The Belair Instant Back: Let Me Curse and Love It!

When the new mystery product, the Belair Instant Back hit the shelves, I was thrilled to bits! I really like the Fuji Instax Wide Film and when combined with the Belair, I freaked out and I knew I had to order it immediately!

As the Instant Back finally arrived, I had to immediately finish the film loaded in the Belair. That means I had to wait for good weather! As an impatient person, that was a hard thing to do. But alas, I hit the jackpot and on the next day the sun came out. I took the film out when I was done with it (it was a 35mm roll) and then I quickly snapped the Instant Back on my Belair. After mounting the back, I was quickly thrilled about how good it looked with my City Slicker.

Immediately, I inserted a film pack and was a little bit frightened to do something wrong although I read the manual carefully. The cover came out without a hitch. Well now I have to find a subject in my flat to photograph. Being the impatient person that I am, I couldn’t wait for the next day! So my Monster High doll had to pose as my model and I was so happy with my first two pictures, which I snapped with the 58mm optic and the Holga Close-Up Lens.

I went out the next day with the 90mm lens and the ND-Filter. The first pictures are too dark. Then I found out that I have both filters inside and a blue one on the lens too! Typical me!

From sheer chaos I took out ALL filters and then I got only white pictures. But I must try it again so I go to my car and put a new film and one ND-Filter in. I took some pictures again, already a little bit better but the first picture didn’t come out and I pressed the ejection lever again and again, clearly there was a problem. The edges got stuck and ripped apart. Thus i ruined two pictures again but I got a great snap on the third try.

In the evening, I took the camera to the city to take some night shots. Of course I didn’t have a tripod so the pictures were a little bit blurred. The ISO setting was 50.

I went out again on the next day with one ND-Filter. It was a bright, sunny day and I thought at ISO 1600 and aperture 16 it should work. But no, some pictures are too bright or then too dark in the shadow. I didn’t have a second filter to use with the camera. At home I photographed some white flowers with one filter in the sun and the pictures turned out too dark. I was very confused.

But I didn’t declare myself beaten just yet! Some days later with great weather, I went out with both filters in the camera. What happened? The first picture was still too dark.

I removed one filter, took pictures with one filter at ISO 1600 and aperture 16 (only in the shadow I set it on ISO 400) and the pictures were great! I was soooo happy! My first really great Belair Instant Back pictures in sunshine:

Very brave, I had to test a double exposure. The Jesus figure I shot on ISO 400 and the trees on ISO 1600. I expected a white image, but it was surprisingly good!

I really don’t know what happened with the two overly bright pictures (river and shadow pattern). I think that the light meter was in the shadow. I hope that I won’t have that problem again!

I now call the back lovely “Herr Zickerich” (Mr. Rich Bitch) and the Belair “Frau Zicke” (Woman Bitch) and I must say, in spite of some destroyed pictures the two are a wonderful couple. Never say die! But I think that most Belair owners know that by now.

I will further experiment and photograph like there’s no tomorrow (or my purse!)

Oh and don’t forget to press the lever from 2 to 1. At best, do it directly after pulling out the last picture!

Your Pearlgirl

The Belair X 6-12 you can use now with Instant Film! With the Belair Instant Back kann you join the magic of the Instant photography with the Fuji Instax Wide Film and at the same time stay the mister on a whole range of creative possibilities.

written by pearlgirl77 on 2014-02-25 #gear #review #instax #love #wide #fuji #curse #city-slicker #belair-instant-back
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