Gakkenflex
Gakken Gakkenflex | ||
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Manufacturer: Gakken Date of Production: 2009 Type of Camera: TLR Lens: Single Element Meniscus Focal length: 50mm Aperture: f/5.6 or f/11 Shutter: Mechanical leaf shutter Shutter speeds: 1/125 Viewfinder: Waist level finder Tripod socket: No Cable release thread: No |
The Gakkenflex 35mm TLR is a plastic kit camera that was included in issue #25 (October 30, 2009) of "Otona no kagaku magazine", published by Gakken. The name "Gakkenflex" is molded into the front of the camera. Though the original magazine can be hard to find, copies are circulating the web. Two known copies being Recesky_TLR and the Fotodiox TLR
Documentation included with the kit indicates that the fixed f-stop is f/11 and the single shutter speed is 1/125. The camera uses standard 35mm film cassettes and exposes a 24mm x 36mm frame in portrait orientation. The lens is a single element plastic meniscus lens. Focusing of the taking and viewing lenses is synchronized by external gears, in the same way as the geared-lens Ricohflex or the Lubitel.
The simple meniscus lens creates images with a dramatic focus drop-off, with some shots resembling tilt–shift images. The camera is very much a Toy Camera.
Gakkenflex TLR kit image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights) |
Sample images
Tour Eiffel, Paris image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights) |
Shielded environment, Gothenburg image by Jonas Söderström (Image rights) |
Links
- Otona no kagaku magazine #25 at otonanokagaku.net
- Flickr group: Recesky DIY TLR - discussions and sample photos
- Adjusting the shutter (English)
- Complete instructions for assembly and use. PDF (Japanese)