Blackbird, Fly Camera: The 35mm Twin-Lens Reflex

The Best "Toy" Twin-Lens-Reflex Camera!

Ray J. Johnson
Dumbfounded by the dilemma of the digital age of photography? Care to get back to the soul and roots of more traditional photography from an era went by? Maybe the all new rendition of an old classic: the Blackbird Fly, Twin-Lens-Reflex photographic camera maybe the choice for you that wills allow unyielding artistic creativity that photography software of today simply cannot match.

The Blackbird Fly Is The All New Innovative Lineage From A Classic

The Blackbird Fly in a nut-shell is a Twin-Reflex-Lens, or TRL for short, a 35mm acetate camera. It is considered atypical for the factuality that it's a TRL along with a rendition of the classic plastic Holga camera, which subsists in turn an offspring to the plastic Diana camera, either of which have a real cult following. Many may appraise the plastic Holga a "toy" camera, which is of course would be considered a misnomer because many enchanting photographs have been captured using these cameras. The Holga is also known for its unpredictability due to it's less than perfect quality control during the manufacturing of these cameras. This unpredictability contributes too much of their allure, and was taken to the extreme by some photographers as it became a reputed camera for flexing ones creative artistry.

The Blackbird Fly Is A True TLR

The Blackbird Fly is a Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) camera, where two separate objective lenses are utilized. One camera's twin-lens is for the actual capturing of the photographic print, where as the other lens is used for carrying out the capability of taking the photograph at a waist-level point-of-view via the top viewfinder. Behind this said viewfinder the lens is a mirror positioned at a 45-degree angle, henceforth the term "reflex." The composed subject reflection is cast upon this mirror and reflects upwards through a matter focusing screen, which is shrouded by a three-sided hood or enclosure if you will, that reduces and or blocks some of the surrounding light, and reduces the reflection on the screen. This ultimately creates an image on the screen identical to what will be eventually captured on film through the photographic lens.

The Blackbird Fly Uses 35mm Film

The more traditional and classic TLR cameras use 120 sheet format film and is the real deal, however 120 sheet format film is beginning to become more scarce in this digital age, and that said, it is becoming more difficult to find labs to process this format style of traditional TLR film. The Blackbird Fly uses the still widely used 35mm format of film that can be processed at just about any local one-hour photo processing places for immediate results of the fruits of your creative labor.

The Blackbird Fly Offers Three Different Formats

The Blackbird Fly allows you to compose your shots in three different formats with the provided "masks" that come included in your Blackbird Fly purchase. It will allow you to capture composed shots in a normal 35mm (24mm x 36mm) frame, a square (24mm x 24mm) format exactly like the photo's your Grandparents may have shown you from days gone by and the large, not to mention the very creative and avant garde square format (36mm x 36mm) that includes the sprocket-holes shown just like that can be seen on a role undeveloped role of negative film for a real interesting look.

The Blackbird Fly Is A Affordable Analog TRL Camera

The vast majority of contemporary to classic TLR's are hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, and even though some of which would be strictly considered for collection display purposes only there is certainly no fun in that. However the Blackbird Fly is surprisingly affordable and well worth the meager retail price ranging from just over $100 to as high as $150. Regardless of the parameters of price it is worth its weight in gold for the amount of creativity that this camera allows you to wield, from seasoned professionals to the avid hobbyists. You can purchase one at Amazon.Com for $119.00 plus free shipping.

The Blackbird Fly Cool Color Choices

Yes! That is right! The Blackbird Fly allows you very contemporary color choices and not that of the simple black. You may choose from the mentioned traditional black to: Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Red and White.

The Blackbird Fly Specifications

Apertures: f/7 (cloudy) and f/11 (sun)
Shutter speeds: 1/125 and *B
(*Bulb-Mode - as to allow you to let in as much light as you want for very dark to night-time shooting)
Lens: Wide-angle 33mm lens
Focus: Visual distance estimates 0.8, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 10, ∞
Additional features: Optional flash

Source: Blackbird Fly Camera

Published by Ray J. Johnson

Ray J. Johnson is an accomplished freelance photographer, contributing to several Macro and Micro-Stock image providing agencies and an aspiring writer. After narrowly escaping the ravishes of the big city r...  View profile

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