tripod. It's definitely not a run-and-gun shooter but its strength is in the versatility with controlled variables and subjects. I especially enjoy shooting it in portrait orientation because the height of the instax wide expands what you can fit on a typical instax film like the mini/square, making the images feel much larger by comparison. All that said, a lot of what you said is standard for this camera with the noise of the motor and the iffy electronics, but keep in mind this is a very small company with limited resources doing something very niche. It's a pain and expensive to ship items back to them for replacement or repair, and the customer service may be frustrating at times, but I'm glad they're in the game. Yours sounds like it has faulty electronics with the flash and the counter, I had a similar issue with an SF70 which I had to troubleshoot and ship back for a replacement (even rollers were bad). I would say SF70 is a much better fit for your shooting style, and the motor is much, much quieter. As well, I think you would love shooting with the TL70 2.0 :)
I am glad you shared this information with us. I considered buying this camera for a long time. I think that buying a Polaroid 680 is a better purchase than this. Thank you!!!
I thought a lot about this or the Nons. Neither seemed to be ideal. Both super expensive for something which can only shoot Instax. Have ended up getting an Instax back for my RB67 which does allow more control when I want it. Still generally prefer my Lomo Square though as I take that everywhere, even if it misses a fair bit.
It sounds like you got a dud. For the price I'd be on the phone with the company getting them to replace or refund it. Duds happen, it's no big deal if the company takes responsibility for them especially for the price. It gets sketchy when a company stands behind the one shoddy camera. I'd love to see an update if you get a replacement or repair.
I really strongly prefer Polaroid colors and especially the SX-70/SLR 680 series light metering, but I do find Instax to be difficult to manually expose for, and the colors can be a little too flat for me ... but the price, sharpness, and size can be handy for Instax. I'm glad I went the Lomograflok route, but I do feel like maybe there really is something is weird about your copy, too. Definitely worth just sending this video to Mint to explain your issues.
dude you saved me 1000 dollars i would have got around to spending. only reason i wanted this camera was to shoot landscape. ive got into 35mm film recently and omg im having so much fun. Do you like to shoot 35mm? if so it would be dope to see you drop a video about it.
Great review Chris. But I’ll throw my hat in the disagree pile. I LOVE my RF70! Took a tad more getting used to, but the full manual control was what I was after. Long exposure shots ❤️ & adding off camera flash is BEYOND AWESOME in an instant photo! But it’s def not for everyone. My wife? She hates it 😂. Once she used an SLR680 she looks at the RF70 much the same way you do (what’s the point? 🤷🏻♂️) I love using each of them, but I use them for different purposes. That said, I don’t go anywhere without both cameras and plenty of film. Again, great review…here’s to hoping it grows on you brother.
I really like the design of folding cameras, and nearly bought this, but the price point of this just made me go for the nons square camera. It's still not perfect, but using my normal and tilt shift lenses on instax just feels so right.
I had one and loved the pics, but it had problems ejecting film ALOT and I hated the focus window. For instax wide I went for Fujifilm 500af instead. Autofocus instax =👌👌
Great video! I absolutely agree, the RF70 is too expensive, far from perfect and not so fun to use! In my opinion Mint should work more on lowering the prices and improve cameras like the TL70, the waist-level viewfinder is fantastic. 😁
I’m glad to see such an honest opinion regarding the camera Chris, everybody seems to ignore its problems and only praise it, just as if they got it for free or something… I doubt many sane people would be happy spending so much money for such a bad product, unless they don’t know any better (and I know you do). It’s a crappy camera for $1000USD, there’s no way around it. It has Lomo-level quality control, the viewfinder is inaccurate, the focus isn’t that reliable, the aperture settings are laughably limited and most important of all, the lens is garbage. Half of its construction is plastic, that’s why it might look as an improvement over the other Instax camera lenses and picture quality but when you compare it with any high quality lens (from a Polaroid 600 SE, Mamiya RB67 or any other camera with an Instax back available) it looks soft and very prone to flare/lower contrast. A MUCH better solution (both in camera/lens quality and reliability) is to get a custom Instax back for a RB67/600SE/Universal Press or (if looking for a foldable/more compact solution) a modded Polaroid 110A/B with an Instax Wide back. Those cameras are very reliable, relatively cheap (about a grand for the camera and back, probably even less), they have interchangeable lenses (some of them) and they’re very high quality over all. The RF70 cameras are poorly designed, simply put. It’s a shame, with the resources they have they should be able to make better products… I hope they eventually improve. In the meanwhile I’ll keep building my own cameras and backs, it’s much cheaper and the results are simply amazing (so much that the only reason my photos suck is because I’m a terrible photographer, not because of my gear). I guess I might be spoiled, though, after shooting a muti-format SLR camera with interchangeable lenses and both Instax (Mini/Square/Wide) Polaroid (SX-70/600/I-type) backs, along a custom TLR shooting Polaroid Go film (for when I want to travel light and compact), I guess my opinion is biased towards top quality. Even then, I wouldn’t pay over $200 for a camera as poor as what Mint offers.
There's also another issue: the focusing ring, theoretically coupled, has a gap at its ends. Meaning, if you slide it to an end and then move it slightly, you'll notice that the actual lens does move but the viewfinder does not. I asked MiNT about it and they told me it was working properly. As I have a 140% vision (better than normal) that slight "not-in-focus" was really annoying and quite problematic, so I returned it and moved on.
I am thinking the better way to go is with a large or medium format camera that can fit a Instax back. I bought a beautiful Graflex 4x5 for $200 and I have Mamiya Universals and super 23 that can fix the Instax backs that are available. I'd like a back that requires less fiddling around. I think the LOMO back for Graflex can only shoot one shot at a time then needs to be disassembled to focus again. I also have the Polaroid 600SE, I could get an adapter and back for Instax.
Thanks for the video, I’ve been wanting to upgrade to some form of instant camera with manual controls. What would you recommend? The NONS SL660 looks kinda cool
Considering that my favourite instant camera is the MiNT SLR670S*, your RF70 seems to be utterly crap and customer service experience was shockingly bad by their usual standards. I feel for you, but would definitely suggest getting back to them again as it sounds like you might have a faulty camera. My own MiNT experiences over the years has mostly been very good (when I used to deal with Jackie, Jo and Gary). That said, I wouldn’t ever pay that amount of money for such a camera (not even their SLR series) as I do think their prices have always been too high. *Generally, the way I bought any of their SLR670 cameras was to send them an SX-70 to upgrade into the SLR670. Worked out much cheaper than buying normally - especially when I used to be able to pick up ‘spares only’ cameras for very little money.
Mint's prices just seem insane for what they are just from a glass. The build quality seems fine, but for maybe $150, not these +$300 for the TLR variant alone. But +900 for a play wide instax? I just don't understand their marketing strategy? Let's target a decent budget medium with overcharged platforms?
Underexposed photos, drains battery even in off-mode... Sounds like my Impossible I-1 :D I love my Mint TL70, but i wouldn't have bought it, if it hasn't been cheaper because of a slightly broken flash mechanism. It is unusable during sunlight (without expensive ND filters), but haptics and results are awesome, when done right. It is my "go-to"-camera for conventions, when cheap instant film comes handy for handing it over to e.g cosplayers, while shooting in a convention hall. It is dim enough to not get overexposed shots and even during the night, with the flash, shots are quite decent. I've been looking at the RF70 for a longer while now, but it really isn't worth it. Having a viewfinder-system "worse than a Lomo Instant Square" kind of says it all. With the TL70, shooting at least makes tons of fun, once you know the limits. Shooting with the RF70 never ever seems to get enjoyable at all, it is always "hard work". Maybe i will just opt for the Lomo Instant Wide and that's it. My Fuji Instax 100 is okay, but it really is bulky and turning off the flash, despite having a dedicated button for it, simply doesn't work at all. RF70 isn't even much better than the Lomo Instant Square in terms of haptics and optics...and that is a shame.
Sounds like they sent you a dud. Ive had both cameras and never really had any issues. The price is definitely pretty steep, but if you’re looking for full manual control it’s pretty much your only option aside from mods and film backs.
I ordered this on release date, but experienced uneven film ejection causing a weird black line across the bottom of each frame. I had to send it back to their headquarters multiple times (imagine having to eat up the shipping costs) only to have them send me another unit with a bad flash. They ultimately sent me a working refurbished unit but by then all the negatives you brought up in the video outweighed owning it. It is severely overpriced and feels like a rushed product.
Hoping to get a response in this comments section as this video is not old and much of you seem to also have an RF-70: is it me or is it impossible to nail focus with this thing? i feel like the focus ring is constantly loose and, depending on weather i twist to focus from infinity or minimal, the rangefinder stops in two separate locations leaving a large gap of where it could "potentially" be the sharpest, when shooting stopped down, this issue is obviously more exaggerated so i wound up using smaller F-stops, but why did i spend 900 dollars on a camera to shoot at F-8 when i could have bought one from wallmart for 20 dollars. someone please help me if im doing something wrong, if my camera is defective, or if there is tips to get focus better. thank you
I would definitely contact MiNT. There's no excuse for manufacturing faults right out of the box, but one of the big advantages of purchasing this camera over others is the 5 year complete warranty, which I think can be extended indefinitely after 5 years for $39 a year. So as long as the company continues to exist they will stand by their product and continue to repair them no questions asked for free. For me that was a big selling point because getting an SLR 680 and paying for only one repair already gets you pretty close to $1000. (Not to mention your cost in film is 2-3x higher) I have one and yes, the lens definitely isn't as sharp as my Instax Wide modified Polaroid 110B, despite being 2x the price, but it does have the big advantage of being more portable than that ergonomic nightmare 5 pound behemoth of a camera. So neither are perfect, and it's definitely not a Polaroid SLR killer, but it's pretty much the only option that exists for an advanced Instax Wide camera that comes with a real warranty. Between the two I've now sold everything else and left those as my only two instant cameras and I'm really happy. One is a camera with a lens superior to Polaroid SLRs that shoots Instax and the other is overpriced and doesn't have the best lens but is much more portable with a great warranty... so between the two that successfully killed my interest in collecting more and more gear.
![Mint Instantkon RF70 - The Peak of Instax Wide Cameras [Instant Review]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ckVSniZRu8k/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for making this video. I really respect the importance and thought you put into instant photography (I feel like most people see it a gimmick or something). I know you don't like making videos bashing products, but I am really grateful that you made this video on this camera.
I do what I can!
Wow, listening to the noise from the rollers sent shivers down my spine. It really sounds like you got a bad unit and I hope they replace it or repair it. Best of luck! For a thousand dollars, I would expect much higher quality assurance and consistent functionality. I've gone to the MiNT site many times and thought about it, but I think after your review and a couple others, I'll likely consider other options.
I have this camera and I can tell you mine sounds exactly the same. In fact I feel like his works better than mine. Mine doesn’t even spit out the image most of the time. It’s a real bummer. I just use my 210 most of the time.
Heavier but way nicer lens. Go get a moded Polaroid 110A/B. Learn manual exposure. ☺️
I’m sooo glad you made this video & I was able to see it BEFORE I purchased!! Thank you! Your not bashing anyone, you’re just making an honest real world review on the product so thanks again!
Had my RF70 nearly 4 years and maybe 500 photos later…it’s holding up strong. I would say the main limitations are instax film and it’s very limited dynamic range
My RF70 seems to work fine (although after watching this video I have my doubts about how much longer this would be so). An important thing I noted when making exposures with this camera (besides understanding the need for ND filters for pictures in fully sunlit photos) is to meticulously make sure that the green correct exposure indicator light lights up before snapping the picture. Whenever the green light did not go off, the picture would either be too dark or too light until a more appropriate shutter speed for the image is selected. If the pictures were coming out poorly exposed even after the green light goes on then this would definitely mean that the camera is defective - something Mint should have been able to tell you.
I've been wanting one of these forever! Thanks so much for saving me the money and headache!
Thanks for the video. I’ve been watching your videos for a while and they are always considered and very well presented. Kudos!. I bought an RF70 a while back and I've been on the same journey of discovery that you've had. I still like the camera though. I've found a supplier of lithium rechargeable batteries which work really well. They can provide 3 amps of power at 1.5 volts. They recharge the flash consistently and the photo feed sounds a lot less strained. They also take longer to go flat when left in the camera. And if the batteries go flat the camera loses track of the frame counter (which is very annoying). I found the metering a bit hit and miss, but I discovered you need to wait for the green (or red) light to come on before you press the shutter all the way down. I think if you just press the shutter it doesn't have time to average out the light level and massively underexposes. I now set the camera in manual mode and then half-press the shutter as a “sanity check” before taking the picture. This also tells me which ND filter to use. I point the camera at the ground or the sky when doing the “sanity check” so that I can nudge the exposure the way I want it to go. The camera is a lot harder to use than anything I've ever used before. And I was taking and developing black and white films in the seventies….. I see it as a bit of a supercar. Expensive to buy, expensive to keep going but providing an experience you can't get anywhere else. If you’ve not tried it with external flash you really should. I got a second hand flash gun from ebay, made up a lead and got some of my favourite pictures that way. The internal flash is a bit low powered, but you can use it to isolate subjects from the background and to trigger slave flashes. The RF70 has taught me a lot about photography (or at least forced me to remember things I’d forgotten). I really wanted to have a go with it because I decided that phones are so good that we all get perfectly exposed and focused results all the time, and that is a bit boring. I don’t find the RF70 boring….. You can find my Mint RF70 journey here: www.robmiles.com/journal/category/Mint+RF70
I bought the mini instax evo camera because of you and I’m so happy with it🥳🤩 Thank you for great reviews💪🏽💯
That’s great!!
Ooooo man, I think imma stick with my lomo square lol. Going off everything you said I REALLY think you got a dud, or a return, or something is off man. I’m sorry man that must have been so frustrating! For that much money I would definitely call and light someone up!
Chris, excellent review as always. I've had great success with Lithium batteries in finicky products. Sounds like you got a lemon with the unsealed box. Mint should exchange for a new sealed one. (Worth a try). I thought Mint advertised a film for life program ??
I’m thinking so. And they do have a film program but it’s kinda too much trouble for what it’s worth.
Dude thanks for this video, I was looking at buying this, but not now! You included some info that all the other videos I found did not. Its so weird to me that these cameras can't do what the SX-70 and SLR 680 do. They always get the focus right, exposed is dead on or very close, are built like tanks, and are 40-50 years. WTF is so hard about getting this right.
I got mine 2 weeks a go and I love it. I have 3 sx-70 and the fr-70 is way better imo. But I hope they replace or refund you for your unit.
Man this really reminds me that it’s important to the experience that you have a nice sounding camera, that’s a genuinely important piece of its user experience. Goddamn the RF70 is annoying.
Free film program makes the cost easier to take, and the camera is finicky for sure, but I do love shooting with my RF70 especally on a tripod. It's definitely not a run-and-gun shooter but its strength is in the versatility with controlled variables and subjects. I especially enjoy shooting it in portrait orientation because the height of the instax wide expands what you can fit on a typical instax film like the mini/square, making the images feel much larger by comparison. All that said, a lot of what you said is standard for this camera with the noise of the motor and the iffy electronics, but keep in mind this is a very small company with limited resources doing something very niche. It's a pain and expensive to ship items back to them for replacement or repair, and the customer service may be frustrating at times, but I'm glad they're in the game. Yours sounds like it has faulty electronics with the flash and the counter, I had a similar issue with an SF70 which I had to troubleshoot and ship back for a replacement (even rollers were bad). I would say SF70 is a much better fit for your shooting style, and the motor is much, much quieter. As well, I think you would love shooting with the TL70 2.0 :)
I am glad you shared this information with us. I considered buying this camera for a long time. I think that buying a Polaroid 680 is a better purchase than this. Thank you!!!
Can’t go wrong with a 680
I thought a lot about this or the Nons. Neither seemed to be ideal. Both super expensive for something which can only shoot Instax. Have ended up getting an Instax back for my RB67 which does allow more control when I want it. Still generally prefer my Lomo Square though as I take that everywhere, even if it misses a fair bit.
Sounds like the camera is screaming in pain. I hope there is a part 2 if you send it in for repairs.
Indeed I plan to do a follow up video. I’m currently talking to MiNT and will post something if anything happens
It sounds like you got a dud. For the price I'd be on the phone with the company getting them to replace or refund it. Duds happen, it's no big deal if the company takes responsibility for them especially for the price. It gets sketchy when a company stands behind the one shoddy camera. I'd love to see an update if you get a replacement or repair.
MiNT have great customer support in my experience he shouold be be able to get a new one no problems. Atleast i did when my copys lightmeter broke.
I really strongly prefer Polaroid colors and especially the SX-70/SLR 680 series light metering, but I do find Instax to be difficult to manually expose for, and the colors can be a little too flat for me ... but the price, sharpness, and size can be handy for Instax. I'm glad I went the Lomograflok route, but I do feel like maybe there really is something is weird about your copy, too. Definitely worth just sending this video to Mint to explain your issues.
dude you saved me 1000 dollars i would have got around to spending. only reason i wanted this camera was to shoot landscape. ive got into 35mm film recently and omg im having so much fun. Do you like to shoot 35mm? if so it would be dope to see you drop a video about it.
Im so glad I saw this I was so excited for a high quality instant camera 😭 im sticking with lomo glass!!!
Great review Chris. But I’ll throw my hat in the disagree pile. I LOVE my RF70! Took a tad more getting used to, but the full manual control was what I was after. Long exposure shots ❤️ & adding off camera flash is BEYOND AWESOME in an instant photo! But it’s def not for everyone.
My wife? She hates it 😂. Once she used an SLR680 she looks at the RF70 much the same way you do (what’s the point? 🤷🏻♂️)
I love using each of them, but I use them for different purposes. That said, I don’t go anywhere without both cameras and plenty of film.
Again, great review…here’s to hoping it grows on you brother.
Love your insight!
Thanks for the honest review
Always!
I really like the design of folding cameras, and nearly bought this, but the price point of this just made me go for the nons square camera. It's still not perfect, but using my normal and tilt shift lenses on instax just feels so right.
That camera is also on my list to buy! One day
I mean I’ve bought a lot of cameras but if you add them all up it doesn’t amount to the cost of ONE of these.
Right!? It’s WILD how much MiNT charges for these cameras
I had one and loved the pics, but it had problems ejecting film ALOT and I hated the focus window. For instax wide I went for Fujifilm 500af instead. Autofocus instax =👌👌
Great video! I absolutely agree, the RF70 is too expensive, far from perfect and not so fun to use!
In my opinion Mint should work more on lowering the prices and improve cameras like the TL70, the waist-level viewfinder is fantastic. 😁
hello chris. now that u did the most expensive wide format camera, can u do the 2nd most expensive? the instax 500 af wide.
The "A" is for aperture priority, not automatic!
You are correct. However it’s still a form of automatic
I’m glad to see such an honest opinion regarding the camera Chris, everybody seems to ignore its problems and only praise it, just as if they got it for free or something… I doubt many sane people would be happy spending so much money for such a bad product, unless they don’t know any better (and I know you do).
It’s a crappy camera for $1000USD, there’s no way around it. It has Lomo-level quality control, the viewfinder is inaccurate, the focus isn’t that reliable, the aperture settings are laughably limited and most important of all, the lens is garbage. Half of its construction is plastic, that’s why it might look as an improvement over the other Instax camera lenses and picture quality but when you compare it with any high quality lens (from a Polaroid 600 SE, Mamiya RB67 or any other camera with an Instax back available) it looks soft and very prone to flare/lower contrast.
A MUCH better solution (both in camera/lens quality and reliability) is to get a custom Instax back for a RB67/600SE/Universal Press or (if looking for a foldable/more compact solution) a modded Polaroid 110A/B with an Instax Wide back.
Those cameras are very reliable, relatively cheap (about a grand for the camera and back, probably even less), they have interchangeable lenses (some of them) and they’re very high quality over all.
The RF70 cameras are poorly designed, simply put. It’s a shame, with the resources they have they should be able to make better products… I hope they eventually improve.
In the meanwhile I’ll keep building my own cameras and backs, it’s much cheaper and the results are simply amazing (so much that the only reason my photos suck is because I’m a terrible photographer, not because of my gear). I guess I might be spoiled, though, after shooting a muti-format SLR camera with interchangeable lenses and both Instax (Mini/Square/Wide) Polaroid (SX-70/600/I-type) backs, along a custom TLR shooting Polaroid Go film (for when I want to travel light and compact), I guess my opinion is biased towards top quality. Even then, I wouldn’t pay over $200 for a camera as poor as what Mint offers.
There's also another issue: the focusing ring, theoretically coupled, has a gap at its ends. Meaning, if you slide it to an end and then move it slightly, you'll notice that the actual lens does move but the viewfinder does not. I asked MiNT about it and they told me it was working properly. As I have a 140% vision (better than normal) that slight "not-in-focus" was really annoying and quite problematic, so I returned it and moved on.
Basically an Instax wide with bellows attached.
what kind of fisheye/wide angle lens are you using for your sx-70? such a cool idea
It’s a 37mm threaded lens. Check out retrograde engineer on instagram. He has the hook up!
Just picked up the TL70 and noticed that they went paperless and should have a QR code sticker for their manuals
I am thinking the better way to go is with a large or medium format camera that can fit a Instax back. I bought a beautiful Graflex 4x5 for $200 and I have Mamiya Universals and super 23 that can fix the Instax backs that are available. I'd like a back that requires less fiddling around. I think the LOMO back for Graflex can only shoot one shot at a time then needs to be disassembled to focus again. I also have the Polaroid 600SE, I could get an adapter and back for Instax.
Or mod a Polaroid 110A/B ☺️ it's so much fun.
Thanks for the video, I’ve been wanting to upgrade to some form of instant camera with manual controls.
What would you recommend?
The NONS SL660 looks kinda cool
I haven’t used the nons so I can’t recommend it.
SL660 is a true pain to focus, so quirky overall
Considering that my favourite instant camera is the MiNT SLR670S*, your RF70 seems to be utterly crap and customer service experience was shockingly bad by their usual standards. I feel for you, but would definitely suggest getting back to them again as it sounds like you might have a faulty camera.
My own MiNT experiences over the years has mostly been very good (when I used to deal with Jackie, Jo and Gary). That said, I wouldn’t ever pay that amount of money for such a camera (not even their SLR series) as I do think their prices have always been too high.
*Generally, the way I bought any of their SLR670 cameras was to send them an SX-70 to upgrade into the SLR670. Worked out much cheaper than buying normally - especially when I used to be able to pick up ‘spares only’ cameras for very little money.
I was seriously considering buying this for my wife to go with my RB67 when we're out shooting photos. Now I'm convinced it's a box-o-disappointment.
Yeaaaah but I guess it’s also just QC problems. Some people say they don’t have the issues I have
Great Video, Chris! If you have a thousand dollars to burn, maybe you should try the NONS SL660.
Chris..would you rather recommend the Fuji Instax Wide 300 for the price point instead of this..wish Fuji would update the 300..
300 is great but maybe look into a 210. same camera but cheaper
@@JustAnotherChris is the 210 slightly "sharper" image quality?..
@@ldmndz4652 Its the same. both the 300 and 210 have plastic lenses
Mint's prices just seem insane for what they are just from a glass. The build quality seems fine, but for maybe $150, not these +$300 for the TLR variant alone. But +900 for a play wide instax? I just don't understand their marketing strategy? Let's target a decent budget medium with overcharged platforms?
This unit must be haunted. All these squeaky noises... :D
It’s possible
Underexposed photos, drains battery even in off-mode...
Sounds like my Impossible I-1 :D
I love my Mint TL70, but i wouldn't have bought it, if it hasn't been cheaper because of a slightly broken flash mechanism. It is unusable during sunlight (without expensive ND filters), but haptics and results are awesome, when done right. It is my "go-to"-camera for conventions, when cheap instant film comes handy for handing it over to e.g cosplayers, while shooting in a convention hall. It is dim enough to not get overexposed shots and even during the night, with the flash, shots are quite decent.
I've been looking at the RF70 for a longer while now, but it really isn't worth it. Having a viewfinder-system "worse than a Lomo Instant Square" kind of says it all. With the TL70, shooting at least makes tons of fun, once you know the limits. Shooting with the RF70 never ever seems to get enjoyable at all, it is always "hard work".
Maybe i will just opt for the Lomo Instant Wide and that's it. My Fuji Instax 100 is okay, but it really is bulky and turning off the flash, despite having a dedicated button for it, simply doesn't work at all. RF70 isn't even much better than the Lomo Instant Square in terms of haptics and optics...and that is a shame.
Well I think I found one of my new favorite channels and another terrible edition too photography hobby really wanna try shooting instant film
I apologize to your wallet!
@@JustAnotherChris it's just something else to build up to just have to figure out the cheapest one to start
Always leave my nd filter on when I close
Oh, how i long for the return of fp-100 .... then i could dust off the polaroid 195 and get real dependable photos !! A man can dream .....
Sounds like they sent you a dud. Ive had both cameras and never really had any issues. The price is definitely pretty steep, but if you’re looking for full manual control it’s pretty much your only option aside from mods and film backs.
Abit harsh when your not nailing your exposures 😅
Talked to mint they said it was broken they sent me a new one. I’m working on a follow up video right now.
Are you open to reviewing the Nons SL660?
Would love to but that’s another EXPENSIVE camera. Have to pay off this one first haha so maybe one day
@@JustAnotherChris ask a supporter if you can review theres 🤷🏽♂️ it’ll save you money
That’s a possibility
Pleasssssse review the Kodak mini shot 3 retro!
Already did that! ruclips.net/video/7j6FGNfEgjs/видео.html
@@JustAnotherChris oh thank you 🙏🏻
I ordered this on release date, but experienced uneven film ejection causing a weird black line across the bottom of each frame. I had to send it back to their headquarters multiple times (imagine having to eat up the shipping costs) only to have them send me another unit with a bad flash. They ultimately sent me a working refurbished unit but by then all the negatives you brought up in the video outweighed owning it. It is severely overpriced and feels like a rushed product.
Interesting. This looks a lot like my Fujifilm GF670 but also not ;)
Hoping to get a response in this comments section as this video is not old and much of you seem to also have an RF-70: is it me or is it impossible to nail focus with this thing? i feel like the focus ring is constantly loose and, depending on weather i twist to focus from infinity or minimal, the rangefinder stops in two separate locations leaving a large gap of where it could "potentially" be the sharpest, when shooting stopped down, this issue is obviously more exaggerated so i wound up using smaller F-stops, but why did i spend 900 dollars on a camera to shoot at F-8 when i could have bought one from wallmart for 20 dollars.
someone please help me if im doing something wrong, if my camera is defective, or if there is tips to get focus better. thank you
I think that’s just how the camera operates unfortunately
And for this 1000? 😲
Thank you for convincing me NOT to buy this very tempting camera... Haha
Sounds like you got conned by instantkon. Keep us updated on this one 😥
Haha I see what you did there
Its a white elephant. I did try warn you when you did a live stream. Good luck with the refund/sell off.
Working with mint right now on a getting a new one with a follow up video
@@JustAnotherChris Best of luck. Never had an issue with the battery.
Bro you literally got a return f****** camera that pisses me off so much
Seems like my Instax 100 is more than good enough.
I’m sorry but this camera is a no for me
Yeah it’s not for everyone
What a waste.
Indeed
I would definitely contact MiNT. There's no excuse for manufacturing faults right out of the box, but one of the big advantages of purchasing this camera over others is the 5 year complete warranty, which I think can be extended indefinitely after 5 years for $39 a year. So as long as the company continues to exist they will stand by their product and continue to repair them no questions asked for free. For me that was a big selling point because getting an SLR 680 and paying for only one repair already gets you pretty close to $1000. (Not to mention your cost in film is 2-3x higher)
I have one and yes, the lens definitely isn't as sharp as my Instax Wide modified Polaroid 110B, despite being 2x the price, but it does have the big advantage of being more portable than that ergonomic nightmare 5 pound behemoth of a camera. So neither are perfect, and it's definitely not a Polaroid SLR killer, but it's pretty much the only option that exists for an advanced Instax Wide camera that comes with a real warranty. Between the two I've now sold everything else and left those as my only two instant cameras and I'm really happy. One is a camera with a lens superior to Polaroid SLRs that shoots Instax and the other is overpriced and doesn't have the best lens but is much more portable with a great warranty... so between the two that successfully killed my interest in collecting more and more gear.