“The Nons SL660 delivers a rewarding analog images expertise and exquisite photos with retro appeal.”
Professionals
- Interchangeable lenses
- Nice construct high quality
- Accessible technique to get into movie images
- Enjoyable to make use of
- Delivers distinctive and exquisite photos
Cons
- Movie is pricey
- Getting appropriate focus and publicity is hard
The product of a profitable Kickstarter marketing campaign, the Nons SL660 is now a actuality. This distinctive digital camera gives the enjoyable of an instax digital camera mixed with the premium construct high quality and the pliability of an interchangeable lens system.
As somebody who grew up as a digital photographer, I’ve at all times envied the physicality of movie, and have regretted that so lots of my photos are trapped on laborious drives and reminiscence playing cards. Printing at house is a headache, and ordering prints is pricey. Nonetheless, in case you’re capturing rolls of movie, you then’ve both obtained to develop it your self or ship it off to be printed. That’s the place prompt movie is available in, and it gives another that mixes the immediacy of digital with the bodily nature of movie, whereas sidestepping the difficulties related to really getting your work printed.
Nons SL660 design and operation
The SL660 is a chunky beast of a digital camera, however whereas it might be the dimensions of a DSLR, it’s nowhere close to as heavy to lug round. That’s as a result of a movie digital camera doesn’t want the heaps of electronics which can be crammed inside your common digital digital camera, nor does it require an amazing large lithium-ion battery (although it does have a small one built-in). That’s to not say that it’s cheaply made, and actually, it’s one of many extra solidly constructed cameras I’ve used. The steel housing is reassuringly rugged, which is a welcome change from the plastic exteriors of many fashionable cameras.
The controls could appear a bit alien to these extra used to digital cameras, however it’s actually fairly simple. The again hatch opens up for movie cartridges to be inserted, whereas on the left facet of the lens is the lever that engages the mirror and arms the digital camera to take a photograph. You’ll need to wait to press this till you might have recognized the scene you’re going to shoot — in any other case, you might by chance set off the shutter. The shutter button is positioned to the appropriate of the lens and operates as any digital camera’s shutter button would.
On prime of the digital camera are a chilly shoe mount for numerous equipment, the dial with which you choose the shutter pace, and a tiny LCD display screen. This display screen shows the variety of remaining photographs within the movie cartridge, the remaining battery capability, and your gentle meter. The sunshine meter reads the sunshine ranges within the route you’re aiming the digital camera and tells you what F-stop to set your lens to for the proper publicity. This digital camera is finest used with totally guide lenses with mechanical apertures operated by way of a dial on the lens itself.
Nonetheless, it will also be used with digital aperture lenses by setting the aperture with the lens mounted on a digital digital camera earlier than detaching and mounting the lens on the SL660. The digital lens will retain the preset aperture after it’s set utilizing the digital digital camera. Whereas that is an efficient workaround, it’s actually one thing of a trouble.
On the again of the SL660 are the USB-C charging port, energy swap, and movie eject button. After getting snapped your shot, merely maintain down the movie eject button and the SL660 will spit your picture out the facet, the place it would take a couple of minutes to develop. Because of the uncovered USB-C port, and the varied different unsealed openings within the digital camera, I might not use this digital camera in even very gentle precipitation.
I examined the SL660 with the Nons 35mm f/2.4 lens. A 50mm f/1.8 lens can also be obtainable, as are adapters for numerous lens mounts, together with Nikon F, Pentax Okay, M42, and Contax-Yashica.
Nons SL660 picture high quality and efficiency
Grading the SL660 on picture high quality based mostly on the everyday metrics of sharpness and different elements that outline the imaging perfection sought by fashionable digital cameras could be neither truthful nor productive. For one factor, the imaging efficiency of the SL660 is dictated by the Fujifilm Instax Sq. movie it requires. This movie isn’t excessive decision, has very poor dynamic vary, and a reasonably excessive ISO of 800. Compounding this, the digital camera makes use of an built-in optic to spice up 35mm format lenses to the bigger sq. format movie. The shutter pace additionally maxes out at 1/250, which is actually very gradual.
The upshot is that the SL660 is finest utilized in low-contrast conditions, and if you wish to use wide-open aperture settings for wonderful swirly bokeh, you’ll both have to shoot in dim lighting or use impartial density filters to darken the scene. Additionally, due to the character of the movie and the built-in lens system of the digital camera, don’t count on razor-sharp photos out of the SL660.
When you and the digital camera are in sync, its obvious challenges metamorphose into the components of inventive type.
All this must be mentioned and understood on the outset as a result of the SL660 is a digital camera that requires you to develop intimately acquainted with its quirks and foibles. When you and the digital camera are in sync, its obvious challenges metamorphose into the components of inventive type.
Photographs captured with the SL660 are likely to have a dreamy, aged high quality that to me evokes an odd sense of nostalgia. There’s additionally one thing actually magical about seeing a picture seem on paper within the second after you’ve captured it. I additionally discover that capturing a digital picture of the Instax print with the placement of the shot within the out-of-focus background makes for a really compelling topic for sharing on social media.
Nons SL660 efficiency
Mechanically, I by no means had any cause to complain concerning the SL660. Its numerous controls are very tactile and simple to function, and I discover the sounds brought on by the method of capturing photographs to be extraordinarily satisfying. A minor difficulty for me is that the built-in gentle meter appears somewhat unreliable, although that’s almost certainly because of my inexperience with gentle meters. I discover one of the best technique is to intention the digital camera at numerous factors all through the scene I intend to shoot, which helps me decide which settings will ship the optimum outcomes. I additionally had bother attaining correct focus as a result of considerably small dimension of the viewfinder.
In regard to battery life, I acquired the digital camera partly charged, and didn’t hassle to cost it earlier than capturing. As of this writing, I’ve shot round 30 photos, and have mistakenly left the digital camera turned on a number of instances. Fortunately, it shuts off mechanically after 10 minutes, and the battery has not noticeably depleted. Relying on how a lot you shoot, your expertise might range, however based mostly on how I’ve been utilizing the digital camera, I might be shocked if I wanted to cost it as soon as each three months.
Nons SL660 value and availability
Beginning at $600, the SL660 isn’t low cost. If you would like a lens, the 50mm f/1.8 prices $50, whereas the 35mm f/2.4 will set you again $110. For the same value, you could possibly decide up an especially succesful fashionable digital digital camera and seize extra detailed photos. Alternatively, you could possibly get a Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo digital camera for simply $200, which may seize digital photographs and act as a wi-fi Instax printer along with capturing Instax movie photos. Nonetheless, the SL660 gives an expertise that digital can’t replicate, and it’s a a lot higher-quality possibility with higher versatility than cheap Instax cameras.
Alternatively, Instax backs can be found for adapting skilled medium format cameras to shoot with prompt movie. This may ship higher-quality photos and a greater capturing expertise than the SL660, however there you’re taking a look at spending a whole lot of {dollars} for the again, physique, and lens, doubtlessly touchdown you effectively over $1,000. The largest draw back of the SL660 is that the Instax Sq. movie it requires prices $20 for a pack of two cartridges with 10 photographs every. Which means each time you click on the shutter, you’re spending $1, and that’s notably painful while you’re studying to make use of the digital camera and are making a number of errors.
The Nons SL660 gives a high-end prompt movie expertise
Testing the Nons SL660 has been an unimaginable expertise. It has opened my eyes to the fun of capturing with movie, and to having bodily copies of the photographs I seize. After I take a photograph with certainly one of my digital cameras, there’s little incentive to suppose earlier than I shoot, and after I obtain the photographs to my laptop, I’ll by no means have a look at them once more. The SL660 slows me down and forces me to compose every shot meticulously. With the ultimate photos printed out, I discover myself continuously flipping again via them and having fun with them immensely.
This can be a digital camera for creating artwork and capturing lasting recollections outdoors of the jail of a pc laborious drive. Even for a photographer resembling I’m, usually capturing with the Nikon Z9 and different cutting-edge digital camera gear, the SL660 deserves a particular place in my equipment for moments I actually need to savor. It’s not good by any means, however these flaws rely extra as character than cons. The one actually unlucky side of this digital camera is that the movie it requires is so costly, however that’s past the management of Nons.
Should you love images and are on the lookout for an thrilling new expertise to encourage you and aid you hone your abilities, then the Nons SL660 is what you’re on the lookout for.
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