One thing the Galaxy Z Flip series lacks is a telephoto camera. All the models released so far only feature wide and ultra-wide lenses, but new evidence has emerged to suggest that Samsung might eventually add a third sensor to the back of its future Galaxy Z Flip phones.
A Samsung patent unearthed by GalaxyClub reveals an intriguing Galaxy Z Flip design featuring three rear-facing cameras and a rectangular cover screen that doesn’t have a folder-like notch.
As tempting as it may be to hope that the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 6 will adopt a zoom camera, all the evidence so far points to the contrary.
In other words, this patent doesn’t seem to reflect the design of the next Samsung foldable flip phone. However, the patent suggests that Samsung is tinkering with the idea of implementing a triple camera setup on future Z Flip models.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 at the earliest
Interestingly, this patent application was filed in mid-2022 and granted in early 2023. It is not a new design per se, and only time will tell if it will become a reality.
At the earliest, we can speculate that the Galaxy Z Flip 7, which should go on sale in 2025, could have a triple camera setup featuring a telephoto camera. However, it’s too early to be sure. Patent applications don’t always reflect final designs or a company’s real intentions.
As far as the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is concerned, it is expected to feature two rear-facing cameras — a wide and an ultra-wide. And according to early reports, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 could upgrade its primary shooter from a 12MP unit to a 50MP one, ensuring better photos and more advanced camera features.
Other leaks indicate that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will look more or less the same as the Galaxy Z Flip 5 but boast improved hardware, including a newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. The phone should also ship with Galaxy AI.
The iPhone 16 Pro camera might knock our socks off with new upgrades. Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest rumors about the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera make it sound better than ever. That’s no surprise, considering Apple makes a big deal out of the iPhone camera every year. But we couldn’t be happier to have even finer photographic tools at our disposal.
Also on The CultCast:
A new retro game emulator for iPhone called Delta is a … game changer! And this is just the start of a revolution brewing in the App Store.
Griffin knows some Mac settings you should change for a better experience.
There’s lots of big Apple TV+ news, from a new show from the writer behind Slow Horses and extensions of popular series including Silo and For All Mankind.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
The CultCast live stream archive
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This week’s top Apple news
On the show this week: Your host Erfon Elijah (@erfon), Cult of Mac managing editor Lewis Wallace (@lewiswallace) and Cult of Mac writer D. Griffin Jones (@dgriffinjones).
Here are the headlines we’re talking about on this week’s show:
Google’s wired Nest security camera has dropped to its lowest price to date. The second-gen device is for indoor use and it’s motion sensitive. It’s capable of capturing 1080p HDR video. You can , which is $30 or 30 percent off the regular price of $100, at Amazon if you opt for the fog or linen colorway. However, if you go for the snow variant you can save a little more. That one is , or 32 percent off.
Google
Google’s second-gen wired Nest security camera has dropped to its lowest price ever.
The Nest Cam uses AI to discern between people, animals and vehicles. It can send you alerts via the Google Home app, and you won’t need a subscription for that. You will need a Nest Aware plan if you want up to 60 days of video history. Otherwise, Google will offer three free hours of event video history. Handily, if you have a Wi-Fi outage, up to an hour of event recordings will be stored on the device itself.
There’s a two-way audio function, so you can chat with house guests if you’re not home. In the event of an unwanted visitor, you can contact emergency services directly from the Google Home app if you’re a Nest Aware member who is perhaps using a tablet instead of a phone. You’ll be able to view live video feeds on compatible smart displays and smart TVs too.
Nest Aware subscribers can receive notifications when familiar faces are recognized. There’s also the option to set up home and away routines so the camera doesn’t capture video while you’re at your place.
Elsewhere, the Outdoor Nest Cam with Floodlight is on sale too. It has That’s just $10 more than the lowest price we’ve seen for it to date.
As anticipation builds for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16 series, the rumor mill has highlighted some potential camera upgrades that could change how we use our iPhones for photography.
The camera system has always been a cornerstone of Apple’s iPhone, and this year Apple appears set to push the envelope even further. As the iPhone 16 launch in September approaches, all eyes will be on how the following changes might maintain Apple’s competitive edge in an increasingly crowded market. 1. Vertical Camera Layout
iPhone 16 & iPhone 16 Plus
Apple’s iPhone 16 base models will feature a vertical camera arrangement with a pill-shaped raised surface, instead of a diagonal camera arrangement like the iPhone 15. The new camera bump features two separate camera rings for the Wide and Ultrawide cameras. The vertical camera layout is expected to enable Spatial Video recording, which is currently limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models. 2. Ultra Wide Lens Upgrade
iPhone 16 Pro & iPhone 16 Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to feature an upgraded 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera lens, which would allow it to capture more light, resulting in improved photos when shooting in 0.5× mode, especially in low-light environments. This also means that iPhone 16 Pro models should be able to shoot 48-megapixel ProRAW photos in Ultra Wide mode. These photos retain more detail in the image file for more editing flexibility, and can be printed at large sizes. 3. Super Telephoto Camera
iPhone 16 Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro Max could be the first iPhone to feature a super telephoto periscope camera for dramatically increased optical zoom. “Super” or “ultra” telephoto usually describes cameras with a focal length of over 300mm. The current telephoto lens is equivalent to a 77mm lens, so if accurate, there could be a notable increase in zoom capabilities. Super telephoto cameras are often used for sports and wild animal photography, but the extremely soft backgrounds they create also make them useful for portrait photography, providing there is enough distance between the subject and the photographer. 4. Tetraprism Lens
iPhone 16 Pro
Both iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to feature 5x optical zoom, which is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple’s tetraprism lens system has a “folded” design that allows it to fit inside the smartphone, enabling up to 5x optical zoom and up to 25x digital zoom. In contrast, the current smaller iPhone 15 Pro is limited to up to 3x optical zoom, which is in line with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. 5. Reduced Lens Flare
All iPhone 16 Models
Apple is said to be testing a new anti-reflective optical coating technology for its iPhone cameras that could improve the quality of photos by reducing artifacts like lens flare and ghosting. Apple plans to bring new atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment into the iPhone camera lens manufacturing process to apply the coating. ALD-applied materials can also protect against environmental damage to the camera lens system without affecting the sensor’s ability to capture light effectively. 6. Capture Button
All iPhone 16 Models
All iPhone 16 models will have a new camera-based “Capture Button” dedicated to quickly triggering image or video capture. The button will add features like the ability to zoom in and out by swiping left and right on the button, focus on a subject with a light press, and activate a recording with a more forceful press. The Capture Button will be located on the bottom right side of the iPhone 16, and will take the place of the mmWave antenna on U.S. iPhone models, with the antenna relocating to the left side of the device below the volume and Action buttons.
Vivo’s current flagship smartphone, the X100 Pro, is one of the most advanced phones on the market. However, the company seems to working on offering something even better. Reportedly, Vivo is developing the X100 Ultra, a more advanced version of the X100 Pro, offering upgraded hardware, better specifications, and more features.
According to various reports, the X100 Ultra will feature four cameras at the rear instead of three on the X100 Pro. Interestingly, one of them will be a 200MP unit with a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 100mm (4.3x optical zoom over the primary camera). Seemingly, this is an upcoming camera sensor from Samsung with model number HP9, and it can be used as a primary as well as a secondary camera (with a telephoto or ultrawide lens).
At the moment, there’s no information on the improvements the Samsung ISOCELL HP9 offers over the latest 200MP sensor from the South Korean tech giant, the ISOCELL HP2. The company offers three more 200MP camera sensors, HPX, HP1, and HP3. Could we see the upcoming sensor on the Galaxy S25 Ultra? Well, only time will tell.
Could Apple finally solve the flaring issue on iPhone photos and videos? Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Lens flare has been a longtime issue with the iPhone’s camera. Apple could finally solve this issue on the iPhone 16 Pro with a new lens coating technology.
It’s common for flares to show up in photos or videos taken from an iPhone’s camera. The issue has been around for years, and Apple has made little improvement in this area over generations.
New ALD coating can help reduce lens flare
A rumor originating from China by leaker @Yeux1122 says Apple is testing new Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) equipment for a special coating that will help reduce lens flares. The company will seemingly only use the coating on the iPhone 16 Pro lineup.
Lens fare on iPhones has been an issue since the 2012 iPhone 5. Over the years, Apple has used various coatings and improved glass lenses to enhance light transmission and reduce flares. But despite the company’s best efforts, the issue remains and is mainly prevalent while recording videos. The new ALD coating might help Apple reduce flaring to a large extent, if not fix it entirely.
Besides reducing glare, the coating can help improve light transmission and unwanted flaring.
Apple working on big anti-reflective upgrades for future iPhones
The new coating could be one of the many camera upgrades Apple is planning for the iPhone 16 Pro. A previous leak indicates the iPhone’s camera module could get a radical redesign, helping it stand out from the previous generation of the phone.
Given this leak’s timing, there’s a possibility of the ALD coating not being ready for use in the iPhone 16 Pro series. In that case, Apple could use the coating on the iPhone 17 Pro in 2025.
Apple is testing a new anti-reflective optical coating technology for future iPhone cameras that could improve the quality of photos by reducing artifacts like lens flare and ghosting, claims a rumor out of Korea.
According to the news aggregator account “yeux1122” on the Naver blog, citing a company source within Apple’s supply chain, Apple is looking at introducing new atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment into the iPhone camera lens manufacturing process.
ALD involves depositing materials one atomic layer at a time onto a substrate, allowing for extremely precise control over thickness and composition. Its use allows manufacturers to apply very thin layers of materials onto semiconductor devices, including camera components.
In terms of camera lenses, ALD can be used to apply anti-reflective coatings, which can help to reduce photographic artifacts like streaks of light and halos that can occur in the final image when a bright light source such as the sun shines directly into the lens.
ALD can also reduce ghosting, a type of image distortion where faint, secondary images appear in the photo, typically opposite a bright light source. This happens when light reflects back and forth between the surfaces of the lens elements and the camera sensor.
In addition, ALD-applied materials can protect against environmental damage to the camera lens system without affecting the sensor’s ability to capture light effectively.
The Naver blog claims that the manufacturing process will be applied to a “Pro model” in Apple’s “next-generation” iPhone lineup, which sounds like a reference to one or both premium models in the iPhone 16 series, although given the timing of the rumor, the possibility that this method is being tested for next year’s iPhone 17 Pro models should not be discounted.
Both upcoming iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to include a tetraprism lens with up to 5x optical zoom – a feature that is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max in Apple’s smartphone lineup. Apple usually launches its new-generation iPhones around mid-September.
The Blink Mini 2 home security camera was only announced a month ago, and it’s already on sale. The camera is 25 percent off in both colors — black and white — in a deal on Amazon, bringing the already budget-friendly system down to just $30. The Blink Mini 2 can be used indoors or outdoors, offers HD footage in the daytime or at night and has an LED spotlight. It can be paired with one of Amazon’s smart displays for Alexa voice controls. The camera is a plug-in device, though, so you’ll need to place it somewhere with an outlet.
Blink
Blink’s new indoor/outdoor security camera is 25 percent off.
You’ll also need to pick up the weather-resistant power adapter if you intend to put it outside. A bundle including that adapter is on sale as well, shaving $10 off its normal price of $50. Amazon-owned Blink announced the Mini 2 camera in March, touting improvements to image quality and the option for HD night view in color thanks to its spotlight. The camera also has motion detection and two-way audio, so you can hear what’s going on and, if you want, let whoever’s on the other side hear you too.
With the Blink subscription, you can get additional features out of the Mini 2. That includes smart notifications, like person detection, the ability to stream up to 90 minutes of live video and cloud storage for event clips. If you already own a Blink Video Doorbell, the Mini 2 camera can be used with that system to work as a chime when someone rings the doorbell. In the box you’ll get one camera, a mounting kit and stand, and one USB-C cable and power adapter for indoor use.
Purchasing the Mini 2 will get you a 30-day free trial of the Blink Subscription Plan, too. If you plan on keeping it after that, it’ll cost $3 per month per device. You can also opt to pay $10 per month to cover an unlimited amount of devices if you have a multi-camera setup.
Google‘s Long Exposure photo mode is actually decent. There, I said it. Photographer me is putting his neck on the line by saying that another smartphone computational photography mode, recently given its own tab in Google’s revamped Camera app, is one less reason to use a ‘proper’ camera – and mine’s a TechRadar-approved best mirrorless camera, no less.
I was on a short family break at the coast recently and set an early alarm to sneak out for a little solo time at first light at a secluded cove nearby. It would be me, the gentle lapping waves, and hopefully a little color in the sky. Of course, I would take a camera too.
Hot tea in a travel flask, banana, notepad and pen, mirrorless camera, two pro lenses covering the 24-200mm focal length between them, an ND filter plus a tripod, and I was good to go. Oh, and the Google Pixel 6 was in my pocket.
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The standard version of the headline image, completely unedited.(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
With the Long Exposure photo mode applied but no edit. That horizon needs straightening!(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
An edited version in the original 4:3 aspect ratio, whereas our headline images get cropped 16:9.(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
A steep descent through a wooded area and the sheltered east-facing cove came into view. I’ve learned the importance of enjoying nature first before taking a camera out of the bag, especially given my screen-intensive day job.
After grounding myself in the peace and unrushed pace of the quiet sunrise I started moving around the beach looking for compositions that caught my eye, for photos that would transport me back to what it was like being there.
Sunrise was lovely – not award-winning, but adding a splash of color. The outgoing tide was steadily revealing more of the beach. Small waves crashed against the clay-red sandy incline, climbed up the beach a little, and then retreated around small rocks, creating interesting patterns.
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I’ve taken a few long exposure seascape photos down the years, and love the technique, especially for accentuating the movement of water as it retreats around rocks. I take a quick snap of the scene on the Pixel 6 and it occurs to me that I’ve not properly used its Long Exposure photo mode yet, now prominent in the camera app with its own tab.
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Most of my favorite images of the morning were taken in vertical format. I’ve made a cooler, moody edit to this photo using the Google Pixel 6’s camera app editor (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
The unedited standard version of the same image. (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
The Long Exposure photo mode blurs movement, while keeping still objects sharp. The creative technique can be used in several ways, with blurring moving water a popular choice. Having observed the water trails, I line up the picture and take the snap.
It works a little like Night Sight – you need to keep your phone as steady as possible while the long exposure is captured. That way the still objects – in this case the rocks, cliff faces, and untouched sand – remain sharp. This computational photography mode is like a pro mirrorless camera’s in-body image stabilization on steroids.
The phone stores both the regular photo and the long exposure effect image (I’ve included both versions of every image for comparison). I have to say, the effect in this scenario is convincing (see above), similar to what I’d expect from my mirrorless camera which remains in the bag 50 meters away up the beach.
Whatever camera you use for long exposure photography (be it mirrorless or a cameraphone) – in this context of accentuating retreating ocean waters – you need to keep trying and trying and trying to get the shot. Timing is so hard.
Your best bet is starting the capture with the wave at its peak up the beach and just as the water starts to retreat. That way the natural path back to the ocean, be it straight or snaking around rocks, is accentuated and depicts the tidal energy.
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Not all scenes are worth using the Long Exposure photo mode for. The water is too far away in this composition and now I’m blowing out highlights.(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
For this scene I prefer the standard photo. Also, if you look closely at the detail in the image using the Long Exposure photo mode, it’s a little softer.(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Google Pixel’s Long Exposure mode isn’t perfect – detail is usually softer than in the standard version – but it’s pretty darn good and convincing enough that I didn’t really need to bring my mirrorless camera, tripod, and ND filters along for the ride. If I owned the OM System OM-1 II (or OM-1), I could use that camera’s Live ND computational photography mode instead and leave the tripod and ND filters behind.
I haven’t lost faith in my ‘proper’ camera, far from it. Towards the end of my time at the beach, while still alone, a playful seal popped its head up like a floating rock. I steamed back up the beach to my bag, grabbed the camera with a 70-200mm lens, and got a few photos that far exceed what I could possibly hope to get with the Pixel 6 – though some of today’s best cameraphones might have done a decent job.
I’ll also still use my ‘proper’ camera with tripod and ND filters for long exposure photography, too. It’s just that now I might think twice if lugging all of that gear to get the creative effect is worth it when I have the computational mode in a device that slips into my pocket.
Sammy, from considerable distance, taken with my pro mirrorless camera that I still love. (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
As TechRadar’s Cameras Editor I see all kinds of weird and wonderful devices for capturing stills and video, but just when I thought I’d seen it all, the Nons SL660 popped up in my YouTube feed and piqued my curiosity. It’s an instant camera, but not as we know it, being an angular hunk of metal – an SLR with passive Canon EF lens mount, that captures to readily available Fujifilm Instax Square film.
Nons makes two lenses that are directly compatible with the SL660’s Canon EF lens mount – a 35mm f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.8 – plus a range lens adaptors for other popular SLR lens mounts, including Nikon F and Pentax K. When I requested a loan sample from Nons for this feature, I asked for the Canon EF to Nikon F adaptor because I own a few excellent Nikon lenses, including the full-frame Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AF.
There’s also a Nons SL645, camera, and the key difference between that model and the SL660 is that it records onto Instax Mini film instead. Personally, I much prefer the size of Instax Square prints (and the larger-still Polaroid film even more), so the SL660 was the obvious choice for review.
The ‘correct’ orientation to shoot with the Nons SL660. (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Unlike most simple point-and-shoot instant cameras that only offer auto exposure, the Nons SL660 is SLR by design, and entirely manual in operation. You’ll need to select the shutter speed and lens aperture, with an exposure meter above the lens telling you what aperture to use with the selected shutter speed. Your frame is viewed through a pentaprism viewfinder, focus is manual, and you even have to manually eject the print when you’ve taken the shot – a feature that enables multi-exposure shooting.
This is truly a photographer’s instant camera, and to that end you can swap lenses to mix up the type of shots you can make. It’s also one of, if not the most, expensive instant cameras available. It’s pricier because it’s made of tough metal and in smaller batches versus the standard plastic used in most other mass-produced instant cameras like the Fujifilm Instax SQ40; the Nons SL660 is an altogether different camera to those, and the high-end build quality goes some way towards justifying the significant outlay.
The SL660 is a bulky and heavy instant camera, and the image quality it’s capable of producing is ultimately limited by the Instax Square film it uses – you will, for example, need an ND filter in bright light. Despite its constraints, I’m charmed by it, and I suspect that of all the best instant cameras you can buy, the Nons SL660 is the one that photographer me will come back to again and again.
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(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Nons SL660: price and release date
The Nons SL660 camera alone costs $599 / £603 from the Nons website or from Amazon, and with its passive Canon EF lens mount it’s best suited to manual-control Canon EF lenses. If you use modern Canon EF lenses you might sacrifice aperture control (if your lens doesn’t have an aperture ring) and even manual focus control (‘STM’ lenses). You can also purchase the SL660 as a bundle with the 35mm f/2.8 lens for $709 / £717, with the 50mm f/1.8 lens for $649 / £660, or with any one of a number of lens adaptors for $609 / £615. This high-end pricing pits the SL660 firmly against the Polaroid I-2 – the two cameras are in a different league to point-and-shoot instant cameras. Pricing for the Nons SL645 starts at $539 / £541. We’ll update this review if and when pricing and availability for Australia are confirmed.
Nons SL660: design
Images of the Nons SL660 online didn’t prepare me for what I set my eyes on when unboxing the gear – this looks like no other instant camera. It’s a love it or hate it brutalist block of aluminum with defined features: a genuine wooden grip, a crank to engage the viewfinder, a pronounced shutter button, and striking shutter speed dial.
There’s an optical viewfinder with through-the-lens display, so the perspective is correct to the attached lens. The display is dim, but I like its grainy filmic quality. There’s a portion of your instant print that you don’t see through the viewfinder display – when shooting with the thick border at the bottom of your Instax Square print, the unseen section is to the left. It takes a couple of shots to get used to this, and thereafter you can factor this in to make the best possible composition.
To shoot the ‘correct’ way, with the thicker border positioned at the bottom of your print, you need to flip the camera 90 degrees with the grip at the top – vertical if you will – otherwise the thick border will be on the left-hand side of your print, which looks weird unless that’s your intention.
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(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
The Nons SL660 is powered by an internal battery topped up via USB-C (using the supplied USB-C to USB-A cable, not just any USB-C cable) and is rated for around 100 shots on a full charge. A tiny top LCD displays battery life along with the number of prints remaining in the inserted film pack (the shot counter failed in my review sample after a couple of packs of film), plus the aperture setting needed on your lens to get the correct exposure for the selected shutter speed, based on the camera’s exposure metering.
If you’re shooting in bright light you’ll need an ND filter for your lens, or else your shots will be overexposed – a 3EV to 7EV variable ND is perfect. The Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens I had has a 52mm thread. Because the exposure meter is separate to the lens (ie., not TTL), you’ll need to calculate the exposure settings based on the strength of the filter, or place it in front of the meter to get the reading first, and then attach it to the lens. The ‘reflective’ exposure meter calculates an evaluative reading for the whole frame.
By today’s standards the Nons SL660 is awkward to hold, and by heck is it chunky, primarily because it needs that extra depth for the Canon EF-mount flange focal distance. This is no pocket camera. It’s also a paradox – a custom-made one-of-a-kind feel, yet it captures onto the most popular and accessible instant film. I had several packs of regular Instax Square film for this review, and there are a few readily available alternatives, like a monochrome film, too.
Stylistically I like the pronounced shutter button. However, it’s all too easy to press it unintentionally, which results in a wasted print. I almost lost that screw-on button, too, as it unthreaded itself more than once. The reason that the button is detachable in the first place is to allow you to swap it out for a cable release for hands-free operation, which is neat, but a tighter thread is needed for a secure fix.
Nons SL660: performance
Long before I’d received the Nons SL660 or taken any shots with it, I had formed a certain expectation regarding the quality of instant prints it could make. After all, it comes with a proper Nons lens, plus, in my case, I can use it with some excellent Nikon lenses. Rival instant cameras like the Instax SQ40 are restricted to a built-in, low-cost lens.
Surely, then, the instant photos made with the Nons SL660 would be superior to anything else before it? Well, yes and no. Despite the superior optics, we’re still shooting onto the same film type – an ISO800 stock with limited dynamic range. Also, the print area of Instax Square film only measures 62mm x 62mm, and so it’s hardly big enough to really show off lens quality.
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Rather than outright image quality, the real appeal of the SL660 over cheaper and simpler rivals, besides its unique design, is that you can swap out lenses and therefore mix up the focal length and perspective of your shots. Unfortunately, my telephoto macro lens for Nikon F-mount lacks an aperture ring, and I was unable to get a good shot with it. Get the right manual lens, however, and great fun can be had.
Almost all the instant photos I took with the SL660 for this review were taken with the Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens. For full exposure control when adapting an alternative lens, like I did through the Nikon F-mount adaptor, you need a lens with aperture control. That counts out most modern DSLR lenses from Canon, Nikon and Pentax. When using a Nikon lens without an aperture ring, the aperture is automatically set to its smallest setting, while some Canon lenses are set to their widest aperture setting. (I also had a great struggle removing the adaptor ring from my Nikon lens after use.) Besides Nons’ own lenses, an old Canon EF lens with aperture ring makes the most practical sense.
To get prints with the correct brightness, I needed to experiment a little to understand the behaviour of the SL660’s auto-exposure metering. If you follow the suggested aperture settings to a tee, then prints tend to come out a little dark for my liking, but when I increased the exposure by around 1EV, by opening the aperture up or halving the shutter speed, the results were better.
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Apply this knowledge about the camera’s exposure metering and most your shots will come out fine. However, alternatives like the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ40 shoot in auto-exposure only, with a built-in auto flash, and with those cameras you’ll get fewer wasted prints.
You also need to understand the limitations of Fujifilm Instax film. It has an ISO 800 sensitivity rating, which is bang on with the fastest possible 1/250 sec shutter speed and f/4 aperture (approx) when shooting in cloudy weather, but when the sun comes out you need to stop the aperture right down, to nearer f/22 or even beyond the limit of the lens.
I prefer the look when shooting with a wider aperture, not least to make subjects stand out better, but also in this case for a brighter and clearer view through the viewfinder (it gets dimmer as you reduce the aperture size), and so a ND filter is a must-have accessory – otherwise the SL660 is practically unusable in bright light.
There’s also a hard limit on the dynamic range of the film – if you shoot scenes with high contrast, like a backlit portrait or a white overcast sky, you’ll need to choose between a brightness for highlights or shadows; you can’t have both. An ideal scenario is even lighting: soft sunlight on your subject and background, or at least a darker background so the subjects pops.
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
There’s a standard hotshoe to attach an optional flash. Nons doesn’t sell its own flash, nor did I use the SL660 with a flash for this review – that’s a whole other creative technique I look forward to exploring with this camera. I’ve complained about certain Fujifilm Instax cameras with built-in flash in the past because some models auto-fire the flash for every photo you take, whether you need it or not. However, that’s a better option than the SL660, which has no built-in flash at all – at least you can cover an Instax camera’s flash with your finger when it’s not needed.
Once your shot is ready, you hard-press the eject button and out pops the print. This manual-eject control also enables a multi-exposure function. You’ll need to recalculate the correct exposure for each shot depending what’s in each frame, and the results can be excellent if you know what you’re doing, or at least be prepared to waste a print or two experimenting. For example, I shot a self-portrait silhouette against a bright sky in one exposure, and then another one of closeup details of flowers that visibly populates the silhouette – a classic double-exposure effect.
Overall, if you’re using the Nons SL660 with the 35mm f/2.8 lens without ND filter or flash, it’s fairly limited as to what scenes it’s suitable for. But if you’re equipped with accessories and willing to experiment, great results can be achieved.
Should I buy the Nons SL660?
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
How I tested the Nons SL660
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
I had the Nons SL660 SLR instant camera for a couple of months, and I went through a fair few packs of regular Instax Square film. For the majority of the review I used the Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens, although I did adapt a couple of my Nikon F-mount lenses with mixed success.
Testing the camera in a variety of lighting conditions that ranged from sunny weather to indoors, I experimented with various shutter speeds and lens apertures, and took both single-shot and multi-exposure photos. I’ve not used the Nons SL660 with a hotshoe mounted flash, nor used the bulb mode or attached a cable release.
